I called to ask availability and the manager answered within 2 rings. He was welcoming and…read morefriendly! We met the team at the corner of 4th and E streets and they were all so peppy. Prince was our tour guide and he was casual, knowledgeable and made history interesting!! Not only did he tell us all about important places, but he let us out to explore. We visited the ULU factory, the Captain Cook memorial, Earthquake Park, and a beautiful overlook where we saw the Chugach Mountains, Talkeetna Mountains and Denali (in the distance). Prince knew interesting stories and historical facts. We are tour directors here for the season and we learned a lot from him!

Review #11 for 2026…read more Our group went on this tour while on our Alaskan Adventure. It is a one hour tour that starts at the Anchorage Visitor Center. We arrived early to explore a bit of downtown beforehand. Booking was super easy. I called to book and they were super easy about the booking and payment, telling me I could either pay at check-in or use the emailed link and pay ahead of time. It is normally $25 a person for the one hour tour. We had used the Alaska TourSaver book and there was a coupon inside for BOGO free tours! There is a max of 2 coupons allowed per tour according to the coupon, so book ASAP if you are using the coupon. We had 2 coupon books for our group of 4 adults and were able to use both! Our 14 month old baby at the time was also free. So the tour was super cheap! There is free parking around downtown, but as with anywhere you go, make sure you read the signs to make sure. There is NO bathroom at the visitor center or on the bus, so allow yourself enough time to go to the bathroom first!! We had to walk to a nearby hotel to use the bathroom before going on the tour. This tour was short, so there were no hop-on, hop-off photo stops. However, the tour was informative and we all enjoyed learning about the city. My baby boy seemed to also really enjoy the tour. The bus was not full, so we were able to spread out. We also get a reindeer hotdog from the stand right by the bus and it was a great idea because it kept our toddler busy munching while enjoying his tour! They do allow food and drinks. Just be mindful and take your trash with you and keep the bus clean. They also have a place to store strollers while on the tour if you had on like we did. Would I come back? I think this is more of one of those things you do when you are in town for the first time. It is not really a tour you go on each time you are in town. However, I would not mind checking out the other longer tours. If you do travel to Anchorage, check out this tour!! It's affordable, even without the coupon and is a good intro into the town and history.

We came here as a part of an organized tour, and I'm so glad this was one of the stops! If you're…read morenot on an organized tour, don't pass this up! Martin owns the kennel and has completed 39 Iditarod races. The other staff that engaged with us also have completed a few each! The whole experience was educational but also extremely engaging. We got to watch a demo of how the dogs pull the sled, play with the dogs and puppies, and see examples of how they prepped themselves and their dogs for the Iditarod. Martin and Sue told us stories of when they were preparing for and doing the Iditarod. I think we stayed a lot longer than our schedule had allotted, and that was ok by us! Happy Trails does such a great job engaging with their guests--definitely put this on your list of things to do in the area!

Great and fun experience for all ages. They have covered and enclosed teaching areas with multiple…read moredemonstrations and a film, then you can finish off with puppy time! You can meet almost all of the dogs that they have, and get a full look into the lives of what it takes to be a dog sled team in Alaska year round. It's run by Martin Buser who has ran 39 Iditarods and has won 4 of them, which is incredible! You get to interact with him and his team and get real insight into their lives and what it takes to be competitive sledders. It's expensive, about $50 a person, but is well worth your time and your drive. You can spend more than 2 hours easily up there, and you won't regret it. Out of a whole week up in Alaska, this was my personal favorite activity we did.

I booked a winter tour with Salmon Berry that started in Anchorage and traveled to Fairbanks. This…read moretour was amazing. We packed so much in to our week but nothing ever felt rushed and we were able to genuinely enjoy each experience. Our tour guide Laura was so knowledgeable and professional and a joy to spend the week with. I have already recommended this tour to 4 friends and cannot say enough great things about this company, the employees, and the adventures.

