F
Aleyska 1 night before cruise
Fantastic views and hotel. Worth the trip
Alyeska/Girdwood Express
At a glance
- Duration
- 45 min
- Price from
- $50 / person
- Location
- Anchorage, United States
- Rating
- 4.6 / 5 · 43 reviews
- Languages
- EN
- Group
- Small group, up to 14
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
- Hotel pickup
- Available
- Confirmation
- Instant
- Ticket
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operator
- Alaska's Finest Tours & Cruises
Description
Destination You Don’t Want to Miss: Girdwood, Alaska We invite you to study Girdwood and see why it’s a destination not to miss! Let us be your premium transfer service from Anchorage Airport, downtown hotels, or our office at 509 W 3rd Avenue (across from the Hilton) directly to Alyeska Resort and Girdwood. Just 45 minutes south of Anchorage, this mountain town in Chugach State Park is surrounded by glaciers, waterfalls, rainforest, and towering peaks—an authentic Alaska experience you’ll never forget. Girdwood offers iconic Turnagain Arm scenery, year-round adventure from skiing to hiking, glaciers, wildlife, and a vibrant mountain-town culture with dining, breweries, art, and music. Take the time to explore Girdwood and discover why travelers consider it the heart of Alaska’s beauty and adventure. With the Girdwood Express, enjoy a scenic, stress-free ride—no rental car, parking, or winter driving worries. Shared-ride, advance purchase required; scheduling may vary.
Schedule & prices
- Runs
- Every day
- Start times
- 48 times a day, 12:00 AM–11:30 PM
- Next available
- Thu, Oct 8
- Adult (ages 18+)
- $50
- Child (ages 1–17)
- $50
Out at sunset: the 6:00 PM departure is under way when the sun sets, around 6:33 PM in the coming weeks.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 7.
Tour Options
What's included
Included
All Fees and Taxes
Air-conditioned vehicle
Not included
Activities in Girdwood
Pickup Locations & Times
Please call the service number once you have booked your tickets, and the service will call you to reconfirm the night prior to your departure. At the airport after collecting bags please proceed across to the taxi stands and go in front of them where you will find the shuttle/express pick up location.
Traveller Ratings
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
4.6
43 reviews
How it compares in Anchorage
- Starting price $50 is 66% below the typical $149 for tours of similar length in Anchorage
Excurgo comparison of 201 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
1+ days before100% refund
0–1 days before0% refund
Frequently asked questions
How long does Alyeska/Girdwood Express take?
Alyeska/Girdwood Express lasts about 45 min.
How much does Alyeska/Girdwood Express cost?
Prices start at $50 per person for this Anchorage experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There are 4 booking options, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
What days does Alyeska/Girdwood Express run?
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, with 48 departures a day between 12:00 AM and 11:30 PM.
How much does Alyeska/Girdwood Express cost for children?
Children aged 1–17 pay from $50, adults from $50.
Can I cancel Alyeska/Girdwood Express for free?
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
Is hotel pickup included?
Yes, pickup is offered. Please call the service number once you have booked your tickets, and the service will call you to reconfirm the night prior to your departure. At the airport after collecting bags please proceed across to the taxi stands and go in front of them where you will find the shuttle/express pick up location.
What languages is Alyeska/Girdwood Express offered in?
The experience is available in EN.
Is this a private or a group tour?
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 14 participants.
Is the tour suitable for children?
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Will my booking be confirmed immediately?
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Is Alyeska/Girdwood Express worth it?
Travellers rate it 4.6 out of 5 across 43 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Alaska's Finest Tours & Cruises.
Reviews(43)
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
4
Unprofessional left us stranded
The driver showed up at our airport pick up coughing and sick and with her two children wining in the van. Even with that we booked a return trip. They then canceled just hours before our train departure leaving us with a problem on getting to Anchorage from Girdwood. They canceled after midnight for a 6:30 AM pick up. There was no assistance with helping us find last minute transportation. Terrible customer service very unprofessional.
A
Definitely recommend
Very convenient way to get to Girdwood. Driver was very nice and provided some commentary on what we were passing on the journey.
D
Great ride to the airport
On time,voilite, clean, perfect ride to Anchorage. Did not see any bears or moose on the way in . Filling space
R
Great Team!
