Our first, of hopefully much more, a family trip where we had an open and flexible schedule – This is a shocker to us because our trips are usually pre-planned and full of activities or appointments! This was one of those trips that we just wanted a pleasant family time and take it day by day. We’ve never had a trip like this and it felt amazing! Our last trip to Alaska was on a cruise, and that was very relaxing as well but also had a routine and (semi) strict schedule. Coming back to Alaska, besides visiting family, we just wanted to relax, and see what it had to offer. While we didn’t do a lot of things on this trip, we still managed to do a few top things to do in Anchorage.

10 THINGS TO DO IN ANCHORAGE, ALASKA

1. Alyeska Aerial Tram

 

A post shared by Wanderlustyle (@wanderlustyleblog) on Oct 10, 2017 at 10:30am PDT

🧳 Pack smarter — the packing cubes that keep a suitcase organized.See packing cubes →

Heads up: some links above are affiliate links. If you book or buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — mahalo for supporting the blog!

We headed over to Alyeska and decided to ride the aerial tram. It’s a 7-minute ride to the top of the mountain; the view was very scenic and was a relaxing ride although, there’s a very musty/toe-jammy smell to it. Landon enjoyed the ride, especially once we got to the top. There was snow once we got out of the tram! It was breathtaking – literally – It took the air out of lungs. There’s also a restaurant and a free museum at the top. We were fortunate to visit on the last day before the winter season re-opening on December 18.

2. Portage Glacier

Portage Glacier is the second-most visited Alaska attraction behind Denali National Park. It’s located on the Kenai Peninsula. This place is a great quick stop, no hiking involved or have to pay any fees to see Portage Glacier.

Seeing Alaska with the family? Book a glacier & wildlife explorer tour — the Anchorage bucket-list day.

3. Flattop Mountain Trail

One of the most recommended trails to do while visiting Anchorage is Flattop Mountain Trail. It’s less than two miles and gives a great view of the mountains and overlooks the city of Anchorage, and during the winter, it’s a winter wonderland hike!

4. Alaska Zoo

For a family activity, you can’t go wrong with going to the zoo. Who doesn’t love visiting and seeing cute animals? We heard that Alaska Zoo is pretty amazing!

5. Potter Marsh Boardwalk

 

A post shared by Wanderlustyle (@wanderlustyleblog) on Oct 17, 2017 at 9:41pm PDT

Our friends on Instagram recommended this! We’re glad we were able to check it out. Seeing many other photographers that looked like they were set up like National Geographic photographers humbled us immediately. Overall, it’s a beautiful, peaceful, possibly romantic, with lots of wildlife flying around, walk. Recommend visiting during sunset!

6. Hilltop

Hilltop is a highly recommend ski area for families. It’s a small, kid-friendly ski facility offering plenty of easy runs, a snowboard park, lessons & rentals. If you have kids in the family, definitely check out this place during the winter! 

This top-rated Anchorage glacier tour gets you up close to the ice and the wildlife.

7. Alaska Railroad

 

A post shared by Wanderlustyle (@wanderlustyleblog) on Oct 7, 2017 at 8:50pm PDT

There’s one railroad in Alaska, and it’s a fantastic adventure! This is a great way to see the beauty of Alaska. You can do the family experience from 4 hours to 8 hours trip. While we didn’t do the train adventure yet, we saw train tracks everywhere and definitely would want to book this experience next time.

8. H2Oasis Indoor Waterpark

We saw one of the coolest building while driving on the Seward Highway. It ended up being an indoor waterpark, the fifth largest indoor waterpark in the United States. Great for a family activity in Anchorage!

9. Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

This is a non-profit organization where animals are free to roam around and are taken care off, not in a zoo setting. Visitors can walk or drive through and can approach wildlife in close proximity.  If there is one activity to choose from, this is our number one!

Don’t miss the glaciers: reserve a wildlife & glacier tour from Anchorage before they book out.

10. Enjoy the Alaskan Outdoors

Lastly, go out and just enjoy the Alaskan outdoors. This is the best alternative activity to do for all trips, especially in Alaska. The atmosphere is peaceful, and nature is just so breathtaking. There you have it, ten things to do during your vacation in Anchorage, Alaska. We have plans on going back soon and can’t wait to do some of these activities, this time we’re planning things to do during our trip!

LIKE IT? PIN OUR POST!