9 days in Alaska - need a little help please!
 

Hi!

I am traveling independently to Alaska in June and have prepared a 9 day itinerary with the info I found here and tripadvisor. I was hoping someone could have a quick look to see if it is doable, just in case I missed out some info...
I am traveling alone and have no problem driving 350 miles or so in a day (I enjoy scenic drives), but am not sure if the roads in Alaska are much more tiring than elsewhere? The time estimates are from google maps but I'm not sure they are accurate?

Thanks!

--- Thu June 4 ---
Evening Arrival, Stay at Anchorage Marriott Downtown (2 nights)

--- Fri June 5 - Anchorage ---
Visit Independence Mine State Park, Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center, Flattop Mountain overlook (as time allows)
(is Independence Mine SP opened all the time or just during VC opening hours?)

--- Sat June 6 - Glenn Hwy ---
Drive Anchorage-Valdez (300mi, 6h00)
See Matanuska Glacier, Thompson Pass on way
Stay at Best Western Valdez Harbor Inn (1 night)

--- Sun June 7 - Richardson Hwy ---
Drive Valdez-Fairbanks (360mi, 8h00)
See Valdez, Worthington Glacier on way
Stay at Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge (1 night)

--- Mon June 8 - Fairbanks ---
Visit UA Museum of the North, Pioneer Park, Ice Museum
Drive Fairbanks-Denali (125mi, 2h30)
Visit Denali NP Visitor Center (if time allows)
Stay at Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge (2 nights)

--- Tue June 9 - Denali NP ---
Wonderlake Shuttle Bus

--- Wed June 10 - Parks Hwy ---
Drive Denali-Cooper Landing (335mi, 6h50)
See Broad Pass, Denali View South Wayside on way
Stay at Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge (3 nights)

--- Thu June 11 - Seward & Kenai NP ---
Kenai Fjords NP Cruise
See Exit Glacier on way

--- Fri June 12 - Kenai Peninsula ---
Drive towards Homer and back as time allows
(perhaps this day could be put to better use? Would Turnagain arm, Alyeska gondola and Wildlife Conservation Center be better?)

--- Sat June 13 - Turnagain Arm ---
Drive Cooper Landing-ANC (100mi, 2h30)
Scenic Drive and See Wildlife Conservation Center on way
2pm- Return car

We did the same basic trip in reverse, beginning in Anchorage, 3 days in Denali, over night midway between Denali and Valdez, (Sheep Canyon, I believe) 2 nights in Valdez with a great day cruise in Valdez. Took ferry to Whittier. 2 nights in Seaward,(except for the Aquarium and a great day cruise, we hated Seaward.) 3 nights in Homer and back to Anchorage. We live in California and are used to driving long distances, but we've never driven so much in our lives. It was a great trip, but not relaxing, I was tired from all the driving at the end, but as I look back it was a trip of a life time. We stayed in B and B's recommended on this sight and were not disappointed. Be sure to buy food in Wasaila, we didn't and had to take sandwiches from Subway on our bus trip into Denali. We also experienced a gas station without power midway to Denali. That meant no gas and no restroom. We then tried to keep half a tank at all times. We learned to travel in the frontier! We did this trip in early July of 2006. Have a great trip!

Get a copy of The Milepost. This book is the bible for all travel on Alaskan highways. It will give you the distances between places along the roads, what you’ll see along the way, lodges/B&Bs/hotels, gas stations etc.

I won’t comment on your itinerary since ours was in an RV in August, 2001. All I do remember is that the days are long in Alaska and the sights are wonderful. In August the sun didn’t “set” until around 11 pm so we were up later than expected because we were waiting for “dark” to go inside to bed. You are traveling in June so the set should set a little sooner.

In Alaska the sights along the roads were just as beautiful in many cases as the locations we headed to.

Thanks CLynnWeg and GBelle for the suggestions. CLynnWeg, I was wondering how the two cruises in Valdez and Seward compared? Is the scenery quite different on the Valdez cruise compared to the Whittier ferry?

In my opinion, you are overestimating distances and have NO time at your destinations. All you are doing is marathon driving, overnight then more driving. Alaska offers so much more. Spending all your time on the road, isn't the best way here. Valdez is at least a 2 night stop in my opinion. Anchorage/Valdez won't have enough time at Matanuska, which in my opinion, get on it, with a guided hike. Longest only. You are too early for Independence Mine.

In no way is Fairbanks, only a 1 night stop with this itinerary. Not even worth going there.

Homer is NOT a day trip, and you are staying at a very inconvenient location of Cooper River and adding HOURS per day, transiting. You would be FAR better off, staying in Homer OR Seward. I'm assuming you got a cheap hotel rate. I would suggest you look at the overall "cost" of the time you are going to be wasting. Denali Park/ Seward is never a single day drive I recommend either.

You need to allow more time, and it will be necessary for a grocery stop in Fairbanks for Denali Park.

These are mostly 2 lane roads, and you can not count on 55mph all the time. Get behind a load of RV's or in construction- can add hours.

Only a suggestion, but I would definately cut back here. You are seeing, overall very little, except a transit.

you should go to seward the night before your cruise...not cooper landing! you will have to get up early and backtrack to the turnoff to go to seward....an hour of driving before your cruise. In the summer there is road construction and other things to consider up here. I would do fairbanks on your next visit....maybe do anchorage then denali then valdez and maybe ferry from ther to whittier and head to the kenai peninsula.