What To Do in Anchorage, Alaska: Our Two Day Anchorage Itinerary
Welcome to Alaska! If you’re taking an Alaska cruise out of Anchorage (or Whittier), you might be wondering if it’s worth spending a few extra days in the city beforehand. Anchorage is Alaska’s biggest city, and before we went on our Holland America Alaska cruise, we spent a few days exploring it to find out.
I honestly wasn’t sure what exactly there was to do in Anchorage, and I was delighted to find that there was lots of history plus plenty of nature opportunities in the city.
If you’re taking an Alaska Cruise out of Anchorage, I definitely recommend spending a couple of days in the city beforehand! There is lots of explore here, plus it will give you a fuller picture of Alaska than just what you will get on your cruise ship and in your port stops.
So here’s how we spent two days in Anchorage!
Anchorage 2 Day Itinerary At-A-Glance
Here’s a quick look at the 2 day itinerary:
Day One:
- Anchorage Trolley Tour
- Lunch Downtown
- Anchorage Museum
- Eagle River Nature Center
- Dinner at 49th State Brewing
Day Two:
- Alaska Native Heritage Center
- Brunch at Snow City Cafe
- Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
- Dinner at Moose’s Tooth Pizzeria
- Ice Cream at Wild Scoops
Want to watch our two days in Anchorage? Check out my video!
Day One: Downtown Anchorage + A Peek Into Nature
Morning: Anchorage Deluxe Trolley Tour
We started our time in Anchorage with a great way to get an overview of the city: the Anchorage Deluxe Trolley Tour!
The Anchorage Trolley Tour drives you through the city of Anchorage, pointing out important landmarks and sharing a bit of history of the city. And we chose the Deluxe Trolley Tour because it also included some stops where we could get our and take pictures.
Our stops included the Ulu Knife Factory, Earthquake Park, Lake Hood to see seaplanes, and a viewpoint of downtown Anchorage.
Starting with a tour like this is such a great way to get the lay of the land, plus we learned a lot about the history of Anchorage, from its beginnings to the 1964 Earthquake (one of most powerful earthquakes in recorded history).
The Deluxe Trolley Tour is $50, which is $25 more than the regular Trolley Tour. But I definitely recommend the Deluxe version! It’s worth it to be able to get out an explore just a bit while you’re riding around.
The Trolley Tours meet right downtown too on 4th Ave near the Visitor Center, which makes it a super convenient first stop for your time in Anchorage.
Lunch in Downtown Anchorage
After our trolley tour, we grabbed lunch just around the corner at F Street Station, where I had probably my favorite meal of my entire Alaska trip: a halibut sandwich.
This halibut was so fresh that it hadn’t even arrived at the restaurant when I ordered it. “We should get it in about 15 minutes,” was what they told me and I was willing to wait.
It was the most buttery delicious freshest fish sandwich I have ever had in my life. Plus everything else we ordered here (from the the garlic bread to the fries) was also excellent.
It’s a very small restaurant though, which is actually mostly a bar with a few tables. So we did have to wait a bit for a table.
However, if you can’t get in here, there are several other restaurants in downtown Anchorage that I have heard great things about. Try Humpy’s, which was also on my list but which we didn’t get to.
Afternoon: Anchorage Museum
After lunch we headed to the Anchorage Museum. And y’all! This museum is so good! It is definitely worth a visit even if you don’t usually prioritize museums when you travel.
The Anchorage Museum is all about Alaska: from Native cultures and peoples to modern art and history.
My favorite gallery was probably Living Our Cultures, Sharing Our Heritage: The First Peoples of Alaska. This large exhibit displays over 600 items from Indigenous groups in every region in Alaska, which really gives you an understand of both their differences and similarities (so many gut parkas! which I had never heard of before now!).
I also really loved the Art of the North gallery, full of Alaskan modern art. There were so many great pieces here, along with everyone’s favorite photo opportunity: the colorful polar bears.
Late Afternoon: Eagle River Nature Center
After our time in the museum, we wanted to get outside in the fresh Alaskan air. Especially because we had such beautiful weather on our trip!
So we drove up to the Eagle River Nature Center in Chugach State Park, about a 30 minutes drive from downtown Anchorage.
This spot it beautiful! The actual Nature Center was closed on the day of our visit, but the trails are still open, so we were table to hike along the Rodak Trail and Iditarowd/Crow Pass Trail to the Beaver and Salmon Viewing Decks for amazing views of the Chugach Mountains.
This was a perfect easy hike that gave us our first taste of Alaskan wilderness on our trip!
Dinner at 49th State Brewing
After our hike, we headed to dinner at 49th State Brewing in downtown Anchroage.
Word of warning: the wait here was VERY long! Like…an hour long. And we were there in late May, before summer crowds really descended on Anchorage.
