3.5 hours
Duration

Whittier to Anchorage Bus Tour with Wildlife Park for Cruise Passengers

2025 SUMMER EARLY BIRD SPECIALS

All prices are going up January 1

SPECIAL THIS WEEK: Groups of 6 or more get 10% off if booked before this Sunday.

Add a little scenery to your transfer. Our Whittier to Anchorage Bus Tour with Wildlife Park is the best value on a market and our most popular transfer featuring photo stop and a visit to Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center where you are guaranteed to see some Alaskan animals such as bears, moose, caribou, musk oxen, deer, and wood bison. Wildlife Center admission is included in the price.

Whittier to Anchorage Bus Tour with Wildlife Park picks up directly at the Whittier cruise ship terminal and drops off at selected Anchorage hotels, airport, car rentals.

 LOCATION

Bus Departs: Whittier cruise ship terminal

Bus Arrives: Anchorage airport and hotels

BUS DEPARTURE TIME

Please arrive by 8:30 AM for a prompt departure at 8:45 AM.

This bus tour operates on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays

Will I be able to get off the ship on time to make your departure? Please check our Frequently Asked Questions for answer to this question.

BUS ARRIVAL TIME

Bus arrives Anchorage airport 11:45 AM, drop offs at Anchorage hotels till 12:30 PM.

WEAR

Comfortable layered clothing.

INCLUDED

This Whittier to Anchorage Bus Tour with Wildlife Park includes:
  • Pick up directly at the Whittier cruise ship terminal
  • 2.5 mile-long Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel
  • Portage Glacier valley with excellent glacier picture stop
  • Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center with the perfect picture opportunity for Bears, Moose, Caribou, Bison, Musk Oxen, Deer, Elk, bold eagle
  • Turnagain Arm – (drive by) Dall sheep, Beluga whales
  • Drop off at the largest city in Alaska – Anchorage (hotels, airport, car rentals, see list of places we don’t and do drop off)

Whittier to Anchorage Bus Tour with Wildlife Park Detailed Description

Our Whittier to Anchorage Bus Tour with Wildlife Park option is the best alternative to get from your cruise ship in Whittier to Anchorage airport, car rental, or hotel. Whittier to Anchorage Wildlife tour transportation shuttle makes a stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, where you can view bears, bison, elk, eagles, moose, caribou, and musk oxen in a natural setting and a stop for sightseeing at the Portage Glacier Valley with excellent opportunities to take pictures of glacial ice.

Our Whittier bus tour will pick up at the Whittier cruise ship terminal, directly at the ship, our friendly drivers/guides will direct you to your Whittier tour bus, where you will be seated in comfort with lots of luggage space in the luggage section. You will then continue on to take a quick look at the small community of Whittier with some abandoned tall military buildings, then go thru the North America’s longest highway tunnel. This 2.5 mile Anton Anderson tunnel is the one way tunnel blasted thru the mountain.

After clearing the Whittier tunnel you will stop at the Portage Valley with an amazing overlook at a lake, numerous hanging glaciers on top of the mountains and have great picture opportunities. Then continue on the most scenic Seward highway on your Whittier to Anchorage wildlife adventure tour transportation bus. You will learn about history and surrounding places of interest on your way from Whittier to Anchorage in your Wildlife tour/transfer bus. The next visit at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center where you will have an opportunity to see bears, moose, caribou, musk oxen in their natural setting. Get ready to take lots of pictures of Alaskan animals as they play right in front of you.

Then continue on to Anchorage to be dropped off at Anchorage Ted Stevens airport, car rental company or your hotel, see list of places we don’t and do drop off. Enjoy the wonderful views of the Seward highway designated “National scenic byway.” We make your experience while traveling from Whittier to Anchorage easy and unforgettable. Reserve your Wildlife tour with your transfer from Whittier to Anchorage today, receive your confirmation e-mail with travel details and get ready for an unforgettable ride.

