Our Alaska trip itinerary
There’s a land—oh, it beckons and beckons, and I want to go back—and I will. –
We visited Alaska for one week in October 2021. Our main goal was to see the Aurora Borealis and we were very fortunate to see it. If you do the research, have a good KP index, a lot of patience, no moon light and clear skies, you can do it. My phone camera picked up the green before our naked eye so we knew where to watch. We saw her dance and a few colors in the second day of our stay in Fairbanks. I am sharing out itinerary so that it will help your Alaska planning.
General Things
- Layered dressing.
- Water proof snow boots (if you are going in winter).
- Very good gloves.
- 4 wheel drive SUV.
- Google offline map.
Day 1 : Travel to Fairbanks
- Flights reach by 12:00 AM midnight. So we have to book rent-a-car in advance.
- Book a four wheel drive car. SUV is preferred.
- Car rental service is available inside the airport. Limited vehicles are available. So if you have not booked early, try to be first in the queue.
- Restaurants will be closed by this time. McDonalds and few others will be available.
Day 2 : The Arctic Circle and Aurora
Travel to The Arctic Circle
- Popular rental companies don't allow us to drive to Arctic Circle. Local rental car companies do. Or else book a tour. We booked a tour.
- Tour companies pick you up from hotel, around 10:00 AM. Lunch won't be served. So pack some food early for lunch. Snacks and water will be served.
- Tour will be finished by evening. After that you can plan for Aurora viewing.
- Turtle Club is a very good American restaurant
The Aurora Borealis
- You can drive away from city lights to anywhere to see northern lights. You can drive to the Murphy Dome to see it, or you can stop in the parking lot near 'Trans Alaska Pipeline view point' to see it. We booked a tour so that we got hot coffee or water at any time.
- Download aurora tracker application to see the activity
- Use your mobile camera to check whether solar activities are started, you cannot see it with your eyes until the activities are stronger.
- Tours allow you to stay until 3:30 AM.
Day 3 : Chena hot springs and pipeline view
- You'll be late from bed. If you are planning to see northern lights again, take rest in the day time.
- If you have time, go to Chena hot springs, Trans Alaska pipeline view point and North Pole.
- Chena hot spring is a resort. They have ice museum, dog sledding etc. Check their website for details.
- Trans Alaska pipeline view - this will take only 10-20 minutes.
- North Pole is a small town. You can visit Santa Claus House.
Day 4 : Travel to Anchorage
- Scenic travel.
- Very few restaurants in between (because we travelled in off-season)
Day 5 : Glacier tour in Whittier
- Book early, there are several tour operators in Whittier.
- Start early from Anchorage. There are several beautiful spots to stop for your camera. Check the weather. You may need to wait for one hour in a queue in Whittier tunnel. Check their website for timings and plan accordingly.
Day 6 : Denali Grand Tour with Glacier Landing
- Book K2 aviation tour in advance.
- Talkeetna downtown has good restaurants.
- Check the weather from Talkeetna to Fairbanks. If it is snowy, travel will be delayed.
- Go back to Fairbanks if weather permits. Else stay in Talkeetna.
Day 7 : Finishing up, travel back from Fairbanks
- Good gift shops are available in Fairbanks downtown
- Hari Om is a very good Indian restaurant in Fairbanks
- If you have missed anything, you can plan for that
- Travel back from Fairbanks.
This is what we did in Alaska on 9-16th October 2021. There are lots of other things to do. Tours like Dog Sledding, Denali Star train, Knik glacier tour, Matanuska Glacier Walk tour, Exit Glacier, Mendenhall Glacier, Glacier Bay National Park, Kenai Fjords National Park, Katmai National Park; restaurants like Snow City Cafe, Kobuk tea and donuts, Moose's tooth, 229 Parks Restaurant and Tavern; places like Nome, Kotzabue, Sitka and Juneau.
Some photos from the trip:-
Aurora Borealis
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