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Winter Road Trip · Anchorage, Alaska

Alaska Winter Self-Drive: 6 Days

Drive the Parks Highway in a winter-ready AWD car, mush your own husky team, soak in Chena Hot Springs and watch for the aurora.

  • 6 days / 5 nights
  • Round trip from Anchorage (ANC)
  • Self-drive, AWD car
Green northern lights glowing over snowy spruce trees in Alaska

Attractions

What you will see as you travel the route, day by day, and how to make the most of each stop.

8sights on the route
1morning of dog sledding
1night at Chena Hot Springs
1snowcat aurora tour
AnchorageTalkeetnaHealyFairbanksChena Hot SpringsHealyAnchorage
Part of your tripOptional add-on (not included in the trip price)
1Day 1

Anchorage: pick up your car

Stretch your legs by the water.

Tony Knowles Coastal Trail

Why it is worth itA paved trail that runs about 11 miles (18 km) along Cook Inlet from downtown Anchorage. On a clear day you can see Denali far to the north, and moose are often spotted along the way.

Insider tipDaylight is short in winter, so go in the middle of the day, and give any moose plenty of room.

2Day 2

North to Talkeetna and Healy

North to a small river town.

Talkeetna

Why it is worth itA small, historic town where three rivers meet, with log cabins, cafes and a laid-back main street. On a clear day the riverside viewpoint looks out to Denali and the Alaska Range.

Insider tipDenali is often hidden by cloud, so enjoy the town even if the mountain does not show.

Optional add-on

Denali Glacier Landing Flight

A 90-minute ski-plane flight from Talkeetna with a glacier landing below Denali, weather permitting.

$705 per person

Optional. Not included in the trip price.

3Day 3

Healy to Fairbanks

Into Fairbanks.

University of Alaska Museum of the North

Why it is worth itThe University of Alaska Museum of the North sits on the university campus in Fairbanks, with exhibits on Alaska’s art, cultures and natural history.

Insider tipAllow a couple of hours, and look for the exhibits on the northern lights before your first aurora night.

Northern lights over Fairbanks

Why it is worth itFairbanks sits under the auroral oval, so the northern lights are often visible on clear, dark nights from late August to April. Away from city lights, the sky can glow green for hours.

Insider tipThe aurora is never guaranteed. Clear, dark skies give you the best chance, so check the aurora forecast and the cloud cover each evening.

4Day 4

Dog sledding and Chena Hot Springs

Sled dogs, hot springs and a night on the dome.

Dog sledding near Fairbanks

Why it is worth itMushing is the official state sport of Alaska. A local musher and team of huskies take you through the snowy boreal forest outside Fairbanks.

Insider tipDress warmly, with a hat, mitts and warm boots, since you sit still in the cold.

Chena Hot Springs

Why it is worth itA resort about 60 miles east of Fairbanks, built around natural hot springs. You soak in the outdoor rock lake while watching for the aurora on a clear night.

Insider tipWear a hat while you soak. Wet hair can freeze in the cold air.

Aurora Ice Museum

Why it is worth itA building made of ice and snow at Chena Hot Springs, kept at about 25°F (-4°C) all year. Inside are carved sculptures, an ice bar and glowing chandeliers made of ice crystals.

Insider tipBring your warm layers inside. It stays below freezing all year.

Charlie Dome aurora tour

Why it is worth itA snowcat ride takes you up Charlie Dome, a ridge above Chena Hot Springs, for aurora viewing. You wait for the lights in heated yurts high above the valley.

Insider tipDress in your warmest layers. You head up the dome late at night.

5Day 5

Back down the Parks Highway to Healy

Back down the Parks Highway.

Optional add-on

Chena Hot Stone Spa Morning

A 90-minute hot stone massage at Chena Hot Springs before your last soak. Tip included.

$355 per person

Optional. Not included in the trip price.

The order of stops can shift with the weather, and access to some sites can change with the season or local conditions. See Day by day for the full plan.

Why this trip

This is a winter road trip at your own pace. You drive the Parks Highway from Anchorage into the Interior in a winter-ready AWD or 4x4 rental, with every drive planned for daylight. You mush your own team of huskies, soak in a natural hot springs lake while the snow falls, and ride a snowcat up a dome for a night of aurora watching. Hotels and tours are booked, and your car is arranged for you.

