Best What to do Seward Alaska Day 2023

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Greetings, Internet Stranger, and welcome to the best what to do Seward Alaska day. Seward isn’t necessarily one of the most famous stops in Alaska. Before I visited Alaska, I knew about places like Sitka and Skagway and Anchorage, but I had never heard of Seward.

However, don’t let that stop you from giving Seward a try! It’s a popular cruise ship port, both for cruises ending their tour in Alaska and cruises beginning their tour in Alaska. I stayed here the night before heading out on my wonderful overland tour of Denali National Park, and I’m so glad that I did.

Please join me for a perfect day finding the best what to do Seward Alaska day, and I know you’ll be glad that you came here too!

what to do Seward Alaska day

Where to Stay

If you are finding the best what to do Seward Alaska day before heading off on a cruise, then this itinerary is perfect for you.

You can check out the best deals on cruises that sail to the best what to do Seward Alaska day, like Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas, click here. I loved Radiance of the Seas and would happily sail on her again.

However, if you’re spending the night in Seward, which I did, you’ll need a convenient hotel. I recommend the Seward Windsong Lodge or the Harbor 360 Hotel. This hotel has a convenient location and amazing views of the mountains. You really can’t do better for your time in Seward.

You can go ahead and book a room at this hotel by clicking here.

If you’d rather book a room in another hotel in Seward, just click here. This search engine will help you explore other excellent options for your day of the best what to do Seward Alaska day

what to do Seward Alaska day

Morning: Alaska Sealife Center

You’re probably aware that Alaska isn’t exactly lacking when it comes to sea life. That’s why the first stop on our what to do Seward Alaska day is the Alaska Sealife Center. This place is a wonderful aquarium where you can meet all sorts of adorable sea creatures. (I use the term “meet” figuratively because these creatures will not be able to learn your name.)

There was so much to see at the Sealife Center that I was happy to spend all morning here. I won’t be able to tell you everything I saw, but I will be able to tell you…

Approximately Top 5: Alaska Sealife Center

1) Tiny sea creatures

So I’m mostly just posting this because I think these creatures came out so well. Don’t they look like beings from another planet? But actually they are just shrimp from the Bering Sea…or at least that’s what they want you to believe.

In fact, you can see fish and small crustaceans from all over Alaska right here in the Sealife Center. It was a special treat to see so many sea creatures that were unique to Alaska. I’ve been to a lot of aquariums and while I love looking at penguins and Nemo and Dory, it’s nice to get a glimpse of something new for a change.

2) The Touch Table

Our guide told us that we absolutely had to visit the touch table because you can actually touch and pet all these invertebrates, like the lovely sea stars.

Just keep two things in mind. The first is that you should be very, very gentle and only pet them with one or two fingers. The second is that the water is extremely cold. These are Arctic invertebrates after all! So don’t scream when you put your finger in the water.

There’s one fun trick at the touch table. Ask one of the docents there which animal you need to put your finger on to “get a hug”. She’ll show you the right one, and if you put your finger just where she tells you, you’ll get the cutest little “hug” from the invertebrate. It really put a smile on my face for the rest of the day.

3) Sea Lions

The sea lions have two different habitats here, an indoor one and an outdoor one, so you get to experience them many different ways. But don’t worry, even when they’re outdoors, you watch them from the indoors, so you won’t get cold.

When I visited the Sealife Center, there were five different sea lions. The youngest was two and the oldest was 19! I found myself thinking that was old for a sea lion because it’s old for a cat, but it’s obviously young for a person, and I have no idea how long sea lions live. (I do know that sea lions are not cats.)

We also learned a whole bunch of fun facts about the sea lions, but my favorite was that one of them likes Jell-O. I mean, how did they figure that out? Is Jell-O a common sea lion food? Did they just feed the sea lions various wobbly desserts until something clicked? I do think they should use a sea lion in Jell-O commercials from now on, though.

4) Salmon

There is so much salmon in Alaska. Salmon stretching as far as the eye can see. You can visit the Cafe Salmonella and enjoy “creamy salmon soup with a hint of salmon and the eye of a salmon hidden in the bottom of the bowl”. That’s how much salmon there is in Alaska.

One thing you’ll definitely learn if you take a tour in Alaska is the trick for remembering the five main different kinds of salmon. I won’t tell you the trick because it’s mean to spoil it for the Alaskan tour guides. However, I will tell you that the five kinds of salmon are: chum, sockeye, king, silver, and pink, and the trick involves using one hand. Can you figure it out now? I hope so!

5) Seals!

Honestly, given that there are no penguins in this aquarium because penguins only live in the Southern Hemisphere, I think the seals are absolutely the cutest creatures that you will find at the Sealife Center. They are so adorable when they are moving–like pillows crossed with torpedoes.

You can learn about many different kinds of seals at the aquarium and any related fun facts, and I do just love a good fun fact. For example, did you know that male ringed seals smell like gasoline? (That’s not even slightly made up.)

Or that ribbon seals eat almost 20 pounds of food a day. If someone ever accuses me of eating too much at a meal, I’m just going to point out that at least I don’t eat as much as a ribbon seal.

what to do Seward Alaska day

Afternoon: Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise

I only spent one day in Seward, but this fjord cruise easily seemed like the most popular thing to do in town. You get to experience so much: a narrated cruise where you’ll meet all kinds of wildlife, a charming walk on a remote island, and lunch, including a warm cookie. This is really the perfect way to spend an afternoon of our what to do Seward Alaska day

You’ll need to book the cruise in advance because they can really fill up.

You can go ahead and book this cruise easily by clicking here.

Then get ready to join me for…

Three Fascinating Facts: Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise

1) What sort of animals will you see on the cruise?

