bigalan

We are going to Alaska the last week in May 2008 before a cruise. We are trying to figure out if we have time to see Denali, Anchorage, and Seward.

Day 1 (May 25th) - arrive Anchorage 9 pm & pick up rental car. Overnight in Anchorage.

Day 2 - drive to Denali and plan to arrive by 2pm. Any particular sightseeing recommended this time of day? Overnight in Denali.

Day 3 - Denali sightseeing. How far into Denali park can we go? Is it Toklat? Overnight in Denali.

Day 4 - Morning in Denali. Drive back to Anchorage. Any particular towns we should stop in enroute to Anchorage, maybe Talkeenta? Overnight in Anchorage.

Day 5 - spend day 5 sightseeing in Anchorage. Return rental car at night. Overnight in Anchorage.

Day 6 -Take the early morning train to Seward. We will have time for a Kenai Fjords tour before the cruise departure at 9 pm (we plan to board early evening)? Which tour do you recommend? Or, should we return the rental car at night on day 4, skip Anchorage, and spend days 5 & 6 in Seward?

Thanks.

BudgetQueen

I would not plan on getting to Denali Park by 2pm, take your time on the drive and sightsee along the way. You need to allow 6 hours Anchorage/Denali Park.

Possible sights along the way, Eagle River Nature Center, backtracking Turnagain Arm, Eklutna Spirit House tours, Wasilla Sled Dog Museum. Musk ox farm.

Yes Toklat will be your farthest point in in your timeframe. Determine what your interests are here?? Plan on at least one drive on the public road 15 miles. Maybe more.

With only the short shuttle bus available to you, consider leaving staying in Talkeetna, if of interest in flightseeing. Easy to do, if on a morning shuttle bus.

Only you can decide which has more interest to you- Anchorage or Seward. Both have more than enough activities to keep you occupied. www.anchorage.net www.seward.com

spirobulldog

I like Renown Tours. Whoever you use, make sure you are going all the way to glaciers on a full day cruise. Alaska is big and takes time to drive (or Train)and see the sights. We really enjoyed the train ride from Seward to Anchorage. As BQ suggested a scenic flight is really something to consider.

sludick

bigalan,

We'll be arriving the week before you do and will just miss the window for Denali. Enjoy!

Jake1

bigalan--the Denali Park bus tours are excellent. At least the 8-hour Tundra Wilderness Tour we were on was great.

BudgetQueen

At 1/3 the price and getting FARTHER into Denali Park, the shuttle buses are superior. I never recommend the tour buses for independent visitors. The buses are packed, and go the least distance.

It's up to you, if a triple cost option for nothing more is worth it.

Jake1

One advantage of the tour buses is the knowledgeable driver/guide. We met several people on our trip who used the shuttle instead of the tour buses, went as far as possible into park, hiked around a lot, and saw very little wildlife and did not have a clue as to what they were looking at when they did see something.

By the way, I lived in Alaska for 10 years in the 1970s, and I fondly remember the days when you could drive your own vehicle as far as you wanted into the park. The vast increase in cruise ship sea/land packages has sure changed the face of tourism in Alaska.

BudgetQueen

I have had many extremely informative drivers on the shuttle buses, and never any who were not receptive to answering questions. And your "little wildlife" reference- at that time would have been for ALL buses in the area. They all go the same road, but I find that hard to believe, frankly, that they didn't see much wildlife, or know what they were looking at?

Jake1

You might find it hard to believe, but it is true.