Alaska by Train: A Car-Free Itinerary for Touring the 49th State

August 19, 2024

As you might have heard, getting a rental car in Alaska can be tough. Inventory is limited and demand is high, especially during the peak travel months of May to September.

But if you’re planning to vacation in what is known as "the rail belt”—a wide swath of Southcentral Alaska that includes Denali National Park, Seward, Fairbanks, and Anchorage—you can take the train instead, thanks to passenger service available from the Alaska Railroad. 

There are some serious perks to seeing the state by rail, starting with the relief that drivers will feel from not having to keep their eyes glued to a narrow, winding road. On the train, all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the scenery, some of which you can’t even access by car. 

The 10-day itinerary we’ve put together below involves some fairly long-distance train rides on the Alaska Railroad. You won't have to deal with any quick, commuter-style transfers, but the cost of train tickets does add up pretty quickly. That makes this kind of trip best for singles, couples, and small families with some money to burn—if you’re looking to save money, you’ll probably find that accessing the stops along the route we’ve mapped will be cheaper if you rent a car or bring your own vehicle. 

If you don't have a full 10 days to spend in Alaska, you can easily split this itinerary into two parts: The first runs from day 1 through day 4 and includes Anchorage and Seward; the second part is day 5 through day 10 and includes Anchorage, Talkeetna, Denali National Park, and Fairbanks.

To book train tickets, find travel packages, and get additional information, go to AlaskaRailroad.com.

Alaska Railroad trains comes with two classes of service. Adventure Class is equivalent to economy class on an airplane, except that the seats are much more spacious, and both sides of the train car are covered in large picture windows. For true 360-degree visibility, drop by the vista dome car, capped by an arched glass ceiling. Dining and bar service are available for a fee.

GoldStar Service, available only on Coastal Classic and Denali Star trains, is equivalent to business class on a plane. You get an assigned seat in the dome car (pictured above), with priority seating in a full-service dining car, as well as food, soft drinks, and two adult beverages included in the price of your ticket. There's a private bar if you want to buy more drinks.

Both ticket classes come with access to outdoor viewing platforms, but the observation area for GoldStar riders is on the upper level, where the views are decidedly better.

Flight times into and out of Anchorage can be a little wacky, and all trains leave early in the morning, so it's best to plan on giving yourself a day to spend here before catching the train. Your top priorities should be getting a good dinner and checking into a downtown hotel for a good night's sleep. But if your flight schedule allows, there is a lot to see and do in Alaska’s most populous city. 

What to do: Staying downtown keeps you close to several prominent attractions, including the Anchorage Museum, which has a beautiful Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center, and the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail (pictured above), where you can rent a bike and pedal 11 miles to wooded Kincaid Park. Catch a free shuttle bus to reach the Alaska Native Heritage Center on the edge of town. 

Where to stay: I love the famously haunted Historic Anchorage Hotel, located a 10-minute stroll (or a short taxi/Uber/Lyft ride) from the train depot.

Where to eat: You have lots of choices downtown. 49th State Brewing is very popular for its pub-style food with an Alaska twist. The Bridge Company is only open for limited hours, but if you can get a table, the seafood is superb.

This is why staying close to the train depot pays off: The train to Seward leaves Anchorage at 6:45am. That gets you to Seward by 11:20am, so you'll have plenty of time for adventuring that day. Book a round-trip journey to return to Anchorage on the evening of day 3 to continue our itinerary. 

What to do: Take a half-day wildlife adventure cruise from either Kenai Fjords Tours or Major Marine Tours. You can see all sorts of wildlife, both on land and sea: humpback whales (pictured above), orcas, porpoises, sea lions, seals, sea otters, bald eagles, bears, moose, and mountain goats. 

Where to stay: The Harbor 360 Hotel sits on the harbor waterfront, so you can walk right out the door and hop on a cruise. Or try to get a waterfront cottage at Rustic Roots. You'll have to catch a taxi to get there and back again, but it's worth it for the tranquil seaside setting.

