Alaska by Train Glaciers, Fjords & Denali

Day 1 Anchorage | Arrival Arrive in Anchorage and transfer independently to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to enjoy Alaska’s largest city, set between Cook Inlet and the Chugach Mountains. Walk part of the coastal trail, explore downtown restaurants and local galleries, or settle in with mountain views as your Alaska vacation begins.

Day 2 Anchorage | Freedom of Choice - Choose 1 of 10 Excursions Today, personalize your day by choosing the experience that best matches your travel style. Option 1. Turnagain Arm Wildlife Tour with Alyeska Tram Travel south from Anchorage along Turnagain Arm, one of Alaska’s most dramatic coastal corridors, where the Chugach Mountains rise directly from the water. Ride the Alyeska Aerial Tram for sweeping mountain and inlet views, enjoy lunch in Girdwood, and visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, where moose, bears, wolves, musk oxen, reindeer and other Alaska wildlife can be seen in a natural setting. Option 2. Hatcher Pass Hike and History Tour Join a local guide for an afternoon excursion into the Talkeetna Mountains. Travel along the Knik Arm before climbing into the alpine scenery of Hatcher Pass. Visit Independence Mine State Historical Park, try gold panning, and enjoy an easy interpretive walk along the Mill Loop Trail, where mountain views and mining history come together. Option 3. Anchorage Flightseeing Safari See Anchorage from above on a 30-minute introductory flight from Lake Hood, one of the world’s busiest seaplane bases. Depending on conditions, your route may include views of Anchorage, the Chugach Mountains, Turnagain Arm or Cook Inlet, with opportunities to watch for wildlife from the air. Wheeled aircraft may be used early and late in the season. Option 4. Sunset Photo Safari Chase Alaska’s long summer evening light with a guided photography excursion around Anchorage and Chugach State Park. Your route is flexible, allowing time for scenic stops and possible wildlife photography along the way. Your Alaska Photo Treks guide provides creative and technical support to help capture the best images of the day. Option 5. Anchorage Scenic City Tour Explore Anchorage with a guided city tour covering local history, Dena’ina heritage, Ship Creek, Earthquake Park and Lake Hood. Learn about the city’s origins, watch for salmon at the urban fishery, and enjoy panoramic views from Anchorage’s Hillside area, where moose and eagles are sometimes seen. Option 6. Anchorage Walking Tour - Downtown Food and History Stroll through downtown Anchorage on a guided food and history tour. Sample local favourites such as fresh seafood, reindeer sausage and handmade desserts while hearing stories from Alaska’s past. This is an ideal choice for travellers who want to combine local flavour with cultural context. Option 7. Upgrade Option: Alaska Bear Viewing Tour Fly southwest of Anchorage by floatplane for a guided bear viewing experience. Depending on the season and bear activity, your destination may be Lake Clark National Park, Redoubt Bay or Chinitna Bay. Watch for Alaska’s brown bears in their natural habitat, with viewing locations selected according to where bears are most active. Option 8. Upgrade Option: Fly-in Guided Fishing Excursion Travel by seaplane from Anchorage to remote Alaska fishing waters for a guided salmon or trout fishing adventure. Suitable for both experienced and novice anglers, this full-day wilderness experience combines scenic flying with the chance to fish in a remote backcountry setting. Option 9. Upgrade Option: Helicopter & Glacier Dogsled Excursion Begin with a scenic helicopter flight over glaciers, icefields and mountain terrain, with chances to spot wildlife such as moose, black bears, Dall sheep and mountain goats. Land high on a glacier snowfield to meet Alaskan sled dogs and their mushers before taking a dogsled ride through real snow. Option 10. Upgrade Option: Proenneke’s Cabin and Lake Clark Tour Fly by floatplane from Anchorage to remote Lake Clark National Park and land on Twin Lakes. Visit the hand-built cabin of Dick Proenneke, the legendary naturalist who lived alone in the Alaska wilderness for nearly 30 years. Along the way, watch for wilderness scenery and possible wildlife from the air.

