Should you Base Yourself in Anchorage or Not? (Both Takes) -

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I’m in many Alaska travel groups, and this is a question that always sparks a lot of debate. I used to be wholeheartedly on the side of leaving Anchorage to experience the real Alaska. But after planning some recent trips for people, I have changed my tune a bit. While I still think you should stay in some of the other more striking locations in the state, Anchorage has its place.

Let me explain.

Downtown anchorage facing mountains 5th street summer

Reasons Not to Base Yourself in Anchorage

So why shouldn’t you stay in Anchorage? After all, there’s a lot to see within an hour or so of the city.

Well, there are a few main reasons:

First (and perhaps most importantly), if you want to leave Anchorage, there’s only one road that cuts through the city from north to south. And to reach some places for day trips you need to drive quite a long ways. So if you plan a bunch of day trips, you’ll be driving these same two roads over and over and over again. This gets old fast.

Second, Anchorage is a city. And not a terribly impressive city either. Alaskans will often say that once you leave Anchorage that’s when you arrive in Alaska. It’s a little harsh, but the sentiment is that Anchorage doesn’t really give you an authentic Alaska experience.

There are some beautiful pockets and an impressive city bike trail and greenbelt system, but otherwise it’s a city lined with strip malls and many unsightly buildings. We joke that the buildings were built for function and not fashion. So I typically don’t recommend staying in an okay city when there are spectacular places elsewhere to stay that are way more ‘Alaskan’. You don’t come to Alaska for a city after all.

Third, and this ties back to point one, you will miss so many amazing places by staying in Anchorage for too long.

Anchorage looking at Chugach Mountains Alaska Fall

Reasons To Base Yourself in Anchorage

Now that we’ve covered why I wouldn’t recommend staying in Anchorage for your whole trip, there are some very valid reasons to base yourself here.

You Only Have a Few Days

If you have just a few days here and fly to Anchorage, staying in town and taking day trips is a smart way to explore Alaska. This way, you can get a taxi to your hotel and book a few excursions. With just a few days you can book day trips, or if you prefer a diy trip, you can easily rent a car too.

Westchester Lagoon Anchorage Alaska Summer

You Don’t Want to Drive

Alaska really is a driving type of vacation. It’s easy to drive here and the roads are wide and well-paved. However, car rentals can be soo expensive, especially for a solo person or anyone on a budget. Whether it’s cost-prohibitive or you don’t want to drive for other reasons, basing yourself in Anchorage is the best option without a car.

There are tons of day trip options from Anchorage. You can go on a sunset photo tour, do a glacier cruise, or hike on a glacier. You can even ride an ATV to a glacier too! There’s many options.

Some of these are more costly, but if you’re by yourself, it’s often cheaper to do these trips vs rent a car. Or, if you would rather sit back and let someone else do all the driving, this is a great way to explore.

Alaska Train railroad Turnagain Arm potter marsh summer

Since there’s only one road in and out of town, you’ll likely end up traveling the same roads a few times, but it’s beautiful north and south of town.

alpine air alaska helicopter tour fall on a glacier

You Don’t Want to Change Accommodations Often

If you would really prefer not to be moving every other day, then you could build your trip with a large portion in Anchorage. If you’re planning a trip longer than 4 days, I would absolutely encourage you to go to another location as well, but you could base yourself here for 3-4 days before moving on.

You Want to Be Near Amenities

Whether it’s for health reasons or convenience (or something else), you might want to have a base in Anchorage where all the amenities are located.

You Have an Early Flight

This is the most obvious reason, but you may want to stay in town if you have an early flight. Downtown is just a few minutes drive to the airport and would be my recommendation. There’s more hotel options and you can easily walk to restaurants.

Where Should You Stay in Anchorage?

If you’re staying in Anchorage, I always recommend staying downtown at either the Hotel Captain Cook or new Wildbirch Hotel. There are plenty of restaurants and shops here. There aren’t any grocery stores or places like Walgreens, so that can be annoying if you find yourself needing some snacks or medicine, but otherwise you have everything right here.

There are some hotels in an area called Midtown. Technically there are many restaurants around, but it’s not very walkable due to the large wide roads that cross through, and wouldn’t be my first choice.

If you don’t want to stay downtown my next recommendation is to stay in an area called Bootlegger’s Cove. This area is on the Inlet and along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, so technically you can still walk downtown if you want. Downtown is just a few minutes drive as well as the many restaurants around Spenard and midtown. There aren’t any hotels here but there’s some cute homes for rent. To get an idea of the location, this home is located in the heart of Bootlegger’s Cove.

If you have a car and want to feel like you’re away from it all, I’d consider South Anchorage. There’s the hillside area or you can go even higher into a place called Bear Valley (and yes there are bears!). This is where you’ll see the houses on the mountainside and you can find some rentals with incredible views. Here’s an example of a modern home with a great view.

hillside anchorage alaska summer green daytime its pretty — Anchorage Hillside

How to Plan a Trip From Anchorage

I already have many articles about what to do in and near Anchorage. I recommend starting with these next to better plan your trip.

Alaska Glacier Lodge helicopter taking off knik alaska summer

Anchorage to Wasilla: Best Stops, Food Rec’s, and More

17 Perfect Day Trips From Anchorage, Alaska

How to Spend a Few Hours in Anchorage

Matanuska Glacier Fall Ice Climber Alaska

7 Glaciers Near Anchorage Worth Visiting [Within Driving Distance]

Upper Reed Lakes summer hatcher pass Alaska

These are the Best Day Hikes Near Anchorage

Best Things to do in Anchorage with Kids

Tip! A way to break up the driving is to book a flight tour or the train. I highly recommend the train to Seward or north to Denali so you can explore more of the state.

My Recommendation

The overwhelming majority of Alaskans will tell you to leave Anchorage asap, and I tend to agree with them. You don’t visit Alaska to be in a city. But if Anchorage is your only option, you can still take advantage of the many day trips available and sights around the city.

Should you Base Yourself in Anchorage or Not? (Both Takes)

Reasons Not to Base Yourself in Anchorage