Seattle to Anchorage?

Question

We have a cruise scheduled from Anchorage June 27-July 4.

We will be in Seattle 10 days before.

Seeking ideas of what to do.

Considering taking the sea taxi from Bellingham with stops in between 🤔

Answer

Traveling from Seattle to Anchorage offers several options depending on whether you want speed, scenery, or adventure. Since you have about 10 days in Seattle before your cruise, you can plan a combination of flights, road trips, and ferry experiences to make the journey memorable.

Here are the main options and considerations:

Direct Flight from Seattle to Anchorage – The fastest and most convenient. Flight time is around 3.5–4 hours. This option maximizes your time in Alaska for pre-cruise activities. Alaska Airlines and Delta have multiple daily flights.
Drive via Alaska Highway / Interior Alaska – If you enjoy road trips, you could rent a car or SUV and drive north. This is a very long journey (over 2,000 miles) and requires careful planning with overnight stops, fuel, and lodging. Stops can include Vancouver, Prince George, Whitehorse, and Tok before reaching Anchorage. Great for seeing landscapes, wildlife, and small towns along the way.
Ferry / Alaska Marine Highway – From Bellingham, you can take the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system, which allows vehicles or foot passengers. You can make stops in coastal towns like Ketchikan, Juneau, or Sitka before reaching Whittier or Haines (then drive to Anchorage). This is scenic and leisurely but takes several days.

If you are considering a ferry with stops in between:

Book well in advance, as June is peak season for Alaska ferries.
Consider the overnight accommodations on board – cabins are highly recommended for comfort.
Plan for transportation from the ferry port to Anchorage (e.g., from Whittier or Haines) – sometimes you’ll need to drive or take a shuttle.
Check the ferry schedule carefully, as not all stops run daily and the journey can take 4–6 days depending on route.

Other recommendations for pre-cruise activities near Anchorage or along the ferry/road trip route:

Explore Anchorage itself – Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, Alaska Native Heritage Center, local breweries.
Consider a day trip to Seward for Exit Glacier or Kenai Fjords National Park (wildlife cruise).
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center along Turnagain Arm – ideal for seeing bears, moose, and bison in naturalistic enclosures.
If time allows, a stop in Talkeetna for a short flightseeing trip to Denali can be very rewarding.

Overall, for a balance of convenience and scenic experience, many travelers fly to Anchorage and take local day trips, but if you want the adventure of a multi-day journey, the ferry from Bellingham with stops along the Inside Passage is a memorable experience.

Seattle to Anchorage?

More Alaska (AK) Travel Questions

The attractions mentioned in this question

Popular Destinations

Popular Travel Questions