Alaska Road Trip Itinerary

This is your ultimate Alaska Road Trip Itinerary! This post is broken down into each of the seven days and also includes added bonus ideas throughout of things to do if you’d like to extend the trip.

On this Alaska road trip itinerary, you’ll find the perfect mix of adventure and relaxation, as well as some helpful things to consider. Be sure to check out this post before you book your trip because it includes everything from where to stay near Denali, what type of car rental you need, top hikes to consider, and more! Additionally, we’ve got a post that helps you master what to pack for Alaska in the summer.

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This post can help provide an answer for those who are looking for the best places to visit that have been curated with care by someone who has been there themselves. Read on if you’re interested in a weeklong excursion through one of America’s last great wilderness experiences!

Fairbanks

Arriving in Fairbanks late at night during summer gives you your first introduction to the Midnight Sun. There is no official sunset. We found it not only surprising but energizing!

Come in the Fall and you will have darkness enough to witness the Northern Lights.

Day One

Since our Alaska itinerary starts from Fairbanks, this is where you’ll pick up your rental car. If you are wondering how to plan a trip to Alaska, when I say look into car rental early, understand that I mean EARLY. This is one of the first things to do as you plan. This comes right after buying your flights.

When planning a trip to Alaska, you will have to take into consideration rental company policies on where you can drive with a rental car. Not all major roads are paved. Use that information to inform your itinerary.

We limited ourselves to paved roads and that fits this Alaska itinerary perfectly. But if you want to add Hatcher Pass to your road trip, you need to check with your rental company for its policy.

Spend your first night in Fairbanks and this allows you to have a relaxed breakfast at the Bakery Restaurant the next morning. This restaurant is next to a Costco (with a gas station) and a Walmart Supercenter store.

Pick up your rental car then you’ll be able to eat good food, find cheap gas, and stock up on some basic snacks for your week-long trip!

Take the Park Highway: Route 3 for a two-hour drive toward Denali National Park. We stayed just outside the park at McKinley Chalet Resort. I highly recommend this location.

This large property checks all your boxes. Affordable, comfortable rooms (the bathroom floor is heated!!), as well as a full-service restaurant and outdoor fireside music each night! You could also book additional activities with the front desk such as Jeep rentals, zip-lining, and private tours.

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The only thing I would add to the room would be a mini-fridge. We missed that amenity during our stay.

But you probably won’t want to spend too much time in one spot when there’s going to be endless daylight! So no time like the present to head into the park.

Denali National Park

For the record, I’m a big fan of the idea of spending a whole week just at Denali! I absolutely love this national park and recommend that you spend as much time here as possible.

Check out this post on 8 things you can’t miss on your first trip to Denali.

You’ll arrive at Denali in the afternoon and will be able to enjoy at least a bit of exploration before you want to head out for dinner.

From behind the Denali Visitor Center, you can grab numerous trails around this area of the park. We explored a few of the easier trails in the area and then wanted to tackle the trail to Horseshoe Lake.

This 2-mile path can be cut a bit by returning along railroad tracks to a paved trail along the park’s main road if needed.

There are stairs and some elevation gain (250 feet) over the course of the trail. But views like the one above make it worth the effort.

You’ll see an entire ecosystem created by beavers here at this beautiful spot! Stay awhile and explore along the lake but be sure that you have your bug spray!

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This may not look like an evening photo (this was taken at about 7:30 PM) but the bugs sure know when it’s nighttime.

I recommend that you wrap up your first full day in Alaska with dinner at The Perch Restaurant. This restaurant stays open later and has both indoor and outdoor dining options. 229 Parks is also highly recommended, but their last seating is at 7:30 PM Fri – Sun only, and reservations are required.

At The Perch, we ate on the patio outside and enjoyed the extended daylight hours. By the time we left the restaurant, it was 10:30 at night and on our way back to our hotel we passed a woman jogging on the side of the road. Looks like we weren’t the only ones enjoying that extra light!

Day Two

Kick off your second full day in Alaska with a challenge! Hike the Mnt. Healy Overlook Trail. Return to the Denali Visitor Center again and you can pick up this trail from there.

It will branch off from the Horseshoe Lake Trail once you cross the main park road.

This 4.4-mile trail has 1,700 feet of elevation gain but you are rewarded with beautiful views of the valley.

And on a clear day from the end of the trail, you can see Denali itself in the distance!

After this hike, you may want to just relax for a bit by taking the easy drive up the rest of the main park road. You’ll appreciate gorgeous roadside views along this 15-mile stretch of road.

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The public-accessible portion of the road ends at a Park Ranger Station at the bridge crossing the Savage River.

Eat at the hotel restaurant Karstens Public House and enjoy the outdoor seating and evening music. After walking and hiking as much as you have, it’s relaxation well earned!

Day Three

Today you can do multiple trails as two of these are shorter and all are close together. I recommend you wrap up your experience inside the first 15 miles of the park with a trio of trails: the Mountain Vista Trail, the Savage Alpine Trail as well as the Savage River Loop.

Mountain Vista is an easy loop of less than a mile with interpretive signs explaining early visits to the park. The parking lot has nicer bathrooms and picnic benches.

From the other side of the parking lot, you’ll enter Savage Alpine Trail. This is your challenge for the day!

There is a 1,200-foot elevation gain on this slowly sloping 4-mile path with fantastic views.

You can go over the peak and follow the trail down to Savage River and combine it with the loop trail. Then you’ll either have to walk back along the park road or catch a shuttle.

