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When my brother and I began planning a trip to Alaska last summer, we considered taking a cruise. After all, cruising is how most travelers see the state. But the more we looked at rigid schedules and limited time in port, the more we found ourselves drawn to another option: the Alaska Railroad. Traveling by train gave us the freedom to build our own itinerary and decide how much time to spend in each destination. Instead of sailing from one stop to the next, we were able to experience Alaska at our own pace.
We'd both been to Alaska before. My brother spent several summers working at a cannery during college, but he spent most of his time in a warehouse. I'd visited many times as a travel writer, but my trips were always woefully brief and left me wanting more. For this trip, we wanted to take our time, which made the Alaska Railroad a natural fit.
How to plan and book your Alaska Railroad trip
The Alaska Railroad operates year-round and offers five seasonal routes. Because we're both national park enthusiasts, we booked a nine-day itinerary that combined the Denali Star from Anchorage to Fairbanks, with stops in Talkeetna and Denali National Park and Preserve, and the Coastal Classic from Anchorage to Seward, the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park.
Other routes include the Glacier Discovery to Whittier, the Hurricane Turn, which provides flag-stop service into the backcountry, and the Aurora Winter Train, which follows the Denali Star route from mid-September to mid-May.
The beauty of the Alaska Railroad is that you can tailor the trip to fit your schedule and budget. On board, we met travelers who were spending two weeks exploring Alaska, hopping on and off the train along the way. Others were riding straight from Anchorage to Fairbanks without overnight stops, a journey of roughly 12 hours.
The Alaska Railroad isn’t a sleeper train, which was a major selling point since we wanted to spend time at the destinations along our route.
Like cruise passengers, Alaska Railroad travelers can book packages that bundle train fare, hotels, and activities. While it's possible to arrange everything yourself, we appreciated the convenience of letting someone else handle the details. Each time we arrived at a depot, our luggage was tagged and transferred directly to our hotel at the next destination. Plus, hotels and tour operators provided shuttles to and from the train station, making for a seamless experience.
Gold Star vs. Adventure Class: the onboard train experience
The Alaska Railroad offers two tiers of service: Adventure Class and Gold Star Service. We spent segments of the journey in both, and discovered that each has advantages.
We spent most of the trip in top-floor Gold Star cars with glass-domed ceilings. The leather seats were wide and comfortable, with plenty of leg room. There were two rows of two seats each, ensuring everyone had a view of the scenery. We especially loved the access to an open-air viewing platform for fresh air and the chance to stretch our legs.
Gold Star fares include white tablecloth meals served in a formal dining car. There were several options for each meal. Breakfast included selections such as scrambled eggs with breakfast potatoes and reindeer sausage or bacon. Dinner choices included slow-braised pot roast or Alaska smoked salmon Alfredo. Gold Star Service also includes two alcoholic beverages per passenger, to be enjoyed during dinner or ordered from the bartender in our passenger car.
We also had a chance to experience Adventure Class, and we were pleased to discover that these cars also offered roomy leather seats with generous legroom and two rows of two seats each. Seating was on the lower level, so there was no glass domed ceiling, but tall windows maximized the views. We also had access to seats on a shared glass-ceiling Vista Dome on top.
Adventure fares don’t include meals, but the onboard Wilderness Cafe offered everything from grab-and-go snacks to handmade sandwiches or hot meals like wild rice and root vegetable curry, mac and cheese, or breakfast sandwiches. In addition, the Coastal Classic route offers a dining car for sit-down meals, such as burgers or chowder for dinner, or biscuits and gravy or blueberry bread pudding for breakfast. Meals can be purchased à la carte once on board, or you can purchase dining vouchers in advance.
Scenic highlights of the Coastal Classic route
The scenery on the Coastal Classic route is so extraordinarily beautiful that passengers ooohed and aaahed in unison at the sight of the peaks of the Chugach Mountains plunging into the glacier-carved waters of the Turnagain Arm. Although we didn’t see any on our trip, it is common to see beluga whales here from mid-July to the end of August.
After the Turnagain Arm, the Coastal Classic veered into the wilderness, where the tracks were surrounded by forests, lakes, mountains, wildflowers, and blue-tinged inland glaciers before pulling into the coastal community of Seward. If you ride straight through, the 114-mile journey takes about four hours, but we took advantage of the following stops.
Anchorage
We started our trip in Anchorage, a delightfully walkable city with dazzling scenery of the Cook Inlet and Chugach Mountains. We flew in two nights early so we would have time to explore before our train trip, and we were glad we did.
Anchorage has amazing restaurants, and we enjoyed everything from reindeer hot dogs from a cart at Town Square Park to locally raised Yak burgers at 49th State Brewing and Italian cuisine prepared with fresh Alaskan seafood and game at Orso.
Highlights of our time in Anchorage include the Alaska Native Heritage Center with programs throughout the day, including dance performances, indigenous game presentations, a museum, and six full-size dwelling sites surrounding a small lake, each representing the way of life for a different Alaskan culture. We also took an excellent tour with Go Hike Alaska, which included a hike around the Eagle River Nature Center inside the astonishingly beautiful, nearly 500-million-acre Chugach State Park. On our last day, we visited the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, a sanctuary where injured and orphaned bears, wolves, caribou, and more are protected in natural habitats.
For lodging, I recommend The Wildbirch Hotel, downtown Anchorage’s first new hotel in 20 years. Located in Anchorage’s historic Mushing District, it’s a ½ mile from the Alaska Railroad train depot and within easy walking distance to shops, restaurants, and attractions like the Anchorage Museum. On-site dining options include Alaskan comfort food at Crimson, Deck 85, a seasonal outdoor patio for shareable dishes overlooking Cook Inlet, a coffee shop, and a soon-to-open brewery as the latest addition to Anchorage’s growing craft beer scene.
