Alaska Itineraries with Aspen Hotels

Sleep Here, Go Everywhere

Aspen Hotels has been running suite-style properties across Alaska since 1999, with locations in Anchorage, Denali, Fairbanks, Seward, Soldotna, Kenai, Homer, Juneau, Sitka, and Haines. Many properties feature suites with full kitchens, free parking, and rates that make sense for a longer trip. The full kitchens alone can save you real money if you stock up on groceries and cook breakfast before a big day out, or if you come back to cook a meal after a long day of exploring.

Alaska's largest regional hotel brand, Aspen Hotels operates with a consistent standard across every property in the portfolio. You’ll find the same clean, comfortable rooms and suites whether you're in Juneau or Fairbanks. That consistency matters when you're moving between destinations. Experienced staff, dependable operations, and a genuine connection to the communities they serve make Aspen Hotels a reliable base for any trip across the state.

The itineraries below cover different corners of the state in summer, but you'll also find winter getaway ideas at the end of this page. All hotel stays can be booked directly at aspenhotelsak.com.

The Kenai Peninsula Loop (9 - 11 Days)

The Kenai Peninsula is called Alaska’s playground for a reason. You can fly into Anchorage and be fishing a world-class river or hiking above a glacier the same week, all without leaving the road system. There’s also rafting, kayaking, flightseeing, and bear viewing. This loop starts and ends in Anchorage with buffer days on each end for flights.

Day 1: Arrive in Anchorage | Overnight in Anchorage

Check into the Aspen Suites Hotel Anchorage Downtown. The Downtown and North locations are both within a few minutes of the airport. If you arrive with time and energy, head for the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, an 11-mile paved path along Cook Inlet. You can walk or rent a bicycle. The Alaska Native Heritage Center is a great first stop too, giving you real context on the cultures you'll encounter across the state.

Day 2: Day in Anchorage | Overnight in Anchorage

Spend your first full day getting into Chugach State Park, which borders the city to the east. Flattop Mountain is one of the most popular hikes in the state. After a solid climb you’ll enjoy views taking in the city, Cook Inlet, and on a clear day, Denali. Not interested in the climb? Just drive to the trailhead and walk to the overlook near the parking area. If you'd rather stay closer to town, the Anchorage Museum covers Alaska history, art, and science in a single building downtown. If you’re staying at the Aspen Suites Hotel Anchorage Downtown, it’s just a 5 minute walk!

Days 3–5: Drive to Seward | Overnight in Seward

It's a 2.5-hour drive from Anchorage down the Seward Highway to the seaside town of Seward. Drive slowly along Turnagain Arm bore tides run through the inlet at surprising speed and beluga whales are sometimes visible from the road pullouts. Aspen Hotels has two properties in Seward: the Hotel Seward by Aspen Hotels and the Hotel Edgewater by Aspen Hotels, with waterfront accommodations close to the harbor and within steps from the Alaska SeaLife Center. Either puts you within easy reach of everything in town.

Seward is the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park, and getting out on the water is the main event. Several operators run half- and full-day cruises into the fjords, where you'll see calving glaciers and look for humpback whales, orcas, sea otters, puffins, and Steller sea lions. On land, Exit Glacier is a 10- to 15-minute drive from town, and a short walk brings you incredible viewpoints of the glacier. The Alaska SeaLife Center, an aquarium and research facility on the waterfront, is worth a few hours if you want to get up close with the marine life of the region.

Days 6–8: Drive to Soldotna or Kenai | Overnight in Soldotna or Kenai

From Seward, it's about an hour and a half to the Soldotna and Kenai area on the central peninsula. Aspen Hotels has properties in both towns — Aspen Suites Hotel Soldotna, which sits right on the Kenai River, and Aspen Suites Hotel Kenai. The two properties are about 15 minutes apart, so which one makes more sense depends on where your fishing charters or other activities are based.

The Kenai River is one of the most productive salmon fisheries in the world. King salmon run from late May through July; sockeye are thick in July and again in August. Book a guided fishing trip out of Soldotna and your guide will put you in the right spot. If fishing isn't your thing, the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge has trails, lakes, and float routes worth several days of exploration. Start at the Refuge Visitor Center in town to get oriented.

Days 9–11: Drive to Homer | Overnight in Homer

Another two hours down the Sterling Highway brings you to Homer, at the end of the road on Kachemak Bay. Check into the Aspen Suites Hotel Homer and head straight for the Homer Spit, a four-mile gravel bar extending into the bay that holds most of the fishing charters, several restaurants, and the small boat harbor. You’ll find half- and full-day halibut and salmon charters departing daily.

