Welcome to
Anchorage
Anchorage–Homer Sterling Highway Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour
- Duration1 hour
- Max Travelers4 people
- Free CancellationUp to 24 hrs
- CategoryAdventure Tours, Agent Low Quality Product
Overview
Drive from Anchorage to Homer on a self-guided audio tour packed with wildlife, glaciers, and coastal views. Four must-see stops lead the way: Potter Marsh Bird Sanctuary, Beluga Point, the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, and Homer Spit. Follow Turnagain Arm, detour into Portage Valley for Portage Glacier and Byron Glacier Trail, then cruise past Kenai Lake and Cooper Landing before rolling into Homer for overlooks, beaches, and big-sky sunsets.
Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together!
After booking, you can check your email before downloading the Tour Guide App by Action, entering your unique password, and accessing your tour. The preceding steps require good internet/Wi-Fi access. Simply follow the audio instructions and the route from there.
New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
This is not an entrance ticket to attractions along the route. Check opening hours before your visit.
Gallery
What's included
Just bring your car and phone; the app guides your tour.
Support is available via chat, email, or phone if you need help.
Planning tools, route maps, scenic stops, and area previews included.
Private tour experience for your family, in your own car.
Lifetime access: use the tour anytime and keep it for future trips.
Works offline with GPS route guidance and automatic audio stories.
One purchase covers everyone in your car, not per person.
Flexible tour: start, stop, and pause anytime during your trip.
Access your tour in our separate audio tour app after booking.
Hidden gems and local stories included along the route.
What's Not included
No live guide. Entrance fees, parking, food, and car rental are separate.
Itinerary
Drive Alaskau2019s scenic Sterling Highway between Anchorage and Homer with a self-guided audio tour featuring coastal views, mountain landscapes, and memorable roadside stops. Please note that the same stops and stories are included in both directions along the Sterling Highway route.nnIt's known for its excellent birding, with about 130 different species found here. You might see bald eagles, northern pintails, Canada geese, canvasback ducks, northern harriers, Arctic terns, and trumpeter swans here, and that's just scratching the surface.nnNote: The tour is over 118 Miles long per tour, with more than 90+ audio stories per tour, and takes about 2-3 hours to complete.nnNew, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.
The largest state parks in the entire country, Chugach State Park. We're talking half a million acres large. It's a gorgeous park, full of lakes, tundra, and a variety of different forest ecosystems.
From this trailhead, it's only a short walk to a 20-foot waterfall. If we're looking for just a short stop, we can be in and out in 10 minutes--though I must mention that there is a small parking fee.
The name comes from the fact that, yes, it can be a lucky spot to see beluga whales. These white whales are much smaller than some other whales, reaching only 12 to 16 feet in length.
Indian Valley Mine keeps Alaskau2019s gold-rush spirit alive, with a historic cabin, tiny museum, and a chance to try gold panning and keep what you find.
The Bird Creek Valley Trailhead is just ahead. Park in the lot if youu2019d like to stretch your legs for a quick hike. When youu2019re ready, drive back the way we came, then turn left onto the Seward Highway to continue the main tour.
Bird Point is a quick, worthwhile stop with telescopes, beluga sculptures, and a peek at glacial striations carved into the rock, plus access to the Bird to Gird bike trail.
Girdwood is a canu2019t-miss stop, home to Alyeska Resort, glacier tours, and the Aerial Tram, plus a gold-rush past and a wild twist, the 1964 quake forced the whole town to relocate up the valley.
Alyeska Resort is Girdwoodu2019s main hub for year-round fun, hike or bike the trails, ride the 2,300-foot Aerial Tram for big views, or book a reservation-only Nordic Spa day.
Lower Winner Creek Trail is a 4-mile round-trip rainforest hike to a scenic gorge, with icy blue, glacier-fed creeksu2014park in the main lot and start near the base of Chair 7.
Crow Pass Trail follows the historic Iditarod route for glacier views, waterfalls, and wildflowers, or take the Alyeska Aerial Tram for the same big vistas with zero hiking.
