Day 1 Anchorage to Denali National Park Entrance | Alaska Railroad
This morning, board Alaska Railroad’s Denali Star in GoldStar Service for a full-day rail journey from Anchorage to Denali National Park. From your glass-dome seat or the private outdoor viewing deck, watch the route leave the city and open toward Knik Arm, forests, wetlands and river country. Cross the Eklutna, Knik and Matanuska river areas, with the Chugach Mountains behind you and the Talkeetna Mountains rising to the north, then continue through the broad Matanuska-Susitna Valley. On clear days, look for Mt. Susitna, known locally as Sleeping Lady, and possible views of Denali near the Susitna River before the train travels beyond Talkeetna into wilder backcountry and toward the Alaska Range. Arrive at Denali National Park Entrance this afternoon, with the rest of the day free to enjoy the mountain setting. (Breakfast and lunch are included onboard the train today.)
Day 2 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 3 Denali National Park Entrance to Fairbanks | Alaska Railroad
Enjoy a relaxed morning near Denali before boarding Alaska Railroad’s Denali Star for the final rail journey north to Fairbanks. The scenery changes again as the train leaves the mountains around Denali and travels into Interior Alaska, where broad river valleys, boreal forest, open sky and northern light give the landscape a quieter, more expansive feel. Settle into the GoldStar dome car, step onto the outdoor viewing deck and watch the route unfold through river country, small communities and remote forest before arriving in Fairbanks this evening. (Dinner is included onboard the train today.)
Day 1 Fairbanks to Denali National Park | Alaska Railroad
Board Alaska Railroad’s Denali Star in Fairbanks and travel south into the changing landscapes of Interior Alaska. From your GoldStar dome seat or private outdoor viewing deck, the route moves through river valleys, boreal forest, broad northern sky and small Interior communities as the Alaska Range begins to draw closer. Arrive at Denali National Park Entrance later this morning, where the rest of the day is free to enjoy the mountain setting or choose an optional activity. (Breakfast is included onboard the train today.)
Day 2 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 3 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.)