Take a water taxi across Kachemak Bay to Kachemak Bay State Park, where you can hike coastal trails and watch for wildlife. The park has some of the best hiking on the peninsula and is only a 20-minute ride from the Spit. Back in town, Homer has an arts community that shows up in galleries along Pioneer Avenue, and the local restaurant scene is worth exploring in the evenings.

Other popular activities in Homer include fly-in bear viewing tours across the inlet, kayaking, and day cruises for marine wildlife viewing. There’s even a small golf course!

Day 12: Drive back to Anchorage | Overnight in Anchorage

The drive back takes four to five hours depending on stops. Pull over along Turnagain Arm at any scenic viewpoints along the way, then check back into the Aspen Suites Hotel Anchorage Downtown or Aspen Suites Hotel Anchorage North for your final night before flying home.

Southeast Alaska: Juneau, Sitka, and Haines (8-12 Days)

Southeast Alaska is a different kind of trip. Most of it is only accessible by small plane or ferry, which means committing to a slower pace and a more remote feel. The four Aspen properties in this region cover a real cross-section of what Southeast has to offer — glaciers, rainforest, wildlife, and some of the most storied history in the state. Flying is the quickest way to get around if you’re on a tight schedule.

Days 1–3: Fly into Sitka | Overnight in Sitka

Fly into Sitka, on the outer coast of Baranof Island. Check into the Aspen Suites Hotel Sitka, close to downtown and the waterfront.

Sitka was the colonial capital of Russian America before the 1867 sale of Alaska to the United States, and that history is visible everywhere. Walk through the Cathedral of Saint Michael, tour the Russian Bishop's House, and spend time at Sitka National Historical Park, home to one of the finest totem pole collections in Southeast, set in a forested coastal path.

Get out on the water while you're here. Sea otters are reliably spotted near the harbor. Whale-watching trips run May through October and frequently encounter humpbacks in Sitka Sound. Half- and full-day halibut and salmon charters are also available out of the harbor.

Days 4–7: Ferry or fly to Juneau | Overnight in Sitka

Fly or ferry into Alaska's capital and check into the Aspen Suites Hotel Juneau or the Aviator Suites Hotel Juneau Airport by Aspen Hotels, centrally located near downtown and the main trailheads. Juneau is hemmed in on all sides with the Gastineau Channel to one side, steep mountains to the other. And, the road system goes only about 40 miles in each direction before it stops!

Mendenhall Glacier is the most visited site in Juneau. Start at the visitor center, which has an indoor viewing area and a 15-minute film. From there you can access multiple trails, from a short walk to Photo Point, a trail to Nugget Falls, an interpretive walk that marks the glacier’s recession, or a longer loop that gets you closer to the ice. You can also enjoy the area with a guide. For serious hikers, Mount Roberts and the Perseverance Trail are both legitimate multi-hour outings.

Whale watching is another popular experience in Juneau. They’re so frequently sighted that most tours guarantee whale sightings. There’s also the Goldbelt Tram up Mt. Roberts, fishing charters, fly-in bear viewing to nearby Pack Creek, flightseeing (and even landings) on a glacier, and much more.

Days 8–10: Ferry to Haines | Overnight in Haines

Ferry or fly north from Juneau to Haines, a small town at the top of the Lynn Canal — the longest fjord in North America. The Aspen Suites Hotel Haines sits near downtown and the ferry terminal.

Join a tour to the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve along the Chilkat River and keep your eyes on the cottonwood trees along the river bar — eagles are present year-round, and the valley is wide and easy to explore by car. Fort William H. Seward, a decommissioned Army post at the edge of town, is now a mix of private residences and art studios; the grounds are worth walking through. From Haines, it’s possible to pick up an RV and continue your journey north into Canada's Yukon on the scenic Haines Highway, or ferry or fly back down to Juneau for your flight home.

Anchorage to Fairbanks via Denali (8 - 10 Days)

This is Alaska's classic north-south corridor, and one of the most satisfying ways to structure a first trip to the state. You fly into Anchorage, head north through the Alaska Range to Denali National Park, and finish in Fairbanks before flying home. The route follows the Parks Highway the whole way, with all three Aspen properties spacing out naturally along it.

Days 1–2: Arrive in Anchorage | Overnight in Anchorage

Check into the Aspen Suites Hotel Anchorage Downtown or Aspen Suites Hotel Anchorage North. The North location is convenient for the airport; the Downtown location puts you within walking distance of Ship Creek, the Coastal Trail, and the main restaurant and shopping corridor. Either works well as a starting point.

The Alaska Railroad depot is downtown, and if you're planning to take the train to Denali, this is where you'll board. The Denali Star departs daily in summer and takes about eight hours. The scenery along the way makes the slower pace worth it.

