Getting to Prince William Sound from Anchorage

The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel route from Anchorage to Whittier, with tunnel schedule and toll

The tunnel is the whole problem

The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel is 2.5 miles long, the longest highway tunnel in North America, and the only road link to Whittier. It is one lane. That lane is shared with the Alaska Railroad, and cars drive over rails set into the roadbed.

Because there is only one lane, traffic alternates. On the summer schedule, vehicles run toward Whittier on the half-hour and out of Whittier on the hour, with the last inbound slot late in the evening and the tunnel closed overnight. Trains take priority and can displace a slot.

The practical rule that follows is simple and worth writing on your hand: work backwards from your check-in time, not your departure time. Operators ask you to check in an hour before sailing. One Whittier operator states it plainly — for a 1:00 pm departure, take the 12:30 tunnel at the latest, which in practice means the 11:30 if you want to park without hurrying.

What it costs

The toll is about $13 for a private vehicle. It is charged eastbound only — you pay on the way in, and the return through the tunnel is free. Pay at the Bear Valley staging area on the Anchorage side.

Parking in Whittier runs roughly $15–20 for the day, and no cruise fare on this site includes it. The two Phillips cruises list both the toll and the parking explicitly as excluded; the small-group operator includes free parking while you are on the water, which is a genuine saving worth knowing about.

Neither cost is large. Both are surprises if nobody tells you, and both are cash-flow moments while you are already watching the clock.

Option 1 — drive yourself

The route is the Seward Highway south out of Anchorage along Turnagain Arm, then the Portage Glacier Road turnoff to Bear Valley and the tunnel. It is one of the best hours of driving in Alaska, with Dall sheep on the cliffs and beluga sightings in the Arm if you are lucky.

Allow two hours from central Anchorage to standing at the check-in desk. That is an hour and a quarter of driving, plus whatever the tunnel queue costs you, plus parking and the walk to the harbour. Use the restrooms at the staging area while you wait — several operators recommend it, because the facilities on a small boat amount to a marine toilet.

This is the cheapest option and the most flexible, and it suits anyone who already has a rental car.

Option 2 — let the operator drive

Both Phillips cruises sell coach and rail transfer packages from Anchorage and Alyeska. This is why the 26 Glacier Cruise shows a duration range of 5.5 to 11 hours and Glacier Quest shows 4 to 11: the cruise length is fixed, and the range is the transport wrapped around it.

What you buy is the removal of every problem above. No toll, no parking, no tunnel timing, no driving after a long day on the water. Luggage can be stored on the coach for the return, which makes this the sensible choice on a day you are also changing hotels or heading to the airport. Reviewers on the flagship specifically mention easy coach pickup and a smooth handover at the boat.

It costs more than driving. If you are two people with a rental car already paid for, drive. If you are a family, or you are not renting a car at all, the transfer usually wins.

Option 3 — go to Valdez instead

Valdez is the other gateway to the Sound, and it is a different scale of journey: roughly 300 road miles from Anchorage via the Glenn and Richardson highways, or a short scheduled flight. No one should drive that for a day trip.

But if Valdez is already on your itinerary, the two Stan Stephens sailings — Columbia and Meares — are cheaper than their Whittier equivalents and rate just as well. The Columbia cruise even includes transfers to and from RV parks in central Valdez, which tells you what kind of town it is. See our Whittier vs Valdez comparison before committing to the drive.

A workable Whittier day plan

Working backwards from a midday sailing, driving yourself:

Two hours before check-in — leave central Anchorage.
45 minutes before check-in — be in the Bear Valley queue, toll paid, restrooms used.
On the half-hour — cross the tunnel.
One hour before departure — park (about $15–20) and check in at the harbour office.
After the cruise — remember that outbound traffic leaves on the hour, and the tunnel closes overnight. A late-afternoon return is comfortable; an evening dinner reservation in Anchorage needs checking against the last slot.

Add half an hour of slack in July and August. The tunnel queue is longest when the cruise ships are in and every day boat is sailing full.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far is Whittier from Anchorage?

About 60 miles, or an hour and a quarter of driving via the Seward Highway and Portage Glacier Road — plus the tunnel wait. Allow two hours door to check-in desk.

How does the Whittier tunnel schedule work?

The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel is a single lane shared with the Alaska Railroad, so traffic alternates direction on a fixed timetable. On the summer schedule vehicles run toward Whittier on the half-hour and out of Whittier on the hour, and the tunnel closes overnight. Check the current schedule before you travel — it changes between summer and winter.

How much is the Whittier tunnel toll?

About $13 for a private vehicle, charged only on the way in toward Whittier. The return trip through the tunnel is free. Parking in Whittier is a separate $15–20 and is not included in any cruise fare here.

Can I get to a Prince William Sound cruise without a car?

Yes. Both Phillips cruises from Whittier sell coach and rail transfer packages from Anchorage and Alyeska, which include the journey in the booking and remove the tunnel and parking problem entirely. That option is what extends the listed duration to as much as eleven hours.

What time should I leave Anchorage for a Whittier cruise?

Two hours before your check-in time, which is itself an hour before departure. For a 1:00 pm sailing that means leaving Anchorage around 10:00 am and taking the 11:30 or 12:30 tunnel at the latest.

Is the drive to Whittier scenic?

Very. The Seward Highway runs along Turnagain Arm below the Chugach Mountains and is one of the most scenic stretches of road in Alaska, with Dall sheep on the cliffs and belugas in the Arm when the tide and the fish cooperate.