Chugach National Forest spans over 5 million acres of wild Alaskan beauty, offering 500 miles of trails, epic fishing spots, and a perfect backdrop for your next photo at the entrance sign.
Portage Lake Loop Road leads to the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center and the Portage Glacier Day Lodge, with great lake views along the way, and you can buy boat tour tickets at the lodge if you havenu2019t booked yet.
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is a must for animal lovers, meet rescued Alaska wildlife like bears, wolves, moose, musk ox, and eagles, with optional guided tours and close encounters.
Moose Flats is a quick wetland stop with a 0.5-mile interpretive trail and good odds of spotting Alaskau2019s massive moose, plus itu2019s the start of the flat 5-mile Trail of Blue Ice to the Portage Glacier visitor center.
Explorer Glacier View is a standout lookout with a huge icefield and a dramatic 400-foot waterfall pouring off the glacier.
Portage Lake is the icy-blue lake left behind as Portage Glacier retreated around the corner, and today itu2019s the waterway you cross by boat (or hike along) to get those up-close glacier views.
Portage Glacier is a towering, icy-blue wall of ice at the end of Portage Lakeu2014once right beside the visitor center, but now best seen by boat tour or a hike as itu2019s retreated back around the bend.
Byron Glacier is a scenic, mostly flat 3-mile round-trip hike with snowfields and occasional ice caves (admire from outside), ending with a rewarding close-up view of the glacier.
Hope is a charming gold rush town on Turnagain Arm, where you can pan for gold in Resurrection Creek, visit the Hope-Sunrise Mining Museum, or hike the scenic Gull Rock and Hope Point Trails for incredible views.
Summit Lake is a prime pullout for wildlife watching, especially loonsu2014listen for their eerie calls, scan from the highway pullouts, or detour to Tenderfoot Campground for more time by the water.
Tern Lake is a top wildlife stopu2014watch for moose in the shallows, mountain goats on the slopes, and black bears nearby, plus spring swans, late-July sockeye runs, and a handy fish-viewing platform at the picnic area.
Kenai Lake is a Kenai Peninsula showstopper, its vivid blue-green color comes from glacier-fed u201cglacial flour,u201d and yes, you can swim here if youu2019re up for a seriously refreshing dip.
Cooper Landing is a classic Kenai River stopu2014famous for salmon fishing and rafting, with a boat launch viewing deck for Dall sheep and mountain goats, plus a small local museum and good services for a quick pit stop.
Russian River Falls is a must-see during salmon seasonu2014watch thousands of sockeye leap up the falls each June and July, sometimes with bears fishing nearby, all from a flat, easy two-mile trail.
Kenai River follows Kenai Lake for 82 miles and is Alaskau2019s fishing superstaru2014packed with trout and Dolly Varden, plus sockeye, coho, pink, and legendary king salmon, and it even sparked u201ccombat fishingu201d during peak runs.
Skilak Lake Road is an 18-mile gravel loop through prime wildlife habitatu2014best early morning for wolves, bears, lynx, and birdsu2014but only attempt it with AWD and good clearance before rejoining Highway 1.
Skilak Lake is a wild, glacier-fed gem in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, known for big views, strong winds, and great chances to spot eagles, loons, and moose along its rugged shoreline.
Sterling is the gateway to the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, a great spot for gas, food, or outdoor adventure. Itu2019s famous for salmon fishing and for its two canoe routesu2014the 46-mile Swanson River Trail linking 40 lakes and the shorter Swan River Route. These scenic waterways wind through muskeg peat bogs rich with moss, orchids, and berries, showing off Alaskau2019s wilder side.
Soldotna is the Kenai River hub for world-class salmon fishing, riverfront trails, and an easy stop to refuel, grab food, and stock up before the next stretch.
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center is the best quick stop for refuge info, interpretive exhibits, and a few easy nature trails with good chances for wildlife spotting.
