Totally worth it! It takes 6 hours 30 minutes to drive the 360 miles from Anchorage to Fairbanks. By joining our email list, you give LazyTrips permission to use your email for sending you newsletters, emails and updates including for marketing purposes. After the cruise, drive back towardAnchorageand make any stops youd like to check out that you may have missed on the way down. This was the sky to the south and this was looking northwest. Dont endanger others lives by stopping in shoulders or even worse in the middle of the road because you see something you want to look at. Updated March 2023,One Week in Alaska Road Trip: Anchorage to Fairbanksoriginally written in July 2017. On a clear day you can see Denali and the Alaska Range. It's also a popular time for multi-day photography tours. In summary, Anchorage to Fairbanks is 360 miles of mostly two-lane paved highway once north of Wasilla. drive for about 2 hours, 12:08 pm Cantwell (Alaska) Fly from Kailua-Kona on American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, United Airlines and more. There is also the option to take a bus, train or plane to Fairbanks. Plan your journey with this gorgeous printed map. The views get even more spectacular if you take a flightseeing tour and see the parks colors from above. National Park Pass holders just need to show their pass to get in. July 14, 2005. There are long stretches without towns and services, but there are also plenty of places to stop along the highway. Savage River is much smaller and less busy than nearby Riley Creek and you can walk along the river there which is absolutely gorgeous. Ive allotted two days here for exploring the park, but it can easily be done in a day for those only wanting a bus tour, or you could spend weeks or even months here depending on what you want to do. This road trip takes you from Anchorage up through Wasilla and Talkeetna, before spending time in Denali National Park. stay for about 1 hour and leave at 1:08 pmdrive for about 51 minutes, 1:59 pm Healy I lived in Alaska for seven years and during that time (and many times since) Ive done this road trip and Im excited to tell you all about the best places to stop along the way. Many of these flightseeing trips do include a glacier landing. It's well worth heading into central Alaska to see more of what this dazzling state has to offer. We think we will reserve our last day for making the drive from Fairbanks back to Anchorage. Drive from Anchorage to Fairbanks 6h 41m $65 - $95 Quickest way to get there Cheapest option Distance between Anchorage (ANC) to Fairbanks (FAI) flights The flight time between Anchorage (ANC) and Fairbanks (FAI) is around 1h 2m and covers a distance of around 262 miles. A much quieter southern sky over the Alaska Highway, with an 8-second exposure. Fall visitors will almost certainly need to rent a car and drive here on their own, on Alaska Route 3 (the "George Parks Highway"). Cantwell (Alaska) Cruises and land tours are great ways to see Alaska. *Note: the Denali flightseeing tour, as with any flightseeing tour is heavily weather dependent. Plus, our mosquitoes usually die off the first week in August, so they are long gone. Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, Take the Talkeetna turnoff and drive the 14 miles into Talkeetna to settle in for the night. From mid-May to mid-September, trains depart north and south every day from Anchorage. Alaska Railroad Anchorage to Fairbanks. Selected excursions, transportation (like the railroad), and lodges offer shoulder season pricing in September--but not all do. If time allows, stop in Wasilla and visit the Iditarod Sled Dog Race Headquarters (iditarod.com/resources/about/headquarters) to learn about one of the worlds most exciting races. Feels like 1.99 Wind speed 3.4 mph Pressure 1006 hPa. Insider tips to pick the best Alaska cruise. Be sure to have your vehicle prepared for adverse weather conditions. We care about privacy. Thompson Pass, as seen in May 2009. By Car Maximize your flexibility and extend the six or seven hours it would take to drive straight through. Note that the recommending starting point for doing this as a backpacking trip is at the other end but this is a good option for a day hike. In Alaska, there are many communities that are not on the road system at all and can only be reached by plane or boat. Or get a full Anchorage to Fairbanks flight plan. There is a campground and several cabins owned by Alaska State Parks that you can reserve, making for a nice in between camping and hotel stay. If youre doing a round trip drive (which is likely because one way car rental in Alaska is extremely expensive), consider mixing it up with different stops going north and south so youre finding something new to explore on both ends of your road trip. This 28,000-acre refuge protects coastal and freshwater wetlands, sloughs, mudflats, lakes, streams and forests, all critical habitat for much of the regions wildlife. Check the road conditions from Fairbanks to Anchorage and plan a trip based on the weather along the way. You cannot drive past the Savage River post in Denali National Park (unless you visit in September and secure aDenali Road Lottery Permit) which is only a few miles past the visitor center. If you're a photographer, you may be interested in a fall foliage photo tour. To get started, head to the visitor center and start on the Taiga Trail for about half a mile until you reach the well signed Mt Healy overlook trail and head up from there. trip dates & more! The only problem is, it can also be rainy and cool. Big ship or small ship? McKinley) views. Fairbanks 12F. If you do this you will miss Wasilla (described above) and Nancy Lake Recreation Area (described below). Book entire boat for your family or group, or opt to bunk with other guests. Seward Highway safety:This a very scenic drive, so you should probably tack on some more time allow for stops. How is the drive in