Road Trip

Should I visit Valdez, Seward, or Homer during my Alaska vacation? I’ve seen this question asked quite a bit in various groups, and the answer is dependent on many factors. How far do you want to travel? How much time do you have? Are you more interested in whale watching or halibut fishing? Do you like a small town feel or the hustle and bustle of a tourist town? Those questions and more will help you determine which costal Alaskan town to visit on your Alaska vacation.

Below, I’ll answer those question and give you local insight that will help you with planning your travel itinerary. If you’ve got limited time on your travels and need to decided between visiting Homer, Valdez, or Seward, this guide is a must read.

Please note that this post contains affiliate links which I may earn commission from. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Commissions from these qualifying purchases help support Everyday Alaska at no extra cost to you. Please follow the instructions on all of the recommended items. All of the information provided is my personal opinion, unless otherwise cited or noted.

How far do you want to travel?

This will be a big factor in determining which town to visit. If you’re basing yourself in Anchorage and don’t want to have a full day of driving to your destination, Homer and Seward will be your options. Seward will be the shortest of the two drives, being less than three hours, so you can even make a day trip there. Homer is about four hours away, so you’ll want to stay at least overnight there.

Valdez is about a six hour drive from Anchorage. If you have the time, this is the most beautiful drive of the three. Obviously, this is my personal opinion (And being born and raised in Valdez I may be a bit biased!), but the views and variety of scenery are breathtaking. If you are able to break the drive up and stay a night somewhere along the way that would be ideal. Also, with the drive being long, you’ll want to stay in Valdez long enough to explore.

Tip: Check out our local’s guide to Valdez to find some great spots to stop along your road trip.

If you’re traveling throughout Alaska and have no particular starting point or home base, but have time constraints that will allow a visit to only Seward, Homer, or Valdez, the next things to consider are activities you’d like to do and sights you want to see.

Tip: Be sure to factor in road construction, traffic, and weather conditions into these travel times. To learn more about things to consider when planning an Alaska vacation check out this article.

What activities would you like to do on your Alaska vacation?

Activities and excursions are somewhat similar in all these beautiful towns, but they vary enough to help narrow your decision down. Below, I’ll list some popular activities and which towns I’d recommend for each.

Glacier and Wildlife Cruise

Glacier and wildlife cruises are a popular excursion when visiting Alaska. Valdez and Seward are your options for these, and both are incredible. You’ll have the opportunity to see whales, puffins, otters, seals, glaciers, and more on cruises out of either location.

Fishing

Homer is known as the “Halibut Fishing Capital of the World”, so you can correctly assume that the halibut fishing there must be good. But, you can also catch great halibut in Valdez and Seward.

All three locations also have salmon fishing. In Valdez you can fish for salmon off the rocks at Allison Point or on a charter. In Seward and Homer you can do the same; either fish on a charter boat or from the shore.

To narrow your choice down, consider the species of fish you’re after, when and what fish runs are occurring during the time you’ll be here, and which places still have charters available during the dates you want. The timing of your trip and your target fish species will help you narrow down the area you’d like to visit.

Tip: Book you fishing charter ASAP as they are very popular and book up well in advance.

Hiking

I’d love to give you insight into the best hikes in Valdez, Seward, and Homer, but I don’t hike much so my qualifications in this category are null. But, I can suggest using AllTrails to view lists of popular trails, difficulty levels, and more.

Are there any specific sights you’d like to see on your Alaska adventures?

Although all of Alaska is beautiful, there are some places you’ll want to visit to see certain sights. From glaciers and moose to National Parks and boat harbors, I’ll suggest the best of the best below.

Wildlife

This is a bit of a tricky one since there is no guarantee of wildlife sightings, but some of these places will increase your chances of seeing certain animals. After living in Alaska over thirty years, I have a pretty good idea of where you’ll have the best chances to see specific critters.

Tip: Keep in mind that what season you visit will effect what animals you’ll see. Check out a complete Alaskan wildlife bucket list here!

If you want to see whales, head to Seward or Valdez and hop aboard a glacier and wildlife cruise. This goes for most marine life, as I’ve had some great wildlife sightings on these cruises. You can usually spot otters and check out tide pools in Homer, but if you want to have a better chance of seeing the bigger animals, I’d opt for Seward or Valdez.

Moose. A popular highlight of many people’s trip! You may see them along the road to Valdez, but you likely won’t see them in town. You’ll have a chance to see them on your way down to Seward, and you’re almost (but not quite!) guaranteed to see them while driving to Homer and in Homer itself.

Bears can be spotted along the way to any of these places if you’re lucky. But, your best chance of seeing bears in the wild is in Valdez. You can see them on the way to town, in town, and at Allison Point eating salmon.

Look up for eagles! You can see eagles in Homer, Valdez, and Seward. Where there’s harbors and fish, you’ll find the eagles!

