What do you do if, as an Alaska visitor, you only have four precious days to vacation in Alaska? Well you might be surprised! Even a four-day getaway in Alaska can be extremely exciting. The difficult (but equally thrilling part) is making sure you squeeze every second out of this short-but-super-sweet stay as you plan your itinerary in the 49th State.
Even in four days, Alaska travelers can pack-in an unforgettable journey and check off some of the state’s best highlights off their AK bucket lists. In fact, having a seemingly endless variety of amazing Alaska adventures to choose from might seem a “good problem” to have for most visitors. But sometimes, for those on tight schedules and juggling quick trips, narrowing your choices might feel a bit daunting when it’s time to ultimately select how to invest your precious time. Heck, even those spending a month in Alaska often face the same struggle! Not to worry, there’s a solution and you’ve found it!
When your Alaska timeline is beginning to sound like a ticking alarm clock, there are two keys to planning a successful (albeit brief) Far North foray: first, a crystal-clear vision of what you want to get out of your 4-day Alaska getaway and second, access to some friendly local experts who can identify local Alaskan hotels, lodges, activity operators and others who can help turn your vision into a wonderful adventure. The Alaskan travel planners at Alaska Tours are happy to work closely with you to build a sensational itinerary that turns your Alaska ambitions into reality and provide you with reliable information about realtime supplier availability, travel times between destinations and maximizes your fun from arrival to departure.
You’ll set the stage on planning the perfect Alaska trip by deciding how you want to spend your time. Do you want to focus solely on a particular passion of yours like fishing, wildlife viewing or whale watching and cruising? Maybe you want to try a new adventure you’ve never done before like dogsledding, kayaking or trekking on a glacier? Perhaps you’d prefer a lodge-based stay with day trips centered around different activities? Or what about making one city your home base and spend equal time sightseeing to historic and cultural sites with a few outdoorsy excursions in nearby areas? Or maybe you just want to see Denali, period the end. Whatever you decide, you can make it happen!
Kayaking in Kachemak Bay from Homer
For those who want to go all-in on a singular pursuit on your 4-day adventure, maybe you imagine spending every day fishing, with a savvy local fishing guide and based out of a comfy lodge or even a well-appointed hotel in a quaint and convenient port town. Check out Kenai Riverside Fishing Lodge in Cooper Landing, for example. Others may prefer four frosty winter nights in friendly Fairbanks, watching the awe-inspiring Northern Lights at night, and squeezing in a soak (or four) at Chena Hot Springs between the light shows. Our Chena Hot Springs and Northern Lights Tour or Fairbanks Northern Lights Viewing trip might be just perfect for you!
Kenai Riverside Lodge view from above the upper Kenai River.
And for those hoping to take in Alaska’s magnificence, four Midnight Sun-lit summer days of hiking, wildlife viewing and soaking up the vastness and natural beauty of one of Alaska’s many national parks is a fabulous way to spend 4 perfect days in Alaska. Maybe you’ve always wanted to see the Arctic Circle? Our Nome & Bering Land Bridge Tour might be just the ticket! And finally, for those that love to travel by train, you’ll want to check out our 4 night Greatland Explorer Tour out of Fairbanks and Greatland Discoverer Tour out of Anchorage. Where there’s a passion, there’s an Alaska plan that can make it happen!
Mt Denali never disappoints.
For travelers with a checklist of Alaska must-dos, settling in on an Alaska city destination hub such as Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau or Ketchikan, for example, and then adventuring off on a variety of day trips is the “pro” approach. Anchorage is an obvious choice for excellent accommodations and a central location for tackling a dreamy daytrip itinerary. You might hop off on a Denali flightseeing trip one day, a bear viewing trip the next, then take a glacier cruise out of Whittier or Seward that’s as cool as it sounds, and then spend your last day spent taking in Alaska art, history, culture and shopping in the city’s numerous museums, Alaska Native cultural centers, and unique local stores. And these Anchorage day treks will leave you plenty of time in your evening hours to enjoy Anchorage’s excellent Alaska-sourced fine dining.
Fine Dining at Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge
Another great option for those travelers with only 4 days in Alaska is visiting an attractive Southeast community along the Inside Passage, spending your days with fishing, kayaking, hiking, cultural (Alaska Native) and historical (Gold Rush) exploration, wildlife tours, flightseeing over dense forests and massive mountains, and, oh yeah, more of that great Alaska-focused cuisine. Check out a stay at Glacier Bay Lodge near Glacier Bay National Park and day tours nearby.
Bear Track Inn near Gustavus, Alaska
And then there are the wild wanderers who want to see it all, and do it all (or as much as practically possible) during their four-day stay. Well, there are plenty of adventure-rich Alaska itineraries for you, too. Though the best bang for your four-day buck might be this one: a stay at Kenai Backcountry Lodge combining rafting, hiking, kayaking by day and relaxing by the fire and locally sourced authentic Alaskan cuisine with views of Skilak Lake in the evenings.
Kenai Backcountry Lodge on Skilak Lake.
For some travelers, four days in Alaska might seem like a nanosecond but with the right advice from our experts, you can discover many, incredible ways to fill those precious few days with very special “only in Alaska” experiences. Call us anytime to learn more about what you can look forward to this summer