one day? The intersection, marked by an oversized white milepost for Mile 1422 is known as the Triangle. There are many campsites available as well as hotels for those less adventurous. Our airport is the busiest between 10 pm-2 am. Learn how your comment data is processed. It has a couple of surprisingly excellent museums for such a small town. Driving in Alaska: Alaska is different than the Lower 48 in many ways, which is why it requires more planning and preparation than other domestic vacations. Exit Glacier is a part of Kenai Fjords National Park. There's a pretty good chance you'll see the Northern lights here (during the aurora borealis peak time between September and April) because it's far from the city and it's super dark. It is a paved two lane road. stay for about 1 hour and leave at 2:59 pmdrive for about 2 hours, Marcella from Houston asked:Best itinerary for Anchorage to Fairbanks in 7 days? Can I drive from Anchorage to Fairbanks year round? This is one of those trips where the drive is just as important as the destination. The centers focus is natural-history education and recreation, specifically in the vast Chugach State Park. Talkeetna is well worth the 30 mile detour round trip from the Parks Highway for all these delights. September in the Anchorage area has another unique draw: The Alaska State Fair, located just 40 minutes north of the city in Palmer. Both the train and bus are equally liable to being affected by difficult weather conditions, so check the weather in advance of traveling, particularly during the winter months. Nenana is somewhat famous for being the location where President Harding drove the golden spike for the completion of the Alaska Railroad the same year. You also start seeing snow on the mountain tops, which we locals refer to as "Termination Dust." Driving distances in Alaska can be long, and dont be surprised if you get caught up in construction, especially in the summer. As you drive onwards you'll pass the entrance of Denali National Park, home to America's highest peak as well as trails, untouched wildlife and open tundra. Check the Alaska DOTs511for road condition information. Enjoy six days traveling from Fairbanks to Anchorage with stops in Denali National Park and Talkeetna for rafting, wildlife viewing, and a once-in-a-lifetime flightseeing trip with glacier landing. Any bus tours that might be open this early in the season on a Saturday afternoon? The program proved to be an enormous success due to the valleys rich soil, the midnight-sun growing season and the heartiness and determination of the farmers. If you're having issues using the site, please enable JavaScript and refresh your browser. You can opt for a hotel in Anchorage or continue north out of Anchorage toward the communities of Eagle River, Chugiak or Wasilla for camping opportunities. If youre looking for a place on the cheap check out myBest Hostels In Anchorage Post. Make sure to book lodges and hotels far in advance for this very popular area, especially in the Denali National Park area which has very limited options. Services are operated by Alaska Airlines, Inc.. It also has amazing views of the entire area. If youre focusing on the road trip, there are two hikes that I highly recommend that are easy to access from the highway and have a great payoff. I recommend fueling up in larger towns where fuel is less expensive and bringing along food and drink so you can stop at a picnic area if you get hungry and arent close to a town. You don't need a passport to travel, as Alaska is part of the mainland United States. Several buses depart daily, while there is just one train per day. The best route from Anchorage to Fairbanks is via the George Parks Highway Interstate 3. Driving the Icefields Parkway is one of the most scenic drives you'll ever take. Boutique, small ship adventure cruises in Alaska's Inside Passage, Cruises depart from Whittier, a 1 hr drive from Anchorage. Must undergo a criminal history background check. What is certain is that the days are shorter. 11:00 am start in Anchorage drive for about 55 minutes 11:55 am Wasilla stay for about 1 hour and leave at 12:55 pm drive for about 1.5 hours 2:17 pm Talkeetna stay overnight and leave the next day around 10:00 am day 1 driving 2.5 hours find more stops Day 2 10:00 am leave from Talkeetna drive for about 2 hours 12:08 pm Cantwell (Alaska) You can borrow snowshoes free at the Murie Science and Learning Center. 2.8k. Taking this route will add about 20 miles and an hour of driving time to your road trip from Anchorage to Fairbanks. It's okay, you can start planning your Anchorage Depot: 411 West 1st Avenue, 99501 Fairbanks Depot: 1745 Johansen Expressway, 99701 Depart Anchorage: 8:20 AM . Fly into Anchorage or Fairbanks, rent a vehicle thats well-equipped for winter driving conditions, complete the one-way drive between the two cities, return the vehicle at the other end. Cruises and land tours are great ways to see Alaska. Fairbanks averages 60.9 inches of snow per year. Entries Feed Want a relaxing way to spend your last bit of time in Alaska? But by the end of the month, temperatures are about 10 degrees lower overall , and daylight starts slipping away. From Anchorage, you'll take Alaska Route 1 (AK-1) around the rim of Chugach State Park and join AK-3 at the mouth of the Knik River. When youre ready to say farewell to Talkeetna, backtrack to the Parks Highway and head north. Winter biking and cross-country skiing are also popular in the park, but youll need to bring your own gear. Related: Best Alaska Itinerary and Planning Guide. Other options:If Seward isnt appealing to you, you can opt to take the Sterling Highway to Kenai & Soldotna for fishing, or go all the way down toHomer(about 5 hours from Anchorage). Around three quarters of the Parks Highway is covered with various cell providers at the time of this writing. McKinley) views. 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