Itinerary help (Anchorage/Seward/Denali/Fairbanks)

[beesgma]

I am planning our trip for May, 2008. There are 4 adults with none to minimal hiking skills. Here is our itinerary

5-16-08- arrive in Anchorage around 3PM. Overnight in Anchorage

5-17-08 - take 6:30AM train to Seward/arrive at 11:00AM. 11:30-5:30 Kenai Fjord National Park tour (6 hours). Pick up car. Overnight in Seward.

5-18-08 - SeaLife Museum which opens at 8AM. Then to Exit Glacier for a small hike. On to Anchorage drop off car and get another car from Enterprise. In Anchorage, we would like to stop at the Anchorage Downtown Market & Festival which is open until 6PM for possible souvenirs?

5-19-08 - drive to Talkeetna. Stop at Princess Mt McKinley for coffee on the terrace and view of Mt. McKinley. Flightseeing tour of Mt. McKinley. Drive to Healy to stay overnight

5-20-08 - 6 hour (53 mile) Denali tour. Second night in Healy

5-21-08 - Denali

5-22-08 - Drive to Fairbanks. Riverboat cruise. El Dorado Gold Mine Tour. Overnight in Fairbanks

5-23-08 - Leisurely drive to Anchorage. Drop off car. Overnight in Anchorage

5-24-08 - go to Whittier. Take 26 Glacier Cruise from 1PM to 5:30PM. (Princess cruise leaves at 9:30PM)

 

Questions:

Is it redundant to take the Kenai Fjords cruise and the 26 Glacier cruise?

Can you recommend a flightseeing tour for Mt.McKinley?

Since we are not die hard hikers, do we need a second day in Denali? What else is there to see?

On our drive back from Fairbanks to Anchorage, is there another way to go (like around to Copper Center) or should we just go back on same road?

How do we get from Anchorage to Whittier other than the train?

[fti]

Just some thoughts:

 

Are you keeping the Hertz car from Seward to Anchorage for 24 hours or less? If not, try to stay under 24 hours to be charged for only one day.

 

Since you will already have a car getting to Anchorage, best is to return the Hertz car downtown and pick up Enterprise downtown - you save the hefty airport surcharges for picking at Anchorage airport. If that doesn't work, stop at the Enterprise office on E. Int'l Airport Road on the way to the airport to pick up Enterprise there, then continue to Hertz at the airport (one driver in each car) to drop off Hertz car.

 

Note that Enterprise requires the cars to be returned to the renting location but at least one person on CC this past summer was able to pick up Enterprise downtown and drop off at airport for $40 more. But since you are overnighting in Anchorage on your return before Whittier, dropping off in town is probably best.

 

Check www.nps.gov/dena but I don't think the TWT goes to mile 53 that early. They have an abbreviated TWT earlier in the season. Without looking at the site myself, I don't recall the date offhand that the longer tour starts.

 

For the full extra day in Denali you can do rafting, light hiking near the park entrance, sleddog demonstrations, films in the Wilderness Access Center and Visitor Center, and exhibits in the visitor center. Ranger-led hikes to Horseshoe Trail are easy and informative.

 

It is not redundant to do both the Kenai Fjords cruise (emphasis: marine wildlife, but visits a glacier) and the Whittier cruise (emphasis: glaciers but much closer than on your cruise ship).

 

Pretty much all vendors I have heard of in Talkeetna give good flightseeing tours. Toursaver this year had 2-for-1 for Talkeetna Aero and Talkeetna Air Services. Check in November what is offered and buy a book, basing your tour on what is available, timing, etc. Toursaver costs $100 but you save over $200 just on this flightseeing tour.

 

I would return from Fairbanks to Anchorage on the same road you came on. That is a long enough drive as it is.

 

There are several ways to get from Anchorage to Whittier. Some just offer transit, some short tours - Magic Bus, Alaska Leopard are two that are mentioned often on this board.

 

John

[NancyIL]

Unless you have definite plans for a 2nd full day in Denali - I would suggest driving to Fairbanks the afternoon or evening of May 21st. I think driving to Fairbanks and going on the riverboat cruise and the gold mine tour in one day is a lot.

 

You could drive from Fairbanks to Anchorage by way of Glennallen in one day - but it would involve at least 9 hours of driving. I wanted to do that drive, but several people told me it was too much time in transit for the time we had to spend on our land trip. I will say that the drive along the Glenn Highway between the Matanuska Glacier and Anchorage is very pretty. The drive from Glennallen to Valdez is also beautiful...what we could see of it through the low clouds.

 

We took the Alaskan Leopard shuttle/tour from Whittier to Anchorage after our northbound cruise. We enjoyed it, but their timing going to Whittier from Anchorage isn't optimal if you want to go on a glacier cruise. For 4 people - a one-way Avis rental might cost less than the morning train for 4 people. On the other hand - you may not want to switch rental car companies for the 3rd time!

 

I need a new Alaska trip to tinker with!!! :)

[Budget Queen]

This is a copied reply from your dup post, so all on one thread.

 

You are going too early in the season and for Denali Park it really is necessary to plan that at the very end of your routing in my opinion.

So would head first to Fairbanks, then do Denali Park last with the Toklat SHUTTLE bus an NOT the TOUR BUS. You are paying triple the cost.

 

You also are not factoring in that the McKinley Princess is 50 miles away from McKinley flightseeing. So do that before you head to the McKinley Princess, not really worth the stop if the mt isn't out, and there is a fantastic pull off the Parks Highway, just before the lodge that gives the same view.

Plan your flight for the way up, then you have a back up day on the return if canceled.

 

You do not have time, in my opinion to take the Richardson back to Anchorage. And you are missing the most scenic portion Glenallen/Valdez. IF you do want to consider a loop, then get a costly one way Avis car, spend at least a full day in Valdez and ferry direct to Whittier. This gives you an excellent overall experience in Alaska, you would need to cut out that second day in Denali and frankly add at least another to make it a non marathon trip.

 

As for the 2 boat tours, no they certainly are NOT repeative, and very worthwhile to do both. I would also do way more in Fairbanks than your list, plenty more to consider, and in my opinion, it is more than a one day stop. Otherwise you might make better use of your time, skipping it?? Homer is a fantastic area to also consider, especially if you plan on a costly one way Seward/Anchorage car. You current plans hardly make it worth it compared to just taking the train.

 

There is the train transfer to Whittier, cruise contracted buses, independent buses, one way rental car with Avis.

 

 

As I mention- you are early for Denali park, there are alternative plans you perhaps should also consider- spending more time on the Kenai Peninsula including 2 days in Homer. Drive over the Glen Highway with going as far north at Talkeetna on the Parks Highway and skipping Denali park and Fairbanks. Spend a day in Copper Center, and more in Valdez, take the ferry to Whittier for a loop.

 

Keep your options open at this point and do some more homework.