Top Anchorage Day Trips

Experience Alaska’s wildlife and landscapes without planning a complex route from Anchorage on your own. This group tour combines glacier views, mountain scenery, wildlife encounters, and historic stops into one well-rounded day through Chugach National Forest and beyond. Along the way, your guide shares local insight and photography tips to help you get more out of the experience and your photos.

Get out of the city and discover the stunning scenery that surrounds Anchorage. This small-group tour takes you south along the Seward Highway to soak up ocean and mountain views on the way to Alyeska Ski Area where an an aerial tram takes you 2,300 feet (700 meters) above sea level. Afterward, visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center to learn how sanctuary cares for the Last Frontier’s injured and orphaned animals and see resident wildlife including grizzly bear, moose, caribou, and musk ox.

You don't have to travel far from Anchorage to see the abundant Alaskan wildlife. On this half-day small-group tour down the Turnagain Arm of the Gulf of Alaska, learn about the local ecosystem while looking out for wild animals as you’re driven along the scenic road. Board a boat to cruise to the Portage Glacier, and visit the animals at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.

Nature lovers can spend the day exploring the Matanuska Glacier on a hiking tour that traverses the glacier’s picturesque terrain. Along the way, your guide teaches you about the dynamic glacial features including seracs, moulons, and crevasses. While it is easy to get views of the glacier on your own, a guided hike on the glacier itself provides a completely different perspective of the otherworldly landscape.

We make it easy to see it all in one day! Relax on the coach as you enjoy the beauty of Turnagain Arm. On the cruise get ready to view one of the largest concentration of glaciers in Alaska. Weather, ice conditions and wildlife activity changes daily and our captains may adjust the route to provide the best cruise experience while keeping your safety and comfort a top priority. We take pride in ensuring that your time with us is an enjoyable memory that becomes a favorite highlight of your Alaska vacation. We operate first-class catamarans. Due to their dual hull design, these powerful high-speed catamarans are extremely stable and able to smoothly navigate through the narrow fjords and passages that lead us to the face of massive glaciers. By operating safely and efficiently, Phillips Cruises & Tours provides a comfortable cruise and our No Seasickness Guarantee assures nervous cruisers the confidence that they will enjoy our cruise without any unpleasant effects.

See the Portage Glacier on a small-group tour from Anchorage. Follow the scenic Seward Parkway through the breathtaking landscape of the Turnagain Arm waterway, stopping at Beluga Point and the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge to look for wildlife. Take a cruise on Portage Lake to observe the Portage Glacier up close, then check out wild animals that are being rehabilitated at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Stop for provided light snacks and water in the town of Girdwood near Mt. Alyeska and take in the Chugach Mountains.

Learn about Anchorage’s history while cruising around town in a bus outfitted to look like a vintage trolley. Gain unique into the local history and culture of Alaska's most populous city from guides with generational ties to the region. You may even get to spot moose crossing the road and seaplanes descending on Lake Hood and Lake Spenard.

Set out on a nocturnal adventure in search of the elusive northern lights with this photography-focused tour departing from Anchorage. Get picked up at your hotel and go in search of the aurora borealis with a small group. Learn new photography skills and try your hand at capturing the dazzling light show of the northern lights with your camera.

Busy travelers with only one day to spare can see the best of the Alaskan wilderness on a tour that combines a scenic train ride, river float, glacial lake paddle, and a visit to a wildlife conservation center. From taking photos with icebergs to seeing bears at the wildlife center, the mix of activities fulfills visitors’ Alaskan adventure dreams.

Explore the rugged wilderness around Anchorage, Alaska with the help of your expert guide on this private tour. Sit back and relax as you go straight from your hotel to a short tour of Anchorage then onto the scenic Glenn Highway. Visit a reindeer farm before heading up into the mountains to the stunning Hatcher Pass. Your day includes a stop in Palmer and a scenic nature stroll before returning to your hotel.

Hit the road with the Alaska Self-Guided Bundle, including tours for Anchorage, Seward, Homer, and Denali. Cruise the Seward Highway for glacier views, coastal wildlife, and big mountain scenery, then follow the Sterling Highway through turquoise lakes and Kenai Peninsula towns to Homer. From Anchorage, head north on the Parks Highway via Eagle River, the Mat-Su Valley, and Talkeetna to Denali State Park and Denali National Park. Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together! After booking, you can check your email before downloading the Tour Guide App by Action, entering your unique password, and accessing your tour. The preceding steps require good internet/Wi-Fi access. Simply follow the audio instructions and the route from there. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want. This is not an entrance ticket to attractions along the route. Check opening hours before your visit.

The Turnagain Arm in the Gulf of Alaska boasts abundant Alaskan wildlife within easy access of Anchorage. Learn about the local ecosystem from a guide with extensive knowledge of the area as you drive down the peninsula, with opportunities to spot wild animals in their natural environment as you go. Includes a visit to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and a drive past the glaciers on Portage Glacier Road.

Experience the natural wonder of Alaska's Matanuska Glacier with our full-day guided tour. Beginning with a convenient pickup from downtown Anchorage, you'll embark on a scenic two-hour journey, driving through landscapes of towering mountains. Along the way, we'll stop at local eateries, offering you the chance to purchase lunch. Upon reaching the glacier, a seasoned guide will equip you with crampons, making glacier navigation safe and manageable. Then, an all-terrain vehicle will transport you to the glacier's base. Here, you'll set off on foot to explore the glacier's icy expanse, discovering fascinating ice formations and gaining insight into the glacier's natural history from your knowledgeable guide. After this unforgettable experience, we'll journey back to Anchorage, ensuring a comfortable drop-off in downtown. This tour is a perfect blend of adventure, education, and scenic beauty, offering an in-depth encounter with one of Alaska's most impressive glaciers.

This exclusive, small-group hike on the Matanuska Glacier is a once-in-a-lifetime experience which will leave you with a greater appreciation for one of nature’s most fascinating phenomena. Discover your inner glaciologist as you traverse across ice fields, hearing the cracking sounds of the glacier moving, and learn about the makings of the glacier in detail from your expert guide. Round off the adventure with local honey and wine tasting.

Experience the breathtaking landscape of the Turnagain Arm on a half-day tour with an informative guide. Ride along the scenic Seward Parkway to the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge and Beluga Point, stopping for photo ops and wildlife observation. Visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, a large nature preserve where injured animals are rehabilitated. Continue to the town of Girdwood, then travel up into the Chugach Mountains for another great vantage point on the Turnagain Arm. Includes round-trip transportation from Anchorage.

Explore Alaska's Matanuska Glacier without the hassle of navigating unfamiliar roads or finding a mandatory guide. This small-group tour from Anchorage includes a guided hike across the surface of the glacier to see its otherworldly formations up close while learning about its history, size, and scope.

Explore Chugach State Park's Eagle River trail system without the risk of getting lost when you hike on a small-group guided tour. Lovers of the outdoors won't want to miss the opportunity to hike through boreal forests and glaciated valleys, to see where salmon spawn, and to spot wildlife like bears, moose, and birds. Meet your guide at a designated spot and enjoy a moderate five-hour hike.

We make it easy to see it all in one day! Relax on the coach as the driver guide narrates while you enjoy the beauty of Turnagain Arm. In Whittier, the Glacier Quest Cruise cruises from the quaint seaside town to glacier-filled Blackstone Bay, a dramatic deep-water fjord where two tidewater glaciers and several alpine glaciers await. Keep an eye out for sea otters, Steller sea lions, bears, mountain goats, whales, and more! You will see several glaciers, including Tebenkof Glacier, named for Mikhail Demitrievich Tebenkof, an outstanding surveyor whose maps were the first charts of Alaska’s waters published in 1852. Northland Glacier rests majestically, clinging to the edge of the towering mountain. Blackstone and Beloit are tidewater glaciers that have carved a steep pathway to reach Prince William Sound’s saltwater. Cruise up close to these massive glaciers to watch for telltale signs of movement signaled by the distinct “pop” of glacier ice calving. Return to Anchorage by coach.

Turn your pre-cruise travel day into an incredible Alaskan adventure. Designed specifically for travelers heading to the Whittier Cruise Port, this seamless transfer picks you up directly from your Anchorage hotel, safely secures your heavy luggage, and delivers you straight to the ship's terminal for a stress-free boarding experience. Skip the hassle of hauling bags around downtown or waiting hours for a standard, crowded bus. Instead, ride in premium comfort while a local guide introduces you to Alaska’s stunning coastal landscapes. Along the scenic Seward Highway and Turnagain Arm, you'll visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center for guaranteed close-up encounters with bears and moose, and enjoy iconic photo stops at Beluga Point and Portage Lake. We expertly monitor the strict Whittier Tunnel time slots and coordinate directly with cruise boarding schedules. Relax knowing you will arrive at the port perfectly on time—secure your hassle-free pre-cruise connection today!

Travel north from Anchorage through the MatSu Valley to the mushing capital of the world and go for a sled dog ride! Take in the sights while you let us do the driving en route to Willow, AK where you’ll experience a real Iditarod musher’s home kennel and witness their enthusiastic canine athletes. Go for an exhilarating overland sled dog ride powered by a team of authentic Alaska Huskies, and learn all about the sport of mushing and the world famous 1000-mile Iditarod Sled Dog Race. You’ll go for a dog-powered ride in a specially designed 2-person cart with your own personal musher and the chance to pet some friendly fluffy Alaska huskies! This 5.5 hour round-trip adventure will be one you won’t forget. Approximately 1.5 hour drive each way with 1.5+ hours at the kennel. Wheeled carts are used in summer (June-Sept.) & sleds in winter when there is sufficient snow on the ground. HOTEL PICKUP AVAILABLE IN WINTER ONLY; CONTACT TO ARRANGE. GROUPS OF 6< CONTACT FRONTIER TOURS TO BOOK.

Depart downtown Anchorage and travel along one of America’s most scenic routes — the Seward Highway and Turnagain Arm — into the wilderness beyond. Visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, a 200-acre sanctuary where rescued and orphaned Alaskan animals such as brown bears, muskox, bison, wolves, and moose roam in naturalistic habitats. Immerse yourself in the grandeur of Alaska’s wildlife before continuing to Portage Lake, where you’ll board the MV Ptarmigan with Portage Glacier Cruises for an unforgettable, narrated hour-long cruise among cascading waterfalls to within a few hundred feet of the towering face of Portage Glacier. You may even hear the thunderous crack of the glacier calving. This combination of wildlife viewing, scenic driving, and glacier cruising creates a compact and unforgettable Alaskan day trip, perfect for nature lovers and first-time visitors alike.

Discover Alaska’s majestic scenery and encounter the state’s Big Five with ease during a small-group tour from Anchorage to a premier conservation center. Relax and soak up the scenery during a smooth drive along Turnagain Arm while somebody else keeps their eyes on the road and shares little nuggets about the area and wildlife. Plus, delve into the local culture at a small town brewery for beer tasting.

The opportunities for adventure in Alaska are endless, so visitors on tight schedules might have difficulty fitting in everything. You'll paddle around icebergs in Spencer Glacier Lake and enjoy views of hanging glaciers, cascading waterfalls, and more on a train ride through Grandview, the most scenic section of the Alaska Railroad.