Things to Do During Brief Stopovers in Anchorage

On my two most recent trips to Alaska, I’ve had limited time in Anchorage. When Keith Combs and I went north in 2019, upon arrival we had a quick dinner and stayed over at a downtown hotel before heading to Seward early the next morning. On the way home, we never left the airport. When Hanna and I returned the following summer, upon arrival we went almost immediately to Girdwood for 36 hours, returning to Anchorage only to fly out to the town of King Salmon. However, when we returned from King Salmon we had an 8 hour layover, so we rented a car, drove around to see some sights, and had a nice, leisurely dinner at the Forty-Ninth State Brewing Company.

While Alaska is of course the largest of the fifty states, with seemingly endless things to see and do, and Anchorage is a cosmopolitan city, you don’t need to go far to see the wildlife the state is known for or enjoy a range of outdoors activities. Within the city itself there is plenty to do – so whether you find yourself with a few hours or a couple of days, it won’t be wasted. Here are a few resources to get you started:

Anchorage Proper

• Visit Anchorage – 20 Best Things to Do in Anchorage

• TourScanner -- 54 Fun & Unusual Things to Do in Anchorage, Alaska

• Travel Alaska — 9 Things to Do in Anchorage

• US News – 13 Best Things to Do in Anchorage

• The Alaska Zoo

• Alaska Aviation Museum

Eating and Drinking

• Eater – The 26 Essential Restaurants in Anchorage

• Food Network – Where to Eat in Anchorage

• Foodie Flashpacker – Must-Try Restaurants in Anchorage Alaska

• Wanderlog – The 50 Best Spots for Lunch in Anchorage

• 20 Bars in Anchorage You’re Not Going to Want to Miss

• The 10 Best Rooftop Bars in Anchorage

• Hop Culture – 6 Best Breweries in Anchorage, Alaska

Day Trips

Travel Alaska – See Alaska’s Wild Side With 5 Easy Day Trips from Anchorage

Lonely Planet -- Anchorage is a perfect home base for these 10 day trips

Life and Latitude – 7 Spectacular Day Trips from Anchorage

Notes

• Remember, it stays light late in the summer, so you can sightsee until all hours of the night, but shops and restaurants might not share those same hours.

• If you’re headed to Whittier, be sure to factor the tunnel into your timing. It’s the longest combined vehicle/railroad tunnel in Northern America, and in the summer you can go FROM Whittier on the hour and TO Whittier on the half hour.

• Because it’s a seller’s market and in recent years there has been a limited supply of cars, you may end up paying more than you would elsewhere for a rental car. Be sure to reserve early, too, to ensure that you get something.

Approximate Driving Distances/Times

• Eagle River – 15 miles, 18 minutes

• Girdwood – 40 miles, 48 minutes

• Palmer – 43 miles, 43 minutes

• Eklutna Lake – 42 miles, 55 minutes

• Whittier – 60 miles, 1 hour 19 minutes (see note, above)

• Talkeetna – 113 miles, 1 hour 58 minutes

• Kenai Fjords National Park – 125 miles, 2 hours 23 minutes

• Seward – 127 miles, 2 hours 25 minutes

• Homer – 223 miles, 4 hours 15 minutes

• Denali National Park – 237 miles, 4 hours 5 minutes