48 Hours in Whittier, Alaska (My Complete Itinerary)

Commonly known as the "wettest city in Alaska" or the "city under one roof" - Whittier is hands down one of the most unique places in Alaska and I highly recommend stopping here if you're able to during your trip to Alaska - it's actually one of my favorite cities to visit when I want a weekend away from Anchorage. With plenty to do, your 48 hours in Whittier will be jam packed with waterfalls, incredible wildlife, and delicious food!

​My Essential Alaska Travel Resources :
There are plenty of travel companies out there, but these are my favorite websites and resources for planning an unforgettable trip to Alaska. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

For flights, I recommend using Hopper to compare the cheapest dates to travel to Alaska.

Car rentals, arguably the best way to see Alaska, are best through Discover Cars!

I always use Expedia's easy-to-use platform to compare the best rates.
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To keep cell service if you're traveling internationally, I use Airalo’s easy to purchase eSIM’s (no installation required), and NordVPN to stay safe while connecting to different wifi.

For fun things to do, I recommend Viator or Get Your Guide to find the best tours in the area.

Just in case, Safetywing is the insurance I always use for travel insurance.

Lastly, my Alaska packing list for your travels to the Last Frontier.

Getting to Whittier & Important Things to Know

Like I mentioned above, Whittier is a very unique city in Alaska. With a popular cruise port, they also get many visitors - but there's a few things you'll want to know before planning your visit to Whittier.

• The Tunnel - The only way to get in and out of Whittier is through the one way tunnel that costs $13 per car round trip. The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel is shared with the Alaska Railroad (so you'll literally be driving over the train tracks the entire way through) and opens up each way every hour. So at the top of every hour it'll go out of Whittier, and at every :30 mark it'll head into Whittier.

 

• Accessibility - Most visitors from cruises tend to walk the city to explore, but this makes it nearly impossible to explore places like the waterfalls I mention below. If you're able to, I recommend renting a car if you don't have your own. If not, then I recommend looking into renting a bike from Sound Cycle!

• Hiking - Hiking in Alaska is a completely different world. I recommend downloading the AllTrails App and renting bear spray if you plan to head out.

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• Where to Stay - Unfortunately there aren't too many places to stay in Whittier, which can make an overnight stay a bit difficult. If you want to stay in town, there's the Anchor Inn and June's Whittier Condo Suites in the Begich Towers. I have not stayed at either of these. If you're able to camp, then you could try the City of Whittier Campground that is near the tunnel or Whittier Parking & Camping for legitimate campgrounds. Personally, I like to find a pull off on the Shotgun Cove Trail Road for the night. (Camping on a pull off is legal in Alaska as long as there is no sign in the area saying no overnight camping.)

My Favorite Tours from Whittier : 
- Lazy Otter Charters Prince William Sound Tour (tell them Deborah sent you!)

My Weekend Itinerary for Whittier (48 Hours)

Day 1 Morning :
Take the earliest tunnel into Whittier (every :30 mark). Chances are it'll be past breakfast, so explore town before lunch! I recommend stopping at the Prince William Sound Museum where you can learn about the local history and even see artifacts from World War II.

You'll also want to stop at the colorful Begich Towers, famous for being the building where "everyone in town lives," although that's not necessarily true anymore. Apparently the 1st and 2nd floors of the building are open to the public, but I highly encourage you to be respectful of the local people who live there - who might just be trying to do their laundry.

Before heading to lunch, you can also stop at the Buckner Building - a.k.a. the creepy looking concrete building missing all its doors and windows. (Trust me, it's hard to miss.) This building was initially built for military housing, and has since been abandoned.

Day 1 Afternoon :
No trip to Whittier is complete without a stop to Varly's Swiftwater Seafood Cafe. I always say they have some of the best seafood/clam chowder in the state and make a point to stop here on every visit. Chances are, you'll see the line out the door and have to scramble for a seat, but it's worth it! They also have some great views of the Marina and shops that you can explore afterwards!

After lunch, head out for a hike! I've attempted Emerald Cove twice now, and honestly it's just been way too muddy for me to complete - but here are a few of my other favorite hikes in the Whittier area :

• 2nd Salmon Run Waterfall : a hidden waterfall just a short hike (about 1/2 mile roundtrip) from Shotgun Cove Trail Road
• Horsetail Falls : a 2 mile roundtrip hike that is about 700 feet in elevation that brings you to an overlook of a few waterfalls in the distance
• ​Portage Pass : a 4 mile roundtrip hike that allows visitors to experience Portage Glacier!
• Lu Young Park/Cove Creek 2 Area : not really a hiking area, but a fun spot to visit during the salmon run if you want to see local fisherpeople catching some salmon, depending on the tide you might find some cool critters too!​

Day 1 Evening :
After enjoying the great outdoors, you might have worked up another appetite. Personally, my favorite dinner option in Whittier is at the local Pizza and Ice Cream joint! They honestly have delicious flatbreads for a better price than some of the other cafes, and I love to take mine to one of the benches by the marina and eat dinner with the unbeatable view!

Afterwards, I recommend checking into your lodging or setting up camp to get some rest. Personally, I've never stayed at the hotels in town and have only camped for free in the pull offs along the Shotgun Cove Trail road - some of them have incredible views of the glacier too!

Day 2 Morning/Afternoon :
On the second half of your 48 hours in Whittier, I recommend heading out on a tour of Prince William Sound! There's quite a few to choose from between Jet Skiing and Fishing Tours - but my personal favorite is the 8 hour Prince William Sound Tour through Lazy Otter Charters. Because they have small boats (when Tyler and I went there were only 3 other guests onboard!) you really get a much more personal experience and better views of wildlife.

Want breakfast beforehand? Head to Wild Catch Cafe for a quick to-go breakfast or a nice sit down meal!

In our 8 hours we experienced incredible wildlife up close (black bears, sea lions, sea otters, puffins, harbor seals), got to go for a beach walk on a secluded island, saw multiple glaciers and waterfalls up close, and had a delicious lunch. (p.s. if you stop at their cafe in town after the tour you can purchase their yummy salmon spread!)

Day 2 Evening : 
After your tour you'll probably be getting a little worn out - it'll be about 5pm by the time you get back - so I recommend hitting any shops you didn't get to yet, grabbing dinner and then the one thing you can't miss is grabbing some fudge from Sound Ideas. My personal favorite flavor is the "Tunnel Special." Afterwards, catch the tunnel back to the Portage side and continue exploring Alaska! Tunnels from Whittier leave every hour at the top of the hour.

Watch my Adventures in Whittier!

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Other Alaska blog posts you might be interested in : 
-> 11 Reasons to Visit Whittier, Alaska
-> My 11 Favorite Waterfalls in Alaska

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