This Whittier to Anchorage Bus Tour with Wildlife Park is a shared transfer service in our most comfortable coaches with tinted windows, easy step up (unlike full-size vans that other transfer companies use, you don’t have to bend over or hit your head climbing in and out), air conditioner/heater, large picture-view windows, full size individual bus seats (unlike vans that other transfer companies use, you will have a private seat for yourself and will not be holding somebody else’s bag), DVD player, full narration.

About Whittier, Alaska

If one one the Whittier cruises your final destination you might find following facts interesting. Whittier is Anchorage’s portal to Prince William Sound. Although Anchorage itself in on Upper Cook Inlet, the highest tides in the Northern America, muddy, fast-moving water offers no use for boating. Whittier, on the other hand, stands on the edge of a long fjord, whose clear waters are full of salmon orcas, and otters. Surrounded by mountains dripping with glaciers which are beautiful when the sun is shining, they also trap storms over the town and as a result 15 feet of rain and 20 feet of snow a year is average. Most of town’s 250 residents live in one 14-story structure, which certainly cuts down on snow-shoveling time.

In the past, the only way to get to from Anchorage to Whittier cruises was by riding through the mountain by train. Now the railway tunnel is paved creating North America’s longest highway tunnel and providing opportunities for buses, shuttles, and motorcoaches to take you to Anchorage.

There are lots of exciting things to do in Whittier such as hiking, fishing for salmon, trout, red snapper, photography, hunting for bear and birds, wildlife viewing, and much more right here in Whittier, Alaska!

This service is available only on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sunday. Any other days only private transfers, call directly for rates.

Our tour/transfer is directly coordinated with the cruise line schedule and place. We will meet you when you are able to get off the ship, will take care of your luggage, and drop off at most locations in Anchorage.

Departing Cruise ship terminal at 8:45AM

Arriving Anchorage Airport 11:45AM

Dropping off at the Anchorage hotels till about 12:30PM

All ships dock at Whittier port overnight (12:00AM) and start disembarkation at 7:00AM the same morning.

NOTE: this departure times will work for your cruise ship disembarkation time. It only takes about 5 min to walk off the ship, collect your luggage and get on our bus. It is a very small port with one cruise ships per day.

Seward Anchorage Bus Tour with Wildlife Park

Tour Reviews

4.96 based on 40 reviews
September 1, 2015

I chose ACT Big Bus for my party from a web search. The web site and quick and courteous email response was encouraging, and the cost per person was less than the cruise-ship company price. The driver arrived at our hotel at 12 pm, for the 65-mile trip from Anchorage to Whittier. It was more than just a transfer. We stopped along the way at three interesting places: a whale watching spot off the highway, a animal refuge where we got up close to magnificent animals, and a glacier lake. The big bus was very comfortable and easy to climb in and out of. The driver was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. He answered questions about living in Alaska for us first-time visitors and provided lots for facts in a very entertaining way. Soon we were at the amazing tunnel drilled through the mountain that took us to the shores of Prince William Sound and our ship, with time to spare. It was a great start to our adventure.

June 11, 2017

Good Service
We used this shuttle service for our transfer from Whittier cruise terminal to Anchorage. The service people showed up on time with list of names of reserved customers and will help to tell you which bus you will be on. We stopped at 2 places, the glacier and the wild life center. And arrived the airport around 11:40AM. Very good service.

Via Tripadvisor

July 6, 2017

Great way to see some Bears.
Super organized, they herd you to the bus efficiently. Clean bus, safe driver, We took the transfer with the Wildlife Park and Portage lake stops. Our guide was friendly and helpful. Got as close to 3 bears eating as I ever want to be. And then drop you off at your hotel.

Via Tripadvisor

July 8, 2017

Exceeded expectations.
We expected not much more than a long transfer ride from cruise ship to airport, but the knowledge and personality of our guide, beautiful scenery and high quality opportunity to view both brown and black bears turned this into into a very enjoyable experience.

