Hello,

I'm very seriously considering a trip to Alaska May 1-8. I understand that the weather could be iffy during that time, so I'm pretty flexible. If, however, the weather gods smile down upon me while I'm there, are these itineraries too aggressive? I've done some research on drive times, etc., but I'd still like to hear from humans who can tell me if I'm allowing myself enough time in each place. I have two potential itineraries--one that's round-trip from Anchorage, and one that arrives in Fairbanks and leaves from Anchorage. Am I being too aggressive/optimistic with these? The places I'd really like to see are Fairbanks, Denali and Seward, and of course, I'd like to make good use of my time in-between (weather-permitting). Activities-wise, I'll be traveling solo, wouldn't mind doing a tiny bit of easy hiking, and I'd love to see some wildlife.

Anchorage to Anchorage:
Day 1 is a full day of airplanes
Day 2: Explore Anchorage
Day 3: Hit the road, staying overnight in Talkeetna
Day 4: Continue journeying north, staying overnight in Denali
Day 5: Spend the day at Denali, staying another night there
Day 6: Back to Anchorage
Day 7: Journey to Seward

Fairbanks to Anchorage (or Anchorage to Fairbanks. I'm easy):
Day 1 will be a full day of airplaning
Day 2: Explore Fairbanks, overnight there
Day 3: Head south to Denali, overnight there
Day 4: Keep heading south, overnight in Talkeetna
Day 5: Overnight in Anchorage
Day 6: Overnight in Seward
Day 7: Overnight in Anchorage again???

One other thing I'd love to do is take a train while I'm there, but it seems like most of the train trips are over the weekend, and I just can't make them "fit" with my other stuff. Anyway, I'm totally open to suggestions and would be perfectly happy letting someone who knows what they're doing tell me where to go.

Thank you so much for any help you can offer!

The interior of Denali park won't be available until the second half of the month, and only limited parts even then. Most of the cruises into Kenai Fjords National Park from Seward also don't start until later, although there might be one available in early May.

Depending on the year, early May can still be "breakup" season in southcentral Alaska - muddy and not at all pretty. It can still be pre-spring in the woods too, although, again, it will vary from one year to the next.

I would probably skip Denali and focus more on the Kenai Peninsula and Seward - maybe drive down to Homer and back to Anchorage, or do a glacier cruise out of Whittier (start May 5.)

Another thought, maybe off the wall, is to split your week between southcentral and southeast Alaska. You could fly to Juneau and take a day or overnight ferry trip out to one of the smaller communities in the region, like Pelican or Tenakee Springs. You'll get beautiful Inside Passage scenery, Juneau is a lot of fun and quite historic, and the flights between Juneau and Anchorage are frequent and fairly affordable.

Then spend 3 or 4 days around Anchorage - Seward or Whittier, Girdwood, maybe a flightseeing trip on a floatplane from Lake Hood... many options.

Oohhh, I like these ideas! I especially love the idea of flying to Juneau and doing a ferry trip, and I like the idea of actually being "based" in one place for a few days instead of a new place each night, especially in case of bad weather. Thank you so much for your suggestions!

I especially love the idea of flying to Juneau and doing a ferry trip...

Then consider this: Fly to Seattle and take the train to Bellingham, WA (around 2 hours north of Seattle - http://www.amtrakcascades.com/ ) Walk 100 yards or so from the train station to the Alaska ferry terminal.

Take the ferry (departs Friday evenings) to Juneau, arriving Monday morning. Spend a couple of days in Juneau; visit Mendenhall Glacier, go whale watching, take a gondola up into the mountains behind the city. Or maybe go on a tour to Glacier Bay, whatever's available or of interest.

Then fly back to Seattle. If you wanted to do this trip in reverse, the ferry for Seattle departs Juneau on Tuesdays in the wee hours (like 2:30 AM) and arrives in Bellingham on Friday mornings.

The cabins on the ferry are basic but comfortable, the food is adequate. In the off-season the company is great; this can be the "city bus" for the towns in SE Alaska that lack road access. The views from the ferry are fab - misty forests and snowy mountains, occasional whales or seals... lots of fun.

https://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs