🏛️🐻❄️

Alaska
June 2025

Anchorage · Seward · Valdez · Denali

12Days
1State
4Travellers
20,310ftDenali Peak

Day-by-Day Itinerary

1
Tampa → Miami → Seattle → Anchorage
Mon Jun 23 · Travel Day
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  • Drive Tampa → Miami (~5hrs, allow for traffic)
  • Delta flight Miami → Seattle · Departs 6:05pm
  • Delta flight Seattle → Anchorage · Departs 11pm · Arrives 1:32am
  • Check in to Airbnb · Rest
✓ Rental Car booked 🏠 1706 Stratford Ct, Anchorage AK 99508 · Door code 1969
2
Anchorage → Whittier → Moose Pass
Tue Jun 24 · ~6hr drive incl. stops
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  • Morning Costco shopping for supplies (factor ~1hr)
  • Beluga Point — watch for beluga whales in Turnagain Arm
  • Bird Creek and Turnagain Pass scenic stops
  • Whittier — quirky all-in-one-building town
  • Portage Pass Trail — 3-mile steep hike to glacier viewpoint
🏠 Mile 29.5 Seward Hwy, Moose Pass AK 99631 · Expedia
3
Moose Pass → Kenai Lake → Seward
Wed Jun 25 · ~4.5hr drive incl. stops
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  • Cooper Landing — Kenai River viewpoints and fishing town
  • Hidden Creek Trail — peaceful forest walk
  • Skilak Lookout Trail — 4.4 miles, stunning panoramic views
🏠 232 5th Ave, Seward AK 99664 · VRBO · Gate code 1901 · WiFi: 232Marathon
4
Kenai Fjords Glacier Cruise
Thu Jun 26 · Full day on the water
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  • Kenai Fjords National Park Tour · Departs 9:00am · Captain's Choice tour
  • Tidewater glaciers, sea otters, puffins, orcas and humpback whales
  • Afternoon: Mt. Marathon Bowl Trail — great views over Seward
  • Waterfront Park walk
✓ Conf. 3210426 · Captain's Choice National Park Tour 📍 1304 W. Fourth Ave, Seward AK 99664
5
Exit Glacier + Harding Icefield → Palmer
Fri Jun 27 · ~4.5hr drive incl. stops
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  • Exit Glacier & Harding Icefield Trail — epic hike above the clouds
  • Summit Lake — kayaking or rest stop
  • First half of Twin Peaks Trail — wildflowers and glacier views
🏠 The Pioneer Hotel, 124 W Arctic Ave, Palmer AK · Expedia
6
Matanuska Glacier Trek → Valdez
Sat Jun 28 · ~7.5hr drive incl. glacier trek & stops
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  • Eklutna Lake — scenic detour or hike
  • Matanuska Glacier — private guided ice fall trek 9:30am–1pm
  • Worthington Glacier Ridge Trail — easy walk to glacier viewpoint
  • Thompson Pass & Bridal Veil Falls
✓ Matanuska Glacier Booking #291859658 · 31090 W Glenn Hwy 🏠 Keystone Hotel, 400 Egan St, Valdez AK · Expedia
7
Stan Stephens Glacier Cruise · Valdez
Sun Jun 29 · Full day cruise
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  • Meares Glacier Excursion · 8:30am–4:30pm · Stan Stephens Cruises
  • Salmon Hatchery — watch salmon ladders
  • Keystone Canyon Trail — dramatic canyon walls
  • Mineral Creek Trail — 6 miles round trip, waterfalls and canyon views
✓ Conf. 460640 · 112 North Harbor Drive, Valdez AK
8
Valdez → Denali via Denali Highway
Mon Jun 30 · Allow full day ~11hrs incl. stops
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  • Allow a full day — Drive via Paxson and the stunning Denali Highway (gravel road, worth it!)
  • Black Rapids Glacier Viewpoint — Richardson Hwy
  • Castner Glacier Ice Cave — trailhead on Richardson Hwy
  • Arrive Denali area · check in to Airbnb
🏠 Hickory, Denali Park AK 99755 · Airbnb
9
Denali National Park
Tue Jul 1 · Denali base
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  • Denali National Park — explore the park by bus (private vehicles restricted)
  • Mount Healy Overlook Trail — panoramic views of the park and Alaska Range
  • Watch for grizzlies, moose, caribou and Dall sheep
10
Denali → Hatcher Pass → Palmer
Wed Jul 2 · ~5.5hr drive incl. stops
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  • Optional: Flightseeing tour over Denali — unforgettable if clear skies
  • Hatcher Pass — Gold Cord Lake Trail or Reed Lakes Trail
  • Check in to Airbnb in Palmer
🏠 8829 East Kokopelli Circle 9, Palmer AK · Airbnb
11
Palmer → Anchorage → Airport
Thu Jul 3 · Last day · Flight at midnight
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  • April Bowl Trail — alpine wildflowers
  • Independence Mine State Historic Park — gold rush history
  • Chugach Mountains scenic drives
  • Drive to Anchorage · dinner · airport
⏰️ Flight at midnight — arrive airport by 10pm
12
Anchorage → Seattle → Miami → Tampa
Fri Jul 4 · Independence Day · Home
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  • Delta flight Anchorage → Seattle · Departs 12:04am
  • Delta flight Seattle → Miami · Departs 8am · Arrives 5:11pm
  • Drive Miami → Tampa 🏠 Happy 4th of July!

Key Reminders

🏱️
Alaska in June has very long daylight — bring eye masks for sleeping (up to 19hrs of daylight)
🌛️
Weather changes fast — always pack layers and a waterproof jacket even on sunny days
🐻
Wildlife is everywhere — keep distance from bears, moose and other wildlife at all times
⛽
Denali Highway is a gravel road — drive slowly, check tire pressure before and after
📷
Day 8's ~11hr drive is long but spectacular — start early and build in photo stops
💧
Carry bear spray on all hikes and know how to use it