Via Tripadvisor

July 13, 2017

Whittier to Anchorage transfer
What a great team ate Shari and Ion!
We got from Whittier to Anchorage safely and saw a great wildlife park on the way as well as learning a LOT about the areas we were passing through. Shari is a natural entertainer as well as a big fan of Alaska and was fantastic to listen to.

Via Tripadvisor

July 24, 2017

Great way to get from ship to airport
ACT was a great company to deal with, I highly recommend them. We prebooked our tickets. We were greeted when we disembarked into the ship terminal and our luggage was taken care of while we boarded the comfortable bus. The commentary along the way was great. We stopped at portage glacier as well as the wildlife park, both worthwhile. We were delivered to the airport on time and we’re really pleased with the experience.

Via Tripadvisor

August 9, 2017

Worthwhile ride from Whittier to Anchorage
Glad we opted for this instead of a Princess Cruise transfer from Whittier to Anchorage. We paid very much less – and had an interesting narrated trip up to Anchorage and also the opportunity to visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Centre. Was easy to book, pick-up was well organized, very prompt and interesting.

Via Tripadvisor

August 10, 2017

great trip
reliable. clean bus. loved the stop at the nature reserve, for less then the cruise line wanted to charge. Also had a tour guide talking and was pleasant

Via Tripadvisor

August 14, 2017

Great trip! Driver and tour person were wonderful!!!
This was the perfect way to get from Whitter to Anchorage. The bus made 2 stops. Both well worth it.

Via Tripadvisor

August 27, 2017

Whittier to Anchorage Transfer
Great reasonable trip with stop at the animal preserve on the way. Bus was clean and comfortable. Driver and tour guide friendly and informative.

Via Tripadvisor

August 31, 2017

Great Tour!
Enjoyed the scenery, Wildlife Park and especially our Tour Guide Sherry! She gave us lots of interesting information about the area and was entertaining too!

Via Tripadvisor

September 6, 2017

Whittier AK to Anchorage airport tour
Tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly. Had a few stops along the way–scenic and then Wildlife Preserve. Bus was comfortable as well. This was also a cheaper route to go versus using the Cruise line transportation.

Via Tripadvisor

September 7, 2017

Whittier to Anchorage Bus
Very friendly and knowledgeable tour guide. Coach comfortable. Unfortunately the weather was wet so the Wildlife Preserve was not as enjoyable but saw Elk and a Black Bear up in a tree.

Via Tripadvisor

September 8, 2017

Must take this tour bus to Anchorage!!!!!
The tour guide was top notch. She even passed out examples/samples of fur and rock types. Wildlife stop was excellent. Can’t say enough about the experience.

Via Tripadvisor

September 10, 2017

Great way to get from Cruise ship to Anchorage!
Absolutely beautiful scenery and the stops along the way were perfect. Glad we were able to see the wildlife at the center, it was the only chance we had! Tour guide Sheri was fantastic! Very organized at the cruise terminal and easy to find.

Via Tripadvisor

September 10, 2017

Fun tour on way to airport
Easy to get from cruise ship, a fun narrated drive and an interesting stop at a wild animal rescue station. Also much less expensive than ship’s transport.

Via Tripadvisor

September 24, 2017

Great service with ACT
ACT picked us up at the Whittier cruise terminal. They were easy to find, as their staff had ACT jackets on. They had umbrellas & moved us efficiently to the bus.
The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center was awesome. We loved it.
The microphone/ speaker system did not work well on our bus, but we were still able to hear & I would still recommend ACT.

Via Tripadvisor

September 7, 2018

Efficient and well explained

The coach was on time and well organised. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and attentive at all times. Would use again.

Via Tripadvisor

September 8, 2018

Excellent!
This tour was perfect for my airport transfer service. I had the chance to see Alaskan animals on the way to the airport. Bus driver was very good in telling history of Alaska.