  • Your own winter carChoose an AWD or 4x4 car in the booking box. You pick it up and return it at Anchorage airport.
  • Dog sleddingA morning of mushing with Black Spruce Dog Sledding near Fairbanks (booked).
  • Chena Hot SpringsA night at the resort with the rock lake soak and an Aurora Ice Museum tour (booked).
  • Aurora viewing tourA snowcat ride up Charlie Dome for a late night under the northern sky (booked).

At a glance

Length
6 days / 5 nights
Starts and ends
Anchorage (ANC), round trip
Getting around
Self-drive in a winter AWD or 4x4 rental car of your choice, arranged for you; about 880 miles in total, daylight drives of 1.5 to 6 hours
Accommodations
Comfort Plus
Best time to go
Mid-February to late March: longer daylight for driving and still dark nights for the aurora
Great for
Couples and friends who are comfortable driving on winter roads
Flights
Not included; fly into and out of Anchorage (ANC)

Day by day

Day 1 and day 6 are travel days. Drives are planned for daylight, and the plan can shift with the weather and road conditions.

Day 1Anchorage: pick up your car
Land at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) and pick up your AWD rental car at the airport. Check in downtown, then, if there is daylight left, walk part of the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail for views across Cook Inlet; moose are often seen around town in winter.
Stay: Hotel Captain Cook, Anchorage (night 1 of 5).
Day 2North to Talkeetna and Healy
The longest drive of the trip, about 280 miles (about 6 hours of driving) on the Parks Highway, so you set off at first light. Stop in Talkeetna, about 2.5 hours north, for lunch and the riverside view of Denali on a clear day, then continue past Denali State Park and over Broad Pass to Healy, arriving before dark.
Stay: Aurora Denali Lodge or similar, Healy (night 2 of 5).
Day 3Healy to Fairbanks
A shorter drive, about 110 miles (about 2.5 hours) down the Nenana valley to Fairbanks. In the afternoon, visit the University of Alaska Museum of the North (tickets included). If the sky is clear tonight, step outside and look north.
Stay: Pike's Waterfront Lodge, Fairbanks (night 3 of 5).
Day 4Dog sledding and Chena Hot Springs
In the morning, drive to Black Spruce Dog Sledding for a morning of mushing: meet the huskies, learn to drive your own team and glide through the boreal forest (booked). Then drive Chena Hot Springs Road, about 60 miles (about 1.5 hours), arriving in daylight. Soak in the natural rock lake and tour the Aurora Ice Museum (booked). Late tonight, a snowcat takes you up Charlie Dome for aurora viewing (booked), so there is no night driving.
Stay: Chena Hot Springs Resort, Moose Lodge (night 4 of 5).
Day 5Back down the Parks Highway to Healy
Sleep in after your aurora night and take a last soak. Then drive back through Fairbanks to Healy, about 175 miles (about 4 hours), timed to arrive before dark. Healy’s dark skies give you another chance to see the aurora.
Stay: Aurora Denali Lodge or similar, Healy (night 5 of 5).
Day 6Drive to Anchorage and fly home
Drive south to Anchorage, about 250 miles (5 to 5.5 hours), with roadside viewpoints of Denali on a clear day. Return your car at the airport. Plan flights for the evening or later; overnight flights from Anchorage are common.

Map

Your road trip route at a glance: Anchorage, Talkeetna, Healy, Fairbanks and Chena Hot Springs, then back to Anchorage. Every stop and attraction is numbered, and optional add-ons are in blue.

Expand map
  1. 1Anchorage
  2. 2Tony Knowles Coastal Trail
  3. 3Talkeetna
  4. 4Denali South Viewpoint
  5. 5Broad Pass
  6. 6Healy
  7. 7Fairbanks
  8. 8Museum of the North
  9. 9Black Spruce Dog Sledding
  10. 10Chena Hot Springs
  11. 11Aurora Ice Museum
  12. 12Charlie Dome
  13. 13Denali Glacier Landing Flight (optional add-on)
  14. 14Chena Hot Stone Spa Morning (optional add-on)

