Epic 10 Night Alaska Road Trip Itinerary and Guide -

Alaska 10-Night Road Trip Itinerary: Anchorage, Denali, Fairbanks, Seward, Whittier & Juneau

Travel Dates: April 30 – May 10

Alaska had been on our bucket list for years, and we finally decided to plan a 10-night Alaska road trip in early May. This trip is still on the top of my list for favorite travel destinations.

Early May turned out to be a fantastic time to visit. We had mostly sunny weather, almost zero crowds, and 10 pm sunsets which even after the sun technically set there was still twilight past midnight. Some summer activities hadn’t opened yet, but the trade-off was having so many places almost completely to ourselves.

Over the course of the trip we drove about 24 hours across Alaska, traveling as far south as Seward and as far north as Fairbanks before finishing the adventure in Juneau.

Alaska Trip Logistics

We flew from San Diego into Anchorage.

Pro tip: Sit on the right side of the plane for incredible views of snow-covered mountains as you fly into Anchorage.

Our transportation plan

2 nights in Anchorage staying at a walkable downtown Airbnb
5-night road trip with a rental car from Anchorage Airport
Returned the car and flew from Anchorage to Juneau
3 nights in Juneau with another rental car
Flew home to San Diego from Juneau

This setup worked perfectly and allowed us to experience both mainland Alaska road trip routes and Southeast Alaska fjords.

Best Time to Visit Alaska

Summer (Mid-June – Mid-August)

Warmest weather
Up to 19-24 hours of daylight
Best for hiking, wildlife viewing, and cruises
Peak bear viewing in June and July

September

Beautiful fall colors
Cooler weather
Beginning of northern lights season

October

Many roads and tourist activities begin closing as snow arrives

Winter (November – January)

Peak northern lights season
Only 4–6 hours of daylight
Best for winter sports

February – March

Daylight increases to about 8–15 hours
Great for winter activities and aurora viewing

April – May

Fewer crowds
lower prices on flights and hotels
Around 15-20 hours of daylight
Ski season still active in some areas until late April
Some tours and cruises don’t open until mid-May

Our experience: Early May had cold but mostly sunny weather, very few tourists, 10 pm sunsets with lingering twilight allowing it to never truly be dark outside until past midnight.

Main Highlights of Our Alaska Trip

Anchorage – Walkable downtown and biking the scenic Tony Knowles Coastal Trail
Denali National Park – Hiking and wildlife spotting
Fairbanks – Ice museum and hot springs
Matanuska Glacier – Glacier trekking and ice caves
Whittier – Dramatic ocean and mountain scenery
Seward – Boat cruises and coastal scenery
Juneau – Fjords, glaciers, and helicopter tours

Our 10-Night Alaska Road Trip Itinerary

Days 1–2: Explore Anchorage

We started the trip in Anchorage and stayed in an Airbnb walking distance from downtown.

What we did:

Dinner and drinks on the rooftop at 49th State Brewing
Walked around downtown exploring local bars
Rented bikes from Pablo’s Bike Rentals
Rode a portion of the 22-mile round-trip Tony Knowles Coastal Trail

The trail runs from downtown to Kincaid Park and is fully paved, mostly flat, and incredibly scenic with ocean views and mountain backdrops.

Later that night we watched a comedy show at Chilkoot Charlie’s. When we walked back around 1030 PM it was still light outside, which felt wild coming from California.

Day 3: Anchorage → Denali → Fairbanks

Drive time: ~7 hours

Grabbed breakfast at Alchemist Coffee
Picked up our rental Jeep at the Anchorage airport
Drove 4.5 hours to Denali National Park

Activities in Denali:

Short section of the Savage Alpine Trail (full hike is 4 miles round trip)
Scenic driving through the park
Spotted a few moose

After exploring, we drove another 2.5 hours north to Fairbanks and stayed in a hotel for the night.

Day 4: Fairbanks → Matanuska Area

Drive time: ~6 hours

Morning activities in Fairbanks:

Tour of the Aurora Ice Museum
Appletinis at the ice bar (served in ice glasses!)
Relaxed at Chena Hot Springs surrounded by mountains

In the afternoon we began the long drive south toward Matanuska Glacier.

Stops along the way included:

Santa Claus House in North Pole (sadly closed when we arrived)
Lunch at the remote Salchaket Roadhouse
Plenty of roadside photo stops

We stayed the night in a cozy log cabin Airbnb with glacier views.

Day 5: Matanuska Glacier → Whittier

Drive time: ~3 hours

This day was one of the coolest experiences of the trip.

We did a 3-hour guided glacier trek on Matanuska Glacier, where we:

Walked through ice caves
Climbed across blue glacier ice
Drank water straight from the glacier

Cost: about $115 per person

After the tour we drove to Whittier.

Getting there requires driving through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, a one-lane tunnel where traffic alternates directions.

We stayed at the Whittier Inn with beautiful ocean views.

Day 6: Whittier → Seward

Drive time: ~2 hours

We were supposed to do a jet ski glacier tour, but the hotel accidentally canceled it and refunded us. They made up for it with free mimosas and great views, so we weren’t too upset.

Later we hiked the Byron Glacier Trail.

1.4 mile round-trip
Normally easy, but the deep snow in early May made it challenging

Then we drove to Seward and had dinner at Seward Brewing Company.

We originally booked a glamping dome Airbnb in the woods, but after arriving we realized how isolated it was and got a little spooked… so we ended up booking a hotel in Seward instead 😂. We hung out in the very cool dome airbnb and took lots of pictures before heading to the hotel to actually go to sleep.

Day 7: Seward Boat Tour → Anchorage

Drive time: ~2.5 hours

We took a 4-hour wildlife boat tour with Kenai Fjords and Resurrection Bay cruises.

The scenery was stunning—glaciers, cliffs, and rugged coastline. Unfortunately wildlife sightings were minimal, but we did see one very cute sea otter and some mountain goats.

Afterward we drove the scenic Seward Highway back to Anchorage and stayed at a hotel near the airport.