The Ultimate 2 Week Alaska Itinerary: Glaciers, Bears & More

I recommend getting a rental car for this itinerary, but you do not need a rental car.

If you prefer not to rent a car, you can take the train from Anchorage to Girdwood and later, to Seward. Both Girdwood and Seward are small towns, so you can just walk around town to get to your activities. However, if you plan to hike in Seward, you will need to make a plan to get from the center of town to the trailheads and back. You would also most likely need to scrap the trip to Palmer for the Musk Ox and Reindeer Farms.

The best time for this itinerary is July and August.

For Kenai Fjords specifically, most activities in the park (boat tours, kayaking tours, etc) run from the end of May through the beginning of September. If you plan to hike, though, I would aim to go in July or August since snow can linger on the trails at higher elevations. Visiting later in the summer generally means less snow on the paths.

The best time to visit Katmai National Park is from July through September, when bears gather around the park’s rivers to feed on salmon. We went the first week in August and the bears were actively fishing the entire time. We didn’t visit Brooks Falls since we had 5 days in other parts of Katmai, but if you want to see the famous scene of brown bears catching salmon as they leap up Brooks Falls, aim for July, when the sockeye salmon run is at its peak.

In summary, to be able to do all the activities listed on this itinerary, I would plan my visit for July or August.

I would recommend at least one week for a first visit to Alaska. You can do either Part 1 or Part 2 of this itinerary on its own and it would be a fantastic introduction to this wonderful place.

However, if you can swing it, I recommend dedicating a full 2 weeks for your trip. We spent 2 weeks in Alaska and we feel like we barely scratched the surface. I can’t wait to return someday and check out some of the other national parks.

I would highly recommend planning at least a year in advance, especially if you plan to visit Katmai National Park.

If you want to stay at Brooks Lodge, for example, you’ll need to enter the lottery for a reservation 2 years in advance. Scott Stone’s Bear Camp, which is what we did, is also sold out for next summer (2027), so you’ll need to book for 2028 as soon as possible. Day trips to Katmai can be made on shorter notice, though.

To visit Seward/Kenai Fjords National Park, I would recommend booking at least 6 months in advance. We booked our accommodations in February for a trip at the end of July and couldn’t find a hotel with availability, so we went with an AirBnB. The farther in advance you book, the more options you have.

I would pack:

• Rain jackets
• Rain ponchos (optional)
• Hiking boots
• Merino wool long sleeve shirts (or other athletic quick dry shirts)
• Hiking pants
• Rain pants (helpful for the kayaking tour, if you have them)
• Layers: warm jackets, fleeces, etc
• Waders and wading boots (only if you’re doing Bear Camp)
• Warm hat
• Baseball cap
• Waterproof gloves
• Small daypack
• Dry bag for electronics (optional, as the kayaking tour provides them)
• Bug spray
• Water bottle or water bladder
• Binoculars (we have the Vortex Diamondback binoculars and love them)
• Camera gear (see the full list in the next question)
• Dramamine
• Medicine kit (I bring Advil, Pepto Bismol, Gas-X, Benadryl, Melatonin, and Bandaids in addition to prescription medicine I personally need)
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Eye mask (the sun doesn’t set until 11pm in the summer)
• Toiletries: deodorant, toothbrush & toothpaste, hairbrush etc.
• Body wipes (only if you’re camping)
• Hand sanitizer
• Charging cables for phone, camera, etc.
• Waterproof phone or camera case (optional)
• Face Gaiter (I wish I had one at Bear Camp - the high wind on day 1 left my nasal passages a little irritated the next day)

I would also be sure to rent bear spray as soon as you get to Anchorage. My recommendation is to rent it from Alaska Bear Spray Rental. It also might be helpful to rent hiking poles for the Harding Icefield hike, although we did it without them and we were fine.

We brought:

• Camera (we had a Sony a6400 and a Sony a6700)
• Lenses (we brought a Tamron 18-300mm and a Sony 200-600mm)
• Spare batteries
• Spare memory cards
• Tripod (we didn't bring it and desperately wish we did)
• Rain cover for camera
• Polarizer (helps capture the bright red color of the salmon at Bear Camp)
• Dry bag for camera (in case of heavy downpour)
• Lens wipes

Yes, you need bear spray for the hikes in Kenai Fjords National Park or for anytime you venture outside Alaska’s towns (going on a run, etc). We purchased bear spray from REI Anchorage, but at over $50 for a can we didn’t have to use (thankfully), it’s a little expensive. I would recommend checking out Alaska Bear Spray Rental instead.

Not usually. Alaska’s summer nights are too bright to see the Northern Lights for most of July and August. If seeing the aurora is a priority, plan your trip between September and March, although you won’t be able to do most of the activities on this itinerary during that time.