8 best things to do in Anchorage - before or after your cruise

Alaska cruise season is in full swing - which means 15 cruise lines, some with multiple ships, are weaving their way through pristine sounds carved by glaciers and flanked by stupendous temperate rainforest, all home to battalions of wildlife. Many cruises start and finish in Vancouver with seven-day itineraries, but you will miss some of the best ports if you do that. Consider taking a longer cruise that starts or ends in Seward, and be rewarded with more mindblowing sights and experiences, and fewer ships. The airport gateway to Seward is Anchorage, the state's biggest city with about 292,000 people, and 1500 moose. With the Chugach Mountains rearing up behind and Cook Inlet lapping at its shores, it is the epitome of urban wild. Here are eight things to do in Anchorage before or after a cruise.

Anchorage air traffic controllers manage not only the international airport, but also the busiest seaplane base in the world. It's located on Lake Hood, where there's a constant buzz as seaplanes take off and land on its watery runways. We are on one of them as we take off with Rust's Flying Service for a 2.5-hour Alaska Glacier and Wildlife Tour. The pilot is a great tour guide as we fly out over the city and down Knik Arm, before doing some flybys around Knik Glacier, Colony Glacier and George Glacier. We see moose and mountain goats before returning to Anchorage for a splashdown. flyrusts.com

Alaska is fishing heaven, and while you can take a seaplane out to fish, pulling up on a beach somewhere or a rustic lodge, there is a great spot smack in the middle of Anchorage - Ship Creek. Call into the Bait Shack to purchase a fishing licence, hire your gear and buy your bait, and drop in a line. This is salmon central, especially in late summer when they're heading upstream to spawn. Watch the anglers from the bridge to see if they strike it lucky, or go for a stroll along the Ship Creek Trail. Apart from fishermen, endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales can also be spotted at the Ship Creek small boat launch area. Check out the statue of Grandma Olga while you're there, a Dena'ina woman looking over what was a traditional fish camp.

You might also see belugas at Beluga Point en route to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Centre, about a 90-minute drive from Anchorage, or from a viewing platform at the centre. This non-profit sanctuary is dedicated to preserving Alaska's wildlife through conservation, education and research, giving orphaned and injured wildlife that need it a forever home in spacious surroundings. Spend a few hours strolling around the centre to see wolves, bears, musk ox, moose, elk and a herd of wood bison. alaskawildlife.org

While out near the Wildlife Conservation Centre, stop off at Bird Creek, which is a top spot for birdwatching, and then visit Girdwood, a quaint old mining town and the base for Alyeska Resort, known for its skiing in winter. Pan for gold at the old Crow Creek Mine before heading to Alyeska where you'll take the tramway up for views of Turnagain Arm and spot up to seven hanging glaciers in the Chugach Mountains. Thrillseekers can tackle the new Veilbreaker Skybridges experience, mastering two suspension bridges connecting three mountain peaks. alyeskaresort.com

The Anchorage Museum, on the traditional homeland of the Eklutna Dena'ina people, gives wonderful insight into 10,000 years of Alaskan history. A Smithsonian affiliate, its collections celebrate Alaska Native cultures through video, audio, photography and artefacts. The Living Our Cultures exhibition has more than 600 Alaska Native cultural heritage pieces - everything from carved umiaks (canoes) to historic ulu knives. Clothing was made from whatever was available: mammal intestines have been used to create waterproof coats, with fur and skin adding warmth. The warmest of all was anything made from qiviut, the discarded fleece from musk ox, which is eight times warmer than sheep's wool. anchoragemuseum.org

Wear off some of the salmon, crab, yak or spicy reindeer sausage you've been eating by hiring a bike or e-bike (Pablo's Bicycle Rentals is recommended) and cycling on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. This picture-perfect trail runs alongside Cook Inlet from downtown Anchorage to Kincaid Park, about 17 kilometres. You'll pedal past coastal marshes, Westchester Lagoon and through lush forest, and enjoy views to Denali, Alaska's highest mountain, on a clear day. Stop at Earthquake Park to see some of the reshaped land from the 1964 quake, which registered 9.2 on the Richter scale. Oh, and watch out for moose! pablobicyclerentals.com

Delve into the 11 major cultures of Alaska at the Alaska Native Heritage Centre. Learn about the Native Youth Olympics that happens in Alaska in February each year, ensuring traditional games and skills are not lost. The "Seal Hop" looks painful, but was effective in letting hunters of old get close to seals. Then there is the "Butt Push" and more athletic events like the Alaska High Kick. The dance and drum demonstration is informative, and the exhibits in the Hall of Cultures are well worth a look. alaskanative.net

To get between Anchorage and Seward, taking the Coastal Classic Train, on the 102-year-old Alaska Railroad, is the way to go. We enjoy every minute of the four-hour scenic ride past Turnagain Arm, then through the Chugach Mountains. Even if you are not boarding or disembarking a ship, you can do this as a day trip from Anchorage, with a seven-hour layover giving enough time to do a tour to Kenai Fjords National Park, or explore Seward. alaskarailroad.com

The writer was a guest of Visit Anchorage, Alaska Railroad and Viking Cruises