Visiting Anchorage, Alaska, US

Anchorage Welcomes Us!

Located on the shores of Cook Inlet and at the foot of the Chugach Mountains, Anchorage is a unique urban environment set in the heart of great wilderness.

There will be real Alaskan experiences throughout the Congress. On Monday we will meet our Keynote Speaker, Martin Buser, who is a 4-Time Iditarod Sled-Dog Race Champion (he hopes he will have 5 wins by the time we all meet in Anchorage).

There will be opportunities for reduced-cost tours on the Tuesday afternoon of the conference, an authentic Cookout with Native Alaskan Entertainment at the Alaska Native Heritage Center on Wednesday, and many more opportunities for additional tours, excursions and events for you and any family or friends who are traveling with you. We are arranging to work with a company that can book you into all sorts of adventures right from this website (check back soon for details), and they will also be onsite at the congress to help answer your sightseeing questions and make any last-minute arrangements.

Getting to Anchorage

Travel by Air
With connections from all over the world, and more than 280 flights arriving daily at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, Anchorage serves as the gateway to Alaska.

At time of writing, there is Direct Service to Anchorage via:
Alaska Airlines: Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver, Washington DC, New York, Boston, Miami, Orlando, San Diego
America West Airlines: Phoenix, Washington DC
American Airlines: Seattle, Dallas
Continental Airlines: Seattle, Houston, Newark
Delta Air Lines: Seattle, Salt Lake City, Atlanta
Frontier Airlines: Denver, Kansas City
Northwest Airlines: Minneapolis, Detroit
Sun Country Airlines: Denver, Minneapolis
United Airlines: Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Vancouver, B.C.,

And, there are connecting flights from nearly anywhere in the world!

For best rates, we recommend that you begin to shop early and keep and eye on airfares between competing airlines.

Travel by Sea
Alaska Marine Highway

The Alaska Marine Highway offers a unique alternative to cruise along Alaska's scenic coastline by ferry. Alaska port cities include Whittier, Seward, Homer, and Valdez, which are connected to Anchorage by road and rail.

The Alaska Marine Highway System has been operating year-round since 1963, with regularly scheduled passenger and vehicle service to 30 communities in Alaska, plus Bellingham, Washington, and Prince Rupert, British Columbia.

Recently designated as a National Scenic Byway, travel on the Alaska state ferry is at a leisurely pace. Enjoy views from observation decks, varied food service. All ferries have vehicle decks. Cabins are available only on four Southeast ferries and one Southwest ferry. Read more

Contact the Alaska Marine Highway office for all schedules, fares and information: www.alaska.gov/ferry

Reservations on all vessels are required and should be made as far in advance as possible to get the sailing dates you wish. Requests for space are accepted year-round and held until reservations open.

Travel by Land
Traverse a Rugged Landscape on the scenic Alaska Highway. It links Alaska with Canada and the contiguous United States and is fully paved with year-round services. Remember, though, that this is the long way to go, at 2435 miles from Seattle, Washington, and takes you through Canada on the way.

Sightseeing, Outdoor Experiences and Excursions

To make your travel experience easier and more enjoyable, Congress organizers have arranged for the Tour and Travel Company, Logistics, LLC, to work directly with you to book tours. From 1/2 day excursions to multi-day cruises, you can arrange your entire vacation around the Congress with their assistance.

They will also have a Booking Desk onsite at the Congress for last-minute arrangements and to answer questions. But, book early for the best selection!"

Congress Dress

Business casual attire is appropriate for most World Water Congress events. Although jackets are not required for the sessions, jackets or sweaters that can be removed are advisable because conference rooms may be cool.

The best plan is to dress in layers, so that as you move from one place to another you can adjust your clothing.

Also, in order to enjoy the many sightseeing and outdoor activities, be sure to bring good walking shoes and a variety of comfortable and casual clothes. Anchorage and the rest of Alaska have a casual and relaxed atmosphere, and formal dressing is not the norm.

Weather and Daylight

Temperatures can range from as low as 40ºF to temperatures in the low 80's. Expect mostly sunny skies, with less than 1 inch of rain generally reported for the month of May.

We will enjoy nearly 20 hours of daylight each day during our stay, so there is a lot of time for outdoor activity.

The time zone is Alaska Daylight Time, 1 hour later than US Pacific Daylight Time.