Today we are sharing our 5 day Alaska road trip itinerary. Our trip to Alaska is still one of our absolute favorite road trips that we’ve ever done and one of our favorite states we’ve visited in the United States. The 5 days we spent in Alaska were 5 of the most adventure packed, beauty filled, awe inspiring and educational days we’ve ever had! It was truly a spectacular trip and we cannot more strongly encourage you to visit Alaska!
It can be a hard state to plan a visit to as there is so much to see and much of it is very spread out. We had a very difficult time planning for the trip and often felt very overwhelmed by the planning process. We wanted to share our 5 day Alaska road trip itinerary with you to hopefully make the planning less overwhelming for you. We were able to pack A LOT into our 5 days and we were very satisfied with our trip. Here’s what we did and how we spent 5 days in Alaska.
5 Day Alaska Road Trip Itinerary
Alaska Itinerary – Day 1:
Road trip begins! Anchorage -> Denali
We took a red eye from LA and arrived at 4am to maximize our time! We picked up our rental car at 6am and started our adventure! We drove from Anchorage to Denali which is about a 4.5 hour drive. It took us way longer because we couldn’t stop taking pictures! The entire drive is just constant beautiful scenery. If you’re a nature person, you’ll be in love!
As soon as we started our drive, we saw a sign stating “Thunderbird Falls” and it sounded so enticing, we had to stop. We went on a mini hike and even though it wasn’t the best scenery in Alaska, we couldn’t stop oohing and aweing. It was just so green and beautiful everywhere. The air also smelled so fresh and clean.
After that, we were hungry. We stopped at Abby’s Home Cooking in Wasilla. We weren’t expecting much as it was just a random stop. The place was SO cute and cozy. It’s a family run place and everyone was so sweet. The food took awhile to arrive, but we didn’t care because we were so into our card game we were playing. The eggs were delicious and Bassam tried REINDEER sausage!! Lena loved the homemade grilled sourdough.
Glacier landing expedition in Denali
We were exhausted when we arrived at our hotel, The Grande Denali Lodge, but we still wanted to do something with our night. We looked through the excursion options and what really caught Lena’s attention was a Helicopter Glacier landing with Era Helicopters! Bassam is TERRIFIED of heights, but Lena was able to convince him. Chalk it up to sleep exhaustion! The excursion was INCREDIBLE and Bassam was so glad he did it. The views of Denali on the helicopter ride were breath taking, but the experience of landing on the glacier and walking around, was the most impressive part. Definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity and one of our absolute favorite things we did in Alaska. You can read all the details of our experience and see tons of pictures here.
Dinner at Alpenglow
We were too tired at this point to go out, so we ate at Alpenglow in our hotel. It was our first dinner in Alaska and it didn’t disappoint! The service was fantastic and very friendly. Everyone there gave us lots of tips and recommendations.
We started off our dinner with roasted Brussels sprouts that were the perfect blend of sweet and savory. Then, we shared seafood pasta and halibut. Both dishes were light, flavorful, fresh, and extremely delicious! Finally, we ended with an AMAZING blueberry ice cream. Lena loved it so much she went back again the next night for it!
The night after we left, the Alpenglow hosted a special wine pairing dinner with really creative dishes like blue cheese ice cream. We were so sad we missed this and would definitely dine here if in Denali again!
Alaska Itinerary – Day 2:
Denali Park and Preserve
Denali is SIX MILLION acres and the highest mountain peak in North America! It’s also an insanely beautiful place! It’s only open May-September, so there’s a pretty short time window to visit. There’s a 92-mile road that you can drive through and discover all kinds of awesome hiking trails and wildlife.
Only the first 15 miles are open to public cars. After that, you’d need to walk, bike, or take a hop-on hop-off bus, but you can camp and hike in the park. Only two shuttle companies are able to go to the end of the 92 miles. We went on one of them, Denali Backcountry Adventure. It was 13 hours (!!!) but so worth it! We aren’t normally tour people, but chose to do a tour to visit Denali because it’s the easiest way to see the national park. It’s also the only way to get to the end of the park.
We highly highly recommend visiting Alaska when Denali is open so that you can visit. It was one of the biggest highlights of our Alaska itinerary and such an amazing experience. We went Labor Day weekend (early September) which was one of the last weekends Denali was open. It wasn’t very crowded which made the experience that much better.
Read the details and see lots of pictures here!
Dinner at Salmon Bake
It’s supposedly the last Alaskan owned restaurant in Denali and a Denali icon. The food came out FAST and was really tasty. Try the halibut and the halibut tacos!
