There are many ways to plan your “perfect Alaska itinerary,” depending on your interests. Cruise the fjords, go glacier hiking or ice climbing, soar over the snow-capped mountains on a flightseeing tour, see Denali in all her glory, watch brown bears feeding on salmon, and drive through some of the most beautiful landscapes in the USA.
If it is your first time planning a trip to Alaska, it can feel overwhelming. Alaska is enormous with a very long list of things to do.
We want to make that easier for you.
In this guide, we list three different ways to spend 10 days in Alaska. These are great starting points for planning your trip, and they can be easily modified if you have more or less time.
About these Itineraries
Each of these itineraries are done as a road trip. And they each include at least two of Alaska’s national parks. You won’t see Gates of the Arctic, Kobuk or Glacier Bay National Parks in this guide, since they are either very remote or best seen on a cruise.
For each of these itineraries, you will need to rent a car. A standard vehicle is fine, unless you plan to do Alaska itinerary #2, which includes Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. With a 4×4, you can drive to McCarthy, which is the gateway into Wrangell – St. Elias National Park. Alternatively, you can also fly into McCarthy, but this increases the price of your trip. More on this later in this guide.
The best time to do these itineraries is from May through September. That’s a short window of time, but for most of the year, the national parks are snow covered and inaccessible. Even May is a bit early, and some tours won’t start operating until June or even July.
PRO TRAVEL TIP: Before setting your travel dates, confirm that tours are operating for the time that you plan to visit Alaska.
If you plan to visit Katmai, the best time to go is July. If you want to do more than just a day trip, you will need to apply for the Brooks Lodge lottery, which occurs in December a year and a half before your trip (for example, the December 2023 lottery awards tickets for summer 2025). If you don’t get a spot in the lottery, you can keep checking for cancellations. More on this later (or learn more in our Katmai Guide).
Finally, Alaska can be an expensive place to visit, especially once you start adding on flightseeing trips and day trips to remote places. I give you a rough estimate about how much things cost, but prices do fluctuate, so I recommend getting updated prices from the official websites, so you don’t have any unfortunate surprises.
IMPORTANT: Denali Park Road is closed beyond mile 43. This road closure could last until 2025 or longer, as a bridge is constructed around a landslide. You can still visit Denali National Park, but in my opinion, you will be missing out on the best areas of the park (those that lie beyond mile 43). You can either do the itinerary that does not include Denali (Alaska itinerary #2), or visit Denali now and also plan a return visit in the future, if you want to go beyond mile 43. To learn more about what you can do in Denali right now, read our post What to Do in Denali while Denali Road is Closed.
10 Day Alaska Itinerary
Here are three different ways to plan your 10-day Alaska itinerary.
#1: Classic Itinerary: Kenai Fjords, Denali & Anchorage
#2: Wrangell-St. Elias, Kenai Fjords & Valdez
#3: Denali, Katmai & Kenai Fjords
Alaska Itinerary #1: Kenai Fjords, Denali & Anchorage
This is our “classic” Alaska itinerary, where you visit two of Alaska’s most popular national parks, Kenai Fjords and Denali.
On this itinerary, you will fly in and out of Anchorage. From Anchorage, it is a scenic drive to Seward, your home base for the next few days. Visit Kenai Fjords National Park, where you can hike or ice climb on glaciers, go hiking, and cruise the fjords. Then, travel through Anchorage to Denali and spend several days here.
On this itinerary, you have 3 days in Denali National Park, which might sound like a lot, but there is a statistic that only 30% of people get to see Denali, because it is frequently hidden behind the clouds. With several days here, you have a good chance to see this mighty mountain.
IMPORTANT: As mentioned earlier, Denali Park Road is closed beyond mile 43. It closed in August 2021 because the road is “slumping” at a rate that can no longer be safely managed. A proposed bridge will bypass this portion of the road, but it will take several years for construction.
In the meantime, you can still visit Denali National Park, just be aware that you will be missing out on a lot. In my opinion, the very best experiences are beyond mile 43 (Eielson is a spectacular place to visit). So, if you want to see the best of Denali, I recommend saving this itinerary for 2025 or later.
Stony Hill Overlook (mile 62 on Denali Park Road) | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
How to Use This Map: Click the tab in the top left hand corner of the map to view the layers (places to go and the driving route). You can click the check marks to hide or show layers. If you click the icons on the map, you can get more information about each point of interest.
If you click the star next to the title of the map, this map will be added to your Google Maps account. To view it on your phone or computer, open Google Maps, click the menu button, go to “Your Places,” click Maps, and you will see this map on your list.
10 Day Alaska Itinerary: Kenai Fjords, Denali & Anchorage
Day 1: Arrive in Anchorage
Day 2: Scenic drive to Seward
Day 3: Kenai Fjords National Park
Day 4: Kenai Fjords National Park
Day 5: Drive to Anchorage
Day 6: Drive to Talkeetna and Denali, optional flightseeing tour of Denali
Day 7: Denali National Park
Day 8: Denali National Park
Day 9: Denali National Park
Day 10: Fly home
Day 1: Arrive in Anchorage
If your flight arrives in the afternoon or evening, have dinner and get a good night’s sleep. If you arrive in the morning, you have the option to do something in the afternoon.
