Anchorage, Alaska Visitor, Adventures, Information and Guides

Check out our 2024 featured Anchorage adventure packages: "The Summer Solstice Grand Adventure." and the "Ultimate Alaska Off-Grid Adventure."

Anchorage is Alaska's largest city and perfectly located between coast and mountains and is the ideal jumping off point for your ultimate adventure. All of our fly out fishing trips and adventure packages begin and terminate in Anchorage. Inevitably our guests have one or more days in or around the Anchorage area. With that, we have provided some guides to things to do and places to stay. On our Anchorage, Alaska vacation guide and resource page, we highlight some suggested attractions, hotels and restaurants. We recommend these attractions prior to or following you stay with us at Wilderness Place Lodge. Below is a selection of preferred Anchorage hotels, restaurants and attractions you many consider taking advantage of. Aside, we are also happy to suggest many other attractions, accommodations and venues throughout the rest of Alaska. We hope that your adventure in Alaska is a memorable one, both at our lodge and other whereabouts in the great state of Alaska. Enjoy and have fun!

As in any city, there are many hotels to choose from. In Anchorage, it is imperative that you choose your hotel based on location and proximity to where you will want to be spending time. In general, we advise three different locations to consider depending on your preferences and timetable: 1) Airport Area Hotels (best for quick turns, access to float plane bases and flight-seeing tours. Most airport hotels have 24 hour airport shuttles. 2) Anchorage Downtown Hotels: These are best for those looking to explore many shops, dining establishments, theatres, galleries, etc. Downtown hotels typically do not have airport shuttle and are a bit more expensive. 3) Out-of-Town Hotels: There are few options to consider if you have a rental car and don't mind a 45 minute scenic drive just to get out of the city and within wilderness, a good option for those that have a few days to explore.

Anchorage Airport Hotels Many of our Wilderness Place Lodge guests stay at the Coast International Inn ($$) or Lakefront Millenium Hotel ($$$). Both of these hotels are located the main float plane lake so you view float planes come and go. There is ample space for walking around the lake as well. Both hotels have restaurants and bars that serve 3 meals daily. Both have a complimentary airport shuttle and have much to offer for the prices they charge. For those that prefer national chain hotels, we recommend the Courtyard Marriott, Holiday Inn Express or Microtel.

Anchorage Downtown Hotels: There is a wide range of downtown hotels available depending on your preferred amenities and budget. The Captain Cook Hotel ($$$$) is the finest in downtown Anchorage and is located in a popular shopping and dining complex in the heart of downtown. Another more upscale hotel we would recommend is the Sheraton ($$$), which also has dining within, but is located just outside of the main downtown district. One of the more popular, authentic downtown hotels is the Historic Anchorage Hotel ($$$) with very cool, classically themed rooms.

Out-of-Town Hotels For those not interested in the brick and mortar of the city, we suggest driving a scenic 45 minutes either north of south of Anchorage. To the north, we recommend the Alaska Glacier Lodge. AGL is a great spot to relax, dine and unwind. The lodge is also featured in our adventure bundled packages that include an overnight at the Alaska Glacier Lodge along with an amazing glacier helicopter tour with dogsled experience. To the South, a scenic drive down the coast brings you to the town of Girdwood, home of Alyeska Ski Resort. The majestic hotel Alyeska is an excellent option for upscale lodging and dining in the heart of the mountain wilderness. A tramway can take you to the mountain-top for hiking, photography and fine dining.

The restaurant scene in Anchorage is diverse. Therefore, we're suggesting some hand-selected dining establishments that offer great food, a unique experience and are more "Alaskan." There are many of your typical nation-wide chains in Anchorage like any other city. Here we focused more on locally-owned, local-favorite restaurants.

Best Airport Area Restaurant: Gwennies Alaskan Restaurant on Spenard Road is our choice for best breakfast. Piper's Restaurant at the Coast International Inn offers the best happy hour, sandwiches and appetizers. The Flying Machine Restaurant at the Millennium Hotel offers the best 3 course late dinner.

Best Downtown Restaurants: Our favorite all-around restaurant for good brews and a diverse menu for Dinner and Lunch is the Glacier Brewhouse. For best Seafood, we suggest Simon and Siefort's. For best breakfast, go for Snow City Cafe. For best steak, we like Club Paris. For best happy hour and sandwiches, try F Street Station.

Best Alaskan Burger Joint: For the best burger experience in Anchorage, check out the Arctic Roadrunner on Campbell Creek off of International Airport Road in mid-town.

Best Health Alternative: We would suggest the Organic Oasis for dinner in the Spenard Business District. For lunch, swing through the fresh food bar at New Sagaya Market in midtown or the Natural Pantry off of C street.

Best Midtown Restaurants: For breakfast, we like the Midway Cafe. For Lunch and Dinner, go for the Bear Tooth Theatre Pub or Moose's Tooth Pizza.

Amidst the city life of Anchorage, there are a few must-see establishments for those interested in the history of Alaska and Anchorage in specific. The Anchorage Museum history and science museum is a must-see with many unique exhibitions throughout the summer season. The Anchorage Museum is located downtown in the heart of the shopping and dining district. The Alaska Native Heritage Center is located just North of downtown Anchorage and is a suggested trip for those interested in indigenous people's history and culture. There are many great shows and interactive displays worth checking out. The Alaska Aviation museum is located on the Lake Hood Seaplane base right next to Rust's Flying Service, the air taxi that flies all our guests to Wilderness Place Lodge. The Aviation museum is a great way to discover the intricate past of Alaska aviation and flight history.

There are many great day trips out of Anchorage including our Wilderness Place Lodge fly in fishing day trip or one-night overnight wine & dine package. Alternatively, we suggest a hike in the giant Kincaid Park trail system where you can frequently see moose in the early morning and evenings just off the trail system. Rust's Flying Service offers some great short and long-duration flight-seeing and bear-viewing trips that can be bundled with your fishing experience at our lodge. The Flat Top Mountain trail system offers more enduring hiking with epic views of Cook Inlet and the entire Anchorage Bowl. The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail is conveniently located adjacent to downtown and the International Airport. Rent a bike in downtown Anchorage and explore the whole trail! For other interesting adventures, check out our adventure side trips page.