Northern Lights
A huge item on our Alaska Bucket List was to see the Northern Lights. We knew our last night in Denali was our only chance due to the clear skies. If we weren’t so tired, we would’ve driven to Fairbanks where the skies are clearer and you’re closer to the North Pole, but we stayed in Denali, and got a great viewing! How crazy are those colors? There is nothing like seeing the pretty colors dancing in the sky. We always say this, nature is truly the best artist. Here are some tips to get good Northern Lights pictures:
- Pre-download a night photography app if you will be using your phone. There are many great free options
- If using a professional camera, the camera and lens should be manual focus. Set the shutter speed to 15 seconds. Mess around with the aperture until you find what works for your camera, for us it was 2.8. Setting the camera on a tripod is a must! Here’s an inexpensive and lightweight tripod we love
- If you don’t have a manual camera, you can also try this trick, but keep in mind the photos may not come out that great. Find something to focus on like the moon, a light in the distance, or a house, and then take your shot
- Try to find the darkest place possible to take photos, the lights will show up better that way. Any other lighting will detract from the Northern Lights
- Be patient! It sometimes can take a few hours to get a really good glimpse of them. There were a lot of people waiting with us to see them and by the end of the night, there was only us and 2 other couples left. It can take time and you may be up late, but it’s so worth it!
- Don’t stress too much over the photos if it’s going to take away from your experience! We spent most of the time just enjoying the Northern Lights in real time, rather than taking photos. It’s such an incredible and unforgettable experience.
Where to Stay in Denali:
$$$: Grande Denali Lodge {where we stayed!}
$$$$: Kantishna Road House {a hotel located IN Denali National Park! Such a cool experience!}
Alaska Itinerary – Day 3:
Road trip again! Denali -> Seward
Big driving day, 8.5 hours! (Don’t let this intimidate you, the views are so beautiful that the drive time flies by!)
We woke up late to rest a bit from our nonstop two days. We stopped at Creekside Cabins and Café and had a lovely breakfast at a charming little place. Try the breakfast skillet and the cinnamon rolls!
Next, we stopped at Mile 135, Denali View South. We took an easy 1/2 mile hike to a spectacular view point! Well worth the stop!
Our final stop was in the adorable town of Talkeetna. It’s a very small and quaint town with a CAT as their MAYOR (!!!). Definitely stop by The Roadhouse. It’s a really unique and charming place with GREAT pastries. If we had more time, we would’ve taken a jet boat tour. We heard great things about it!
Alaska Itinerary – Day 4:
Kenai Fjords National Park cruise
We took a 6 hour cruise through the Kenai Fjords National Park with Major Marines. The contrast of the greener than green landscape and fog was just stunning! We also saw tons of sea animals (including orcas!) and the impressive Holgate Glacier! Make sure to dress warmly on this tour. It can get very windy and cold, but it’s so worth it! The glacier is quite a sight to see and it’s amazing to experience the beautiful Alaskan scenery on the water.
Read the details and see lots of pictures here.
Alaska Sealife Center
The Alaska Sealife Center is one of the most interactive learning centers we’ve ever been to! There’s a wealth of information here that is presented in a really fun way. We took a quiz to see what kind of friend we are to the ocean {based on sustainability efforts}, touched a variety of sealife like starfish, got to see puffins and sealions, played a game to see if we could walk along diminishing glaciers like some sea animals must, and much more! We have to say, all that we learned about how human behavior is affecting the sea and sealife really opened our eyes to the importance of sustainability practices. We will really be upping our sustainability game now that we are back home!
Dinner at Chinooks
All the fish here is locally sourced and sustainable which was a nice follow-up to our visit to The Alaska Sealife Center. From drinks to dinner to dessert, everything was SO good!! We way over ordered and way over ate. One of our best meals in Alaska! We highly recommend having dinner here!
Where to Stay in Seward:
$$$: Safari Lodge
$$$: Angels Rest on Resurrection Bay
Alaska Itinerary – Day 5:
Exit Glacier
This is a must stop when in Seward! It’s a glacier derived from the Harding Icefield. We took a moderate 2 mile hike to the glacier. The glacier was really cool to see! You can no longer go all the way up to it but you can get pretty close. The hike was also a bit sad, as along the way there were signs stating years that indicted how far out the glacier was that year.
It was eye opening to walk through and see how much the glacier had receded every 5 years. The experience really stressed to us how important sustainability efforts are. If we had more time, and better gear, we would’ve done the strenuous 9 mile hike through the entire Harding Icefield. Next time! If this sounds interesting to you, we highly recommend going soon! The glacier is getting smaller each year and may not be in existence very much longer.
