Things to do in Anchorage
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Matanuska Glacier: Guided Ice Walk & Lunch Day Trip from AnchorageYou’ll walk across ancient blue ice at Matanuska Glacier with a local guide, feel Alaskan wind on your face, and warm up over lunch with glacier views. Expect real stories from locals, time for photos, and moments you’ll want to remember long after you leave.
Salmon Fishing near Anchorage with Knik Glacier viewsA full-day salmon fishing activity from Anchorage takes you 1.5 to 3 hours north by van to productive fishing areas, where you'll cast with hands-on instruction from a guide and fish across from Knik Glacier. Hip boots, rod, reel and lures are provided; bottled water and a grill on board let you cook your catch fresh. Hotel pickup is included, and children from age 8 are welcome.Is it for me?Small groups keep the day personal and the fishing less crowded — this works well for families with kids old enough to cast and for anyone who wants real instruction instead of a cattle-pen experience. The 8-hour commitment and the drive north mean you're trading a full day for access to productive water and the chance to eat what you catch.
Anchorage mystery tour: 20+ hidden locations, no two alikeRide & Roam is a guided sightseeing tour of Anchorage that takes you to one of more than 20 off-the-beaten-path locations around the city—glacier views, hidden trails, waterfalls—chosen on the day based on what the group wants to explore. The guide customizes the route to match your interests, so each tour is different. Air-conditioned vehicle and state park admission are included; the tour runs three hours and suits solo travelers and small groups alike.Is it for me?Pick this tour if you're arriving with a free afternoon and no car, or if you're staying in Anchorage without transportation—the guide handles the driving and the route, so you just show up and say what interests you. The customized stops mean you'll see places most visitors miss, and the three-hour window fits between other plans without eating your whole day.
Eagle River Trail Hike: Boreal Forest & FallsA guided hike through the Eagle River trail system in Chugach State Park covers 6 miles of boreal forest, salmon spawning streams and the historic Crow Pass, ending at Barbara Falls where you can walk to the base. A naturalist guide leads the day in English, pointing out the forest ecology, wildlife and seasonal berries and fungi; the tour includes a prepacked snack, day packs and trekking poles on request, and runs about 5 hours with transportation included. Children from age 8 are welcome, and the terrain is non-strenuous grade, though some sections are steep and hilly.Is it for me?The hike asks for about 4 hours of walking over 6 miles of uneven terrain with some steep sections, so it suits travelers with moderate fitness who are comfortable on rolling ground and can handle hills—not a flat stroll, but a pace most people manage without scrambling.
Frozen waterfall hike Chugach State Park: Barbara FallsThis is a guided hike to Barbara Falls in Chugach State Park, where the waterfall freezes solid in winter and sits minutes from the trailhead. You follow the South Fork Eagle River, stop to photograph the 25-foot cascade with its icicles and ice bridges, then walk back through spruce and birch forest while the guide explains the boreal ecosystem and points out wildlife. The tour runs 3 hours total, includes microspikes for icy ground, a granola bar, and a live guide in English; children are welcome from age 6.Is it for me?This is a guided walk, not a solo hike, so you get a naturalist pointing out the forest ecology and wildlife you'd otherwise miss. Book it if you're new to Alaska and want to see a striking frozen waterfall without committing a full day, or if you're visiting with children and need something brief but memorable on icy terrain.
Anchorage Winter City Tour: 25 miles, wildlife, and SnowEllaAnchorage's Winter City Tour is a three-hour guided route through the city covering 25 miles of landmarks, wildlife viewing, and cultural stops. You'll meet SnowElla, the 25-foot snow lady; visit Lake Hood to photograph seaplanes; stop at Earthquake Park to learn about the 1964 quake; taste reindeer sausage and smoked salmon; and sit down with an Alaskan pilot for coffee at Rust's Flying Service. A live English-speaking guide leads the group through each stop, handling the driving while you take photos and ask questions.Is it for me?At three hours, the tour fits into a morning or early afternoon without eating the whole day, leaving you time to explore on your own or visit museums afterward. If you want to see Anchorage's winter character and its aviation heritage without renting a car or building an itinerary, the fixed route and included guide handle both.
Turnagain Arm to Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center shuttleThe Turnagain Arm Shuttle is a guided drive from Anchorage to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, combining a scenic route along one of Alaska's most dramatic highways with a one-hour visit to a 200-acre sanctuary for orphaned and injured wildlife. The shuttle departs on a fixed schedule from the gift shop and returns the same way, making it a direct option for travelers without a car. Dall sheep and Beluga whales are visible from the road; the center itself holds bears, moose, bison, wolves and other native species in enclosures designed to replicate their natural habitats.Is it for me?Book this if you're staying in Anchorage without a car—the shuttle runs on a fixed schedule from the gift shop and includes a scenic drive along Turnagain Arm, giving you wildlife viewing plus landscape time in one outing.
