Last summer five of us took the flight from O’Hare (Chicago) to Ted Stevens (Anchorage) and embarked on an 8-day road trip from Anchorage to Seward and Talkeetna.

To say the trip was a trip of a lifetime would be an understatement! Between two National Park Visits, great lodging accommodations and lots of laugh, we will never forget our 2024 trip to the 49th state.

While planning an Alaskan road trip may seem be daunting, I promise you it’s not!

Consider the below as a starting point for planning your summer road-trip through Alaska.

Day 1

Fly into Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and pick-up your rental car. While renting an SUV isn’t required for road-tripping in Alaska, we did rent a Volkswagen Atlas from Avis and were nothing but satisfied with it.

After you pick-up your rental car head South to Seward on Seward Hwy. 

Seward is located 2.5 hours south of Anchorage near Kenai Fjords National Park and Resurrection Bay. Depending on time, stretch 2.5 hours to 3.5 and stop at the various lookout points along the route.

Arrive in Seward, stop at Safeway for groceries and check into your hotel or Airbnb.

We rented the Oceanfront Inn Duplex (Upstairs Suite) through Miller’s Landing, and our nights in the duplex were by far best nights of our 8 day road trip.  For dinner and cold brews, we visited  Miller’s Landing Café; which quickly became one of our favorite places. 

Day 2

Explore Seward! Whether it be hiking Lowell Point State Recreation Park (walking distance from our rental), shopping in Downtown Seward, walking through the Alaska Sealife Center or buying fishing poles and bait from the Fish House to fish from shore, there is plenty to do in Seward. For dinner, I recommended grabbing Reindeer Tacos from Yukons for an appetizer and then heading to the Seward Brewing Company 

Day 3 – 5

After a long travel day and time to explore downtown Seward, use days 3 – 5 for adventuring. Depending on what type of adventure you prefer, consider the below as a guide.

• Full Day Deep Sea Fishing Charter with Miller’s Landing or J-Dock Fishing Co. 
• Spend the day at Kenai Fjords National Park and use the AllTrails app as a guide to finding the best trails. 
• Book a Whale Watching Tour out of Seward Harbor if you’re looking to see glaciers and other sea life. 
• Explore the surrounding landscape via Kenai Backcountry Adventures.
• Use the AllTrails app to find various hiking spots and spend the day hiking. 
• Brewery Hop in downtown Seward.
• Sea Kayak Resurrection Bay with Adventure 60 North.

Day 6

Back to the car you go. Day 6 of your Alaskan road trip will take you from Seward to Talkeetna in just over 4 hours. For lodging accommodations, I recommend the Cozy Talkeetna A-Frame.

Use the rest of the day to explore Talkeetna. It’s small, but I promise it’s mighty. If you’re looking for an adventure, I recommend booking e-bikes through the Talkeetna Gear Shop and then visiting the Denali Brewing Company for dinner.

Day 7

Wake up early because it’s time for Denali National Park! Just two hours north of Talkeetna, visiting Denali is a once in a life-time opportunity. Either grab a map at the visitor center or use the AllTrails app to plan your Denali Hikes. If guided tours are more your thing, Denali offers various options which you can reserve here. 

After a long day at Denali, head back to Talkeetna and grab a drink on the patio at the Base Camp Bar located within the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge and then visit Mountain High Pizza Pie for dinner.  

Day 8

While the past 7 days have been incredible and you’re probably not ready to head home, day 8 is the day to pack up your things and head back to Anchorage to catch a night flight back to Chicago.

Take the drive slow and consider stopping at some of the attractions listed here before arriving in Anchorage.

Once in Anchorage, grab a late lunch or early dinner at 49^th State Brewing Company before your flight.

For more travel itineraries and WI & beyond adventures, follow me on Instagram >> @livelargeandtravel.

Cheers and happy traveling!