best

We would love to explore Alaska and want to see the glaciers, whales, the wonderful wildlife, and would also like to do some on land exploring as well.

We know we will be going back to Alaska because we can't possibly get a flavor of this magnificent state in a week.

Should we do a cruise first

or

on land?

Was possibly thinking of Anchorage and driving from there?

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Jason

If you only have a week, I would recommend flying into Anchorage, picking up a car, and driving south to the Kenai Peninsula (Seward, Cooper Landing, Homer). You can get it all here. From Seward you can take a day cruise to the Kenai Fjords, where you should see glaciers and wildlife (if you get seasick, you can opt for a cruise out of Whittier instead, which is on the way from Anchorage to Seward). In the Cooper landing area, you can do some spectacular trout fishing. Further west along the Kenai river, depending on the time of year, some world-class salmon fishing. If you make it down to Homer, you can do a fly-out trip for bear viewing, or do some halibut fishing. I think a trip down to Kenai will give you the flavor you're looking for. If you had another few days or so, you could head up to Denali, but if you only have a week this might be too much (it's like 5 hours from Anchorage to Denali).

John

With only a week your choices are limited to three - round trip Inside Passage cruise, one-way cruise starting or ending in Seward (but with no extra time to see anything in Southcentral Alaska), or land-based tour, presumably based from Anchorage.

Of the three, the broadest exposure to the state will be the latter - in a week you can do a big loop - north to Denali Park and Fairbanks, south to Valdez, ferry across Prince William Sound (marine critters and tidewater glaciers) then back to Anchorage, zoom. Even this itinerary will be somewhat rushed in a week - 10 days or 2 weeks would be preferable, but it can be done.

The cruise alternatives will be more relaxing, and (surprisingly) potentially cheaper all in, depending on your participation in expensive "excursions" mounted by the cruise lines - whale watching, helicopter sightseeing, etc. Your accommodations on the ship will also be more deluxe than you'll likely encounter in places like Talkeetna or Copper Center. But you won't see as much variety as you would on a land tour.

Jody

We took a cruise from Vancouver to Seward last year. Did a lot of the side trips - on our own at each port & some of the ships trips also. We had a wonderful time. We rented a van - not cheap - & drove 3 hrs to Anchorage. From there we went North to Talkeetna for a flightseeing trip over Mr. McKinley - fantastic - & also went to the Native Indian Heritage Museum. We had a wonderful time. Wish we had more time then the 2 days in Anchorage so explore more stuff. I gotta go back!

mj

I spent a week in Alaska this past July, near Glacier Bay. We saw glaciers, whales, bears and bear cubs, sea otters, bald eagles, moose, sea lions, seals, puffins, and also went sea kayaking and did a lot of hiking. We also have a great picture of our entire family standing on an iceberg in Glacier Bay!

The town we stayed in is called Gustavus, and it is the closest town to Glacier Bay. We stayed at the Bear Track Inn, which is absolutely gorgeous. Their web site is www.beartrackinn.com. It is expensive, but it includes all meals and they will arrange any day trips that you want, like whale watching or a cruise into Glacier Bay.

I am not a big fan of cruises, and I have to say that I am glad we didn't go that route. For example, my family chartered a 40' boat w/ a captain for our cruise into Glacier Bay. At one point, we saw a huge brown bear on the beach and were taking pictures and watching it look for food. A few minutes later, one of the big cruise ships came by and loudly announced to its passengers "THERE IS A BEAR OFF THE STARBOARD SIDE. THERE IS A BEAR OFF THE STARBOARD SIDE." It was so loud that the bear walked away into the woods. We also saw sea otters and seals right next to our boat, which would not have been possible on a cruise ship.

Then again, cruises just don't appeal to me. If you have taken cruises before and enjoy them, and will be able to make excursions away from the boat to get closer to the wildlife and scenery, then that might be the way to go. My recommendation, however, is to find a place that you can use as a home base and take day trips from there.

Connie

We flew into Anchorage, rented an RV and spent 10 days going up to Denali and down to the Kenai.

I agree with Jason. We went to the Kenai first then up to Denali. After one day there we couldn't wait to get back down--especially Seward. You can park your RV right on the water front.

The RV cost us $155/day plus .15/mile after 200 mies. We did our own cooking and only spent $130 on food for two of us. It was great having our home with us everywhere we went.

We might like to try a cruise next time but I wouldn't take for the freedom to go and see whatever we wanted, anytime WE wanted.

Postal

My family and I rented an SUV in Anchorage and spent a week in Homer, Cooper Landing, and Seward. It was all wonderful. We hiked on two glaciers (Byron and Exit), saw one calve from the Kenai Fjords boat, and saw all kinds of wildlife both on land and in the water. I can't wait to return someday.

cece

I got on the Alaska Marine Highway in Bellingham, WA. The boat stopped in Sitka, Petersburg, Ketchikan and I was able to get off the boat at each stop and explore for a bit. I finally got off at Juneau. I walked to Mendehall Glacier in Juneau. I flew to Glacier National Park and watched the whales swim by while I walked on the beach. I did a glacier cruise. You can also rent kayaks and kayak among the whales. I then flew back to Juneau and took a smaller boat to Sitka. The boat stopped at some smaller islands along the way. On one I ate wild berries. The boat only stopped for a few moments at another island which is known for its hot springs. I then got off the boat in Sitka. I went to the rapture rehabilitation center and a wonderful eskimo museum. I explored the Russian architecture. I then went home. It was a fantastic adventure and I met a lot of great people.

Sue

I did the cruise this summer, but was frustrated at the limited time in ports (but enjoyed the time with my family). Next summer I plan to go to Juneau and take side excursions, as well as stay in Glacier Bay. (Anything to get out of the LV heat!)

There is another trip report from LJB who did it his way, but due to uninformative heading, you may have missed it.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...=1&tid=1404188

Texan

Ditto Jason.

steve

Did the cruise from Vancouver to Seward this summer (Sun Princess). Then rented an RV for a week. I would vote for the cruise. We had 3 days in ports. There was plenty of time (8 hrs or so) for excursions in each of the 3 ports (Ketchican, Juneau, and Skagway). Saw plenty of glaciers in Glacier Bay and College Fjord