We saw tons of animals on the cruise, and though I had just finished a seven day cruise of the Inside Passage, and I had seen plenty of wildlife, we still saw animals on this cruise that I hadn’t seen before.

For example, on the Inside Passage cruise, we had seen lots of humpback whales and their beautiful flukes. But what we hadn’t seen were actual orcas, aka killer whales. Now, I can’t guarantee that you’ll see any orcas on this cruise because our guide said that they were fairly rare. However, I did, so you might too.

One nice thing about this company is that there were several boats on the water at once, and they could communicate with each other. So if one boat spotted an orca, the others could be informed right away.

Aside from that, my favorite animal that we saw were the puffins. Puffins are just the most cutest bird in the whole world. I know that we can’t see penguins in Alaska, so the fact that we could spot puffins in the wild made up for it.

2) What is there to do on the island?

Eventually, your cruise will stop on one of the Chiswell Islands, where you will have lunch. (More about lunch in a bit.) But you’ll also have some time alone to explore the island. Much of the island is not available for exploration. These islands are an important bird sanctuary, and they want to protect the wildlife.

So mostly, what I did was go for a pleasant walk along the beach. Now, if you’re imagining sun-kissed sand and balmy waters filled with tropical fish, you should go check out one of my posts about Barbados. This beach is much colder, and the “sand” is quite rocky, so you won’t want to sit down on it. However, it definitely makes for a pleasant place to go for a stroll.

You won’t see a landscape like this back home. Most of the islands don’t have any beaches at all, so it’s delightful to be able to experience one for ourselves.

3) What is there to eat and drink?

So lunch is included with the cruise, and it’s a buffet style meal. I had some local salmon, salad, that sort of thing and it was tasty. I just forgot to take a picture of it, but I didn’t put my meal together in an especially beautiful way, and I think you know what salmon and salad look like.

On the boat, you can order snacks and drinks, and I opted to try a local beer called Puffin Pale Ale in honor of all the sweet little puffins that we saw on this cruise. It was quite refreshing and not too hoppy. In general, Alaska has a great craft beer scene, so get as much as you can while you are here.

And finally, we all got warm cookies to say goodbye as we approached the end of our journey. Nothing warms the cockles of one’s heart like a warm cookie, unless it is the sight of an adorable puffin.

24 Hour Tip

Those are all the secrets of this cruise that I can share with you for now. You’ll have to go ahead and book your tour for yourself!

Check rates and availability by going right here!

what to do Seward Alaska day

Evening: Dinner at the Windsong Lodge

There’s plenty of places to stay at Seward, but our group was staying at the Windsong Lodge, so that’s where I elected to get dinner. It was really tasty, especially for a hotel restaurant. The restaurant here is called The Resurrection Roadhouse, and I’m not sure exactly what is being resurrected, but then I didn’t ask.

The restaurant can get quite crowded during dinner hours because not everyone here was a guest. However, it was easy for me to get a seat because I am only one person, and they were happy to seat me at the bar. Just a little tip if you don’t mind sitting at the bar.

The food will take a little while to come if they are slammed, so start by getting a drink. I had something called a Bear Glacier Mojito, and it was quite refreshing and not too sweet. I believe the color of my mojito comes from blueberries because basically everything in Alaska is blueberries, if it isn’t puffins.

For dinner, I had the super filling Roadhouse burger, which is topped with cheddar cheese and bacon. If I have the option to get cheese and bacon on my burger, I’m going to go with it. That’s just science. Normally the burger comes with fries, but you can get a salad for a few dollars extra. (Spoiler alert! I did not do that.)

At night, curl up in your hotel bed and sleep the blissful sleep of a person who has spent all day with adorable sea creatures, especially seals and puffins. It will be the perfect end to our perfect what to do Seward Alaska day

what to do Seward Alaska day

Tools For Travel

• A portable cell charger so that your phone won’t die a miserable death during your what to do Seward Alaska day
• The best international travel adapter because if you’re European, you’ll need one to be able to plug in electronics during your day
• The most reliable travel umbrella that is small enough to fit in my purse, but strong enough to stand up to powerful winds.
• These great TSA approved clear toiletries bags, so I can always keep spare toothpaste and travel sized toiletries in any carry-on.
• My book Get Lost, that I wrote myself with all my best travel tips. This book will show you how travel can take your life from blah to AMAZING!

what to do Seward Alaska day

How To Get There

Now, I wish I knew where you lived, Internet Stranger, because I could send you a bottle of the finest Alaskan craft beer. But sadly, I do not, and so I can’t tell you exactly how to get from your home to the Best what to do Seward Alaska day

But I can tell you that I used a lovely airplane to get from my hometown NYC to Vancouver, where I met my cruise ship. I recommend Expedia for the best way to find the cheapest flight at the best time of day.

You can also use Expedia to rent a car if you are planning to drive around Alaska on your own. (I don’t drive, but if you do, this seems like useful information.)

Just click here to start looking for the best possible deals on your flight, so you can head out to the Best what to do Seward Alaska day

That’s the Best what to do Seward Alaska day

What would you do on the what to do Seward Alaska day? Are you ready to start booking your hotel in Seward? Any questions about anything in this post? Please email me at stellajane@aroundtheworldin24hours.com and let me know!

Note: If you want to know how I put my travel itineraries together, just click here. Keep in mind that while each article is about how to spend 24 hours in a place, that doesn’t mean you should ONLY spend 24 hours with the best things to do in Seward Alaska.

Add on the best Icy Strait Point things to do. Check out the best things to do in Sitka Alaska. Add on 24 hours in Anchorage. Enjoy a day of what to do Skagway Alaska. Go for the best Talkeetna AK things to do. Have fun on a what to do in Denali AK day. You can also try the most fun things to do in Fairbanks AK.