Here are few things to do:
- Visit Eklutna Lake, where you can go hiking or kayaking
- The Reindeer Farm (feed reindeer, kiss a moose, pet an alpaca, and more)
- Tour the Musk Ox Farm
Eklutna Lake | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
For dinner, we recommend the Moose’s Tooth Pub & Pizzeria. They don’t take reservations and there is always a long line waiting for a table, but this was our favorite dinner spot in Anchorage. We also really like 49th State Brewing.
As far as where to stay, in Anchorage we stayed at the Hyatt Place, the Residence Inn by Marriott, the Staybridge Suites Anchorage. These are centrally located in town, and it is either a short drive or a longer walk to shops and restaurants.
PRO TRAVEL TIP: If you plan to go hiking while in Kenai Fjords or Denali, pick up some bear spray at the REI in Anchorage.
Day 2: Scenic Drive to Seward
From Anchorage, it takes just over two hours to drive to Seward. However, you have the option to stop at a lot of different places on the drive, turning this into a full day experience.
Take in the view as you drive along Turnagain Arm, look for whales at Beluga Point, hike to the Virgin Creek waterfalls, ride the Alyeska Aerial Tram for scenic views, and visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. You also have the option to visit Whittier along the drive.
View from the Alyeska Aerial Tram | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
For full details on how to do this, read our Guide to Seward Highway.
In Seward, get checked into your hotel and have dinner. We stayed at the Seward Windsong Lodge.
Days 3 & 4: Kenai Fjords National Park
Kenai Fjords National Park is where you will find the Harding Icefield, its outflow glaciers, and fjords. It is a beautiful park that can be visited on foot, on a cruise, and even by helicopter.
On the Harding Icefield Trail in Kenai Fjords National Park | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
With two days here, I recommend spending one day on land and one day on the water.
On land, you can hike the trails at the base of the Exit Glacier, hike the Harding Icefield Trail, or go glacier hiking or ice climbing with a guide. We went ice climbing with Exit Glacier Guides.
On water, there are a lot of cruises to choose from. With Kenai Fjords Tours, we took the Northwestern Fjord Cruise, which is a full day cruise to one of the most remote fjords in Kenai Fjords National Park.
With Liquid Adventures, we took the Aialik Glacier Wildlife Cruise and Kayaking Tour. Kayaking in front of the Aialik Glacier and watch it calving was awesome!
For a full list of things to do, read our guide 9 Amazing Things to Do in Kenai Fjords National Park.
Kayaking in front of Aialik Glacier
PRO TRAVEL TIP: Kenai Fjords Tours is part of the Alaska Collection. This company offers lodging in several national parks as well as tours, such as the fjord cruises in Kenai Fjords National Park. When we did this, we booked our lodging in Denali (Denali Cabins and Denali Backcountry Lodge) and Seward (the Windsong Lodge) with them as well as the Northwestern Fjord Cruise. By bundling together our lodging and the cruise, we were able to get a discount.
Day 5: Drive to Anchorage
From Seward, it takes just over 2 hours to drive to Anchorage. Spend the afternoon in and around Anchorage. Take you pick from the list above (from day #1), either visiting Eklutna Lake, the Reindeer Farm, or the Musk Ox Farm. The Reed Lakes Trail also came highly recommended to us from prior visitors to Alaska.
Day 6: Drive to Denali
Today you will drive north to Denali. Time your drive to be in Talkeetna for lunch. This very small town has several great restaurants. The spinach bread at Talkeetna Spinach Bread is awesome, and one of our favorite meals in Alaska. Plus, it’s super cheap.
This afternoon, you have the option to take a flightseeing tour of Denali. K2 Aviation is in Talkeetna and runs a variety of different flightseeing tours.
Flightseeing in Denali National Park | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
We did this and loved it, even though we had to do a modified tour. Originally, we booked a flight with a glacier landing. Conditions in the mountains weren’t clear enough for a landing, so instead, we took a standard flightseeing tour over the Denali range. It was still a great experience, but the glacier landing tour really looks spectacular.
If you plan to do a flightseeing tour, book your tickets in advance, because they do sell out.
From Talkeetna, continue the drive north towards Denali. On the drive, there are two great viewpoints where you can get your first view of Denali, as long as the clouds are cooperating. These are at Denali Viewpoint South and Denali Viewpoint North (we all thought the South Viewpoint was better than the North Viewpoint).
Denali Viewpoint South | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
Once you get to Denali, check into your hotel. We stayed at the Denali Cabins but the Denali Tri-Valley Cabins, and the Denali Park Hotel get good reviews.
Days 7, 8 & 9: Denali National Park
With three days in Denali, there are several things to choose from. Go hiking in the front country (Horseshoe Lake, Mount Healy, the Triple Lakes Trail, and the Savage Alpine Trail are all great options) and ride the park shuttle on Denali Road to mile 42 of Denali Park Road. There are two shuttle options: the Tundra Wilderness Tour ($128 per person) and the Natural History Tour ($104 per person).
For more information about things to do and how to plan your time, read our article 16 Best Things to Do in Denali National Park.
Horseshoe Lake | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
Hiking in Eielson, Denali | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
Visit our Denali Travel Guide, where you can see all our articles about Denali National Park.
Day 10: Fly Home
You can fly home from Anchorage or Fairbanks. If your flight is in the morning, drive to the airport the evening of day 9. Otherwise, you can get up early and drive to the airport today, just give yourself plenty of time, so you do not miss your flight.
Alaska Itinerary #2: Wrangell-St. Elias, Kenai Fjords & Valdez
This is a great 10-day road trip in Alaska. Wrangell-St. Elias is one of the most underrated national parks in the USA. This massive park is home to some of the highest peaks in North America. The hiking is great, you can go glacier hiking or ice climbing, and the flightseeing is spectacular (better than Denali, in my opinion).
