FULL ITINERARY: Alaska x GOINGGONEMADD
Here is my playbook (with direct booking links and full itinerary) on how to spend the best quick weekend in Alaska!
Alaska Itinerary- Weekend in Girdwood
Quick Overview
Dates: Thursday – Sunday
Homebase: Alyeska Resort, Girdwood (request the 8th floor- recently renovated)
Flights: Alaska Airlines SFO → Anchorage (evening departure)
Transport: Uber from Anchorage to Girdwood (~45 minishh) + booked tours with transport to/from included in the pricing
Best For: Scenery lovers, DINK’s, adventure without the camping
💡: If you only want an overview of Alaska (not a full itinerary) check out my previous article: Goinggonemadd: my Alaska trip overview
Photos of the rainforest and glacier
Day 0 – Arrival in Alaska (Thursday)
Flight: Alaska Airlines evening departure from SFO (~6:45 PM), arriving in Anchorage around 4 PM local time.
Transfer: Uber to Alyeska Resort in Girdwood (~45ish minutes). Uber’s are available around Anchorage but you’ll need to call ahead for them in Girdwood.
Stay: Alyeska Resort. Recently renovated. Hosts a Nordic Spa, ski resort in the wintertime and is surrounded by mountains.
Dinner: Hotel bar for a drink then robes and room service (ideal night for me after travel).
💡 Pro Tip: The sun stays up surprisingly late in Alaska during summer, so even an evening arrival still feels bright… like I am talking golden hour until 11pm vibe haha.
Day 1 – 26 Glaciers Cruise & dinner at Seven Glaciers (Friday)
7-9am- Hotel buffet or cafe breakfast at Alyeska Resort. ( I loved the coffee and burritos at the cafe on the second floor by the gift shops.
10am- transfer: Boarded a tour bus to Whittier, passing through the largest tunnel in America (Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel). They should make sure you take the 10:30am tunnel to reach the dock on time.
12pm- Main Activity: 26 Glaciers Cruise: Full day tour with Prince William Sound Cruises runs (May 3 – Oct 5, from 12 PM – 5:15 PM).
Scenic cruising through Prince William Sound with views of 26 named glaciers
Chance to spot wildlife! You will pass one of America’s largest salmon hatcheries, get glimpses of the wild seals, bears, otters and birds. The cruise has binoculars to rent for $5. Also onboard is a full bar, restrooms, A/C, and food. I recommend making sure if you are in a couple or a small group to get window seating.
You get to see the Harvard Glacier (and 25 others lol) with tons of photo ops.
Bring dramamine, layers and cameras.
Seven Glacier's full day boat tour LINK! ($199 pp)
💡 Pro Tip: Dress in layers, even on sunny days on the water can feel chilly around the glaciers.
6:30pm- Relax by the outside fireplaces or bike/walk the property before dinner.
Even though you took a cruise, it may have taken energy out of you. Relax by the outdoor fireplaces or freshen up in your room before dinner.
OR you can opt to walk or take a bike rental to ride around the property if you are wanting to maximize your time staying at Alyeska.
7:30pm- Seven Glaciers Restaurant, Alyeska’s award-winning mountaintop dining experience.
Accessed via a scenic aerial tram (cable car) ride to the summit. This was so much fun to take even if you choose not to have dinner at the resort.
In summer, the surrounding peaks very green and it’s almost like looking out over the Swiss Alps!!!
Menu was incredible. The bar alone is worth the trip for a drink at golden hour.
💡Must Book: Reservations highly recommended if you’re staying at Alyeska.
9:30pm- Fireplace S’mores-
Now you decide! I think it should be bedtime because of Day 2 plans.. but it does not get dark though until midnight. If you are feeling restless you can always make s’mores outside.
Photos from the 26Glaciers cruise
Photo taken outside of the Seven Glaciers restaurant at Alyeska resort
Day 3 – Alpine Helicopter to hike + Glacier Rafting and Alaskan trail Train ride (Sunday)
8:30am- Your private guide will pick you up at Alyeska to take you to the Alpine Air helipad for the Alpine Helicopter Tour to Spencer Glacier.
