One day in Whittier/Anchorage post-cruise

Hi all,

First of all, I got great help in planning my first cruise from Cruisecritic members. Thank you!!! :) I now have another question. Hope you will be just as helpful!

I have booked a cruise on Princess which arrives in Whittier during the wee hours of Saturday. From what I read in the forums, we can disembark in the morning around 7:00 or 8:00 am. But, our flights home only depart from Anchorage during the early morning of the next day. Would anybody here be able to suggest a way to spend the day in Anchorage/Whittier or a side trip to take (without having to drive) for a few hours ?

Thanks again!

Since I live in Anchorage, I guess I should jump in.

How are you getting from Whittier to Anchorage? It is about 1.5 to 2 hours. There are some sightseeing opportunities along the way: Portage Glacier (walk the Trail of Blue Ice or take a boat trip to see the glacier), Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Girdwood, or the the bird viewing boardwalk at Potter Marsh. If you can get transportation that includes one of these stops, that's one option.

In Anchorage, I believe they will store your luggage for you downtown until it is time to go to the airport. If you get dropped off downtown, go to the Anchorage Museum. That's worth at least 2 or 3 hours. The Alaska Public Lands Information Center is good if you are interested in National Parks and so forth. They have films and ranger presentations. Walk along the wonderful Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, or rent a bicycle and take the trail all the way out to Kincaid Park. There is a trolley tour of downtown, but it doesn't last all that long. Take the public bus system out to the zoo, Go the Alaska Native Heritage Center. It's not downtown, but I think they have a shuttle. You can spend two or three hours there. In addition to the exhibits they offer tours and demonstrations of dancing, drumming, and more. There is an aviation museum near the airport.

For lunch, get a reindeer sausage from one of the street vendors downtown.

Finally, have a nice dinner and eat some fresh salmon. Try Glacier Brewhouse, 49th State Brewing, or Simon & Seafort's.

Consider the 26 Glacier cruise out of Whittier that leaves about 11 am and then head up to the airport. We are using Bear Valley Road Runner for private transportation. Alternately, they can organize tour stops on route to the airport. As the previous writer mentioned, there are quite a few options along the way.

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Thank you so much Denali75 and BrocktonCruiser. Those are some really cool options.. :-)

I was planning to book the Whittier shuttle to Anchorage as their prices seem very reasonable compared to those offered by Princess. Is this a good option?

Thanks again!

I would recommend the 26 Glaciers cruise and then take the train to Anchorage. We have taken the cruise and the train and it is a great way to both get close to the glaciers and experience the Alaska RR.