Day Trips by Train

Can You Take a Day Trip on the Train?

Can you take a day trip on the train? Yes, and because it’s a train hub, Anchorage is the best place to plan a day trip from. In addition to your train reservations, we can book the day tours mentioned here, as well as other tours, hotels, or even complete Alaska vacation packages.

The most popular day trip on the Alaska Railroad is to Seward, the gateway community for Kenai Fjords National Park. The train departs at 6:45 AM, arriving into Seward at about 11:20 AM. Once you arrive in Seward, there are two Kenai Fjords National Park day cruises that work with the train schedule. If a day cruise isn’t your style, you can explore the Small Boat Harbor and downtown Seward on your own. The Alaska SeaLife Center is a favorite stop. The train departs Seward at 6:00 PM and arrives back in Anchorage at about 10:15 PM. If you’d like to spend less time on the trip back, opt for the Park Connection Motorcoach instead, which departs at 6:30 PM and arrives Anchorage at about 9:30 PM.

Whittier is the gateway to Prince William Sound where calm waters, glaciers, and waterfalls are best explored by day cruise. Departing Anchorage at 9:45 AM, the Glacier Discovery train travels along Turnagain Arm and into Whittier at about 12:05 PM via the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, the longest railroad-highway tunnel in North America. The train departs Whittier at 6:45 PM, arriving back into Anchorage at about 9:00 PM.

A day trip to Spencer Glacier is also possible on the Glacier Discovery, taking you through Whittier and the into the Kenai Mountains. If you get off at the Spencer Whistle Stop, you’ll have about three hours before the train makes its return. Go for a hike on your own, or make advance plans for a guided rafting or kayaking excursion.

For a completely different view of Alaska, take a trip on the rail to Talkeetna. This small community has spectacular views of Denali and the Alaska Range on a clear day. The train departs Anchorage at 8:20 AM and arrives at about 11:05 AM. The return trip to Anchorage departs Talkeetna at 5:05 PM, allowing plenty of time to take in the small town, a flight seeing tour to Denali, or a jet boat tour. This train arrives back to Anchorage around 8:00 PM.