In Valdez, go kayaking in front of one of the most active glaciers in the world. Then cruise to the Kenai Peninsula and spend several days in Seward and Kenai Fjords National Park before heading home.
If you want to visit Alaska and save Denali for a future visit because of the road closure, I recommend following this itinerary.
This map shows the driving route for this itinerary. You will also take a ferry from Valdez to Whittier.
10 Day Alaska Itinerary: Wrangell-St. Elias, Kenai Fjords & Valdez
Day 1: Arrive in Anchorage
Day 2: Drive to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Day 3: Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Day 4: Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Day 5: Drive to Valdez
Day 6: Valdez
Day 7: Cruise to the Kenai Peninsula
Day 8: Kenai Fjords National Park
Day 9: Kenai Fjords National Park
Day 10: Fly home
Day 1: Arrive in Anchorage
Arrive in Anchorage and get settled into your hotel. For ideas on what to do, where to eat, and where to stay, take a look at Day 1 of our classic Alaska itinerary.
Day 2: Drive to Wrangell-St. Elias
What an awesome introduction to Alaska!
This is how we spent our first full day in Alaska, and it was one of the best one-day road trips we have done. Once you get out beyond Anchorage, it looks like you are driving through a national park. But nope, this is just beautiful Alaska (and just wait until you get to Wrangell-St. Elias!).
There is a lot to do along this drive. Visit Eklutna Lake, feed a reindeer at the Reindeer Farm, take a tour of the Matanuska Glacier, and enjoy the views of the Wrangell Mountains.
Kara feeding a reindeer at the Reindeer Farm, located just outside of Anchorage
Matanuska Glacier | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
Views of the Wrangell Mountains | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
For a full list of things to do along this drive, read our guide on how to drive from Anchorage to Valdez. You will do most of this drive today, and later in this itinerary, finish the drive to Valdez after visiting Wrangell-St. Elias.
McCarthy and Kennicott are two tiny towns that sit side by side in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.
You can get to McCarthy by car or by airplane. We drove to McCarthy. To do this, you need to rent a 4×4 vehicle and get permission from your rental car company to drive McCarthy Road. It’s a beautiful drive and the road conditions have improved a lot in recent years. Learn more about the drive here.
If you don’t want to rent a 4×4 or don’t feel comfortable driving McCarthy Road, you can either fly into McCarthy from Chitina or take a shuttle from Chitina.
Stay in either McCarthy or Kennicott for 3 nights. We stayed at the Kennicott Glacier Lodge.
Kennicott Glacier Lodge | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
McCarthy, Alaska | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
Days 3 & 4: Wrangell – St. Elias National Park
You have two full days in Wrangell – St. Elias National Park.
If it fits in your budget, consider taking a flightseeing tour. This national park is huge (it’s six times the size of Yellowstone) and filled with more mountain peaks than you can count. The best way to see it is from the sky.
Mount St. Elias on a flightseeing tour of Wrangell – St. Elias National Park
Flightseeing in Wrangell St. Elias National Park | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
You can take a short flight over the heart of the park or a longer flight that goes out towards the coast and flies over the Bagley Icefield, one of the largest icefields in the world. Learn more in our Guide to Flightseeing Tours of Wrangell – St. Elias.
Another great thing to do here is to go hiking on the Root Glacier. You can also add on ice climbing or a visit to an ice cave.
Root Glacier | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
If you are looking for something free to do and like hiking, the hike to Bonanza Mine is challenging but you’ll get similar views from a flightseeing tour, without the big cost.
Hiking the Bonanza Mine Trail | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
You can also tour the historic Kennecott Mine and Mill.
Kennecott Mill | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
Day 5: Drive to Valdez
Drive, fly, or take the shuttle to Chitina. From Chitina, drive to Valdez. It takes about 2 hours to drive the Richardson Highway to Valdez, a little longer with stops.
See the Worthington Glacier, Bridal Veil and Horsetail Falls, and Old Valdez. We have more information about this drive in our Guide to Driving from Anchorage to Valdez.
Once in Valdez, get settled into your hotel. If you have time this afternoon, you can visit the Valdez Museum.
Valdez, Alaska | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
We stayed at the Best Western Valdez Harbor Inn, which is mediocre (it’s old and dated and in need of a renovation). For dinner, I recommend The Potato, The Fat Mermaid, and Nat Shack (the Nat Shack Crunchwrap is awesome!).
Day 6: Columbia Glacier
The Columbia Glacier is one of the most active glaciers in the world. With roughly 13 million tons of ice breaking off the Columbia Glacier every day, there is a good chance that you will be able to watch a calving event take place.
There are several different ways to see the Columbia Glacier: by boat cruise, kayaking tour, and by helicopter.
We took a cruise + kayaking tour combo. It’s a great experience although we did not have the best weather.
Columbia Glacier | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
Day 7: Cruise to the Kenai Peninsula
Today, cruise through the Prince William Sound to the Kenai Peninsula. We did not do this, but spoke to multiple groups of people who did, and they all had wonderful things to say about this experience.
The Alaska Marine Highway is the only marine route that is designated as a National Scenic Byway and All-American Road. It spans 3,500 miles, running from the Inside Passage of Alaska and British Columbia out to the Aleutian Islands. Today’s short cruise is a tiny part of this “highway.”
