Unveiling the Hidden Gems: Anchorage to Denali Road Trip

Getting yourself from Anchorage to Denali will be a crucial step in your Alaska travel adventures and planning. There are multiple great options to get you from Anchorage to Denali. We opted for a car so that we could take advantage of the flexibility. And, we made a mini road trip from it, which we’re sharing with you. Keep reading for logistical options on how to get from Anchorage to Denali, plus hidden gems you can add to your road trip if you opt for the car route.

How to Get from Anchorage to Denali

First things first, what is the best way to get from Anchorage to Denali? The answer lies in your preferred methods of travel, budget, and timeline.

Alaska Railroad

Both the longest but also the most scenic route, the Alaska railroad provides a convenient way of not only traveling from Anchorage to Denali (and back), but also throughout the whole country. You can also take the Alaska Railroad all the way up to Fairbanks or down to Seward if you want.

Via train, the trip takes about 8 hours (compared to 4 via car). However, you get scenic views of the Alaska landscape and can spot wildlife along the trip.

Timetables, stops, and prices can be found on this website. Tickets are about $140-190/adult one way. For easy access, here are links to book your train ticket:

• Anchorage to Denali
• Denali to Anchorage

Pros: scenic. Cons: not cheap, low flexibility, longest route.

Private Bus from Anchorage to Denali

If you need a slightly cheaper option than the train and don’t want to rent a car, you can catch a ride on a private bus. A list of bus options and details can be found here. The bus trip will take about 5 hours with stops, so very similar to a car. Prices look to be about ~$100/adult.

Pros: cheaper than train, fast. Cons: low flexibility.

Car: Make it a Roadtrip from Anchorage to Denali

The fastest and most flexible way of going from Anchorage to Denali is via car. During peak season, we were able to get a car for ~$1700/week or ~$250/day. Split between 2 or more people, the price could be cheaper or slightly more than the Alaska railroad. Via car, with no stops, the entire trek takes 4 hours. But, you get the added bonus of the flexibility to stop wherever you want. We took full advantage of this and made a mini roadtrip of the adventure.

Pros: flexibility, fastest route. Cons: can be pricier than the train.

Guided Tour from Anchorage to Denali

Last option, there are many, many tours that will take you to Denali. Whether you book it with your cruise line or another company, the price will vary. This option is great for people who want to take the stress out of planning and have time in their schedule for the tour of their choosing.

Here is a great guided tour option to take the stress out of planning. It includes 90% of our top stops from Seward up to Denali, including Kenai Fjords, Exit Glacier, and dog sledding tours.

Pros: low stress. Cons: locked into the tour’s schedule.

Anchorage to Denali Road Trip

Google Map of Alaska

As with all of our destinations, we always tag our recommended stops, restaurants, tours, etc on a Google Map. You can check out our Google Map of Alaska below, or check out all our maps on our Travel Maps page.

Reflections Lake Hike

Only 30 minutes north of Anchorage, you’ll find a gorgeous hike around Reflections Lake. The hike is only 1 mile with hardly any elevation gain and has handicap-friendly trails. The hike offers stunning views of Reflection Lake, which acts as a mirror to the mountain ranges and clouds behind it.

William’s Reindeer Farm

As you continue north from Anchorage to Denali, we highly recommend stopping by William’s Reindeer Farm. The farm is a great stop for all ages, and only costs $15/adult for admission. Admission includes a self-guided tour where you walk around the farm and the workers give you the story behind the animals and instructions on how to feed them. You’ll meet reindeer, yaks, moose, and more. Plan for 1-2 hours here. They also have a food on site if you’re hungry for lunch, though we recommend eating out in Palmer as your next stop.

Lunch in Palmer

At this point it might be time for lunch or brunch, depending on when you left Anchorage towards Denali. If you didn’t eat at William’s Reindeer Farm, there are a couple cute restaurants in the quaint little town of Palmer to choose from. We loved Turkey Redak. We couldn’t find an authentic “Alaskan” restaurant that was open on our trip, but Turkey Redak is the next best thing. It’s a cute little cafe open for lunch that uses local ingredients. Their orange sesame chicken salad and beef sandwich were amazing. We also had a coconut lime cake for dessert. There are also a couple breweries in town if you’re looking for the classic halibut sandwich with a beer.

Musk Ox Farm

As you continue towards Denali, the next logical stop is the Musk Ox Farm. You might think, well we just visited the Reindeer Farm, is it really worth visiting another farm? The answer is yes. Where else are you going to able to see and learn about musk ox? The animals are only native to Canada, Greenland, and Alaska. The ones on this farm are actually decendents of Greenland Musk Ox, as musk ox went extinct in Alaska years ago.

Tickets are ~$14/adult for a guided tour that lasts about 45 minutes and is super informational. You can’t pet or feed musk ox, but the pictures are absolutely gorgeous.

Alaska Birch Syrup and Wild Harvest Shop

The Talkeetna area slightly north of Palmer is known for birch syrup, so of course you need to make a stop for a birch syrup tour. This is a great way to support small businesses and shop local! The tour gives you a tour of the facilities and a taste of the products.

Visit Talkeetna

The last major stop before ending your roadtrip from Anchorage to Denali is to stop in the small town of Talkeetna. Talkeetna is also a stop for the Alaska railroad. Upon our drive through of the little town, it was definitely buzzing with tourists. This is a perfect stop for an ice cream afternoon snack or dinner depending on your arrival time. Or, if you’ve got a couple hours, they also offer white water rafting tours.

Denali North and South Viewpoints

Lastly, at two points along the road up to Denali there will be signs for the north and south viewpoints. If the weather is accommodating, we recommend pulling out at these stops. There is no hiking required. You just park and walk up to the viewpoints. If it isn’t too cloudy, you can get beautiful views of Mount Denali.

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