A 24 Hour Guide to Anchorage, Alaska (by a local)

Anchorage is my home city, at least, where my husband and I chose to make our home both the 1st time we moved to Alaska and permanently when we moved back after our gap year. With over half of the state's entire population choosing to call Anchorage home, the city faces the same issues most large cities in the lower 48 do - and it's wide open layout can be a bit hard to navigate for visitors that are here for just a short 24 hours. Luckily, I've created this short guide just for you!

​*If you have any questions that aren't answered in this post, please leave them in the comments section where I do my best to answer all Alaska related questions directly!

​​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 NordVPN to stay safe when surfing the web.

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.

Getting to Anchorage & What to Expect

Getting to Anchorage is easy - unless you're flying to Juneau or Fairbanks, chances are you'll fly straight into Anchorage for your visit to Alaska. Even so, it's also a fun little tidbit that whatever road you're on will eventually lead you to Anchorage. If you're coming in for a trip, we recommend flying into Anchorage since it's super central and a lot of tours base out of Anchorage or near Anchorage!

There are also plenty of day trips you can do from the Anchorage area because the city is so central. Some of my favorite day trips from Anchorage are heading out to Girdwood, Hope, Seward, the Matsu Valley, or Whittier! Homer is also possible, but the drive can be quite long.

If you're looking for a place to stay in Anchorage, you also have plenty of options - according to Google there's over 160 rental properties just in this one city! Because my husband and I live in Anchorage, we don't typically get to test out as many hotels in the Anchorage Area - however we have stayed at The Lakefront and this Airbnb and had pleasant stays. I've also listed a few others that come highly recommend : 

• The Lakefront - a little outdated, but very close to the airport with free shuttles and beautiful views of the float plane base at Lake Hood
• Hilton Downtown Anchorage - just 10 minutes from the airport and right next to the most popular brewery in Anchorage
• ​Hotel Captain Cook - another hotel that might be a little outdated, but what we would consider a "fancy" stay, so fancy in fact that anytime the President comes to Anchorage, they stay in the Presidential Suite on the top floor!

In addition to plenty of places to stay in Anchorage, there are also SO MANY amazing places to eat! If I listed all my favorite places that would be a post in and of itself, but I've listed a handful of my favorites below :

• South AK - the most popular brunch spot known for their delicious food and fun mimosas, they also typically have a long wait so I recommend getting on their wait list as early as you can
• Sami's City Diner - an old fashioned diner that always has an open seat for guests, they have a great "classic" breakfast with eggs, bacon, and toast, but my personal favorite are their banana pancakes!
• Market Juice - if you're looking for a healthy morning pick me up, then this is my favorite stop - they have fresh pressed juices, smoothies and smoothie bowls, and the best avocado toast in Anchorage
• ​Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop - a classic stop for locals, they have the best fresh and hand made bread in the whole city (they have sandwiches and soup for lunch too!) and in my opinion, some of the best chocolate chip cookies in the entire world!
• Rustic Goat - another favorite of mine, their drinks and and food are delicious, my go to orders for a group of 2-3 are their nachos or drunken clams!
• Jinmi Korean Restaurant - my favorite Korean Restaurant in the city, I recommend getting their bibimbap or grilled mackerel
• Hearth Pizza - in my opinion, the best pizzas in Anchorage - my husband and I like to take them to go and watch the belugas from Beluga Point!
• ​Wee Bs - the most delicious burgers in Anchorage, this hidden gem isn't fast but its large portions and yummy food is worth the wait!
• ​49th State Brewery - the most popular brewery that also has delicious food, chances are there'll be a 1-2 hour wait every night so I recommend getting a reservation
• Anchorage Brewing Company - a more local brewery with an incredible rooftop, live music, and stunning views of the Chugach Mountain Range
• ​Kaladi Brothers - essentially the Starbucks of Alaska, they have locations all over and delicious coffee

My Favorite Tours from Anchorage : 
- Matanuska Glacier Tour
- Alaska Railroad Roundtrip to Seward

My 24 Hour Guide to Anchorage

Morning : 

• Early Breakfast at Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop - try one of their rotating sandwiches if you want something larger or just grab a fresh pastry (make sure to grab some chocolate chip cookies for later!) and add a quick stop at any Kaladi location for a caffeine pick me up!
• ​Downtown Anchorage Trolley OR Segway Tour - the best way to explore Anchorage in one day is to join an Anchorage Trolley Tour (either the original tour or their special deluxe tour with more stops) or Segway Tour - both make various stops around Anchorage - or, if you have a car and want to explore it yourself I would make sure to stop to see Star the Reindeer, Ship Creek, Earthquake Park, and Point Woronzof!​​

Afternoon :

• Lunch from Hearth Pizza - grab a pizza to go from Hearth Pizza and head down to Beluga Point for a chance to see the Belugas! (Belugas coming through Turnagain Arm depend entirely on the tide in addition to the season, primarily during high tide in the late Spring and Fall.)
• Hike Blueberry Hill or Flattop Mountain - when in Alaska, some of the best things to do are in the outdoors and the best views of Anchorage are found at the tops of Blueberry Hill (1.5 miles) or Flattop Mountain (about 3 miles), for something easier try Potter's Marsh (a flat boardwalk area over the marsh where you can often see moose) or Barbara Falls (a short hike to a stunning waterfall)

Evening : 

• Dinner at Rustic Goat - try the nachos or drunken clams for a small group of 2-3, if it's nice and sunny out ask to be seated outside!
• Drinks at Anchorage Brewing Company - afterwards, head over to Anchorage Brewing Company for some delicious brews, live music, and some epic views from the rooftop overlooking the Chugach Range
• Check out the Midnight Sun or Northern Lights - if you're still looking for something to fill your last bit of time, then I recommend going stargazing, northern lights chasing, or even just heading out to enjoy the midnight sun!

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Other Alaska blog posts you might be interested in : 
-> 15 Easiest Alaska Glaciers to Visit
-> Where to Rent Bear Spray in Alaska
-> 7 Best Tours in Alaska

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