To get from Valdez to Whittier, you will take the Alaska Marine Highway ferry. The ferry leaves at 7 am and arrives in Whittier 6 hours later. As an estimate, for 2 people and one vehicle, the cost is roughly $300. For updated pricing for your dates of travel and vehicle type, visit the official website.
If you don’t want to take the ferry, you can drive from Valdez to Seward. This drive is 425 miles long and takes 7.5 hours without stops.
Once in Whittier, spend some time exploring the harbor and then drive to Seward.
Whittier, Alaska | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
To exit Whittier, you will drive through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel. The tunnel is 2.5 miles long, is only wide enough for one way traffic, and has railroad tracks running down the middle. Since it is a one lane tunnel, motor vehicle traffic and train traffic in each direction is coordinated.
In the summer, the tunnel opens to motor vehicle traffic heading towards Whittier at the bottom of the hour and it opens to motor vehicle traffic departing Whittier at the top of the hour.
Click here for more details on operating hours, tolls for various vehicle types and trailers, size restrictions, etc.
In Seward, get checked into your hotel and have dinner. We stayed at the Seward Windsong Lodge.
Days 8 & 9: Kenai Fjords National Park
Spend two full days in Kenai Fjords National Park. For information on what to do, read days 3 & 4 of the classic itinerary.
Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
Ice climbing on the Exit Glacier | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
Day 10: Fly Home
Today, fly home, or continue to your next destination. If you have an early morning flight, return to Anchorage the night of day 9. Otherwise, you can drive to Anchorage in the morning and take an afternoon or evening flight.
Alaska Itinerary #3: Denali, Katmai & Kenai Fjords
This itinerary is similar to the classic itinerary (#1), with a few changes. The big difference is that we added Katmai National Park. On this itinerary, you will move faster through Denali, in order to give yourself enough time to visit Katmai. This itinerary is also done point-to-point, starting in Fairbanks and ending in Anchorage.
Katmai is my favorite national park in Alaska. And getting here takes advance planning and a bit of luck.
Brooks Lodge, which is in Katmai National Park, is the spot to see brown bears feasting on salmon. To get a room at the Brooks Lodge, you will have to enter the lottery.
The lottery takes place each December, 18 months in advance of the summer season (if you want to visit Katmai in July 2026, the lottery is December 2024…if you want to visit Katmai in 2024 or 2025, the lottery has already occurred). It’s also possible to get a room at Brooks Lodge if someone cancels (that’s how we got our spot on our first visit to Katmai). Learn more about how all this works later in this itinerary.
Visiting Brooks Lodge isn’t cheap. You will be paying for two flights plus expensive lodging, which makes this itinerary rather expensive. Alternatively, you can day trip to Katmai from Anchorage, which is easier to plan, easier to get tickets for, and cheaper. However, cancellations are more common with day trips, so you are taking a bigger risk you won’t get to Katmai.
This map shows the driving routes in Alaska. In addition to the road trip, you will also fly to and from King Salmon/Brooks Camp when you visit Katmai National Park.
10 Day Alaska Itinerary: Denali, Katmai & Kenai Fjords
Day 1: Arrive in Fairbanks
Day 2: Drive to Denali, afternoon in Denali
Day 3: Morning in Denali, drive to Anchorage
Day 4: Fly to Katmai National Park
Day 5: Katmai National Park
Day 6: Fly to Anchorage
Day 7: Drive to Seward
Day 8: Kenai Fjords National Park
Day 9: Kenai Fjords National Park
Day 10: Fly home
Day 1: Arrive in Fairbanks
If your flight arrives in the afternoon or evening, simply have dinner and get a good night’s sleep. If you arrive in the morning, spend time exploring Fairbanks or drive out to see North Pole, Alaska.
Day 2: Drive to Denali, afternoon in Denali
On this Alaska itinerary, you have very limited time in Denali. Right now, while Denali Park Road is closed beyond mile 43, the Denali to-do list is a lot shorter, so having limited time isn’t a big deal.
To get to Denali, it takes just over 2 hours. If you leave early, you will have most of the day to explore the front section of the park. And since you will be doing this during the summer, the days are very long.
You can do several short hikes around the Visitor Center, visit the sled dog kennels, and visit the Savage River area. If skies are clear and you like hiking, you will get your best view of Denali from the Savage Alpine Trail.
Savage Alpine Trail | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
In the afternoon or evening, check into your hotel. We stayed at the Denali Cabins but the Denali Tri-Valley Cabins, and the Denali Park Hotel get good reviews.
Day 3: Morning in Denali, drive to Anchorage
You have two options on how to spend your time in Denali today. You can either go hiking in the front of the park, take one of the Denali Park shuttle tours, or check out of your hotel early, drive to Talkeetna and take a midday sightseeing flight of Denali National Park.
In the afternoon, drive to Anchorage, check into your hotel, and have dinner.
Day 4: Fly to Katmai National Park
Today, fly to Katmai National Park. To get to Katmai from Anchorage, you will first fly to King Salmon and then you will take a float plane to Brooks Lodge. Brooks Lodge can set up your flights for you when you make your Brooks Lodge reservation.
Depending on how your flights work out, this takes about 4 to 5 hours of the day. Ideally, schedule a morning flight, so you have all afternoon to watch the bears from the Brooks Falls viewing platforms.
Brooks Falls | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
Getting a Reservation at Brooks Lodge
Reservations for Brooks Lodge are only offered by lottery. This lottery takes place in December, a year and a half in advance of the summer season (for summer 2026, you will enter the lottery in December 2024).