9am- Helicopter take off to landing. 20-30 minute scenic helicopter flight over Alaska’s wild, untouched terrain. You climb over rivers, bank through the mountains, and eventually flying up close and above the glacier.
9:30am- LANDED right next Spencer Glacier!!! In complete wilderness, no crowds, just you, the ice, and the mountains.
9:45am Guided Hike: Private guide (mine was Noah) who shared local history, facts, folklore and glacier science with views of bush pilots flying above.
The hike was not for beginners and not meant for experts. I would call this a happy vacation hike. I would not recommend this necessarily for someone who has recently had an injury, surgery or someone elderly who is not good on their feet. You will get plenty of Glacier photo ops and to soak in the scale of the ice field.
Your guide will have bear spray and you will not have cell service. The bears were the only thing that really concerned me during this hike. (You seriously are in the middle of nowhere and the only way out in case of emergency is by helicopter).
11:30am Rafting on Spencer Lake: Drifted effortlessly (our guide did all the rowing) through MASSIVE glacier ice chunks toward Spencer Glacier.
Snacks are provided: carrots, pretzels, rice krispy treats, hot chocolate, green tea, sandwiches.
2pm: Two Return Options:
Raft to the train station: I did not do this but it sounds adventurous and immersive. You’ll be exposed to cold air off the water.
Ride the Alaska Railroad: a bougie, warm, relaxing alternative lol. We chose this and rode in Cable Car A, which has glass ceilings, booths, and a snack/drink bar below. (Don’t judge, we were spiking our hot chocolates the entire time).
The train is EPIC. It makes impromptu stops if wildlife or unique views appear. We visited the engineer driving who was a complete chiller. It was a charming, thoughtful touch.
Stops at Grandview Station allow you to hop off and hike for an hour.
Our guide joined the train after finishing a rafting trip with another group then personally drove us back to Alyeska Resort.
Alaskan Railroad tickets LINK!
💡 Pro Tip: If you want time to relax, recover, be lazy and prefer to stay warm, choose the train. For more adventure you should stick with the rafting.
6pm- Alyeska dinner at Sakura:
We were beeeeeeeeeeeat after such a long day. We decided to stay at the hotel and go to Sakura. They have great sushi and of course, awesome salmon.
Sakura restaurant LINK!
8pm- Bike rental or walk.
If you’re feeling adventurous and haven’t gotten the chance then I recommend doing the bike rental or walk around Alyeska’s property.
Before bed: You MUST book an Uber for tomorrow before going to bed. Most of the Uber rides (mainly all of them) are people in Anchorage which is 45 minutes away. Do not get stuck at Alyeska and miss your flight out.
Photos from the helicopter tour
Photos from rafting Spencer Lake
Day 4 – Nordic Spa & Optional Wildlife Sanctuary (Monday)
Morning & Afternoon: Alyeska Nordic Spa.
The first Nordic Spa in Alaska! This is co-ed which I appreciated. It has multiple outdoor hot pools, cold plunges (we live in SF so of course we got excited for this), and steam/sauna barrel houses surrounded by mountain views. Soooooo cool.
Perfect way to end the trip feeling restored after such an eventful weekend. It has a restaurant inside too with a good cocktail menu lol.
💡pro-tip: This spa is for a day pass. A hack is to book a couple’s massage because for relatively the same price you will get that and the day pass comes with purchase.
Alyeska Nordic Spa LINK!
Optional Add-On: Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
Home for bears, moose, bison, and other native species.
Buy tickets ahead of time and pre-arrange an Uber(!!!). Most drivers come from Anchorage, which is ~45 minutesish away and last-minute rides are relatively impossible.
5pm- Flight home: We opted for a later departure time since the flight time to San Francisco is relatively short. Plan your day accordingly to where you are based.
Photos from Nordic Spa at Alyeska
Alaska Itinerary
Day 0 – Arrival in Alaska (Thursday)
Day 1 – 26 Glaciers Cruise and Seven Glaciers dinner (Friday)
Day 2 – Alpine Helicopter, Spencer Glacier Rafting and the Alaska Railroad Scenic Ride (Saturday)
Day 3 – Nordic Spa & Optional Wildlife Sanctuary (Monday)
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