3 Nights Post-Cruise Whittier Help - Anchorage, Denali, Seward..

Hi everyone,

I have been pouring over threads and googling like crazy and need some help. Bf and I are going on the Star Princess from Aug. 8-15 northbound to Whittier. We are looking to do 3 more nights after the cruise.

At first, I was thinking one night in Denali (and one night before/after in anchorage - our flight would fly out around 2pm from anchorage the last day), but decided that would probably be really rushed and a ton of time traveling and not much time actually seeing anything. Bf also does not like rushing around a lot/doing a ton of driving. (He is the only driver because I'm not quite 25) Do you think this is an accurate assessment? We're not hikers or anything, would mainly be going to see wildlife and scenery but without hiking/just doing easy, not too long hikes.

Then, I was thinking 3 nights in anchorage. Rent a car in Whittier, drive down to Anchorage and stop at the wildlife center, potter's marsh, beluga point, etc. on the way down. Spend a day doing Matanuska Glacier (+something else), and something else the last day, including a dog sled ride. (Any other suggestions here..??)

Or, an option was to drive from whittier to seward (do kenai fjords cruise) and then to anchorage, or do the PWS glacier cruise before anchorage. But, I'm wondering if all of this is too much glaciers - do they all begin to look the same after awhile, or are some more worthwhile/different than others? Worth it to go to Denali to see wildlife? Or to Kenai Fjords to see wildlife? There are just so, so many options.

We will be doing glacier bay/college fjord with Princess, and we will be doing the Adventure Bound all day trip to Tracy Arm. No whale watching/other specific wildlife watching trips planned.

Anyway, any thoughts would be great. Thanks so much in advance. :) This is our first time to Alaska (from Hawaii)!

What we did was to take the Princess transfer to the airport in Anchorage. Picked up our bags and rented a car from there (think I set it up about 10 mths in advance). Drove back down Turnagain Arm to stay at the Alyeska resort in Girdwood (good prices on Booking.com or at hotel website) --visited Wildlife Center.

Day 2 Drove Girdwood to Seward to visit Sea Life Center and do the Puffin Encounter.

Day 3 Drove to Palmer to visit cousins for coffee, Eklutna, Ox Farm, drove along Glen Highway and stayed at Sheep Mountain Lodge

Day 4 Drove with stops and walks to see Matanuska Glacier and back to airport.

There is so much to see that we enjoyed all our backtracking

We did not go to Denali on our first trip as you need a full day in the park but will do so in 2016

Hi everyone,

 

I have been pouring over threads and googling like crazy and need some help. Bf and I are going on the Star Princess from Aug. 8-15 northbound to Whittier. We are looking to do 3 more nights after the cruise.

 

At first, I was thinking one night in Denali (and one night before/after in anchorage - our flight would fly out around 2pm from anchorage the last day), but decided that would probably be really rushed and a ton of time traveling and not much time actually seeing anything. Bf also does not like rushing around a lot/doing a ton of driving. (He is the only driver because I'm not quite 25) Do you think this is an accurate assessment? We're not hikers or anything, would mainly be going to see wildlife and scenery but without hiking/just doing easy, not too long hikes.

 

Then, I was thinking 3 nights in anchorage. Rent a car in Whittier, drive down to Anchorage and stop at the wildlife center, potter's marsh, beluga point, etc. on the way down. Spend a day doing Matanuska Glacier (+something else), and something else the last day, including a dog sled ride. (Any other suggestions here..??)

 

Or, an option was to drive from whittier to seward (do kenai fjords cruise) and then to anchorage, or do the PWS glacier cruise before anchorage. But, I'm wondering if all of this is too much glaciers - do they all begin to look the same after awhile, or are some more worthwhile/different than others? Worth it to go to Denali to see wildlife? Or to Kenai Fjords to see wildlife? There are just so, so many options.

 

We will be doing glacier bay/college fjord with Princess, and we will be doing the Adventure Bound all day trip to Tracy Arm. No whale watching/other specific wildlife watching trips planned.

 

Anyway, any thoughts would be great. Thanks so much in advance. :) This is our first time to Alaska (from Hawaii)!

The PWS boat tour out of Whittier, is nothing like your cruise ship glacier viewing. If you do the Surprise Glacier, you likely will have an opportunity for some sea otter raft viewing- if of interest, along with Ester Passage sailing. This would be a little similar to your Tracy Arm, minus the sea otters. IF you are interested in wildlife, a jackpot would be a Kenai Fjords boat tour out of Seward. It is costly to get there from Whittier- BUT, the best use of your short time to pay it. Your time has a "value", I believe as well. Depends on your interests? I would suggest you rank- your ideas then head in those directions. Your last day, will need an Anchorage overnight with a 2 pm flight- suggestive time of noon to be at the airport.