The lucky lottery winners are notified by early February.
If you are not one of the lucky lottery winners, you still have a chance of getting a reservation. As people cancel their reservations, spaces will open. You will just have to be flexible with your dates.
This is what we did on our first visit to Katmai. In April 2021, we called Brooks Lodge and they had an opening for early July. We were able to get a 3-day, 2-night stay at Brooks Lodge in July of 2021. Once we made this reservation, we planned our entire Alaska itinerary around these dates.
With that being said, I don’t recommend waiting that late to plan a trip to Alaska. We got lucky, since COVID still kept travel light in Alaska at this point. We were able to make hotel reservations, flight reservations, and a rental car reservation 3 months in advance of our trip but that is not the case anymore, now that travel is back to normal.
We liked the experience at Katmai so much that in December 2021 we entered the lottery for 2023. We were #52 on the waitlist but by the end of January 2022, got a spot at Brooks Camp. Tim and I returned to Katmai for 3 days in July 2023.
Rooms at Brooks Lodge can accommodate up to four people and cost roughly $1125 per night. The dining room at Brooks Lodge also serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and this has an additional fee.
Once you arrive at Brooks Camp, spend the afternoon and evening at the Brooks Falls Viewing Platforms. It’s one of the best US national park experiences for wildlife viewing.
Day 5: Katmai National Park
You have two choices today: spend your time at the viewing platforms or take the day tour to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes.
The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes is the site of one of the world’s largest volcanic eruptions. It is located 23 miles from Brooks Lodge. On a full day trip, you will drive out to the Valley and spend several hours hiking and exploring the area.
Giant wall of ash in the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes.
Worth it? We thought so, for two reasons.
For one thing, how often do you get to see a landscape that was dramatically altered by one of the world’s largest volcanic eruptions?
Plus, this tour occurs midday, when the Brooks Falls viewing platforms are packed with day trippers. Once we arrived back at Brooks Camp (at 4 pm), the day trippers left, and we still had the afternoon and evening to watch the bears.
LEARN MORE: The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes Tour
Day 6: Fly to Anchorage
Today, fly back to Anchorage. If you book an afternoon flight, you will have a good chunk of the day to visit the viewing platforms, so you’ll make the most of the money that you spent to visit Katmai National Park.
Alternatively, if you want more time on the Kenai Peninsula, you can schedule an early morning flight to Anchorage and, in the afternoon, drive from Anchorage to Seward. And here’s one more option: you can also fly from Brooks Camp to Homer, which is on the Kenai Peninsula. Spend the afternoon and evening in Homer and tomorrow drive to Seward.
Day 7: Scenic Drive to Seward
From Anchorage, it takes just over two hours to drive to Seward. However, you have the option to stop at a lot of different places on the drive, turning this into a full day experience.
Take in the view as you drive along Turnagain Arm, look for whales at Beluga Point, hike to the Virgin Creek waterfalls, ride the Alyeska Aerial Tram for scenic views, and visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. You also have the option to visit Whittier along the drive.
For full details on how to do this, read our Guide to Seward Highway.
In Seward, get checked into your hotel and have dinner. We stayed at the Seward Windsong Lodge.
Seward, Alaska | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
Days 8 & 9: Kenai Fjords National Park
Kenai Fjords National Park is where you will find the Harding Icefield, its outflow glaciers, and fjords. It is a beautiful park that can be visited on foot, on a cruise, and even by helicopter.
With two days here, I recommend spending one day on land and one day on the water.
On land, you can hike the trails at the base of the Exit Glacier, hike the Harding Icefield Trail, or go glacier hiking or ice climbing with a guide. We went ice climbing with Exit Glacier Guides.
On water, there are a lot of cruises to choose from. With Kenai Fjords Tours, we took the Northwestern Fjord Cruise, which is a full day cruise to one of the most remote fjords in Kenai Fjords National Park.
With Liquid Adventures, we took the Aialik Glacier Wildlife Cruise and Kayaking Tour. Kayaking in front of the Aialik Glacier and watch it calving was awesome!
Cruising Kenai Fjords National Park | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
In Kenai Fjords, you can see lots of wildlife from the cruises, like these orcas.
Scenery on the Northwestern Fjord Cruise | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
PRO TRAVEL TIP: Kenai Fjords Tours is part of the Alaska Collection. This company offers lodging in several national parks as well as tours, such as the fjord cruises in Kenai Fjords National Park. When we did this, we booked our lodging in Denali (Denali Cabins and Denali Backcountry Lodge) and Seward (the Windsong Lodge) with them as well as the Northwestern Fjord Cruise. By bundling together our lodging and the cruise, we were able to get a discount.
Day 10: Fly home
From Seward, it takes just over 2 hours to drive to Anchorage. If you have an early flight today, return to Anchorage the evening of day 9. But if your flight is late in the day, you can drive to Anchorage in the morning and fly home in the evening.
Alternative Version of this Alaska Itinerary
If you are unable to get a reservation at Brooks Lodge, you can still visit Katmai on a day trip from Anchorage. Day trips to Katmai take a full day. It’s best to plan a direct flight from Anchorage or Homer to Brooks Lodge, so you have as much time as possible at Brooks Camp.
Day trips to Katmai start at $1000 per person. You will have 4 to 6 hours in Katmai.