Great team, flexible and professional. Driver Matt knew his history and fun facts along the trip!
C
Perfect
Absolutely perfect!!!! On time, great communication and took the worry out of travel!
K
5 stars service!
Corey was an awesome driver who arrived promptly on time and got me safely to the airport. This is the second time I have used this service, and it’s the only service I plan to use when visiting the Anchorage/Girdwood area in the future. Please use this service!! They are truly 5 stars!
K
A+ service!
Wow, what an excellent service! You cannot beat the price and the flexibility of the times for pick up. Walter was my driver and he provided a safe and pleasant ride. Walter was a pleasure to have as my driver!! Kelly went above and beyond, making sure my reservations were scheduled correctly, she was in communication with me and made this process so seamless. As a solo female traveler, having reliable transportation was so important and this experience couldn’t have been better. I will absolutely use again when I visit Anchorage again. Thank you!!
M
Lousy provider
Customer service is lousy - owner will not respond to calls. Three of the folks at my conference all had bad experiences with the operator. Drivers are nice but there is a total lack of organization and communication. Follow through is non existent. Find another provider or just take an Uber!
Operator response
Thank you for your feedback. While I respect your perspective, there are several important facts that should be clarified. You did not contact the owner directly at any point, nor did you attempt to do so. Your communications were with our dispatch team. We are always available to assist when issues arise, but we can only respond to information that is communicated to us. I would also like to clarify the nature of our service. Girdwood Express is a shared ride shuttle service, not a private taxi, limousine, or dedicated car service. Shared ride transportation is designed to serve multiple passengers traveling during similar time windows. The vehicle, driver, route, and schedule are coordinated around the needs of several travelers, which allows us to provide transportation at a fraction of the cost of a private ride. Because it is a shared ride service, communication is essential when travel plans change. Flight delays, cancellations, and rebookings require passengers to keep us informed so we can adjust schedules accordingly. Unlike a private car service that may be able to wait indefinitely, a shared ride vehicle must continue serving other passengers who also have reservations and are relying on timely transportation. Regarding transportation options, Girdwood is a unique market. Rideshare services and taxis are extremely limited, especially between Girdwood and Anchorage. An Uber or taxi from Alyeska to the airport typically costs well over $130 one way and often exceeds $200. In many cases, rideshare drivers decline the trip altogether because it requires nearly an hour of unpaid driving to reach Girdwood. As a result, passengers will often see the Uber app continue searching for a driver without successfully finding one. There is occasionally a driver willing to accept the trip, but the fare can be several hundred dollars. Traditional taxi services generally require an hour-long dispatch to Girdwood and commonly charge a minimum of $200 or more for the service. The reason Girdwood Express exists is because visitors and residents consistently struggled to find reliable and affordable transportation between Girdwood and the airport. Our shared ride service was created specifically to fill that gap and remains the most practical transportation option for the vast majority of travelers. At $55 each way, our service provides transportation that would otherwise cost several times that amount through private transportation options, assuming those options are even available. It is worth noting that despite your dissatisfaction with your inbound trip, you still retained your return reservation. That decision may reflect the reality of the transportation market in Girdwood, where affordable and reliable alternatives are extremely limited. In your particular case, the biggest challenge was that your travel plans changed significantly throughout the day. Your flights were delayed, canceled, and rebooked multiple times, and we did not receive updates from you regarding those changes. After more than five hours of delays and unsuccessful attempts to reach you by phone and text, we concluded that your travel plans had changed and released the vehicle to continue serving other scheduled passengers. We certainly regret that your experience did not meet your expectations. However, successful transportation service requires communication from both parties, particularly when flight schedules change repeatedly throughout the day. In a shared ride environment, we have an obligation to all passengers, not just one traveler, and we must make operational decisions that allow the service to continue functioning for everyone who has booked transportation. We appreciate your business and wish you safe travels in the future.
P
POOR customer service! POOR business practices.