Girdwood
This adorable little town is just 45 minutes outside of Anchorage and was the perfect place to spend our last few hours! We would love to come back and spend more time here! We spent some time relaxing at the charming Alyeska Resort and then took the Alyeska tram 2,300 feet up in elevation. We were treated to the most AMAZING views!! There are TONs of KILLER hiking trails and we went for a mini hike. If we had more time we would’ve hiked up instead of taking the sky tram. Finally, we capped off our trip with a fantastic dinner at Seven Glaciers. The perfect end to one amazing trip.
Where To Stay in Girdwood:
Alyeska Resort {we really want to stay here next time!}
Have more than 5 days?
If we had more time in Alaska, we would’ve gone to Homer, spent a night in Girdwood, went on a full day hike, went kayaking through the glaciers in Seward, and gone dog sledding in Juneau. We could easily spend 2 weeks in Alaska but we feel like we got a great taste in 5 days!
Packing List:
- LOTs of layers! The sun is HOT and the cold weather gets VERY cold. Bring lots of layers so you can be ready for any type of weather! Bassam says Thermals are a must!
- A guide book. We rarely had reception or wifi so looking up spots on our phones was tough. A travel book will be very helpful!
- Binoculars. You’ll want to get an up close look at all the wildlife you’re bound to see. There’s something magical getting to see the animals doing their thing in their natural setting.
- Bear spray. A must if you’re planning on going hiking or camping.
- Lots of snacks! Helpful for some of the excursions and all the road trips!
- Pre download audio books or make a playlist for the road trips!
- Waterproof pants and Waterproof hiking shoes. The weather is unpredictable and can very rainy!
Alaska Road Trip Itinerary Frequently Asked Questions:
Here are the most frequently asked questions we get from readings planning an Alaska itinerary.
Cruise vs road trip?
We always get asked if we think a cruise would be a good way to experience Alaska. We have only been on a road trip in Alaska so we can’t fully comment on this, but we would recommend a road trip over a cruise. There’s something so special about being able to drive through the scenery- it’s absolutely incredible! We loved being able to stop whenever and wherever we wanted, which helped us discover some fantastic stops. Finally, cruises can’t go very far inland so there’s a lot you miss by taking a cruise vs. driving. That being said, it could be great to experience both! We would just recommend a road trip first.
Best time of year to visit Alaska?
We went early September and felt that was a great time. It wasn’t too crowded, it wasn’t too cold, and Denali was open. We recommend basing your travel plans around when Denali will be open if that’s on your Alaska itinerary (May – September). Keep in mind summer can be very crowded.
If you’re biggest motivation for visiting Alaska is to see the Northern Lights, then you’re better off going mid-September to late April. Just keep in mind, it will also be very cold and certain towns will be closed.
Favorite tour/activity of the Alaska Itinerary?
This is such a hard question to answer. We were very lucky that we were able to experience Alaska by air, land and sea. Each of those experiences was completely different and magical in its own way. My favorite was the helicopter glacier tour. It was just so incredibly magical and unique. It’s been 2 years since our trip and it’s an experience I haven’t forgotten. However, just because it was my favorite, doesn’t mean it’s the number one thing you have to do on your Alaska itinerary.
I think the CAN’T MISS thing of our whole Alaska itinerary was Denali. I can’t imagine having gone to Alaska and not visited Denali. If you can afford it, I would say try to budget for all three: Denali, glacier tour, and Seward tour. If you can only do one, go with Denali. If you can do two, do Denali and Seward. That’ll give you a well rounded experience and also ensure you hit the biggest highlights.
We hope this 5 day Alaska road trip itinerary has inspired you to visit and has helped streamline your travel planning! Have you been to Alaska? Planning a trip? Talk to us in the comments!
Shushu says
Omg Alaska is officially a top bucket lister!!! I’m definitely going to the cat mayor town!
happilyeveradventures says
Yes! We hope you go and love it as much as we did! Hope you see the cat, we didn’t get a chance to, and say hi to him for us!
Katie @ The Katie Show Blog says
Wow that looks stunning. I NEED to visit Alaska!!
happilyeveradventures says
Yes, we hope you do! It’s incredibly beautiful!
msquirks says
So loved reading this and seeing all the pics..we thought we are hardcore travelers but you guys have packed so much, loved all the details! The cruise looks fantastic, so we will definitely be sure to check it out when we go there. Thanks
happilyeveradventures says
Thank you for your comment! We are so happy to hear you enjoyed the post! We always have so much we want to do, we try to pack in as much as possible! We hope you go to Alaska soon and enjoy it as much as we did! Where have you gone that you packed in a ton?