So plan to get here early and plan for a wait (they don’t take reservations).
Because we had such a wait, we decided to switch things up and get dessert before dinner. There’s a Wild Scoops location in the courtyard just below the restaurant, so we grabbed some ice cream while we waited. (More about Wild Scoops in a bit, but this ice cream is SO good!)
For dinner I ordered the ‘Shrooms Flatbread, and it was pretty good. However, the real draw here is the drinks scene. Obviously, as a brewing company they have their own beers. But they also have their own sodas!
The Frontier Alaska Sodas come in all kinds of flavors like White Birch Beer, Citrus Spruce Tip, and Cloudberry Burst.
We actually ordered a bunch of sodas and kind of made our own soda flights so we could all try the various flavors. It was so much fun, and I definitely recommend trying one of their unique sodas!
Day Two: Native Heritage and Wildlife Conservation
Morning: Alaska Native Heritage Center
We started our second full day in Anchorage with what I think is one of the absolute must-dos here: The Alaska Native Heritage Center.
Native culture is of course such an important part of Alaska. Alaska is home to so many groups of native people. And the Alaska Native Heritage Center aims so share the culture and traditions of at least 11 different groups.
This museum has two components: indoors and outdoors. Inside you’ll find The Hall of Cultures gallery as well as The Gathering Place, where cultural ambassadors demonstrate things like dances and games with visitors.
Outside, you’ll find Village Sites. Here, there are six dwellings from of various native communities from different areas of Alaska, all situated around a beautiful little lake. We really enjoyed walking around out here and going inside all of the different homes and buildings.
And we didn’t have time to take a tour, but you can join a free guided tour of this section.
I think this is such an important place to visit while you are in Anchorage, so definitely make time for it!
Brunch at Snow City Cafe
While we were finishing up our time at the Alaska Native Heritage Center, we got online to get on the waitlist for Snow City Cafe. It’s one of Anchorage’s most popular restaurants, so wait times can get extremely long.
And it worked out perfectly, because our table was ready right as we pulled up to the restaurant!
I can definitely see why Snow City Cafe is always so busy: the food was absolutely fantastic. I got the Biscuits & Gravy which I ate way too much of because it was so good.
We also got Baked Goods Sampler Platter and a Cinnamon Roll for the table. All the pastries were delicious! They are famous for their Cinnamon Rolls and Pecan Sticky Buns, and between the two I think my favorite was the Pecan Sticky Bun.
Afternoon: Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
This probably won’t be in your itinerary, but after brunch we had to transfer hotels for our Alaska CruiseTour. So once we did that, we headed to the next *actually* thing on our itinerary: the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.
While the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is technically in Anchorage, it’s actually about an hour drive south of the city, toward Seward. The good news? You’ll be driving on one of America’s most beautiful roads.
I wanted to visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center because I knew it would be a great way to guarantee that we see some of Alaska’s wildlife even if we didn’t see these animals in the wild later in our trip.
At the Conservation Center we were table to see moose, musk ox, caribou, bison, and more. But our favorite, of course, was the bears!
They have both brown and black bears here, but only the brown bears were out while we visited. They actually have a really cool walkway that goes over the bear habitat, and the brown bears were very close to us when we visited (which doesn’t always happen!).
While we did end up seeing several of these animals on our trip later, nothing gave us as close an opportunity to see them as visiting the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. So I’m super glad we made the drive to visit!
Dinner at Moose’s Tooth Pizzeria
On our way back into town, we stopped for dinner at Moose’s Tooth Pizzeria, which is just about 10 minute from downtown Anchorage.
This is another super popular place that often has long waits. I think we had to wait about 45 minutes. But they have a really nice patio area with a fire pit and you can order a beer while you wait. So the wait really did not feel that bad at all!
Once I tried their pizza I immediately understood why this place is so popular though. It is amazing pizza!
Evelyn and I split the Mac & Cheese pizza. I would have never thought of putting mac and cheese on a pizza, but it worked! Something about the texture of the noodles and the crust along with all the extra cheese really went together, and it was some of my favorite pizza I’ve had in a long time!
But everything else our table got was delicious too (including the Mozzarella Bread Sticks) and we were pretty bummed that we were leaving town the next day and couldn’t get our leftovers in to-go boxes.
Ice Cream at Wild Scoops
I already mentioned Wild Scoops because we had ice cream there when we ate at 49th State Brewing. But we of course took the opportunity to have ice cream again.
Wild Scoops is Anchorage’s best ice cream spot, and there is a location just a couple minutes from Moose’s Tooth Pizzeria. And this location has an interior (unlike the food truck location at 49th State Brewing or the kiosk in downtown Anchorage), so you can sit inside if the weather is bad.
They have all kinds of great flavors here that rotate seasonally. But on your visit you might find flavors like Sitka Swirl, Wild Blueberry, Spruce Tip, Rhubarb Crumble, and more.