Via Tripadvisor

September 8, 2018

Great way to get to Anchorage after cruise

Met by driver/guide at terminal. Very friendly and welcoming. Guide provide a very informative journey through to Anchorage. Recommend picking the bus trip that stops off at the wildlife center on the way

Via Tripadvisor

September 13, 2018

Comfortable and enjoyable bus transfer to Anchorage

We booked with ACT after researching alternatives to Princess Cruise transfers. This was $40/pp cheaper for the same transfer through Princess AND we got to stop and enjoy the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, which was a really cool. Go see this attraction if you can. Our bus driver was nice and the young man who gave us a running commentary of where we were, Alaska history and other interesting facts was entertaining. They were both helpful with luggage and pleasant in their interactions. The bus was comfortable.

Via Tripadvisor

September 14, 2018

Entertaining and interesting

Our tour guide was interesting and entertaining and made the trip to the Anchorage airport very enjoyable.

Via Tripadvisor

September 14, 2018

Best way to get from Whittier to Anchorage

Wow! Great trip for much less than Princess transfers. Quick response to reservation, detailed info provided about what they will transport and how. Very easy to find them in terminal. Lots of excellent information provided during the trip about Alaska. Loved the stop at the Conservation Center. Excellent Value for money!

Via Tripadvisor

September 15, 2018

Lovely Ride.

We travelled on the bus from Whittier to Anchorage with a stop at a wildlife park. The bus guide (Sherrie) was excellent- she was friendly, funny and very informative and the driver was also extremely helpful and courteous.

Via Tripadvisor

September 21, 2018

Fantastic transfer to Anchorage with a stop over at the AWCC!

We very much enjoyed the tour, very informative and the stopover to the AWCC was amazing. They were friendly.

Via Tripadvisor

September 22, 2018

Great Service!

We were extremely satisfied with our experience with Alaska Cruise Transport. The tour guide was very informative and enjoyable to listen to during the drive. We had several very nice stops to take photos and we loved the wildlife center. We had a very nice visit and were able to watch the bear feeding which was very fun. I also highly recommend the reindeer sausages, quite a nice treat to try! We arrived at the cruise port in Whittier with plenty of spare time and found boarding the ship extremely easy and quick. We were traveling with my FIL who has mobility issues but he was able to easily board the bus and there were folks with wheelchairs ready to grab him as soon as we got off. Overall I just couldn’t recommend this service more!

Via Tripadvisor

September 23, 2018

good service.

Good driver and trip included stop at wild life center. Interesting! Very punctual. Will use again, Very good handling of luggage. One of our party had lost a bag at cruise terminal but somehow ACT was able to locate it and brought the bag to the airport in time for her flight home. Wonderful!

Via Tripadvisor

October 6, 2018

Great way to get from Whittier cruise port to the airport
In an otherwise well-planned trip, we didn’t realize how far the Whittier cruise port is from the Anchorage airport, and that there are no taxis at the cruise port. At the last minute we booked a narrated bus tour with stop at the wildlife refuge, and it was a great solution. We could have bought a transfer from the cruise ship to get us directly to the airport, but then we’d be stuck at the airport all day with our luggage. This way we got to see a bit more of Alaska in comfort!

Via Tripadvisor

June 2, 2019

Smoothest part of our trip!
This tour was such a smooth, easy way to transfer from Whittier to Anchorage! The guide and driver were awesome! The stop at the nature center was a little short, but the description of the tour is very accurate. Great way to end our Alaska adventure!
Via Tripadvisor

June 10, 2019

Very Smooth
We took the shuttle from Whittier to Anchorage with a stop at the wildlife park – it was very smooth and informative. The views were beautiful and I recommend this bus to anyone
Via Tripadvisor

July 17, 2019

Great Tour with phenomenal wildlife reserve
Super knowledgeable tour guide on a very scenic drive. The wildlife reserve was a fantastic experience, with a plethora of native Alaskan animals in a beautiful landscape.
Via Tripadvisor