Girdwood Express was recommended by the Alyeska Resort. When we arrived at the airport (we being other people that had also made reservations) our shuttle was no where to be found in the shuttle waiting area. The shuttle buses do not have markings on them as they do in the photos from the website. After 20 min we had to call them to ask where they were. We were then directed to a shuttle that had been sitting there among other shuttle buses. The dispatcher gave us the number on the shuttle and we then confirmed with the driver it was in fact our shuttle. No markings on the shuttle bus nor a sign in the window to say it was the Girdwood Express shuttle. Also no call from dispatcher directing us to where to meet. Why wouldn't the bus driver get out and ask all of those standing around, "Alyeska Resort anyone?". All of the other shuttle buses were clearly marked or had signs in the window describing their affiliation. The driver was nice and engaged in friendly conversation on the way to the resort. That was just getting to the resort.............. Now on to the end of our trip and getting a shuttle back to the airport. You have to be kidding me. We had an even worse experience for the way back. Our flight was for 10:25 p.m. leaving Anchorage Airport. Considering it is just under an hour to the airport, and we should check in to the very busy airport two hours early, we scheduled our pickup at 7:00 p.m. That is almost 3.5 hours prior to our flight which should of been plenty of time. Well the shuttle was not there at 7:00. At 7:10 we called them to inquire as to the location of our shuttle. At 7:25 they called back to say they were trying to get ahold of the bus driver to get us an ETA. They also said that it was likely that the shuttle was stuck in construction traffic. Well that is total bs. Even the bell hops called them to ask why the delay. The bell hop drives from Anchorage to the resort for work. No construction anywhere of any sort. The shuttle service stated they would call us right back with an ETA. At 7:50 we still did not receive a call back and began to worry about getting to the airport on time. I then called the local yellow cab company. That is a whole other story but they are a waste of time. They stated they had someone in the area within ten minutes. Within 5 minutes a cab driver called and said he was 45-50 minutes out and coming from the airport. What the ??? No way we could make it for our flight doing that. Now we are in panic mode and in fear of missing our Southwest flight. Keep in mind that Southwest only flies once a day out of Anchorage to anywhere. That's at 10:25 p.m. If you miss that fight you have to wait 24 hours to catch the next one. Just unacceptable. Finally Mark, one of the bell hops, stated he was getting ready to get off work and would gladly take us. He drove us right to the front door of the airport. We arrived at 9:15 p.m. and were able to make our flight. It was just after 8:30 p.m. that the shuttle service finally called back to state the driver was 10 minutes away. Horrible communication. Horrible and unreliable service. We told them we were already on the way to the airport. I am sure that there has been several times that they were on point with their reservations but to have issues coming and going...??? I would not recommend them to anyone. That goes the same for the yellow cab company. We would of rented a car but none were available. Uber/Lyft?? I looked at eta's several times in that hour and a half. They were all longer that an hour away and were coming from airport. The Girdwood town is very small and just doesn't have the local resources to support ride share services.
Operator response
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. I sincerely apologize for the problems you encountered both upon arrival and during your return trip to the airport. To provide some context, all of our vehicles display Girdwood Express branding on the rear of the vehicle, including a picture of the hotel and tram with "Ask Us About the Girdwood Express" prominently displayed above it. On the day of your arrival, our primary Girdwood Express vans were assigned to other runs, so we used one of our affiliated shuttle vehicles for your pickup. While the vehicle was marked, it is clear from your experience that the identification was not obvious enough and that we should have communicated more clearly where to meet your driver. The driver should also have contacted you directly upon arrival. Regarding your return trip, I understand your frustration and concern about potentially missing your flight. Regardless of the circumstances that contributed to the delay, our communication with you was not timely enough and did not meet the standard of service we strive to provide. For that, I sincerely apologize. Girdwood is a unique market with limited transportation resources, which is one of the reasons we created the Girdwood Express service. The vast majority of our rides operate smoothly, but your experience highlighted weaknesses in our backup procedures. As a direct result of your feedback, we have implemented additional safeguards, including improved dispatch protocols and backup driver procedures, to help ensure a situation like this does not happen again. We have also issued a full refund for your transportation. While that does not undo the inconvenience and stress you experienced, I hope it demonstrates that we take your concerns seriously and are committed to making things right. Thank you again for your feedback. It has helped us identify areas where we can improve, and I sincerely apologize for letting you down.
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from$50
4.6(43) Free cancellation