Msquirks says
We generally tend to pack a lot on every holiday, but the most we’ve done is when we went to iceland, drove atleast about 100-150 odd kms each day for about a week, and then hiked mountains, walked the valleys or canyons, we saw some breathtaking scenery but we’re shattered by the end of the day!
happilyeveradventures says
Wow! But that sounds incredible and like something you have to do in Iceland! When we go I’ll ask you for recommendations.
Christine says
What a great post on Alaska! It seems like you got so much done during your trip. I wish I saw the northern lights when I visited last month. I went to seven glaciers as well and it was gorgeous!
happilyeveradventures says
There was SO much we wanted to do, so we packed in as much as we could! Your Alaska photos were beautiful! Now you’ll have to go back to see the Northern Lights…
Anisa says
What an amazing trip, I really want to do this. All your pictures are amazing, but I think my favorite are the Northern Lights ones. Thanks for the photography tips too!
happilyeveradventures says
Thank you! The Northern Lights were truly a once in a lifetime experience! I hope the photography tips help if you see the Northern Lights!
Sarah - Exploring Kiwis says
Oh my goodness, how gorgeous does Alaska look?! We’re off to Iceland over Christmas for the first time on the hunt for Northern Lights but it looks like you had great success in tracking them down yourself. Thanks for your photography tips, I’m sure they’ll come in handy.
happilyeveradventures says
Alaska was amazing! We are dying to go to Iceland! Hope you have a great time!! Can’t wait to see your pictures!
Itinera Magica says
Alaska really is the big thing right now and when I see your pictures, I understand why!
Beautiful place to explore!
happilyeveradventures says
We went super randomly, but it was one of the best travel decisions we’ve made. The pictures don’t do it justice. Seriously one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever been!
Mel I TravelingMel says
Looks like a perfect trip! Alaska is high on my list of places to visit. I’d love to go to Denali and the Kenai Fjords, and definitely do the nine mile hike :). And it is so devastating how fast the Arctic is warming.
happilyeveradventures says
There are so many bucket list worthy things to do and see in Alaska! We hope you get to go soon! We want to go back!
Christina says
What a fantastic itinerary. I didn’t realize all this could be fitted into 5 days. I visited Alaska by cruise but have always wanted to go back for a road trip. When I go I hope we are as lucky and also see the Northern Lights.
happilyeveradventures says
Yes! We had limited time, but we wanted to make the most of it. We hope you do go back for a road trip; it’s a very different experience.
Inge says
Alaska looks amazing! We are dreaming about going there for a long time now! Guess I wouldn’t want to leave so soon! 🙂 Bookmarking this post for when we finally start planning our Alaska trip 😉 Great share!
happilyeveradventures says
It was one of our most favorite trips! I hope you get to go soon and enjoy it as much as we did!
Jade says
I have always loved the idea of visiting Alaska! Thanks for sharing your itinerary. Every time I look into planning a trip I get so overwhelmed by the amount of things to do but you managed to give me a few ideas for when I do finally make it out that way!
happilyeveradventures says
Alaska is very overwhelming to plan! I had the hardest time planning it, but we ended up being able to do SO much in 5 days! I hope you love it if you go! Let us know if you have any questions.
Krupa Nagda says
Such a well written post.. Alaska is in our bucket list and this will certainly help us to plan. Love the camera tips 👌🏼.
happilyeveradventures says
Thank you, Krupa! Alaska was one of our favorite travel destinations. I hope you get to go soon and enjoy it as much as we did!
Flo says
Guys, this trip looks like it was absolutely epic! The helicopter ride must have been amazing, and omg that photo of the northern lights is breathtaking. Good tip on setting the shutter speed to 15 seconds! I truly hope to make it to Alaska one day.
happilyeveradventures says
Thank you for your sweet comments, Flo! Alaska was one of the most epic trips we’ve been on- even though it was only 5 days! Seeing the Northern Lights was such a huge bucket list item for us and the helicopter ride is still one of my favorite travel excursions we’ve done. I also hope you make it to Alaska! You’ll love it!
Abigail Sinsona says
Alaska is gifted with so much beauty, it’s hard to believe it’s real. I have this state on my travel bucket list. I need to add some of the things you’ve featured here to my itinerary!
happilyeveradventures says
I agree! We constantly couldn’t believe how gorgeous the scenery was. I hope you make it out to Alaska soon!