You can also get your cone as a Baked Alaska, where they top it with homemade marshmallow fluff and then toast it just a bit!
It’s a perfect bite to end your time in Anchorage with!
Where To Stay in Anchorage
We stayed at two different hotels in Anchorage: The Wildbirch Hotel and the Captain Cook Hotel.
Wildbirch Hotel
The Wildbirch Hotel is a Hyatt property, and offers comfortable rooms with updated Alaskan decor. I absolutely loved the vibes of this hotel: it very much feels like Alaska.
Our bed was super comfortable, and our room was a decent size. We had upgraded to a suite as well, which ended up being an adjoining room with a kitchenette and a Murphy bed.
The Wildbirch was also a great location. It’s downtown, so most of what we wanted to do in the downtown was walkable.
My only complaints about the hotel? First of all, it’s a pretty big hotel, and the hallways are VERY long. The lobby is only at one end of the hotel, and we were stuck at the other end. This made for a very long walk to our room from the the lobby.
My only other nitpicky complaint was that service at the restaurant was a little slow. I do suspect this had to do with it being early in the season though.
Overall though I really liked this hotel and would definitely stay here again!
Captain Cook Hotel
We stayed at the Captain Cook Hotel on our last night in Anchorage, because it was the hotel provided by our Alaska CruiseTour.
This is a classic downtown Anchorage hotel. And since it is named for Captain Cook, there is plenty of seafaring decor throughout the hotel.
This hotel feels a little more luxurious than the Wildbirch Hotel as far as the lobby and dining goes. There are also lots of shops in the downstairs of the hotel (this is a very big hotel that attracts a lot of visitors!).
Our room was comfortable and large and the bathroom had lots of counterspace. We also had an amazing view of Anchorage and the Chugach Mountains! However, it definitely felt a bit more dated in style.
Overall it was a great stay though, and I would stay here again too!
Anchorage FAQs
Do I need a car in Anchorage?
Yes! While there are attractions in the walkable area of downtown Anchorage, some of the best things to see and do will require a car. It’s best to rent a car if you plan to spend a few days in Anchorage.
How many days should I spend in Anchorage?
It’s best to spend 2-3 days in Anchorage at least. We spent two days in Anchorage and spent one day taking a day trip from Anchorage to Kenai Fjords National Park. And while it was a good amount of time, I could have still found more things to do with another day in Anchorage.
What is the weather like in Anchorage?
Generally, the weather is cold in Anchorage! The average July high temperature is 68° F and the low is 55°F. For January, the average high is around 23° F and the low is 13° F.
When is the best time to visit Anchorage?
The best time to visit Anchorage is during the summer, from June to August. This is when the weather is the best and most attractions are open. We visited in late May and had great, although chilly, weather.
Will I see wildlife in Anchorage?
Anchorage is actually a great place to see moose! There are lots of moose in the city, and if you want an especially good chance of spotting them, go driving outside downtown near places like the airport, Earthquake Park, and Kincaid Park.
You will also likely see some Bald Eagles in Anchorage, and depending on the time of year you visit you may be able to see salmon at Ship Creek. Bears can also occasionally be seen in Anchorage, but aren’t as common.
More Things To Do in Anchorage
Have more time in Anchorage? Here are more things to add to your interary:
- Bike the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail — While we briefly visited the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail and Earthquake Park on our Trolley Tour, I would have loved to have time to rent bikes to ride along it! This is one of the most popular things to do in Anchorage!
- Kincaid Park — This Anchorage park offers lots of trails, and the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail extends through here too.
- Visit the Alaska Aviation Museum — Located at Lake Hood, this museum offers a look at all kinds of planes plus flight history in Alaska.
- Take a Day Trip to Kenai Fjords National Park — Our day trip to Kenai Fjords National Park was probably my favorite day of our entire Alaska trip! We hiked to see Exit Glacier and then hopped on a boat tour where we saw TONS of marine wildlife!
Where to Eat in Anchorage
Here are the restaurants we loved, plus a few more I would love to try next time!
- F Street Station — Mostly a bar, but I had the most amazing halibut sandwich here.
- Moose’s Tooth Pizzeria — Incredible pizza! Worth the wait!
- 49th State Brewing — Good food, but the stars of the show are the drinks! And not just the beer…their craft sodas are so fun!
- Snow City Cafe — An amazing brunch spot, but call ahead to get on the wait list.
- Crimson — The restaurant at our hotel. The food was great!
- Humpy’s — Humpy’s Great Alaskan Alehouse was on my list to try. We didn’t get to it, but I’ve heard great things!
- Wild Scoops — THE place to get ice cream in Anchorage! It never disappointed!
What’s Next?
Save this post for your trip to Alaska!
