7 Day Adventure on the Kenai Peninsula

Rent a car and make the 125-mile drive south from Anchorage to the popular port town of Seward. If you reached Southcentral Alaska by cruise ship, Seward might actually be your first port of arrival. It‘s also the site of your first Alaska adventure, a helicopter ride to a nearby glacier, where you‘ll get to ride in a dog sled pulled by dogs from the kennel of an Iditarod champion. Or, spend the afternoon visiting the Alaska SeaLife Center for up-close views of marine life and browse the shops and restaurants in the Small Boar Harbor and downtown areas. Overnight in Seward.

The next day, choose from two of Seward‘s best adventures: either make the short drive to nearby Exit Glacier Visitor Center for a challenging, full-day hike up to the Harding Icefield, a giant sheet of ice that is the source of about forty glaciers; or book a full-day sightseeing cruise or kayaking tour into Kenai Fjords National Park, where you have great chances of seeing wildlife like sea otters, puffins, sea lions, kittiwakes, humpback whales, orcas, seals and more. Wrap up the evening by going ziplining. Overnight in Seward.

Make the 50-mile drive to Cooper Landing, which offers scenic floats on the Kenai River, excellent guided freshwater fishing, mountain biking, hiking, and horseback riding through the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, or the famed shoulder-to-shoulder “combat fishing” on the Russian River. Or, continue another 45 miles to Soldotna, where you can fish from plentiful boardwalks along the world-famous Kenai River or charter a guide to take you on a river float trip in search of a new world-record king salmon. Overnight in Cooper Landing or Soldotna.

Drive another 120 miles from Cooper Landing / 75 miles from Soldotna to Homer, which offers panoramic views of Kachemak Bay State Park and the Homer Spit, a narrow arm of land that extends 4.5 miles into the water. Spend the afternoon wandering The Spit, which is lined with some of the state‘s best art galleries, gift shops, and restaurants. Go beachcombing along Bishop's Beach and watch out for wildlife like sea otters, whales, and seabirds. Overnight in Homer.

The next day, board a water taxi for a day of exploring the hiking trails “across the bay” in Kachemak Bay State Park and State Wilderness Park. Guided natural history tours and kayaking trips are also available. That the water taxi back across the bay and overnight in Homer.

Join a guided bear viewing trip from Homer, where you'll travel in a float plane across Cook Inlet to Lake Clark National Park, or further south to Katmai National Park. This full-day adventure to view Alaska's incredible brown bears is sure to be a highlight of your trip. Overnight in Homer. 

It's time for the five-hour, 220-mile drive back north to Anchorage. Even the locals never tire of driving the one highway that links the two towns; keep an eye out for bore tides and beluga whales in the water, and Dall sheep in the roadside cliffs.