Matanuska Glacier Anchorage: Glacier Hike & Wildlife DriveYou drive two hours from Anchorage through wildlife country, stop for coffee halfway, then spend two to three hours hiking on Matanuska Glacier with microspikes and a guide who photographs the day for you. The hike is moderate, covers two to three miles with little elevation change, and includes all gear and guide gratuities. You return to Anchorage in the evening.Is it for me?Pick this if you want to walk on Alaska's largest glacier without arranging your own transport or gear — the van, the microspikes, and the guide's knowledge of where to step are what make a moderate hike on ice feel manageable in a single day.
Matanuska Glacier Hiking from Anchorage: Guided Ice TourYou're picked up from your Anchorage hotel and driven two hours through mountain scenery to Matanuska Glacier, where local guides outfit you with ice clamps and lead you across canyons, caves and ice walls on a beginner-friendly hike. Lunch overlooks the Matanuska River on the return drive, with stops for photos and wildlife spotting. The whole day takes ten hours and includes all fees.Is it for me?Book this if you want to walk on a glacier without arranging your own transport, equipment rental or a guide — the pickup, clamps and local expertise come as one package, and the small group size means you're not competing for space on the ice.
Anchorage All Around City Tour: Winter Sightseeing by CarThe Anchorage All Around City Tour is a 3.5-hour guided sightseeing tour by private vehicle that reaches the hardest-to-access attractions scattered across Alaska's largest city. The tour includes the Ulu Factory, Earthquake Park, Lake Hood, Alaska Wild Berry Products with its 3,000-pound chocolate waterfall, and the Alaska Native Medical Center's collection of Native art from over 227 federally recognized tribes. A live English-speaking guide drives you to each stop, leaving the city center walkable on your own afterward.Is it for me?Book this if you're without a car—it reaches the far corners of Anchorage that are hard to access on foot, leaving your afternoon free for downtown's walkable attractions.
Anchorage to Girdwood: 45-Min Airport & Hotel TransferYou're picked up at Anchorage airport or downtown, grouped with other travelers heading south, and dropped at Alyeska Resort in Girdwood after forty-five minutes. The shuttle tracks your flight, includes all fees and taxes, and arrives at the resort main entrance—no rental car, no parking, no winter driving to manage. Book in advance and reconfirm the night before.Is it for me?Book this if you're arriving at Anchorage airport or staying downtown and want to reach Girdwood without renting a car or driving the Seward Highway yourself—the shared shuttle removes the logistics and the fatigue, and forty-five minutes of scenery is part of the trip, not a chore to get through.
VIP Alaska Wildlife Tour from Anchorage: Private GroupA private VIP tour from Anchorage takes groups of up to five through Turnagain Arm and Chugach State Park to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, a rehabilitation facility for injured and orphaned animals. The tour runs 3 to 4 hours with a live guide in English or Spanish, hotel pickup, an air-conditioned vehicle and bottled water included. The center's animals—bears, moose, bison, wolves and others—are part of conservation efforts to return wildlife to natural habitats, and the scenic drive shows seasonal forest colors and ice formations of ancient glaciers.Is it for me?Book this tour if you want to see Alaskan wildlife and scenery without joining a large group—the five-person limit means more time with the guide and closer access to the animals at the conservation center.
Seward to Anchorage Airport: Private Transfer & Luggage HandlingYou're picked up at Port of Seward by a professional driver and driven in a private sedan, SUV, or limousine to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. The three- to four-hour transfer includes luggage handling, fuel, and taxes; if your ship is delayed, you're refunded. Provide your cruise arrival time, flight number, and pier information at booking, and you'll receive a voucher with driver contact details within 24 hours.Is it for me?Book this if you want to avoid taxis and shuttle queues after disembarking in Seward and prefer to reach the airport on your own schedule with luggage already handled — the fixed price and pre-arranged pickup mean you land in Anchorage ready to go, not stressed about transport.
Prince William Sound 26 Glacier Cruise from AnchorageThe Prince William Sound 26 Glacier Cruise is an 11-hour tour from Anchorage combining coach transport and a full-day cruise through Prince William Sound, where a dual-hull catamaran carries you close to one of Alaska's largest concentrations of glaciers. The route follows the Seward Highway along Turnagain Arm, passes through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel—North America's longest shared rail and vehicle tunnel—and includes lunch, professional narration, and time to watch for marine wildlife and migratory birds.Is it for me?Book this tour if you want to see glaciers up close without arranging separate transport and cruise logistics—the coach, tunnel passage, and catamaran are coordinated into one day, and the dual-hull design lets the boat reach glacier faces in narrow fjords that larger vessels cannot navigate.