Great time! They were able to help us out when we asked for a same-day tour. Got to go to the top…read moreof Alyeska resort with the tram. Also went to the wildlife conservation center and saw the moose, bears, musk oxen, elk, etc. the tour included lunch at our choice of two food trucks. I got the pork belly rice bowl at the Girdwood izakaya. A bit heavy on the salt, but overall an enjoyable meal. Love the blueberry kombucha at the brewery! V, our guide, was informative and helped take pictures of my family! They pick up and drop off at your hotel. Not too sure about the water bottles though. After you are done drinking the tap water, you have to return the bottles for them to recycle. Although they use a dishwasher, it seems a bit strange for me to share bottles with other people.

So much fun. Both harnessing the dogs and the cart ride. But best was puppy time at the end.read more

The best way to travel from Anchorage to Denali…read more Check-in and boarding is pretty straight forward and efficient. We were there off-season, so we got to exclusively enjoy the dining car ... Which, in my opinion, has better views than the observation car. They had a bar with decent options, and the prices were reasonable. Overall, it was a good time, and I highly recommend taking the train if you're going to Denali or Fairbanks.

Review #10 for 2026…read more We did this train ride from Anchorage to Seward while in Alaska to get to our cruise. This train ride was a fantastic scenic way to get from point A to point B. My baby boy loves trains and he had a great time on the train too. For this trip, we did splurge and did the GoldStar service. If you are doing it only once, I would say splurge on it!! However, I do not have any experience with the regular adventure class seating, but we felt it was totally worth it for us. It is DOUBLE the cost at $240 though, so keep that in mind as far as budgeting goes. I did just check the website and right now as of Jan 2026, the price increased to $277 for GoldStar seating and $133 for regular seating. Kids 2-11 cost significantly less. Under 2 is free if they sit on your lap. Everyone gets a special Goldstar pin! Our particular train was sold out as it was the first day and everyone was there trying to catch their cruise in Seward also, so to have the assigned seating and all was great for us. Checking in was quick. They are very efficient and fast!! When you bring your luggage, they will ask you if you want it to go to the cruise or train station. Those going to the cruise, tell you cruise!! You do not want to lug your luggage around town. Let them do the work for you!! So there is a weight limit for the suitcases. 2 can be checked in at 50lbs each. We spent ALL night moving stuff around and trying to make the weights work out and to get there and they just grabbed everything and asked you where you wanted it to go! It took like 10 seconds! They were not weighing any one suitcases or checking all that stuff... so I do not know if they actually check it or because our train was sold out they just wanted to load everyone on as fast as possible. Also, online it says you can only carry on a small backpack, but there were tons of people with large backpacks and even some with small suitcases. Like I said, I do not know how strict they are exactly or if because we were the first train of the season and sold out that they just wanted to get people on as fast as possible... With Goldstar, you get an open window train, meaning you can see 360 around you as opposed to regular seating where it is just a window, but the window is pretty big. I forgot to walk around the other trains just to see how different it was. With GoldStar you also get 2 free alcoholic drinks, there is no limit on non-alcoholic drinks and a full breakfast included. For breakfast you go downstairs and are in a seated table with table service. The breakfast was delicious! I got reindeer sausage with eggs and potatoes. You can also order multiple drinks. I got orange juice with coffee. Breakfast goes by pretty quick as they get people down in groups and send you back up so they can go on to the next group. If you have a sleeping toddler like we did, we were able to get his breakfast to-go and he had food when he woke up and he LOVED the breakfast as well. He devoured most of his meal! On the train, you were free to roam around. We went out back to the open air several times. It was a good way to get fresh air and stretch your legs. The air in Alaska is just so clean and fresh! The views were amazing from everywhere!! The Goldstar seats were comfy and big. Would I come back? YES!! I have been wanting to come back since we left Alaska! I want to do the aurora train during the winter that goes to Fairbanks. I heard its possible to see the northern lights. I want to experience the other train rides! Unfortunately, the only route that offers the Goldstar service is the Coastal Classic which goes from Anchorage to Seward and vice versa.