The number of people allowed on the Brooks Falls viewing platform is limited to 40 people. Midday, crowds are at their highest, since this is when day trippers visit the park. At this time, there is a wait list, and the wait can be as long as 2 hours.
So, just be aware that if you day trip to Katmai, you will have limited time on the main bear viewing platform. Learn more in our Guide to Brooks Falls.
Here is the modified itinerary with a day trip to Katmai. You will have more time for Denali and Kenai Fjords, or you can also add on a day trip to nearby Lake Clark National Park.
- Day 1: Arrive in Fairbanks
- Day 2: Drive to Denali, afternoon in Denali
- Day 3: Denali National Park
- Day 4: Morning in Denali, drive to Anchorage
- Day 5: Katmai National Park day trip
- Day 6: Drive to Seward
- Day 7: Kenai Fjords National Park
- Day 8: Kenai Fjords National Park
- Day 9: Kenai Fjords National Park
- Day 10: Fly home
Adding More Time to this Alaska Itinerary
If you have more than 10 days in Alaska, here are some things you can do with the extra time.
Add on More Time to the National Parks
In these national parks, rainy days can impact flightseeing trips, hiking, and cruises. It rains frequently along the coast in Alaska during the summer months, so having an extra day in the parks makes it more likely that you will have clear skies for part of your visit. This also gives you an extra day if you need to reschedule a flightseeing tour.
Day Trip to Katmai National Park or Lake Clark National Park
Both Katmai and Lake Clark National Parks can be visited on a day trip from Anchorage or Homer. These start at $1000 per person and need to be booked in advance.
Lake Clark National Park | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
Visit Homer, Alaska
Homer is a small town that proudly proclaims to be the halibut fishing capital of the world. It sits on the southern end of the Kenai Peninsula and it is a very pretty spot to visit. To do so, add on one day to the above itineraries, visiting Homer before or after Seward.
While in Homer, go for a walk on the beach, visit the shops and restaurants on the Homer Spit, take the ferry to Seldovia, and explore Kachemak Bay State Park.
The beach in Homer, Alaska | 10 Day Alaska Itinerary
Shops and restaurants on the Homer Spit.
Additional Costs for this Alaska Itinerary
Rental Car: For this, I can’t give an estimate. Your rental car cost will depend on the length of your visit, the type of vehicle you plan to rent, and if your pick-up location will be the same as your drop-off location. Because rental car fees vary a lot from month to month and year to year, I can’t give an accurate estimate to what this will cost (it can range from $75 to $200 per day). When we rent a car, Tim checks the prices on the official websites and chooses the cheapest option.
Hotels: For double occupancy for a mid-range hotel, prices can range from $150 to $300 per night.
Food: For breakfast and lunch, we either ate the hotel breakfast or ate food that we purchased from the grocery store. For dinner, prices are typical for other places in the US, averaging about $10 to $18 per plate.
More Information about Alaska
NATIONAL PARKS IN ALASKA: There are 8 national parks in Alaska. So far, we have visited five of them. Learn more in our guides to Denali, Wrangell-St. Elias, Kenai Fjords, Lake Clark, and Katmai.
BEST OF KENAI FJORDS: Top things to do include ice climbing on the Exit Glacier, hiking the Harding Icefield Trail, and cruising the Northwestern Fjord. For the full list, read our article best things to do in Kenai Fjords National Park.
WRANGELL-ST. ELIAS NATIONAL PARK: For a full list of our Wrangell-St. Eilas National Park articles, plus important planning tips, check out our Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Travel Guide.
DENALI PARK ROAD: Taking a park shuttle on Denali Park Road is one of the top experiences in the park. In our Guide to Denali Park Road, learn what there is to see and do along the road. It’s also important to know that currently there is a road closure on Denali Park Road, which will impact your experience.
HIKES IN DENALI: There is a long list of hikes to do in Denali. Several top hikes include the Savage Alpine Trail, Mount Healy Overlook, and the Horseshoe Lake Trail. Get the full list in our Denali Hiking Guide.
KATMAI NATIONAL PARK: In our article Best Things to Do in Katmai, we cover the top experiences in the park. For a unique experience, take a photography tour to capture the action at Brooks Falls from Brooks River and learn how to see the bears at Brooks Falls. You can also visit the Valley of 10,000 Smokes, the site of one of the world’s largest volcanic eruptions in recent history.
Read all of our articles about the Alaska in our Alaska Travel Guide.
If you have any questions about planning your Alaska itinerary, or making modifications to these itineraries, let us know in the comment section below.
More Information about USA & the National Parks
NATIONAL PARKS: In our Guide to the US National Parks, get the full list of national parks with important travel planning information, such as things to do in the parks and sample itineraries. You can also learn more about the national parks and get a FREE printable checklist in our US National Parks Checklist.
USA ROAD TRIPS: Planning your next big adventure in the USA? Check our our USA Road Trip Guide for travel ideas and sample itineraries.
FOR FAMILIES: If you have children, here are 12 great national parks to take your kids.
TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY: For more information about the camera gear we carry, check out our Travel Photography Gear Guide.
Read all of our articles about the United States in our United States Travel Guide.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase using one of these affiliate links, we get paid a small commission at no extra cost to you.
All rights reserved © Earth Trekkers. Republishing this article and/or any of its contents (text, photography, etc.), in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited.