Anchorage Airport to Seward: Private Transfer & Cruise PickupYou're met at Anchorage airport by a professional driver who takes you directly to the Port of Seward in a private vehicle of your choice. The transfer includes flight tracking, a one-hour wait at arrivals, and a worry-free guarantee that you'll reach your cruise on time if your flight lands as scheduled. Bring your flight number and pier details when you book, and you'll receive a voucher to present to the driver.Is it for me?Book this if you're flying into Anchorage and heading straight to Seward for a cruise — it removes the need to rent a car, navigate the highway yourself, and return the vehicle before boarding. The fixed price and flight tracking mean you know the cost upfront and the driver knows when to expect you.
Northern Lights Tour from Anchorage: Expert-Led SearchA northern lights tour from Anchorage led by guides who use Kp indexing and weather tracking to position your group at the best vantage points for viewing the aurora. The tour runs about three hours and includes private transportation and bottled water. There's no guarantee of sightings—the aurora is unpredictable—but your reservation covers multiple evenings, so you can rebook if conditions don't align on your first night.Is it for me?Book this tour if you want guides actively tracking solar activity and weather to chase the aurora, rather than staying at a fixed location. The flexible multi-evening reservation means you can return on a night with a stronger forecast if conditions don't align on your first attempt—a practical advantage when the aurora itself is unpredictable.
Portage Glacier cruise from Anchorage: 3.5-hour van & boat tourThe Portage Glacier Express is a 3.5-hour tour from Anchorage combining van transport and a one-hour boat cruise on Portage Lake to the face of Portage Glacier. You travel 50 miles south along the Seward Highway and Turnagain Arm, then board the MV Ptarmigan—the only boat on the lake—for a narrated passage through iceberg-dotted waters with views of cascading waterfalls and surrounding peaks. The van includes a live English-speaking guide; the boat crew provides onboard narration about glacial history, local wildlife, and the area's cultural significance. Round-trip pickup from downtown Anchorage and the glacier cruise ticket are included.Is it for me?Book this if you want glacier views without leaving Anchorage for a full day—the van, cruise, and return happen back-to-back in 3.5 hours, so you can fit it around other plans.
Anchorage Helicopter Tour: Chugach Mountains & GlaciersA 30-minute helicopter tour from Girdwood Airport near Anchorage takes you over Chugach State Park's ice-fields, glaciers and mountain peaks, with a live pilot narrating the flight. The tour departs from the hangar at Girdwood Airport after a brief safety briefing; arrive 15 minutes early. Weather can cancel the flight, in which case you get an alternative date or full refund.Is it for me?The pilot speaks English throughout the flight, so you follow the narration and the geography without translation. Book this if you want the glacier views without committing a full day to backcountry hiking or a longer expedition.
Whittier to Anchorage private tour: Cruise transfer includedA private full-day tour from Whittier to Anchorage that combines your cruise ship transfer with guided sightseeing through Portage Valley, Turnagain Arm, and the city itself. Your guide picks you up at the port or hotel and drives a group of up to 12 guests through the region's key stops—the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel (the longest highway tunnel in North America), the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Beluga Point, and Potter Marsh—with live commentary throughout the 7 to 8 hours. The price is per tour, not per person, so it scales with your group size.Is it for me?At 7 to 8 hours, this tour fills most of a day but leaves room for an early dinner or evening in Anchorage if your flight departs late—or you can add paid hours if you want to explore the city further. The fixed schedule and included transport mean you don't arrange a separate transfer from the port, so the logistics of getting from ship to hotel or onward destination are already solved.
Anchorage to Whittier Private Tour: Turnagain Arm & WildlifeA private full-day guided tour from Anchorage to Whittier that covers Turnagain Arm, Portage Valley and the Anchorage area with a local guide and hotel or port pickup included. The guide adjusts the route, timing and stops to match your interests and schedule. Groups run from one to twelve guests, and the price is per tour, not per person—a single booking covers your whole party.Is it for me?Book this tour if you're traveling as a group of up to twelve and want the route and pace shaped around your schedule and interests rather than locked into a set itinerary. The private guide adjusts stops, timing and activities on the day, so a late cruise arrival, an early departure or a detour to a viewpoint doesn't throw off the plan.