Included in your tripOptional add-on

What’s included

Included

  • 5 nights: 1 in Anchorage, 2 in Healy, 1 in Fairbanks and 1 at Chena Hot Springs Resort, with taxes
  • Rental car of your choice, arranged for you (AWD or 4x4, pick up and return at Anchorage airport)
  • A morning of dog sledding with Black Spruce Dog Sledding
  • An aurora viewing tour on Charlie Dome, by snowcat
  • Hot springs rock lake soaking and an Aurora Ice Museum tour at Chena Hot Springs
  • University of Alaska Museum of the North tickets
  • A day-by-day plan with drive times, winter driving tips and a packing list, and one point of contact from booking to landing

Not included

  • Flights
  • Meals and drinks
  • Fuel or charging, tolls and parking
  • The rental company’s deposit or credit card hold
  • Optional extra insurance or upgrades at the rental counter
  • Traffic and parking fines, and any damage to the car
  • Tips for your guides
  • Optional activities (snowmobiling, kennel tours, massages)
  • Winter gear rental
  • Travel insurance
  • Personal spending

Your hotels, rental car, experiences and guides are arranged for you. Flights are up to you, and your pre-trip guide includes timing tips.

Questions

What if I need to cancel?
Plans change. If you need to cancel, you'll receive trip credit toward another itsTripEasy trip: within 24 hours of payment, 100% trip credit, so you can swap to a different destination; 90 or more days before your trip start date, 100% trip credit; less than 90 days before, no trip credit, unless you added Flexible Cancellation: with it, you get 100% trip credit if you cancel at least 10 days before your trip start date, for a trip you take within 12 months. Other trip credits never expire. To cancel or change your dates, use the cancellation request form. For a date change, choose the reason "I'd like to change my dates".
How many people can share a room?
Up to 4 people share one room with 2 queen beds, and the price per person drops as more people share: 2 sharing saves a little, 3 sharing more, 4 sharing the most. For a larger group, use Plan My Trip.
Do I need a car?
Yes, this is a self-drive trip, and your rental car is arranged for you. Choose the car in the booking box, then pick it up at Anchorage airport (ANC) when you land and return it there on day 6. Every car offered is AWD or 4x4 for winter roads, and every drive is planned for daylight. The aurora tour on Charlie Dome is by snowcat, so there is no night driving. The driver signs the rental contract at the counter and needs a valid license and a credit card in their name. Fuel, tolls, parking, the rental deposit or card hold, extra insurance, fines and damage are paid by the driver. See the rental car terms.
Are flights included?
Flights are up to you; fly into and out of Anchorage (ANC). Your pre-trip guide includes timing tips so your arrival and departure fit the plan.
When is the best time to go?
Trips start between February 15 and March 26. Days are long enough by then (about 9.5 to 12 hours of daylight) to drive in the light, and nights are still dark enough for the aurora. The aurora is never guaranteed and depends on solar activity and clear skies.
Can the trip be customized?
Yes, right in the booking box: add up to 3 extra nights at the start or end of your trip, pick your hotels (Economy, Comfort Plus or Superior), choose your rental car, and choose how many travelers share each room. You can also add optional extras like the Chena Hot Stone Spa Morning or the Denali Glacier Landing Flight.

Good to know

  • Weather and nature. Weather, road and natural conditions are outside anyone’s control and can change quickly. They may change the plan, close roads, or delay, shorten or cancel tours and activities, and the order of days may shift.
  • Your choices. You are responsible for your own decisions, safety and choices while traveling, including which activities you take part in, and following local guidance, posted warnings and your guides’ instructions.
  • Photos. Photos on this page are for inspiration. They may not show the exact location, hotel, season or conditions of your trip.
  • Not included. Flights aren’t included; you book those yourself. Fuel, tolls, parking, the rental deposit or card hold, extra insurance, fines and damage are paid by the driver.
  • Rental car. The car shown is a preferred model “or similar”. If it isn’t available, you get a similar car of the same class or better. The driver must meet the rental company’s age, license and credit card rules. Rental car terms
  • Winter driving. Alaska roads can be snowy and icy, and daylight is short. Drive slowly, keep the tank above half, carry warm layers, and check road conditions before each drive (511.alaska.gov).
$4,185
2 travelers · 6 days / 5 nights
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