If you only have 5 days to visit Alaska, head to the Kenai Peninsula. Less than 2 hours from Anchorage, it has everything Alaska is known for in a relatively compact area.

Day 1 – Cooper Landing

Pick up your rental car and hit the road! The drive from Anchorage to the Kenai Peninsula is stunning, and you’ll have a good chance of spotting wildlife on the drive. Look for Dall Sheep on the cliffs of Turnagain Arm, and Beluga Whales in the water below.

Pro Tip: Ask your hotel if they have bear spray available if you are planning to do any hiking. We bought some, but upon arriving at one of our hotels, they let us know they had plenty left from other guests if we needed it!

Once you arrive in Cooper Landing, head to the Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge for lunch on one of the most gorgeous decks.

To get this incredible view of the Kenai river and surrounding areas – hike Slaughter Ridge. It’s a tough hike – but even part way up the rewards are spectacular.

Grab dinner at one of the local restaurants and get some rest – the Alaska experience is just getting started!

Day 2 – Cooper Landing

Start the day fishing (or floating) on the Kenai. I hadn’t fished in probably 20 years (still have trouble believing I can say I haven’t done something for 20 years!), but we thought it would be fun to try fly fishing. Even if you don’t fish – you need to spend a few hours on this river. The scenery is just stunning, and more for you to enjoy when someone else is rowing the boat! We had a fantastic experience with Alaska Troutfitters – our guide was 100% cool with teaching us newbies how to fish.

Next, grab a beer at Cooper Landing Brewery and get the famous Rally Burger from the Blue Yeti (the brewery’s resident food truck).

After lunch, its time to head to Seward! The drive will take less than an hour, but make time to stop along the way to take in the beautiful scenery, especially at Tern Lake.

Pro Tip: Make reservations for dinner in Seward, or at the very least, head to dinner on the earlier side.

Walk around town and check out the Waterfront park for views of the water and mountains. The Alaska SeaLife Center is a fantastic little aquarium that highlights all the creatures that live in this area. They have a lot of exhibits that both adults and kids will love (including a touch tank!). And, they help rehabilitate injured wildlife – like this adorable sea otter pup Poppy.

For dinner, I heard rave reviews of The Cookery – we didn’t make reservations and tried to walk up for a bar seat about five minutes after they opened and the waitlist was already full for the night. Other great options include Woody’s Thai Kitchen and Mermaid Grotto.

Day 3

Here’s hoping for a beautiful sun-shining day for your trip to Exit Glacier. This is the only part of Kenai Fjords National Park that is accessible by road and it’s only a 20 minute drive from Seward.

The Harding Ice Field hike is tough, and will take most of the day, but it is stunning and so worth it.

Pro Tip: Stop for a breakfast burrito at Firebrand BBQ to eat at the top!

If 8+ miles is not your jam, there are shorter hike options that will give you great views of the glacier and a sense of how quickly its receding.

Day 4

No trip to Alaska would be complete without a fjord cruise through Kenai Fjords National Park. The there are a few tour companies and each offer a variety of cruising lengths. We did the Northwestern Fjord Tour with Kenai Fjords Tours. It is an all day trip, so bring layers for changing weather – and more layers than you think you need.

The weather the day of our trip was not looking great – thick, low clouds and rain. We probably missed some pretty sweet views, but the trip was still incredible – more views would have just been a cherry on top.

The tour we did took us out to Northwestern Glacier, a tidewater glacier that has been rapidly receding over the last hundred years. The National Park Service has some really cool (and also devastating) repeat photos of various glaciers in Kenai Fjords National Park to show the dramatic changes over time. It is really hard to capture the sheer size of these, but we spotted a Harbor Seal in front of the glacier, and it looks like just a little speck floating on some ice.

Day 5

Start your last day with a visit to Resurrect Coffee House – a great spot for coffee in Seward. Take the drive back to Anchorage slow – stop for photos or another hike – soak in these last minutes or hours in this incredible place.

One last place that’s worth checking out especially if you want to see more wildlife, is the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. They take in injured or abandoned animals and provide them with care, and provide us with education about the awesome wildlife in this part of the world.

Drop off your rental car and head to the airport! Hope you had an incredible adventure in Alaska!