Day 3 Anchorage to Seward | Alaska Railroad | Kenai Fjords Cruise Board the Coastal Classic Train in the GoldStar Service for a breathtaking ride to Seward. This scenic journey takes you along Cook Inlet and into the glacier-filled Chugach Mountains. Upon arrival in Seward, transfer by shuttle to the small boat harbour for a 6-hour cruise of Kenai Fjords National Park. The park boasts abundant wildlife, alpine and tidewater glaciers, and breathtaking scenery. As you cruise through Resurrection Bay, keep watch for Steller sea lions, seals, puffins, eagles and whales. Cruise past the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, home to a large variety of birds, on your way to either the Holgate or Aialik Glacier. You will stop in front of the glacier to hear it moving and possibly see ice fall into the ocean. Enjoy lunch onboard. (Breakfast and lunch are included today.)

Day 4 Seward to Denali | Coach Mid-morning, board your scheduled motorcoach for the full-day journey from Seward to Denali National Park. Travel north along the spectacular Seward Highway, an All-American Road known for its dramatic mix of coastal scenery, mountain valleys and wild Alaska landscapes. As the road follows Turnagain Arm, watch for sweeping water views, steep Chugach Mountain slopes, waterfalls and, with luck, glimpses of local wildlife. After a midday stop in Anchorage of approximately 90 minutes, continue north through the Matanuska-Susitna Valley and onto the Parks Highway. The scenery gradually opens into broad river valleys, spruce forest, alpine tundra and distant Alaska Range vistas as you approach Denali National Park.

Day 5 Denali National Park | Freedom of Choice - Choose 1 of 4 Excursions Today, enjoy a full day in the Denali region and choose the experience that best matches your travel style. Travel the legendary Denali Highway, journey into Denali National Park by coach, or upgrade to flightseeing over the Alaska Range or a helicopter glacier landing. Option 1. Denali Highway Jeep Excursion | Self-Drive Guided 4x4 Excursion Ranked #2 in “Drives of a Lifetime” by National Geographic Traveler magazine, experience the natural wonders of Alaska’s Denali Highway - this time by Jeep. This 4-hour guided excursion travels along a 217 km/135 mi gravel road and takes you off the beaten path in a 4x4 to enjoy sweeping views of Denali, the Alaska Range, glaciers, tundra and possible wildlife. Option 2. Tundra Wilderness Tour | Coach Tour Travel into Denali National Park on a narrated coach tour along the park road, where the landscape opens into tundra, braided rivers, mountain valleys and wildlife habitat. Watch for moose, caribou, Dall sheep, bears and other wildlife while learning about the park’s geology, ecology and wilderness character. Option 3. Upgrade Option: Denali Summit Flightseeing | Small Aircraft Fly toward Denali and the surrounding Alaska Range for a dramatic view of snow-covered peaks, glacier-filled valleys and rugged ridgelines. From the window seat of a small aircraft, this upgrade gives you a powerful sense of the scale of North America’s tallest mountain. Option 4. Upgrade Option: Denali Glacier Landing | Helicopter Fly by helicopter across the Denali region toward the Yanert Glacier, passing tundra, mountain terrain and glacier-carved valleys along the way. Land on the glacier for a spectacular high-alpine Alaska experience.

Day 6 Denali National Park to Anchorage | Alaska Railroad This morning is open for optional Denali-area activities before you board Alaska Railroad’s Denali Star in GoldStar Service for the southbound journey to Anchorage. Travel from the Alaska Range into remote backcountry, river corridors and forested valleys, passing through the Talkeetna area and the broad Matanuska-Susitna Valley. On clear days, watch for views of Denali near the Susitna River, then continue past braided waterways, wetlands, Knik Arm and mountain backdrops as the train approaches Anchorage. It is a long and scenic rail day, with changing Alaska landscapes visible from the dome car and outdoor viewing platform. (Lunch and dinner are included onboard the train today.)

Day 7 Anchorage | Departure After check-out, your Alaska vacation comes to an end. Depart Anchorage with memories of glaciers, mountain horizons, rail journeys and the wide-open landscapes that make the Great Land so unforgettable.