Rachelle says
Alaska is so beautiful! I sent my brother up to Kenai over the summer to do some serious salmon fishing. I hope he was able to go on a cruise of the fjords! I can’t wait to plan a time where I can go. I won’t be able to stay for very long and love this list. I will totally reference it for my plans. Thank you for posting and I just LOVE your pictures! Oh, and thanks for the tip about bringing a guide book. I think we get so used to having cell service, but with Alaska being the literal last frontier of the US, I can imagine there would be only patches of service!
happilyeveradventures says
RIGHT? We totally take cell service for granted! We were really surprised when we found that we didn’t have any at all in Alaska. I’m so happy to hear you found the guide useful and I hope your brother had a wonderful time! I hope you get to go soon; it was one of our all time favorite trips!
Gokul Raj says
Love the untouched wilderness of this place. And let us not forget the Northern Lights. They look so beautiful.
happilyeveradventures says
So much untouched wilderness! We were constantly in awe!
Bruce Schinkel says
Wow, what a great way to spend 5 days in Alaska! I’ve yet to visit myself, but have always wanted to … and now you’re making me bump up my timelines, especially to see the views from Alyeska tram.
happilyeveradventures says
It was a whirlwind of a trip since we fit so much into 5 days, but it was truly memorable. Even a year later, we can’t stop talking about it! I hope you get to go soon and love it a much as we did!
Izzy says
Looks like you two had a grand old time! I love the playful dynamic you and your husband have, it really translates in all your photos! Reindeer sausage sounds really great ant that Sealife Center seems like an absolute MUST when in Alaska! I love interactive experiential learning spaces. SO note to self: rent a car when visiting and bring things to layer!
happilyeveradventures says
Aw thank you for your sweet comment, Izzy! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post. If you love interactive learning spaces, you will absolutely love the Sealife Center! And yes, renting a car is essential! We truly felt road tripping was the best way to see Alaska!
Carmelatte says
WOW, WHAT A PARADISE <3
Carmelatte
happilyeveradventures says
It truly was!
Deah says
We are heading there this summer, so we will definitely be utilizing this itinerary- looks amazing! Thanks for posting.
happilyeveradventures says
Hi Deah! Let us know how it goes and if you have any questions. It was one of our favorite trips!
Keli says
I am a travel nurse on assignment in Anchorage. I was here for 9 months 2 years ago and am going on 6 months here this round. Absolutely love it! Just wanted to give you props on this itinerary and encourage anyone heading this way to take your lead and visit! You hit some awesome highlights that really give you a feel for life up here. Thanks for sharing!
happilyeveradventures says
Hi Keli, thanks for stopping by! What a beautiful place to be on assignment! I’m so glad to hear that you thought we hit all the highlights with our itinerary! It’s the best compliment to hear that from a local! Enjoy the rest of your time in Alaska!
Lena says
Thank you soooo much for this detailed report!! It helped me a lot with my trip to Alaska! many hugs
happilyeveradventures says
I am SO happy to hear that! Thank you for letting us know! I hope you had a great time!
Minaxi says
Thank you soooo much for this itinerary! Was looking for something for 5 days and this fit perfectly! And who knew we could see northern lights so easily from Denali 😀 The perfectionist ass I am I would have planned Fairbanks 😛
happilyeveradventures says
I’m so glad this itinerary was helpful for you, Minaxi! Fairbanks will definitely give you a better view, but if you’re lazy like us or tired from a long day, Denali is just fine!
MarNell says
Any idea how much you spent for these 5 days? Trying to decide between land tour and cruise. Thanks!
happilyeveradventures says
That’s a great question. Flights were around $350 each, hotels were $150 a night, and then the tour costs. I don’t remember what we spent on food. I have a very hard time choosing one tour to recommend to you as both the water and land tours were so extremely different and amazing, but if I had to pick, I would choose the water tour. The reason why is that the glaciers are melting, so you may not always be able to do that. Otherwise, I enjoyed the Denali land tour more. Tough choice!
Erica says
Thank you so much for sharing! My husband and I are flying to Anchorage late September and roadtripping to Fairbanks, we have 6 days and I was so worried it wouldn’t be enough time. I’m extremely overwhelmed with the planning, this helps so much. The Northern Lights are #1 on my list, everything else will be a bonus. Were the roads and highways easy to travel? Did you do anything in Anchorage?
happilyeveradventures says
I think it’ll be enough time! The roads and highways were VERY easy to travel! The only thing is that there isn’t much service, so you’ll need a paper map or pre download Google Maps offline. We didn’t do anything in Anchorage, we just didn’t have time. I hope you get to see the Northern Lights!
Mithun Pal says
Thanks for this Artical. Its really gave us some insight of my Alaska Visit this July.
happilyeveradventures says
I’m so glad!