Where to eat: The Cookery uses lots of fresh, local ingredients in creative combinations.

Your train back to Anchorage leaves at 6pm, so you'll spend most of the day in Seward.

What to do: If you're physically adventurous, book a full-day kayaking trip with a company like Adventure Sixty North, or book a water taxi to take you to and from Caines Head State Recreation Area, where you can hike a couple of miles to an abandoned World War II fort.

If you'd rather stay in town, take a walk along the Seward waterfront, browse through local shops, and check out the Alaska SeaLife Center, a combination research-education-rehabilitation facility. There's a lovely seabird exhibit, resident seals and sea lions, usually at least one sort of octopus, and of course tons of colorful fish. You might also see rescued animals being rehabilitated; in the past, the center has taken in otter pups, seal pups, and even an orphaned walrus calf. 

Consider also hopping on the Exit Glacier Shuttle for a lift to the only maintained land access to Kenai Fjords National Park. From there, you can take an easy, 2-mile round-trip hike (pictured above) for views of Exit Glacier.

Where to stay: You'll be back in Anchorage tonight. I recommend staying downtown again; for a nice bed and breakfast, try the Copper Whale Inn.

Where to eat: In Seward, stop in at Resurrect Art Coffee House for coffee or Zudy's Cafe for lunch.

Catch dinner on the train north to Anchorage. Adventure Class passengers usually have a couple entree options, such as reindeer sausage with mashed potatoes, peppers, onions, and a Dijon demi-glace; or pesto chicken with yellow rice and vegetables. GoldStar passengers have more options, including slow-braised pot roast, Alaska cod, and a couple of sandwich or burger options. Don't wait to eat till you arrive in Anchorage because the train won't get there until 10pm.

You can catch a round-trip day train to the charming, stunningly scenic town of Whittier (leaving at 9:45am), or hop aboard the Glacier Discovery Train for a day trip to a beautiful backcountry destination: Spencer Glacier.

But if you're ready for a break from day-long train rides, stick around Anchorage and check off any activities you couldn't do on the first day. Options to add to your list include riding the Flattop Mountain Shuttle for a day hike on the city's most popular mountain, or taking a day tour of the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (pictured above), a rehabilitation, conservation, and research center where you can view wild Alaskan animals in a natural environment.

This time you're taking the Denali Star Train north to the famously quirky little town of Talkeetna (pictured above). The train leaves Anchorage at 8:20am, arriving in Talkeetna by 11:05am. 

What to do: Talkeetna has a host of tour options, including jet boats, zip-lines, and bike tours. Don't forget to leave yourself some time to browse the locally owned gift shops along Main Street. Some of the planes you’ll see taking off and landing from the local airstrip are ferrying climbers to and from Denali, while other aircraft are taking visitors on flightseeing trips. If you want that to be you, check in with Talkeetna Air Taxi.

Where to stay: The expensive Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge has dazzling Denali views from the hotel’s picture windows. At the opposite end of the price spectrum, the Talkeetna Inn puts you right in the middle of town, where you can watch how the place transforms back into a fun, outdoorsy little town once all the tour buses pack up and go home for the day. 

Where to eat: Talkeetna is lousy with good restaurants. Some of the most popular include Mountain High Pizza Pie, the Denali Brewpub, and the Salmon Spot, a recent transplant from Juneau that specializes in salmon burgers.  

You could easily stay another night in Talkeetna, but don't miss out on spending time in Denali National Park. If you hop aboard the northbound Denali Star Train at 11:20am, you'll get to Denali by 3:40pm. 

What to do: You have just enough time to explore the visitor centers and go for a quick day hike near the park entrance.

Where to stay: Whatever lodging you choose, make sure there's transportation to and from the train depot near the park entrance (since you won't have a car). Among the solid options that fit that bill are the Aurora Denali Lodge in Healy and, in Carlo Creek, Denali Hostel & Cabins or the more luxe McKinley Creekside Cabins.