Comments 42
Hello Earth Trekkers –
My son and I will being doing a road trip in AK this July, following your suggestions to visit Wrangell St. Elias NP and then Kenai and Homer. I’m seeking a bit more info/advice about the drive from Anchorage to McCarthy. On Google maps it says 7 hours, and I think that includes the McCarthy Rd. Is that your experience? I did not see a map of your drive from Anchorage to McCarthy. We may not drive McCarthy road, have not decided that yet. If we choose a shuttle from Chitina those leave at 8:30 am – which means we’d lose a day in Anchorage, and likely have to stay overnight in Chitina rather than driving directly from Anchorage. Any thoughts appreciated!
Liz
Author
Hello Liz. Yes that is a 7 hour drive from Anchorage to McCarthy. We broke up our drive, doing Anchorage to Valdez, spent 2 days in Valdez, and then drove to McCarthy from Valdez. From Chitina it is about 2.5 hours and from Valdez it is almost 5 hours to McCarthy (so that won’t be useful). Based on all of those times, if you don’t want to lose the day in Anchorage, then it would be best to do the entire drive yourself. But if you prefer the shuttle option, then you’ll have to get to Chitina in time for that shuttle. You can also fly into Wrangell St Elias (from Glenallen and maybe Chitina) but this is very expensive and may not save you any time either. Cheers, Julie
Hi Julie;
First, I want to say thank you for your wonderful itineraries!, I have used it for Colorado, Utah, Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier, cold not have done it without you guys!
Logistics question – with your Alaska itinerary, I’m planning on flying into Anchorage, renting a car and driving the scenic drive to Seward, following everything you have listed. I’ve decided that I do want to add taking the Portage Glacier Cruise, the last tour is at 4:30pm. To make that cruise, what time should we leave Anchorage in the morning to follow the itinerary as you have listed stops?
Planning then on adding Whittier, we will spend the night there and take the 26 Glacier Cruise the next day
Author
Hello Elizabeth! Thanks for writing in! It takes about an hour to drive from Anchorage to Portage. If you add up all of the stops we have listed on our Seward Highway guide between Anchorage and Portage, you need about 8 hours total. But that’s if you want to do everything and you move kind of slowly. Each item has a time estimate. I recommend going through the list, picking out what you would like to do, and then adding up those times, so you know when to leave Anchorage. To do all of that is a lot. For example, maybe you want to walk the boardwalk trails at Potter Marsh but have no desire to see the waterfall at McHugh Creek. And then just check with the cruise website to see if they want you to show up 15 to 30 minutes early, because sometimes they do. Have a great time in Alaska! Cheers, Julie
hi! since the park is closed (and to be honest, I don’t like the idea of getting on these busses even when the park was open) – are there any other view points in Alaska of Mount Denali where you are even closer to the mountain than from the national park road?
thank you!
Author
Yes, you can get a view of Denali (as long as the weather cooperates) at Denali Viewpoint South and Denali Viewpoint North on the drive between Talkeetna and Denali. Cheers, Julie
Great blog!! I have become a fan of your blog. I came across this when I was searching for Itineraries for Alaska. Me and my wife are planning our trip to Alaska and doing our research and we soo want to include Katmai in our trip. We research and study about Bears and we love them and which is one of the main reason to include katmai. Initially when we had planned, we thought of staying at Brooks lodge but back then looking at the price, its actually pretty expensive.
I have looked at the pictures of the Brooks lodge and it feels lot of money for such small cabin with minimal facilities. I understand its in the middle of the jungle and pretty remote, but honestly felt its very expensive for such a small space and on top of it, they have lottery system. It feels so unrealistic to plan two years in advance when the climate and other things can change very quickly in Alaska. It also feels like they are trying to make the most of it through these accommodations especially when the tourism is active only for few months in a year. We definitely don’t want to wait for two more years to see Katmai and were thinking of day trips. But before we decided on that, we wanted to get your thoughts on the lodging accommodations.
How was your experience at Brooks lodge? Was it really worth the money for the accommodation? Did you get to see lots of bears?
Author
Hello Amith. Brooks Lodge is expensive but what you are getting is 24 to 36 hours (out of a one night reservation) to see the bears. It gives you the opportunity to see the bears from the viewing platforms early in the morning and in the evening, before the day trippers arrive. Once the day trippers arrive, the viewing platforms have time limits and a wait to get on the platforms, so if you day trip, you could have very limited time on the platforms. Day trips are still expensive, about $1000 per person and in our experience (being in Katmai twice) day trips were cancelled on more than 50% of the days we were there, so it can be risky planning a day trip. Another option is to stay in the campground next to Brooks Lodge because this is more affordable than staying in a cabin and you still get access to the platforms morning and evening. Or, if you are a group of 4 (for example, traveling with 2 friends), you will all split the cost of the cabin. The cabins are nothing special, they are very rustic, but they are warm and dry and come with a private bathroom. For us, it was worth the price, because we were able to spend hours on the viewing platforms, making this one of our favorite US national parks experiences. I understand your hesitation but it’s not too late to enter the lottery for 2025 and in a few months, if your name is selected, can then decide if you want to go through with it or not. Cheers, Julie
Hello Earth Trekkers,
Thank you for your wonderful website! I just used it for my Yellowstone/Grand Teton trip – it was very helpful!
Question on Alaska: if I am not willing to do flightseeing, do you think Wrangell is still worth it? Or do you think there’s no point? I want to save Denali for when the road is re-opens and not sure if I can bring myself to pay the $$$ to go to Katmai. Thank you!
