The Seward Highway turns a 125-mile drive into one of the best short road trips in the country: glacier-fed Turnagain Arm on one side, the Chugach Mountains on the other, ending at a working fishing harbor that also happens to be the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park. This 3-day self-drive route covers the highlights of a summer trip south from Anchorage — real lodges, a real glacier cruise operator, and real prices.
Day 1Anchorage to Seward — the Seward Highway
The Seward Highway south out of Anchorage is one of only a handful of roads in the country rated both a National Scenic Byway and an All-American Road, hugging Turnagain Arm before climbing into the mountains toward Kenai Fjords National Park.
🚗 Self-Drive: Anchorage to Seward via the Seward Highway
~125 miles, ~2.5 hours · rental car from $110 USD/day
A drive south from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport along Turnagain Arm and through Moose Pass, with all major rental chains represented at the airport — book well ahead, since summer rates run high in Alaska.
📸 Scenic Stops: Beluga Point & Portage Glacier
~1 hour combined · free
Beluga Point is a cliffside pullout on Turnagain Arm where beluga whales are sometimes spotted feeding in the tidal currents, with Dall sheep often visible on the rock face above the road; further south, the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center on Portage Lake has exhibits on the valley's retreating glaciers and a short lakeshore trail.
🛎️ Check-In: Seward Windsong Lodge
From $220 USD/night, for 2 people
A lodge-style property a few miles outside downtown Seward on the road to Exit Glacier, with rooms set among the spruce trees along the Resurrection River.
Seward Windsong Lodge · alaskacollection.com/lodging/seward-windsong-lodge
🍽️ Dinner: Chinooks Waterfront Restaurant
~1.5 hours · dinner from $35 USD/person
A harbor-view restaurant on Seward's small boat harbor, built around the seafood coming off the boats docked outside.
Chinooks Waterfront Restaurant · chinooksak.com
Day 2Seward — Kenai Fjords & Exit Glacier
Seward's small boat harbor is the launch point for full-day cruises into Kenai Fjords National Park, where tidewater glaciers calve into the sea — and the only road-accessible part of the park is a glacier you can walk right up to.
⛴️ Full-Day Tour: Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise
~7–8.5 hours · from $230 USD/person
A full-day boat tour into Kenai Fjords National Park past tidewater glaciers, with regular sightings of humpback whales, orcas, sea otters and puffins, run by the park's official concessionaire.
Kenai Fjords Tours · kenaifjords.com
🥾 Hike: Exit Glacier & the Glacier View Loop Trail
~1 hour easy loop · free (fee-free national park)
A short, mostly flat trail to the edge of Exit Glacier, the only part of Kenai Fjords National Park reachable by road — a marked path that has been repeatedly extended as the glacier retreats up its valley; the more ambitious Harding Icefield Trail climbs roughly 3,000 feet from the same trailhead for experienced hikers with a full day to spare.
🍽️ Dinner: Seward Brewing Company
~1.5 hours · dinner from $25 USD/person
A local brewery and restaurant in downtown Seward for pub food and Alaskan beer after a long day on the water.
Day 3Seward to Anchorage — via Girdwood
The drive back north retraces the Seward Highway with one detour: a stop in Girdwood for a tram ride up Mount Alyeska before returning the car in Anchorage.
🍽️ Lunch: Woody's Thai Kitchen
~1 hour · lunch from $20 USD/person
A well-reviewed Thai kitchen in Seward, a good last meal in town before the drive back to Anchorage.
Woody's Thai Kitchen · woodysthaikitchen.com
🚗 Self-Drive: Seward to Girdwood
~2 hours · via the Seward Highway
A return drive north along the same scenic highway, with Turnagain Arm opening up again on the approach to Girdwood.
🚡 Alyeska Aerial Tramway
~30 minutes round trip · from $39 USD/person
A tram climbing 2,300 feet up Mount Alyeska at Alaska's largest ski resort, with a mountaintop deck looking out over Turnagain Arm and the surrounding glaciers.
Alyeska Resort · alyeskaresort.com
🚗 Drive & Rental Car Return: Girdwood to Anchorage
~45 minutes · rental car return at Ted Stevens Anchorage Intl.
A short final leg back into Anchorage to return the rental car ahead of a departing flight.
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