Sample itinerary · Kenai Peninsula

Kenai Peninsula Family Road Trip

Six days from Anchorage to Seward and back

Start with day 1
Forested sea stacks rising from turquoise water in an Alaska fjord
Sea stacks on the Kenai coast

Glaciers you can walk to, a boat day among whales and calving ice, salmon under the boardwalk and a harbor town covered in murals. The Seward Highway is one of the great drives in the country, and the whole route is built for a family pace.

Great for Summit SeekerSmall-Town WandererTrailhead Family
  1. Anchorage
  2. Potter Marsh
  3. Portage
  4. Girdwood
  5. Exit Glacier
  6. Seward
  7. Kenai Fjords

Before you go

Rules and seasons checked October 2026

Exit Glacier road

Usually closed to cars from late October to mid-May. In 2026 the area opened for summer on May 14.

Boat tours

Book Kenai Fjords cruises ahead for July. Half-day trips run about 4 hours; full-day trips to tidewater glaciers run about 8 to 9.

Seward Highway

About 127 miles, or 2.5 to 3 hours without stops. You'll want the stops.

Day 1 of 6

Anchorage by the water

An easy arrival day on Anchorage's paved coastal trail.

  1. Tony Knowles Coastal Trail

    A paved trail that runs about 11 miles along the water. Rent bikes downtown or walk a stretch from Westchester Lagoon toward Earthquake Park.

    Alyssa's note Watch the mudflats from the trail, not on them. They behave like quicksand.

  2. Moose's Tooth

    Anchorage's legendary pizza pub. Expect a wait at dinnertime, so get your name in early.

Day 2 of 6

Turnagain Arm to Girdwood

The Seward Highway's first stretch: marsh birds, a glacier walk and a mountain tram.

  1. Potter Marsh boardwalk

    About 1,550 feet of accessible boardwalk 15 minutes south of downtown. Look for terns, ducks and eagles, and salmon in Rabbit Creek from May to August.

    Alyssa's note Car break-ins have happened here. Take valuables with you.

  2. Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

    Near Portage, with rescued moose, bears, bison and musk oxen in big enclosures. Guaranteed wildlife for kids who've been scanning the roadside.

  3. Byron Glacier Trail

    About 2.8 miles round trip and nearly flat, up a valley to a view of Byron Glacier and the snowfields below it.

    Alyssa's note Never go into ice caves or under snow bridges. Keep kids back from the cold, fast creek.

  4. Girdwood for the night

    A mountain town with an aerial tram up Mount Alyeska for dinner with a view, if the weather's clear.

Day 3 of 6

Seward: glacier, harbor, murals

The day from the sample on Alyssa's home page, start to finish.

  1. Coffee before the crowds

    Resurrect Art Coffee House serves espresso and house-baked treats inside a former church. Cocoa for the kids.

  2. Exit Glacier

    The 1-mile Glacier View Loop is accessible, with signs marking where the ice used to reach. Add the 0.6-mile spur to the Glacier Overlook if legs are fresh.

    Alyssa's note Pack layers. It's colder near the ice, and the lot fills from about 10:30 to 3:30.

  3. Seafood lunch

    Crab or salmon for the grown-ups and something simple for the kids. The Exit Glacier Salmon Bake runs roughly May through September.

  4. Main street murals

    Seward calls itself the mural capital of Alaska, with more than 30 painted walls downtown. Make it a scavenger hunt.

  5. Waterfront Park

    Playgrounds, beach access and Mile 0 of the Iditarod Trail along the bay. Then back to basecamp.

Coffee cup held up against a small-boat harbor
Coffee before the crowds
Green valley leading up to a glacier between mountains
The valley below the ice
Platter of king crab legs with vegetables
Lunch, Alaska-style
Building covered in a colorful painted mural
Mural hunting downtown
Day 4 of 6

Kenai Fjords by boat

The big day on the water, sized to your crew.

  1. Kenai Fjords cruise

    Half-day trips (about 4 hours) suit young kids and still find sea otters, puffins and often whales. Full-day trips (about 8 to 9 hours) reach the tidewater glaciers.

    Alyssa's note Ranger-narrated trips with Major Marine Tours are a good fit for families. Take seasickness precautions on the full-day route.

  2. Alaska SeaLife Center

    Steller sea lions, seals, seabirds and a giant Pacific octopus, with hands-on exhibits for kids.

Day 5 of 6

A slow Seward day

Short walks, salmon and an easy beach at the end of the road.

  1. Tonsina Point

    An easy walk of about 1.5 miles each way from Miller's Landing at Lowell Point to a beach with jellyfish to spot, a ghost forest from the 1964 earthquake, and salmon in late summer.

  2. Two Lakes Park and Bear Creek Weir

    A flat 1-mile loop at the foot of Mount Marathon, then a short drive to watch salmon jump at the weir (coho run July to September).

  3. Benny Benson boardwalk

    A quarter-mile boardwalk loop around Seward Lagoon at dinnertime. Watch for otters.

Red cabins along a trail in a green mountain valley
Back at basecamp
Day 6 of 6

Back up the highway

Drive back to Anchorage with stops at whatever you rushed past on the way down.

  1. Seward Highway north

    About 2.5 to 3 hours without stops. Beluga Point and the Turnagain Arm pullouts are worth another look.

  2. Thunderbird Falls (if time)

    Just north of Anchorage: about 1.8 miles round trip to an observation deck above the falls. The walk back out is uphill.

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Kid-tested trails on this trip

Distances are round trip. Times are estimates for a family with kids about 6 to 9; the Trail Finder adjusts them for your crew.

Open in the Trail Finder

Exit Glacier: Glacier View Loop

1.0 mi~50 ftAny age

Signs mark where the ice reached in past years. Kids find it unforgettable.

Exit Glacier Overlook

1.2 mi~250 ftAges 5+

A moderately strenuous 0.6-mile spur (each way) from the trailside kiosk to a closer look at the ice.

Byron Glacier Trail

2.8 mi100 ftAges 3+

Mostly flat up a valley to the glacier and the snowfields below it.

Potter Marsh Boardwalk

0.6 mi0 ftAny age

About 1,550 feet of boardwalk. Terns, ducks and eagles, and salmon in Rabbit Creek from May to August.

Thunderbird Falls

1.8 mi~375 ftAges 4+

An observation deck above the falls, just north of Anchorage.

Tonsina Point

3.0 mi~150 ftAges 5+

From Lowell Point to a beach with jellyfish, a ghost forest from the 1964 earthquake and salmon in late summer.

Two Lakes Park Loop

1.0 mi~20 ftAny age

A flat loop at the foot of Mount Marathon in Seward, with a picnic area and salmon viewing.

Tony Knowles Coastal Trail

2.0 mi~20 ftAny age

Paved and about 11 miles long. Start at Westchester Lagoon and go as far as you like.

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Sources

Restaurants, hours, fees and seasons change. Confirm before you go.