YOUR ALASKAN ADVENTURES
  • Home
  • Where in Alaska
    • National Parks
    • The Far North
    • The Fairbanks Area
    • The Kodiak Area & Aleutian Islands
    • The Anchorage Area & Kenai Peninsula
    • The Juneau Area & Cruising Alaska
  • Hiking
  • Fishing
  • About Me

48 Hours in Whittier, Alaska (My Complete Itinerary)

7/30/2024

Comments

 
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!
Picture
Picture
​My Essential Alaska Travel Resources :
There are a lot of travel companies out there, but some are better than others. These are my favorite websites and resources to help plan an incredible trip to the 49th State.

For flights, I recommend using WayAway or 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 AGODA for hotels. They have an easy-to-use platform where you can compare the best rates.


To keep cell phone service if you're traveling internationally, I always use Airalo’s easy to purchase eSIM’s (no installation required), and always use NordVPN to stay safe while connecting to different wifis.

For fun things to do, I recommend Viator to find the best tours in the area, otherwise Klook also does the trick.

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.
Picture

Getting to Whittier & Important Things to Know

Picture
Picture
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!
Picture
Picture
  • 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.
​
  • 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, then 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.)
Picture
My Favorite Tours from Whittier : 
- Lazy Otter Charters Prince William Sound Tour (tell them Deborah sent you!)
Picture

My Weekend Itinerary for Whittier (48 Hours)

Picture
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.
Picture
Picture
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!​
Picture
Picture
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!

Picture
Picture
Picture
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!)
Picture
Picture
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!

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

Pin this Whittier Itinerary for later!
Picture
Picture
Comments
    Picture
    I'm Deborah👋🏼
    In 2021 my husband Tyler convinced me to move to Alaska. After living here for a year (then leaving to take a year long world trip) we realized there was no place we loved more. So now we're back - and I'm here to share all my best tips and hidden gems to make 
    ​Your Alaskan Adventures the best they can be.

    Picture
    My Ultimate Guide to Alaska - over 230 pins on an interactive map - the ultimate tool in planning your trip to Alaska.
    Get the Guide

    Picture

      Get my Travel Planner and Alaska Packing List for Free!

    Join

    Shop my favorite gear!

    Categories

    All
    48 Hour Itinerary
    Annual Festivals
    Cruising
    Epic Stays
    Fall
    Far North Alaska
    Fishing
    Foodie
    Hiking
    Interior Alaska
    National Parks
    Road Trips
    South Central Alaska
    South East Alaska
    South West Alaska
    Summer
    Tours And Reviews
    Winter


    This blog and all content is free to you, however, when you purchase through referral or affiliate links on our site I may earn a small commission with no extra cost to you! 
    ​---

    Learn more here about our affiliates and privacy policy.

    ​
    ​---​
    ​Join Travel Payouts or Rock Porch to earn affiliates on your own sites!

    Planning a trip outside Alaska?

    ​Check out our blog Raarup Adventures for international vacation ideas or Deborah in Korea for adventures in South Korea!

    Popular Blog Posts :
    Picture
    Picture

Other Blogs By Us :
Raarup Adventures
Deborah in Korea
Picture
©COPYRIGHT 2026 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Privacy Policy
  • Home
  • Where in Alaska
    • National Parks
    • The Far North
    • The Fairbanks Area
    • The Kodiak Area & Aleutian Islands
    • The Anchorage Area & Kenai Peninsula
    • The Juneau Area & Cruising Alaska
  • Hiking
  • Fishing
  • About Me