In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United States
Girdwood
Give Girdwood 1–2 nights as an Anchorage side trip: ski or tram in winter, Portage Glacier and the bike path in summer. A car or shuttle is required.
Girdwood is a small resort valley in the Chugach Mountains, 48 km south of Anchorage on the Seward Highway, built around Alyeska Resort — Alaska's largest ski area. Almost everything worth doing sits within a few kilometres of the hotel, or a short drive down the highway to Portage and Turnagain Arm. It works as a one- or two-night stop, not a base for a whole Alaska trip.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Jun–Aug for hiking and the tram; Dec–Mar for skiing
- Avoid
- Nov and early Dec (dark, thin snow, some closures)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $90–150 excl. bed · Mid $150–260 excl. bed · High $260+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or espresso | $4–7 |
| Bakery breakfast (sweet roll, sourdough pancakes) | $10–20 |
| Burger or sandwich lunch | $15–25 |
| Sit-down dinner main | $25–45 |
| Draft beer | $8–12 |
| Alyeska lift ticket, full day | $100–130 (check) |
| Taxi or rideshare, Girdwood to Alyeska base | $15–25 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ANC · Ted Stevens Anchorage International
- About 60–75 min by car or shuttle; no scheduled flights into Girdwood's own airstrip.
Typical fares
- Anchorage airport → Girdwood, shuttle
- about $60–90, 60–75 min (check)
- Alyeska tram, round trip
- about $45 (check)
- Anchorage → Girdwood, Alaska Railroad in summer
- about $90–120, roughly 2 h (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
There is no useful local bus. Alyeska Resort runs a shuttle between the hotel and the Seward Highway, and a paved 10-km bike path runs from the resort to Bird Point. For Portage Glacier, Crow Creek Mine or Turnagain Arm viewpoints you need a car or a booked tour.
See and do
Known for
- Alyeska Resort skiing and the aerial tram
- Turnagain Arm bore tides
- Portage Glacier
- Girdwood Forest Fair
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Portage Glacier and Portage Valley | Seward Highway south, then Portage Glacier Road | About 30 min each way |
| Turnagain Arm viewpoints (Beluga Point, Bird Point) | Seward Highway north along the arm | 15–30 min each way |
| Crow Creek Gold Mine | Crow Creek Road from the town centre | About 15 min |
| Anchorage | Seward Highway north, or the Alaska Railroad Coastal Classic in summer | 1–1.5 h by road |
Sleep
- Alyeska Resort base
- Hotel, condos and the tram in one place; walk to lifts and the Sitzmark.
- Girdwood town / Olympic Mountain Loop
- Cabins, B&Bs and rentals along the valley road; 5–10 min drive to the lifts.
- Portage Valley
- Cabins and RV sites 15–20 min south; closest to Portage Glacier, far from restaurants.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the tram? | Where is the tram? |
| Is this seat taken? | Is this seat taken? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the restroom? | Where is the restroom? |
| I have a reservation | I have a reservation |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Bears are active in the valley: keep food and wrappers out of your car, and never feed wildlife.
- Winter storms can close the Seward Highway and cut power; carry chains and extra food.
- Do not walk out on Turnagain Arm mudflats — the tides are extreme and the mud traps people.
- Cell coverage is patchy on the highway south of town.
Crime is not the issue here — weather and wildlife are. Storms close the highway, bears work the valley, and Turnagain Arm tides move faster than you can walk.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Girdwood yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Alyeska Resort skiing and the aerial tram
- Turnagain Arm bore tides
- Portage Glacier
- Girdwood Forest Fair
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Alyeska Resort: www.alyeskaresort.com/
- Alaska Railroad: www.alaskarailroad.com/
- Wikivoyage: Girdwood, revision 5203919 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5203919
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Girdwood
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No consulates in Girdwood; most countries keep consulates or embassies in Anchorage or Washington, DC.
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/girdwood). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.