Disembark your cruise ship and board the bus. Start your adventure with a short glance at a World War II relic which is what Whittier looks like with abandoned war buildings. Then pass through the 2.5-mile-long Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel to leave Whittier, which is the largest highway tunnel in North America. Then continue on the Whittier/Portage Glacier Access Road that connects Seward Highway with Whittier. Glaciers from an earlier period carved the steep mountain slopes in this magnificent valley. Explorer Glacier can be seen high on the mountain. A stop will be made at the Begich Boggs Visitor Center to see the glaciology exhibits. You will also have the opportunity to take pictures of glacial ice that has calved into Portage Lake.
Next visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, where you can view bison, elk, eagles, moose, caribou, and musk oxen in a natural setting. Continue on the highway, and view the remains of Portage, a small town ravaged in the 1964 earthquake.
Next stop is at Girdwood at Alyeska Ski Resort where you can take a tram up the Alyeska Mountain, at 2,300 feet you can enjoy the spectacular views of seven glaciers, majestic mountains, and Turnagain Arm (if weather permits) Eat your lunch (variety of sandwiches, water) on top of the mountain with breathtaking views. Continuing North on the Seward, Turnagain Arm stretches on the left side of the road, where often you can see Dall sheep at Windy Point or beluga whales at Beluga Point (drive by). Check out the progress of salmon fishermen below the bridges along the highway. Just south of Anchorage, the road borders Potter Marsh, a portion of the Anchorage Coastal Waterfowl Refuge.
You will then arrive in Anchorage – the largest city in Alaska. Most visitors that come to Alaska to experience the “true wilderness” tend to overlook Anchorage, but it’s well worth spending some time here experiencing the only big-city taste that the state has to offer. Take a glance of the original tent city that started in the Ship Creek area and is now also occupied by Alaska Railroad Depot. Take a quick look at the salmon waters and watch the fish running up the stream. Watch the locals trying to catch the salmon. Next drive by the Earthquake Park, which now stands on the land liquefied – swallowing the coast line when the “Good Friday” earthquake rocked Anchorage in March of 1964. The park carries monuments and reader boards with information on the great quake.
Continuing on to the stop at Point Woronzof, this is a great opportunity to see Cook Inlet and the whole city from a distance. Next you will get to see Lake Hood, which is the largest and busiest floatplane base in the world. Lake Hood is a great place to relax and watch the many landings and takeoffs of floatplanes. Then back to downtown where you get to see a whole downtown area. While enjoying the ride make sure to notice Anchorage’s famous flowers and great shopping areas! We will drop off anywhere in Anchorage after the tour ends.
This Whittier to Anchorage All Day Bus Tour is a shared transfer service in our most comfortable coaches with tinted windows, easy step-up (unlike full-size vans that other transfer companies use, you don’t have to bend over or hit your head climbing in and out), air conditioner/heater, large picture-view windows, full-size individual bus seats (unlike vans that other transfer companies use, you will have a private seat for yourself and will not be holding somebody else’s bag), DVD player, full narration.
Tim – Dog Mushing
This tour is fully narrated by our wonderful driver Tim, who is also a full time dog musher in the winter time. He and his wife have a dog team that they personally train and support year around. Visit his Facebook page(opens in a new tab) to learn more. Our company is a proud supporter of his team and hope he is able to run in the Iditarod Sled Dog Race some day!