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Or you can double back on the Savage Alpine Trail, pick up your car from the Mountain Vista lot, and drive to Savage River.

From the parking lot at Savage River, you can take the 2-mile loop. There is relatively no elevation gain except to go down to the trail from the bridge to the trailhead if you can’t get a parking spot in the small lot.

Cross the small bridge to the other side to complete the loop and enjoy the dramatic rocks along the hillsides.

You can wrap up Day Three with a meal at McKinley Creekside Cafe. The food was great and the cafe is cozy. The Coconut Hot Buttered Rum is a worthy indulgence!

If you can extend your stay at Denali then you’ll want to try to get reservations on one of the tour busses that take you further into the park. Click on the link provided above to choose from any number of bus routes that take you further into the park where private vehicles cannot pass.

If you can grab a reservation (these are also highly recommended to be booked far in advance) you’ll pick up your bus at the Denali National Park bus depot.

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You can also book a stay (again planning far in advance) in the Kantishna area at the Denali Backcountry Lodge or the Kantishna Roadhouse.

Be sure to check the latest updates at the official NPS Denali website before making additional plans.

Day Four

Today you are heading to Anchorage but you’ve still got time for one more thrill-seeking adventure before leaving Denali!

Everyone we ran into (from restaurant staff to our hotel front desk receptionist) recommended this team for white water rafting. I can tell you with complete confidence that this will be one of the most fun things you do on your trip!

Our guide, Moose, was informative and funny. Be sure to ask for him! Safety was handled with the utmost care. There are opportunities for you and your group to switch around with the others in the boat so everyone has a chance to sit in the front if they want.

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We were able to purchase photos and videos of our trip as well.

This two-and-a-half-hour trip was an energizing way to wrap up our last morning in Denali.

From here we hit the road, heading south toward…

Talkeetna

Come to Talkeetna hungry! Just plan to walk the streets of this small town and grab snacks wherever the food looks good to you.

Anchorage

This is your jumping-off point to the southwestern edge of Alaska. Anchorage itself is a destination. Bike paths, high-quality restaurants, and a chance to learn about Alaska’s native heritage – what’s not to love?

You could spend a couple of days exploring this city with its small-town feel and not get bored.

Visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center, bike the path along the shoreline, and eat at any one of the amazing restaurants. I recommend saving a little space after your meal for Wild Scoops Ice Cream downtown.

Get a bit of rest tonight because tomorrow you venture out to…

Kenai Fjords National Park

Day 5

One of the best ways to get up close to a glacier from land is found at Kenai Fjords National Park. Just a short two-and-a-half-hour drive from Anchorage, you cannot miss visiting Exit Glacier.

Whether you choose to complete the hike all the way up to Harding Ice Field or keep to the level trails closer to the Nature Center, there is a hike for everyone at this park. Each trail offers a different view of Exit Glacier.

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Drive south from Anchorage on the Seward Hwy to the outskirts of Seward. At mile 3 just before Resurrection River, turn right onto Herman Leirer Rd. and head toward the Exit Glacier Nature Center.

You’ll see signs along the trail and around the entire entrance area highlighting different years. These signs represent the glacier’s reach at that point in time.

Near the Nature Center, you can hike the easy Glacier View Loop trail. From there you can enter the Glacier Overlook Loop Trail.

You will pass by rushing creeks and views of ice melt runoff. For the first part of the trail, you are mostly in the trees so there are not many opportunities to view Exit Glacier.

The signs to Harding Ice Field are all easy to see. The trail is seriously strenuous so be sure that you have packed plenty of water, a first aid kit and bear spray (just in case), snacks to keep you energized and hiking poles.

There are three stops for viewpoints along the trail: Marmot Meadows, Top of the Cliffs, and End of Trail.

Top of the Cliffs gives you a glimpse of the Harding Ice Field but of course the most comprehensive views come from the overlook at the End of Trail.

Seward

Day Six

Your gateway to the North Pacific Ocean side of Kenai Fjords is from Seward. If you can extend your trip for another 2 – 3 days then we recommend part of that time is spent in this charming coastal town.

From Seward, you can take a day cruise to appreciate both glaciers and marine life. We recommend you book the longest day cruise available and plan to stay at least one night in Seward. This affords you the best chance to see marine life and dramatic glacier cliffs.

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Spend an afternoon enjoying the waterfront and downtown areas. And after that stroll, you can visit the SeaLife Center before your return to Anchorage.

Day Seven

Spend today driving back to Fairbanks for your flight out. If you have a late-night flight and it’s a clear day, take the time to stop at Denali South Viewpoint for more fantastic views of the majestic peak.

(If you can extend your trip, Denali State Park is a worthwhile destination on its own. It has a multitude of beautiful trails and spots for a picnic.)

Back in Fairbanks, drop off your rental car and grab a taxi to take you to dinner at Lemongrass.

This is an amazing Thai place that was kind enough to let us have a cozy corner table where we could stash our luggage while we ate! The staff is friendly and the food is amazing!

We hope you’ve found this post helpful and we encourage our readers to share their travel tips in the comments below. Do you have any must-see spots that we missed? Let us know! 

This is your ultimate Alaska Road Trip Itinerary, so be sure to keep it on hand as a reference before booking your trip. Have some great memories of exploring all there is to offer here in Anchorage, Denali National Park, Kenai Fjords, or Seward—we can’t wait for you guys to experience everything Alaska has to offer!

Happy travels from Travel with Intention!