I am an airline pilot and was staying at the Hilton right across the street from Anchorage Downtown…read moreTours. I walked in and asked about a 3 to 4 hour day tour of Anchorage. The owner, Russ, was very accommodating and set me up for a tour starting only two hours later. Eventually the group grew to three people and Russ picked us up at the Hilton promptly at 11. This was exactly what I was looking for. I spent a very enjoyable four hours with Russ, who grew up in Alaska and who knows the state backwards and forwards. Russ has a great deal of civic pride as well! Russ gave us a comprehensive look at the after-effects of the big earthquake during the 60s, where entire homes were moved up to two or three city blocks! The ground shifted so much it made a once perfectly flat neighborhood into a neighborhood with lots of hills! Russ has a sharp eye for wildlife, and besides mountain goats and sheep, we actually got to see a moose! Ross absolutely loves his home state, and you will learn a lot driving around with him. And have a pretty good time doing it, as well!

So TODAY's Alaskan Adventure... Hiking the Matanuska Glacier…read more My First hike in Alaska & WHAT a Breathtaking 3 mile hike it was! Thank You to Anchorage Downtown TourGroup http://downtowntourgroup.com & Paul for getting me to the glacier safe and sound & for the yummy lunch! On today's tour I learned that 99 million gallons of water flow under Matanuska Glacier each day; Glacial water comes out of her at 28 degrees & can freeze at 29 degrees; she is moving 12-16 inches a day(normal is 10 inches)and that a loud Popcorn sound IS never a good sound! Kimberlee at Travel with Kimberlee on FB.

If you are visiting Anchorage, this place is a must visit. The woman that work there are very…read morefriendly and helpful and will assist you in planning your visit to the town. I will admit, they did crush my dreams of snowmobiling on a glacier and seeing the Northern Lights because it was too late in the season. But hey, at least I knew. They provide you with awesome recommendations to get you going whether it be attractions, places to eat or things to do. The log cabin in front is more of a welcome center and has some history and a greeter. The larger building in the back is more of where the magic happens. That is where you will find all the attraction brochures and the information of what is operating during that time of year. Both buildings are very clean and organized and they are strategically located by quite a few souvenir shops. There is metered street parking on the street in front of and adjacent to the Center. It was very helpful and got me a good itinerary put together. Like I said, this is a must stop when you are planning things to do during your vacation in anchorage.

Gayle and I stopped in looking for Lunch recommendations. The person who greeted us was very…read morewelcoming and informative. She offered a variety of options, plus some walking recommendations, and a plug for the 1-hour Trolley tour. She also provided a map, with easy guidance and advice on restaurant layouts and wait times. We took her up on one Lunch option at 49th State Brewery and the Trolley Tour after that. Both were solid recommendations. We'd gladly come back at another time looking for more.

My aunt was getting her hair done at Hot Heads and we needed to kill 30 minutes of time. I got 3…read moreula knives from a thrift store but had no idea how to use them. Cashier showed me how to chop and use a rocking motion. Not practical for watermelon, canelope, or pineapple. I needed knife holders and bought 2 wooden holders for $2 each and a jade one for $8. We killed time trying to watch salmon up the creek but didn't see any. The train blew its horn, and I got this picture. Cute flushable toilets outside. Recommend.

Unfortunately we arrived late in the afternoon, and were not able to see the ulu knives being made…read more However, Ben, an employee, showed us the factory area and walked us through the steps in the manufacturing process. He provided a great deal of information. The Ulu Factory is also a gift shop and of course, sells their knives and wooden chopping boards/bowls. The wood products are so beautiful. They also sell other souvenirs. The factory is located across the street from the train station and was within walking distance of downtown.

We had a great time with Chris, who provided ample interesting information about Alaska's…read moregeological history, fauna, and glaciers. The ride was safe and smooth. Johnson, our glacier hike tour guide snowmobiled us on sleds to the glacier, took us on an exciting trek through the glacier, through ice caves, down snow and ice slides, over ice rivers, educated us on the dangerous terrain, pointed out moose and fox tracks, etc... I have a newfound respect for glacier hiking.

We took the tour with Matt as our guide, he was extremely knowledgeable and friendly! I would…read morestrongly recommend using them! Hopefully you get Matt!

Magnificent setting, beautiful home and gracious hosts! We enjoyed our stay and look forward to the…read morenext time.

From the owner: Luxury Lake Front Vacation Rental with panoramic mountain views. Enhance your Alaskan adventure in…read moreyour cozy home away from home. Custom Vacation Planning Service Authentic Alaska Tours Travel Agency visit our website www.authenticalaskatours.org