July 22, 2019

Great experience
We booked ACT for a transfer from Whittier to Anchorage.
Communication with ACT on line was prompt, clear and detailed.
Instructions regarding cruise disembarkation onwards were detailed and clear leaving no issues.
ACT staff in the terminal were very helpful and knowledgable, our final payment had not been debited but this was sorted without any fuss – thank you ACT.
Our bus driver was very professional and skilled.
Our guide Holly was professional, knowledgable and very entertaining.
We stopped at the Wildlife Conservation Centre on our way to make the most of our time and prevent the need to double back.
The Wildlife Conservation Centre was fantastic – our group of 6 really enjoyed it, we would have loved more time but agreed it was well worth including in our transfer.
Thank you so much ACT.
Via Tripadvisor

August 25, 2019

Great trip
I would highly recommend using ACT to get from Whittier to Anchorage. An efficient pick up at the cruise terminal. A really comfy bus and Sherie, a great guide! We did the tour that visited the wildlife centre which was absolutely amazing and were dropped off at our hotel with no hassle. Glad we made the decision to go with ACT.
Via Tripadvisor

September 5, 2019

Excellent transportation
After a Princess cruise we booked our transfer from Whittier to Anchorage on the AACT Bus. Our guide, Holly, was excellent!! She was friendly and her commentary was interesting. We made 2 stops… one photo stop & a longer stop at the wildlife conservation center. Both stops were good. At the conservation center we were able to see moose, elk & bears.
The ACT bus is cheaper than a ship transfer and definitely more fun! We highly recommend using them.
Via Tripadvisor

June 13, 2022

Amazing Transfer Service from Whittier to Anchorage
Rick, our driver with ACT was absolutely amazing! Our transfer started at the Whittier, AK port with an incredible stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and then to downtown Anchorage and the airport. Rick provided us with the best tour, funny stories, great places to visit, historical commentary and pointed out wildlife along the way! ACT was not offered on Holland, we booked directly with them while still on the cruise and are so happy we did, it really is the best transfer service from the port to Anchorage.
Thank you Rick
Via Tripadvisor

July 2, 2022

Whittier to ANC Cruise Transfer
We took the Whittier to ANC bus with a short stop at the wildlife center. It was Smooth & easy. We really Enjoyed the stop at the wildlife center, but could have spent much longer there. Our driver (Allen) was great. Very knowledgeable and personable!
Via Tripadvisor

September 4, 2022

Great narrated tour shuttle from cruise terminal with drop off at our hotel
For the same price as the shuttle offered by Princess we were able to have a narrated tour with a stop at the wildlife conservation center (for about an hour) as well as portage lake (for about 15 minutes). Even better, dropped off right at our hotel!
Via Tripadvisor

June 8, 2023

Whittier to Anchorage airport via wildlife park
Communication was prompt (when needing to amend booking). Well organised & bus easy to find at Whittier. Baillee gave a great commentary along the way & Will the driver got us to the airport on schedule.
Via Tripadvisor

June 11, 2023

Laughing the whole trip
We took the 3 hour tour/airport drop-off from Whittier. Eddie is an expert bus driver and Rick is a great guide. Rick was far funnier than the cruise ship comedian. I was laughing the entire way. Portage Lake is beautiful. The wildlife center is hit or miss depending on wildlife activity.
Via Tripadvisor

September 2, 2023

Whittier to Airport
I booked the Whittier to ANC airport transfer with a stop at the Wildlife Center. It was super convenient and easy; I appreciate that they already had everyone assigned to a specific bus so it didn’t feel like we had to compete against everyone.
The driver (Hank) was a safe driver, and the guide (unfortunately I forget his name) was also great … Lots of corny dad jokes and fun narration throughout the entire ride.
Via Tripadvisor

Leave a Review

Rating