Harbors

Speaking of harbors, which one is the best? They’re all fun to check out, so no matter which town you choose to visit, I’d make time to walk around the harbor. You’ll likely see a sea otter, and it’s pretty entertaining to read all the boat names, too!

Glaciers

There are tons of glaciers around Alaska, so you have a vast amount of options to view them. Comparing Valdez, Homer, and Seward for glacier viewing experiences, though, I would rate Valdez first. You can see Worthington Glacier when driving into Valdez, view Valdez Glacier by kayak, and take a glacier cruise. Seward would be my next choice, with glacier cruises and a visit to Exit Glacier being popular ways to view these colossal mounds of ice.

Tips: Are you looking for the best ways to see glaciers around Alaska? My glacier viewing guide can help you find the best ways and places to see these magnificent sights.

National Parks

If you want to check another National Park off your bucket list, visit Seward. You can explore the beautiful Kenai Fjords National Park from there. Or, on your drive to Valdez you can stop at a Wrangell St. Elias National Park visitor center and view a slice of America’s largest National Park.

Scenery

This is really a subjective category. Personally, I have to put Valdez first. Maybe I has to do with my bias after living there most of my life, but it’s one of my three favorite places in the world. The mountains, waterfalls, glaciers, and the drive in really seal the deal for me. Homer would be second. The views of the bay, surrounding mountains, and beaches are quite amazing. Next up would be Seward. You can’t beat those big, beautiful trees, mountains, and costal views. No matter which you choose, you’ll have fantastic scenery to view since you’d be hard pressed to find a bad view in Alaska.

Of the three, does Valdez, Seward, or Homer have better weather?

The weather you’ll have on your vacation, and the scenery that’s visible, will vary greatly depending on which season you visit. Weather in Alaska is unpredictable, though, no matter what time of year. I’m writing this in June. It just got warm enough to plant my garden, and some areas recently had snow, so you never know what you’ll get.

If you’re in any of these towns for any length of time, you’ll see rain. Valdez and Seward tend to see more rain than Homer, though, so you may have a better chance of sunny days in Homer.

During the winter you’ll see snow in all these towns, but it varies depending on the area. Valdez is one of the snowiest towns in the world, Seward also gets an abundance of snow, and Homer tends to get a bit of snow, but it doesn’t get too snowy there.

Are there things to do in these places year round?

Seward, Homer, and Valdez are seasonal, as is the rest of Alaska, as far as tourism activities go. They are all very busy and bustling in the summer, but when the snow and cold start to creep in seasonal business and activities close up.

Seward and Valdez are less “touristy” than Homer, though. Of the three, Valdez is likely the most popular during the “off season” due to the immense amount of snow making it a famous destination for winter sports such as snowmachining (snowmobiling), skiing, and snowboarding. Homer has the popular Winter King Salmon Tournament in March, and there are winter fishing options in Seward as well.

Which has the best food: Valdez, Seward, or Homer?

As mentioned above, all of these costal Alaska towns are seasonal. There are restaurants in each place that are open year round, but many of the food trucks and smaller restaurants you’ll see are just open during summertime.

I would say Homer has the best variety of food options. There are a number of great places to eat, and a handful of them stay open all year. Many of the places you’ll find on the Homer Spit are only open for summer, though. There’s a tie for Seward and Valdez being second. Very few places are open during winter, but food trucks and seasonal vendors widen your options during summertime.

Are you looking for the journey or destination?

Now, I have a question for you! Are you all about the journey or destination? If a long, scenic drive through the vast beauty of Alaska doesn’t intrigue you, choose between Homer or Seward. Both of these destinations will likely be shorter drives for you, depending on where your starting point is. They are both scenic trips through the Kenai Peninsula, but much shorter than the drive to Valdez.

There are more “tourist” type activities on the Peninsula than there are in Valdez, but personally I think the journey to Valdez, and the scenery you’ll experience there beats any type of paid excursions you could do elsewhere. So, if you’re looking for a beautiful journey and destination, choose Valdez. If you’re wanting a shorter trip and a few more activities, choose Seward or Homer.

Would you choose to visit Valdez, Seward, or Homer?

If someone asked for my opinion on which of the three to visit, I would choose Valdez first, Seward second, and Homer third. Consider this a very biased opinion, though, as I was born and raised in Valdez. The drive there, the people, the views, and the wildlife are unmatched. Although I live on the Kenai Peninsula now, and enjoy visiting Seward and Homer just as much as the next person, there’s no place like home.

I know this is a lot of information to digest, but I hope it give you the insight you need to plan the best trip for you! If you have questions about traveling to Alaska feel free to leave a comment below, or sign up for the Everyday Alaska newsletter, and send me an email.

You can also join the Everyday Alaska Travel Tips, Information, and Advice group, and/or our New to Alaska Tips, Information, and Advice group to ask any questions you may have. I’m happy to help you get the most out of your time in our beautiful Last Frontier!