IT Help Needed

HI

We%26#39;re doing a 7day southbound cruise from Anchorage to Vancouver.

We need help with planning our days before the cruise. We plan to spend 5-7 days in the area and just book day tours, get around by bus or rent a car, blend in with locals, if possible. We%26#39;re in our 30s, first time to Alaska. We just plan to soak in the beauty of nature, watch some wildlife and do easy hikes. Any suggestions would help a lot.

IT Help Needed

We%26#39;ll be starting out cruise in Whittier or Seward. Thanks.

IT Help Needed

Hi hollymalu, welcome to the forum.

When are you going? Any specific wildlife you want to see? What other interests do you have (glaciers, fishing, museums, goldpanning, etc.)?

And which port will you be leaving from?

Are you renting a car or not. If so you will be able to hike a lot of areas just outside of Anchorage along Turnigan Arm. There is also lots of places to hike on the way to Seward, you will love the drive and you will see a lot. If you get a chance drive on down to Homer and stop in Kenai and go to the Captain Cook State park and hike around at the end of the road. Then go back through Kenai, check out the old Russian church if you like, and than on to Homer. Lots of places to hike and see all around. Just be Bear smart. No cooking meats in camp and have common sense.

I%26#39;d definitely rent a car. You%26#39;ll be able to get around much easier and will have a less binding schedule. I suggest getting this book for some great hikes within a couple hours of Anchorage. (amazon.com/Hikes-Alaskas-Chugach-State-Park/鈥?/a>)

If your cruise is leaving out of Seward, go down there a day or two early and go on a Kenai Fjords wildlife cruise. The much smaller boats will get you in and around better and you%26#39;ll see way more wildlife and glaciers than you will on the cruise. I suggest one of the longer, full day cruises so that you have the best chance to see wildlife and get to see a calving glacier.

Some other things you can do on your way down to Seward would be a hike up to Portage Glacier, the Wildlife Conservation Center (very near each other), a stop in Girdwood to go up on the tram at Alyeska if it%26#39;s a clear day for an awesome view. Another option is going on a white water rafting or float trip (way more laidback) on the Kenai River in Cooper%26#39;s Landing. That%26#39;s about an hour and a half from Anchorage and a bit out of the way on your drive to Seward, but you could maybe pair it with the three things mentioned above, do all of them in one day and stay the night at Cooper%26#39;s Landing and finish the drive to Seward the next day.

You could go hiking around Cooper%26#39;s Landing, and then again down in Seward. The Harding Ice Field trek would be a cool hike and a great chance to see Exit glacier up close. You can also go kayaking around the glaciers in Seward and I think also in Whittier if you end up taking your cruise out of there.

If you%26#39;re planning on staying in Anchorage for a couple days, I suggest staying at a B%26amp;B since they are about half the price of most hotels in the summer (unless you can get a deal through hotels.com or hotwire). Also, the sooner you get a rental car, the better. The prices are already pretty high and will only get higher.

Thank you for all your replies. Watching the glaciers and wildlife - hopefully whales, marine mammals and bears would be great. I will check out all your suggestions. I haven%26#39;t booked our cruise yet so Im not sure which port we%26#39;re leaving from but we plan to do a southbound cruise to vancouver. There%26#39;s some great cruise deals right now!

I have another question - holland america has a 4 day land tour before or after cruises. It typically costs $500USD/pp. It includes some meals, train to denali and fairbanks and lodging. Cost is an issue for us, so do you think that we would spend around the same amount if we did it on our own.?

If you%26#39;re looking for wildlife, glaciers, and great scenery, Fairbanks is not a place I%26#39;d suggest.

Assuming you%26#39;d be okay with simple accommodations, I%26#39;d suggest you spend a day at Seward (if that%26#39;s where your ship docks), take the very scenic train to Anchorage, and rent a car for your drive to Denali and back.

Or, if you end up docking in Whittier, either take the ship transfer to Anchorage or do a glacier cruise out of Whittier and take the evening train to Anchorage, rent a car. Spend a day driving back near Whittier (1 hr, incredible scenery, lots to see and do: Wildlife Conservation Center, easy hike to Byron Glacier to actually walk on a glacier (free), Crow Creek Mine %26amp; hike Winner Creek Trail in Girdwood, or hike/bike Tony Knowles Coastal Trail in Anchorage or nearby Flattop Mt.

Day 2: drive up to Denali (5 hrs), stopping to explore along the way (maybe Musk Ox Farm in Palmer, Iditarod HQ in Wasilla), Talkeetna for lunch and a 2 hr. wildlife river float.

In Denali, possible activities: hike an entrance trail, whitewater rafting, drive the 14 miles into the park that private cars are allowed and hike from there, see the visitor center displays %26amp; film, see free Ranger sled dog demo at 10, 2 or 4. Overnight nearby Healy (Denali Park Hotel? Which is actually a motel, lol)

Day 3: shuttle to Eielson (8 hrs) or Wonder Lake (11 hrs). On the return trip, get off somewhere to hike, then catch a later shuttle to resume your trip. Overnight Healy.

Day 4: Drive back to Anchorage (5 hrs). Light sightseeing (Native Heritage Center, zoo, hiking). Evening flight home.

Car rentals are expensive and will only go up, so if you decide to do this, reserve ASAP. Preferably get one that you can cancel if you come across a better rate. A good site to make comparisons is carrentals.com.

The best humpback whale-watching is out of Juneau or Icy Strait Pt.