Before you depart, get an introduction to the state at the Anchorage Museum or the Alaska Native Heritage Center:

Days 3–6: Drive or train to Denali | Overnight near Denali

Check into the Grande Denali Lodge or the Denali Bluffs Hotels, Aspen Hotels affiliate properties sit on Sugarloaf Mountain at the entrance of Denali National Park with on-site dining and views of the Nenana River Canyon and Alaskan Mountain Range. By car, the drive from Anchorage takes about five hours on the Parks Highway.

Head to the park visitor center first to get oriented and check current road and bus conditions. Private vehicles can only drive the first 15 miles of the park road; everything beyond that requires a bus. Reserve your tour bus seat in advance because they can fill up in advance. Or, opt for the National Park Service's hop-on, hop-off transit bus which provides flexibility to get off, hike, and catch the next bus out.

Wildlife is one of the main draws. Grizzly bears, caribou, moose, wolves, and Dall sheep are all regularly visible from the road. If you'd rather cover ground under your own power, Bike Denali offers rentals with shuttle options into the park.

Other Denali activities include flightseeing, ATV tours, rafting the Nenana River, and guided hiking.

Days 7–9: Drive to Fairbanks | Overnight in Fairbanks

Continue north on the Parks Highway, about two hours from the park entrance to Fairbanks. Check into the new Aspen Suites Hotel Fairbanks or the River’s Edge by Aspen Hotels.

Start with the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus at the Museum of the North, which has one of the better natural history and Alaska art collections in the state. From there, head out to Gold Dredge 8 north of town, a well-preserved dredge that gives you real context on the interior's gold rush history, and you can pan for gold yourself. Chena Hot Springs, about an hour east of Fairbanks, is worth the drive too: outdoor geothermal pools, a year-round ice museum, and easy access to the Chena River State Recreation Area if you want trails or a float trip.

Fairbanks is also the most practical base in Alaska for aurora viewing. The season runs late August through April, so if you're traveling at the tail end of summer you have a genuine shot at northern lights on top of everything else.

Day 10: Fly home from Fairbanks

Flying out of Fairbanks International Airport (FAI) wraps the trip cleanly without backtracking to Anchorage. Direct flights connect to Seattle and other West Coast hubs in summer.

If you’d rather have a return flight from Anchorage, the train from Fairbanks to Anchorage is a full-day affair at 12 hours, or the drive takes about 7-8 hours.

Aspen Hotels in Winter

Fairbanks Northern Lights Getaway

Fairbanks sits directly beneath the auroral oval, which makes it one of the most reliable places in the world to see the northern lights. Spend three dedicated nights looking for them and you have roughly a 90% chance of a sighting. During the day, there's plenty to do too: dog sledding, snowmobiling, ice fishing, and skiing are all available in and around the city. Visit the Museum of the North on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus, or drive out to Chena Hot Springs for a soak in geothermal pools under open sky. Stay at the Aspen Suites Hotel Fairbanks.

Soldotna Winter Escape

Soldotna, on the Kenai Peninsula is a busy summer destination, with visitors flocking from all over the world to fish the famous Kenai River. In winter, the pace slows dramatically, but you’ll find a thriving local community with lots of outdoor recreation to enjoy. The Tsalteshi Trails system offers groomed cross-country skiing just minutes from town, and the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge has trails open year-round for walking, skiing, and snowshoeing. The visitor center is a good first stop for maps and current conditions. ARC Lake hosts public skating periodically through the winter. When you're ready to slow down, Soldotna has a good local library for an unhurried afternoon, and a handful of breweries where you can settle in with something local. Stay at the Aspen Hotel Soldotna.

Anchorage Winter Weekend

Anchorage is a legitimate winter destination with more options than people expect. Hilltop Ski Area is right in town and a good option for a few runs without committing to a full day. For something bigger, Alyeska Resort in Girdwood is about 45 minutes south and offers serious terrain with a tram and multiple lifts. Cross-country skiers have a network of groomed trails available, with rental equipment accessible around the city. Ice skating, sledding, and fat tire biking round out the outdoor options for families. On the cultural side, the Anchorage Museum is worth your time. On clear nights, the northern lights are occasionally visible from viewpoints just beyond the city. Photography-focused aurora tours operate out of Anchorage for those who want a guide. Stay at Aspen Suites Hotel Anchorage Downtown or Aspen Suites Hotel Anchorage North.

Seward Late Winter and Early Spring

Beginning in March, gray whale migration brings day cruise operators back out of Seward's small boat harbor. It's one of the earliest wildlife-on-the-water experiences available in Alaska each year. Depending on snow conditions, you can also find snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing in and around town. But Seward in late winter has a quieter appeal beyond the activity list: snow-covered mountains dropping into the bay, a handful of good coffee shops, and a pace that's hard to find in the summer months when the harbor is busy. Stay at the Hotel Seward by Aspen Hotels.