Author
There are some great things you can do in Wrangell St Elias without taking a flightseeing tour, such as hiking on the Root Glacier and hiking to Bonanza Peak. It is one of the cheapest national parks to visit in Alaska, since it’s one of 3 that you can drive to (Denali and Kenai Fjords are also on this list). If you combine Wrangell with a visit to Valdez, then it would make it worth the drive out that way. Plus the drive from Anchorage to Valdez is amazing, so doing all of this together makes it an overall worthwhile experience. Cheers, Julie
Julie, thanks for your fast response! Ok, this sounds great. We definitely plan to do lots of hiking and other activities. I was worried maybe Wrangell is not worth it w/out the flightseeing. Feeling very excited and encouraged now 🙂 Planning the trip for next June and will use your itinerary #2 as a guide. Many thanks for all the useful info! Your website is very inspiring.
Julie,
One more question. It’s about the bears. Specifically, grizzlies. I understand there are no guarantees with animals but… if I do your itinerary #2 (Wrangell), would you say I am not likely to see any bears in any of the parks, on hikes, or driving around? Time of the trip – late June/early July. Thanks.
Author
If you go hiking in Wrangell St Elias or Kenai Fjords, there is a possibility that you will see a bear. We never did in these parks but it is still a possibility. Also, it could be possible to see them from the road as well, but this is less likely than from a hiking trail. Cheers, Julie
Hi Julie and Tim! These are great! I love all your itineraries and your blog is always the first place I refer to when planning any of my trips!
I’m not sure if you think it would be worth doing, but I would love your take on an itinerary option that would combine a roundtrip road trip from Anchorage to see Denali, Kenai Fjords, Katmai, and Wrangells-St. I would like to skip Fairbanks. Do you think this would be a 2-week itinerary (not sure if it’s more like 14 or 15 Day itinerary)?
Also, as you know, all these excursions tend to get pricey, did you happen to utilize the “Alaska TourSaver App”?
Thanks for your insight!
Author
Hello Marina. I recommend starting with the classic itinerary, since that includes 3 of the parks you mention. As for Katmai, you can either visit it on a day trip or spend several days here. This can be done at any point that you are in Anchorage (so at the beginning, middle, or end). We cover how much time to spend and how to plan your visit in our article Best Things to Do in Katmai (this was just updated with lots of new photos from our visit to Katmai a week ago). But the easiest way to visit Katmai would be on a day trip from Anchorage. If you have the time, money, and can get a space at Brooks Lodge, then spend 1 to 2 nights here because it gives you more time to see the bears and an overall better experience in my opinion. However, the lottery that will run this December will be for a visit in 2025 and you might not want to wait that long. I did not know about the Tour Saver app but that’s a great suggestion! Thanks! You’re absolutely right, Alaska is expensive, especially once you start adding in flightseeing tours and visits to the remote parks like Lake Clark and Katmai that are only accessible by plane. Cheers, Julie
Hi there!
We have used your itineraries for Norway, Switzerland and the Dolomites! Hands down the best travel guide I’ve come across! We now have a baby and are traveling to Alaska in early September. Do you have any recommendations for baby friendly activities? We are up for adventure activities but they just have to be accessible.
Author
Hello Amanda. I’m glad you like our site! That’s a tough one to answer. A lot of the national parks either require a lot of driving, a flight, or joining a tour/excursion of some sort. You could do a short boat trip from Seward into Kenai Fjords and hike the short trails in Kenai Fjords to see the glaciers. At Denali, you could hike the trails in the front of the park (the ones that are accessible by car). To go deeper, you have to take a shuttle tour and I don’t know how a baby would do on that. We did a lot of driving in Alaska but it was all very beautiful. Of the itineraries on this post, I think #1 is the most baby friendly. I hope this helps! Cheers, Julie
Hi Julie !
If i had only 4 or 5d which National park would you recommend? Denali i will save for 2024 – so my options would be the others.
Author
That’s tough. From the parks that we have visited, Katmai is our favorite and Wrangell St. Elias is a close second. Both just blew us away. However, Katmai only needs 1 to 3 days and it can be tough to get a lodge there without planning 18 months in advance (something to consider for 2024). In Wrangell, for the best experience, try to do two flightseeing tours, so that you can see different parts of the park. We spent most of our time in McCarthy/Kennicott but also took a day to drive Nabesna Road. You would need about 5 days to do all of this. The other option for 5 days is Kenai Fjords. That gives you enough time to go hiking and do 2 boat tours to see it quite well. However, Kenai Fjords is easy to get to and in 2024 you could do a Kenai + Denali Trip. Wrangell is farther away and takes a day of driving to get there, but what a beautiful drive, and could be a good choice for 2023. Really, you can’t go wrong with either choice. Hope this helps! Cheers, Julie
Hi Earth Trekkers,
I’m planning my trip end of august and planning to do Cruise and Kayak trip with Liquid adventures. There are two options one with the Aialik glacier and the other one with northwestern. What do you recommend?
Author
When we did the cruise/kayak to Aialik Bay, we were on a much smaller boat that on the cruise to Northwestern Fjord. So, if you have any issues with seasickness, do the shorter cruise to Aialik. To get to Northwestern, it’s a longer cruise and you will leave the protected waters of the bay, so it can get rough for a little bit (it was fine on the bigger boat that we were on with Kenai Fjords). If you can only do one cruise, and you want your best chances of seeing wildlife, do the Northwestern option. But if you don’t want a full day trip, and seeing orcas and humpbacks isn’t that big of a deal, do Aialik Bay. Cheers, Julie