Does this itinerary need to be tweaked?

We are taking the May 22-29 Celebrity northbound cruise from Vancouver to Seward (stops in Ketchikan, Icy Point Strait, Juneau, and Skagway and has days including Inside Passage and Hubbard Glacier. We have excursions planned in each port.)

We arrive at Seward at 5:00 am and plan to take a tour to Kenai Fjords and spend the night in Seward. From there our tentative itinerary looks like this:

May 30 - train or rental car from Seward to Anchorage

May 31 - Anchorage

June 1 Anchorage

June 2 - train from Anchorage to Denali (takes all day - car would be more efficient but not sure we want to drive)

June 3-4 tours in Denali

June 5 - transportation back to Anchorage

June 6 - early flight home to Chicago

I haven't planned yet what we will do in Anchorage or Denali. But time wise, does this look like we've allocated the right amount of time in each place? I know we could be in Alaska a month and not see and do everything but we have limited flexibility on our time. Any suggestions for tweaking our schedule?

Usually the amount of time to spend in each location is based on planned activities there. It's hard to make suggestions about an itinerary when we don't know your plans in each location, or your interests.

So based on my own preferences, I'd take the evening train to Anchorage which gives you 2 full days in Seward. That particular train route is supposed to be the most scenic of the Alaska Railroad since the tracks don't parallel the hwy the entire time and at one point provides great glacier viewing.

I'm not a fan of Anchorage or cities in general so on 5/31 I'd spend a few hrs in town, then rent a car and drive along the Turnagain Arm ... visit the Wildlife Conservation Center, Potters Marsh, Alyeska Resort, etc and overnight there.

May 30 - train or rental car from Seward to Anchorage (train)

May 31 - Anchorage ( Turnagain Arm, overnight in Girdwood)

June 1 Anchorage ( drive to Talkeetna, stopping at Eklutna Spirit Houses, Eagle River Nature Center, Thunderbird falls)

June 2 - train from Anchorage to Denali (takes all day - car would be more efficient but not sure we want to drive) (Finish drive to Denali 2 1/2 hrs. Drive to Savage River the furthest point private cars can go .. park and walk the trail)

June 3-4 tours in Denali

June 5 - transportation back to Anchorage (10am sled dog demo then 5-6 hr drive back to Anc.

June 6 - early flight home to Chicago

But that's me. OR, if glaciers are of interest, skip the Turnagain Arm and visit Matanuska Glacier for a glacier trek. Or if you like hiking and hhistorical sites, go to Independence Mine. A car gives you so many options.

Suggested stops along Turnagain Arm:

http://www.alaska.org/guide/turnagain-arm-drive

Thank you, Mapleleaves...that gives me a much better idea of possibilities to explore. We have friends in Anchorage we'd like to have dinner with but with our flight just after midnight on June 6, we could easily meet up with them for dinner before heading to the airport.

If your flight is just after midnight on June 6th, you will have a really hard time taking the train from Denali to Anchorage and making the flight. Train doesn't arrive until 10pm or later, meaning you won't get to the airport until close to 11pm once you claim luggage, get a cab, etc. You are supposed to be at the airport at least 2 hours before departure in the summer to navigate the relatively large crowds.

Are you planning on seeing your Anchorage friends on May 31 too? You might want to flip Anchorage and Denali, going to Denali first then spending your last night in Anchorage. Might be easier on the nerves in case of any issues with the road (or train) on June 5 if your flight is late that night.

Thanks frugaltravel. I think we will drive from Anchorage to Denali RT leaving us the flexibility we need rather than taking the train.

Surgie - we're on the same cruise as you, and figured that we would do a Kenai Fjords cruise on the day we get off the ship, and then do the train to Anchorage to use the light evening hours as transport, so that we have a full day the next day to hire a car and do Turnagain arm (as Mapleleaves suggested). We may or may not do a Prince William Sound tour that day before driving back to Anchorage. We're spending 2 nights in Anchorage and flying out on the Sunday afternoon.

Thank you, Mapleleaves...that gives me a much better idea of possibilities to explore. We have friends in Anchorage we'd like to have dinner with but with our flight just after midnight on June 6, we could easily meet up with them for dinner before heading to the airport.

Suggested stopping points for the drive between Anchorage and Denali:

http://www.bellsalaska.com/myalaska/parks_highway.html

Surgie - we're on the same cruise as you, and figured that we would do a Kenai Fjords cruise on the day we get off the ship, and then do the train to Anchorage to use the light evening hours as transport, so that we have a full day the next day to hire a car and do Turnagain arm (as Mapleleaves suggested). We may or may not do a Prince William Sound tour that day before driving back to Anchorage. We're spending 2 nights in Anchorage and flying out on the Sunday afternoon.

Thanks for the suggestion, Cassiecruiser. We are so torn between doing a side trip to Denali after the cruise or just coming back home and waiting until the following summer to do just Alaska on land. I feel like we are trying to cram too much into the time we can be gone with the cruise and then a rushed land tour. Still need to sort that out so it's helpful to know what others are doing.