There’s something kind of surreal about leaving Denver after work on a Friday and waking up the next morning surrounded by glaciers, whales, and moose.

Thanks to a brand-new nonstop Southwest route, that’s now completely possible!

Last weekend, I took the inaugural Southwest flight from Denver to Anchorage for a whirlwind 48 hours in Alaska and somehow managed to fit in glacier landings, humpback whales, reindeer sausage pizza, and one very memorable moose encounter.

Friday: Denver to Anchorage

Our flight left Denver at 5:45 p.m. and landed in Anchorage around 9:15 p.m. local time after a smooth 5.5-hour flight. Since Alaska is two hours behind Colorado, it honestly felt like we gained an entire evening.

And Southwest definitely made the inaugural route feel special with trivia and goodies.

As we landed, the plane drove through a water cannon salute from fire trucks on the runway, and we were greeted at the gate by Visit Anchorage mascots and a full welcome committee. It already felt like an adventure before we had even picked up our luggage!

One of the strangest and coolest parts? It was still completely light outside.

Not even five minutes after leaving the airport in our rental car, we spotted a moose grazing on the side of the road. If there was ever a sign we were officially in Alaska, that was it. 👀

To kick off the trip at 9:30pm, we drove over to Point Woronzof Park to catch the sunset over Denali. Lots of people had the same idea, there were barely any parking spots!

Saturday: Seward + Kenai Fjords National Park

Saturday we had a big day planned with a road trip and boat tour all in one day, starting early with a drive south toward Seward.

On the way, we stopped in Girdwood for breakfast at Alpenglow, an adorable a-frame coffee shop. The drive from Anchorage to Seward is honestly an attraction on its own with mountains on one side, water on the other, waterfalls, and the prettiest scenery I’ve ever seen from a car window.

After about 2 hours and 20 minutes, we arrived in Seward and boarded a 6-hour cruise with Major Marine Tours through Kenai Fjords National Park.

Most of the national park is only accessible by water which made it feel even more unforgettable. Throughout the day we spotted humpback whales (including a mama and baby), puffins, sea lions, sea otters, bald eagles, mountain goats, and even a black bear along the shoreline!

And then…the glacier.

Seeing a massive glacier up close from the water is one of those things that photos truly cannot capture. The scale of it is hard to process until you’re standing there staring at it in silence with chunks of ice floating nearby.

If you’re planning a trip to Alaska, this tour is a must in the Seward area!

After the cruise wrapped around 5:30 p.m., we drove back to Anchorage for dinner at Moose’s Tooth Pub & Pizzeria, an Anchorage institution that absolutely lives up to the hype.

There are no reservations, so expect a wait, but it’s worth it. I ordered pizza topped with reindeer sausage. When in Alaska, right?

To end the night, we grabbed drinks at Darwin’s Theory, a quirky local dive bar packed with people even though the sun was still out at 10 p.m. Alaska’s late daylight really messes with your sense of time in the best way.

Sunday: Helicopter Glacier Landing in Palmer

Sunday morning started with breakfast sandwiches from the highly-recommended Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop before we drove about an hour toward the Palmer area for a glacier landing tour with Alaska Helicopter Tours.

I was so nervous for this but it ended up being the highlight of the entire trip!

The helicopter ride itself was incredibly scenic, flying over valleys where we could even spot horseback riders and ATVs beneath us.

About 15 minutes later, we landed directly on a glacier. 🤯

The tour includes around 30 minutes to explore the glacier with spikes provided for your boots, where you can walk around and even climb down to the water’s edge to taste fresh glacier water straight from the ice.

If you’re visiting Anchorage and want one truly unforgettable experience, this is the one I recommend the most. Alaska Helicopter Tours has dog sledding, glacer swimming, and even glacier paddleboarding for the brave adventurers.

Sunday Night: Back to Denver

Before heading to the airport, we made one last stop at Kincaid Park hoping to spot more moose. No luck.

But then while returning the rental car….we saw what looked like the exact same moose from Friday night grazing beside the road again! A perfect full-circle ending to the weekend.

A few hours later, we boarded our red-eye back to Denver, leaving Alaska around 10 p.m. and landing home at 5:30 a.m.

Exhausting? Yes.
Worth it? Absolutely yes.

I never thought Alaska would be a weekend trip from Denver but never say never! If you can leave work a little early for a 5:40 p.m. flight on Friday and don’t mind a red-eye home Sunday night, Anchorage might just be your next (and wildest) weekend getaway.