A.R.C. Park is a small, easy break stop with a lake for paddling or fishing in summer (grayling and silver salmon), skating in winter, and trail links into the refuge and Tsalteshi systemu2014watch for the left-turn pullout just before the lake.
Tustumena Lake is the Kenai Peninsulau2019s largest, a remote wilderness lake todayu2014but around the late 1800s and early 1900s it supported trappers, miners, and homesteaders before fading back into quiet, cabin-dotted wild country.
Kasilof is a classic salmon town on the Kasilof River, with nearby state recreation sites for quick walks, camping, paddling, and fishingu2014plus a fun dipnetting scene at Kasilof River SRS and a Russian-era name dating back to an 1786 fort.
To reach Kasilof River State Recreation Site, turn left onto Spetz Avenue just after crossing the river and passing the brown u201cKasilof Riveru201d sign, then take an immediate left into the site.
Clam Gulch State Recreation Area is a scenic coastal stop known for its long sandy beach, wildflower-covered bluffs, and panoramic views of Cook Inlet and the Aleutian volcanoesu2014Redoubt, Spurr, and Iliamna. Though razor clamming has been closed since 2015 to protect the population, itu2019s still a lovely spot for camping, picnicking, and birdwatching, with chances to see bald eagles, cranes, and Arctic terns.
Ninilchik is a charming seaside village with stunning Cook Inlet views and deep fishing roots. Stop by the Ninilchik and Deep Creek State Recreation Sites for beaches, campgrounds, and eagle or whale spotting. Donu2019t miss the historic Holy Transfiguration Russian Orthodox Church perched on the bluff with its iconic golden domes.
Deep Creek is a popular Ninilchik-area coastal stop with a campground, beach access, and a tractor-assisted boat launch, plus great chances to spot bald eagles and sometimes whales or sea otters offshore.
Nikolaevsk is a small Old Believer village founded in 1968, where many residents still speak Russian, follow traditional customs, and keep a quieter way of life on the Kenai Peninsula.
Anchor River State Recreation Area is a great beach-and-camping stop where the river meets the sea, known for steelhead and salmon fishing, plus easy coastal walks, volcano views across Cook Inlet, and chances to spot eagles, belugas, and sea otters.
Homer is the grand finale of the Kenai Peninsulau2014Alaskau2019s halibut fishing capital and u201cCity of Peonies.u201d Visit the 4.5-mile Homer Spit for seaside views, galleries, and seafood spots. The town buzzes with kayaking, wildlife cruises, bear-watching flights to Katmai or Lake Clark, and water taxis to Seldovia or Kachemak Bay State Park. Donu2019t miss the Pratt Museum, the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies, and the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge headquarters for a taste of local art, science, and coastal ecology.
Homer Spit is a 4.5-mile finger of land reaching into Kachemak Bay, packed with beaches, the harbor, shops and cafu00e9s, a campground, and outfitters for fishing, kayaking, and bear or wildlife toursu2014plus great chances to spot eagles, sea lions, seals, and jellyfish.
Good to know
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Easy to use: GPS-triggered audio plays automatically along the route for a hands-free experience.
Private tour: Explore in your own vehicle without crowded buses or large tour groups.
At your own pace: Start anytime and pause for hikes, picnics, photos, or scenic stops.
Works offline: Once downloaded, the tour works using GPS without Wi-Fi or cellular service.
Good value: One purchase covers everyone in your vehicle, not each person separately.
More ways to save: Choose a single tour, a nearby bundle, or access to 200+ tours.
Download in advance: Download the Tour Guide app by Action and tour while connected to Wi-Fi or a strong cellular signal.
Follow the route: Begin at the suggested starting point or join anywhere along the route shown in the app.
Lifetime access: Preview the tour before your trip and revisit the stories, photos, and details afterward.
Supported devices: iPhone with iOS 15+, Android with version 9+, or a GPS-enabled iPad/tablet with cellular capability.
The appu2019s audio will play through your caru2019s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto display, while the appu2019s map will display on your phone. You can connect your phone to the car via Bluetooth to listen to the commentary through the car stereo.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.