For the best prices and selection on accommodations near Denali, it's smart to book at least 3 to 6 months in advance.  

Where to eat: Restaurants are clustered near the park entrance and in the nearby communities of Healy and Cantwell. One spot worth a try is Moose-AKa's, a self-described "Eastern European restaurant and tavern" with offerings such as moussaka, meat-stuffed peppers, and schnitzel. Note that there's always some sort of shuttle that circulates between the park entrance and nearby restaurants, but you will usually have to pay for this transportation. 

You put in the effort to get here—now enjoy it!

What to do: The big attraction today is a bus ride along the one and only road that leads into the park. Although buses run all day, your odds of seeing wildlife like bears, moose, and sometimes even wolves are best if you go early or late; I recommend starting as early as you're willing to get up. Buy tickets online to scope out the scheduling and make sure you don't miss out.

There are narrated and non-narrated ride options; the narrated ones are much more expensive. The good thing about the non-narrated version is that you can hop on and off whenever you like, but if this is your first time in Denali, it's probably worth splurging on the narrated version.

When you get back from the bus tour, drop by the National Park Service sled dog kennels. These working dogs help rangers patrol the Denali backcountry during the winter, but in summertime the pups serve as canine ambassadors. During your visit, you can meet the dogs, chat with rangers, and watch demonstrations of the pooches' sled-pulling skills (using wheeled carts instead of sleds). Free to visit, the kennels usually stay open until 4:30pm. You can hop a circulating shuttle bus to get there, or walk about 2 miles from the park entrance and call it a day hike.

Where to stay: Stay put in your hotel from the previous night. 

Where to eat: Try the well-regarded draft beers and brick-oven pizzas at Prospector's Pizzeria & Alehouse.

The Denali Star doesn't head north to Fairbanks until 4pm, so you have enough time to squeeze in one more day hike or half-day tour before you go.

What to do: There are many half-day tours in and around Denali—on everything from ATVs to rafts (pictured above) to horses. Your hotel should be able to help you book a tour and arrange transport.

Where to stay: You'll sleep in Fairbanks tonight. I recommend the locally owned Wedgewood Resort or River's Edge Resort. For a B&B, check out A Taste of Alaska Lodge, where a log-cabin-esque interior with cozy touches like homemade quilts pairs with a majestic setting on a shelf of land overlooking a broad valley where the northern lights are often visible during the winter. 

Where to eat: It's best to eat on the train to Fairbanks because once you arrive you'd likely need to take a taxi to reach any restaurants. 

Fairbanks has almost boundless tours and adventures to choose from. If you can imagine doing it in Alaska, it's probably available here.

What to do: If you're looking for a big, all-day adventure, look no further than one of the Arctic Circle or Coldfoot tours from Northern Alaska Tour Company to find out quiet and peaceful remote Alaska can be. 

That trip will take all day, so if you'd rather have a little free time to shop or otherwise explore Fairbanks, consider experiences such as riding the Riverboat Discovery, which takes passengers on the rivers outside Fairbanks aboard a sternwheeler paddleboat; communing with reindeer at Running Reindeer Ranch (pictured above); panning for gold at Gold Daughters; or marveling at historic vehicles at Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum. Budget for taxis or Uber/Lyft rides to reach any of these places. 

Where to stay: Stay put where you slept on day 8. 

Where to eat: You'll almost definitely need a taxi/Uber/Lyft to get to restaurants, or you can rely on DoorDash for food delivery (unless you're staying at Taste of Alaska, which serves a great dinner). For restaurants, local favorites include The Crepery, The Pump House, Jazz Bistro, and anywhere serving Thai food.

Day 10: Leaving Fairbanks

Most flights out of Fairbanks leave in the morning or early afternoon, so you'll have just long enough to catch breakfast and make your way to the airport without a rush.