My room at The Wildbirch was cozy and stylish, with Alaskan-themed art, custom topographical map headboards, and upscale amenities like a Smeg mini-fridge, an illy espresso machine, and plush robes and slippers waiting in the closet.
Girdwood
We checked into the Ayeska Resort for the night when we reached Girdwood, and immediately regretted the fact that we hadn’t booked a longer stay. The grounds are lovely, and in the afternoon, we were treated to the sight of a large moose grazing next to a pond.
We found no shortage of activities at Alyeska Resort, and we were thrilled to ride the aerial tram to the top of the 2,300-foot-tall Mt. Alyeska for stunning views of the mountains, seven hanging glaciers, and the Turnagain Arm. Amenities on top of the mountain include a small museum, a snack bar, and a fine dining restaurant.
Later, we spent several hours at Alyeska Nordic Spa, moving between hot and cold pools, saunas, and steam rooms tucked among the trees. We left feeling both relaxed and invigorated. Other resort amenities include a gravity-defying skybridge, a saltwater pool, and eight restaurants. Our favorite was Sakura, an Asian bistro where we enjoyed incredible sushi and what turned out to be the best meal of the trip.
Seward
This Coastal Classic ends steps from the waterfront of the harbor town, Seward. There, we boarded a Major Marine Tours day cruise of Kenai Fjords National Park, where we witnessed the rare sight of humpback whales swimming in circles to create a bubble ring in a cooperative hunting strategy called “bubble-net feeding.” The scenery on the cruise was awe-inspiring as we weaved in between craggy fjords and floated in front of massive glaciers.
We spent the night on the waterfront at the Harbor 360 Hotel. Rooms here are basic, but very comfortable, and we loved being able to walk along the dock and to the shops and restaurants in downtown Seward.
In the morning, we took the Real Alaska Day Tour, which included visiting a sled dog kennel, riding behind a legendary Iditarod champion's sled dog team on a dry-mushing course, watching salmon leap up a fish ladder, enjoying lunch at a local restaurant, and spotting a bear on the mile-long hike to the Exit Glacier viewpoint in the land section of Kenai Fjords National Park. After the tour, our guide dropped us off at the depot for our return to Anchorage.
Wilderness and Wildlife on the Denali Star Route
We spent the night in Anchorage after our journey on the Coastal Classic and boarded the Denali Star the following morning. Instead of hugging the coastline, this route wound through mountains, wild rivers, dramatic canyons, dense forests, and sweeping emerald meadows, where we spotted moose and bears. The 356-mile trip takes about 12 hours, but once again, we lengthened the journey with overnight stays.
Talkeetna
Talkeetna is a funky, artsy community with a longstanding tradition of “electing” a cat as unofficial mayor. Aurora, the current mayor, resides at the century-old Nagley’s Store. The Talkeetna Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places, and we had a great time popping into shops and restaurants with hand-painted signs before our K2 Aviation excursion. We were originally scheduled for a Denali flightseeing and landing tour, but the weather interfered with our plans. This can happen in Alaska (and other natural spaces), and we came into the trip knowing that we might have to be flexible. Fortunately, the company was quick on its feet and offered us a stellar aerial glacier tour instead.
Next, we boarded a scenic river cruise with Mahay's Jet Boat Adventures. The 20-mile journey wound through lush forests beneath the Alaska Range. On clear days, passengers are treated to views of Denali, officially renamed Mount McKinley in 2025.
We spent the night at Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge and, once again, wished we'd booked a longer stay. Perched on a bluff overlooking the Susitna Valley, the 35-acre property features spruce forests, walking paths, flower gardens, and outdoor fire pits. Floor-to-ceiling windows in the lobby frame sweeping views of Denali when the mountain is visible. Amenities include a complimentary shuttle to the train depot and downtown Talkeetna, a fitness center, gift shop, and several dining options. We ended the evening at the Foraker Restaurant with an outstanding tasting menu featuring scallop crudo, duck, and a decadent Dubai chocolate dessert.
Before boarding the train the following morning, we visited AK Sled Dog Tours, home to the most successful Iditarod kennel in the race's history. We took a dry mushing ride and spent time meeting the dogs before continuing our journey north.
Denali National Park and Preserve
This was my second visit to Denali National Park. The first time, I stayed in a creekside cabin at the all-inclusive Denali Backcountry Lodge. It was a magical experience, with daily activities such as guided hikes, fascinating educational talks, and kayaking on Wonder Lake. This time, however, I was eager to spend time in the front section of the park, so we lodged at Denali Cabins, which provided shuttles to and from the park.
We spent the next three days reveling in the scenery as we explored the park’s hiking trails, visitors' center, and dog kennels. The highlight was the Wilderness Tundra Tour, a 5.5-hour bus ride through the park, narrated by a certified naturalist, that rewarded us with views of moose, caribou, Dall sheep, brown bears, and other wildlife. The tour books up quickly, and reservations open in December, so be sure to secure a spot in advance of your trip.
Fairbanks
We reached Fairbanks in the evening and boarded the shuttle to Pike’s Waterfront Lodge. After we dropped off our luggage, we strolled through parklike grounds filled with wildflower gardens, walking paths, benches overlooking the Chena River, fire pits, and colorful displays celebrating Alaska's seasons and history. Amenities here include a theater, an Alaskan library, and a Speakeasy-style billiards room.
We flew out the next day but vowed to return to Fairbanks for the Riverboat Discovery Cruise, visit the Chena Hot Springs, and flightseeing to the Arctic Circle. It was disappointing that we didn’t have time on this trip, but now we have a reason to come back.
