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 | Floatplane Fly-in Bear Viewing Excursion
Fly from Anchorage by floatplane into one of Alaska’s remote bear-viewing regions. Depending on the season, weather and bear activity, your destination may be Redoubt Bay, Katmai National Park, Lake Clark or Chinitna Bay. From the air, Alaska opens into a vast landscape of coastline, rivers, mountains, wetlands and wilderness valleys. After landing, join professional guides for a bear-viewing experience in natural habitat, with opportunities to watch brown or black bears fishing, foraging or moving through the landscape. (Lunch is included today.)
Day 3 Anchorage to Girdwood | Glacier Dog Sled Helicopter Tour
Explore Anchorage this morning on a private tour before traveling to the mountain town of Girdwood. Following Turnagain Arm with stops to look for wildlife and take in the beauty of Chugach State Park, you’ll board a helicopter for a glacier landing and dog sledding tour - the best way to experience Alaska! Returning to the heliport you will be transferred back to Alyeska Resort, with the rest of the day at leisure. We have included air tram tickets for the ride to the peak of Alyeska.
Day 4 Girdwood to Seward | Small Group Tour
Join your coach midday for a short drive to lunch, then visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center which provides care and rehabilitation for injured and orphaned wildlife. Here you can safely observe and photograph some of Alaska’s largest land animals including moose, bison, elk, deer, caribou, bears and muskox. If time allows, stop at Exit Glacier where a short and easy walk provides an up-close and personal view of a magnificent glacier. Upon arrival in Seward, you’ll be transferred to your hotel. (Lunch is included today.)
Day 5 Seward | Kenai Fjords Northwestern Fjord Cruise
Set out from Seward on a full-day cruise into Kenai Fjords National Park, travelling beyond Resurrection Bay into a world of steep coastal cliffs, alpine ice, tidewater glaciers and rich marine habitat. The Northwestern Fjord route reaches deeper into the park than standard cruises, giving you more time among the remote glacier-carved landscapes that define this part of coastal Alaska. Watch for Steller sea lions, harbour seals, puffins, humpback whales, orcas and sea otters as your vessel follows the rugged shoreline and approaches the ice. (A continental breakfast and deli-style lunch are included onboard today.)
Day 6 Seward to Talkeetna | Coach
Mid-morning, board your scheduled motorcoach for the scenic journey from Seward to Talkeetna. Departing from the shores of Resurrection Bay, travel north through the Kenai Mountains and Chugach National Forest before joining the Seward Highway, one of Alaska’s most beautiful roadways. The route passes Kenai Lake, Turnagain Pass and the dramatic coastline of Turnagain Arm, where steep mountain slopes, tidal flats, waterfalls and possible wildlife sightings create a spectacular introduction to south-central Alaska. After arriving in Anchorage, enjoy time for lunch before continuing north on the Glenn Highway and Parks Highway through the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. Watch for broad river valleys, forested hillsides and, on clear days, distant views of Denali and the Alaska Range as you approach the historic town of Talkeetna.
Day 7 Talkeetna to Denali National Park Entrance | Alaska Railroad
Join Alaska Railroad’s Denali Star and continue north from Talkeetna toward Denali National Park Entrance. This is a wilder, more remote stretch of the rail journey, where the line moves beyond the main highway corridor into backcountry landscapes of river valleys, forest, mountain views and open northern sky. Watch for views toward the Alaska Range as the train travels through country shaped by rivers, glaciers and long Alaska winters. On clear days, Denali and the surrounding peaks may appear above the horizon before you arrive near the entrance to Denali National Park. (Lunch is included onboard the train today.)
Day 8 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 9 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 Entrance to Talkeetna | Alaska Railroad
This morning is open for optional Denali-area activities before you board Alaska Railroad’s Denali Star for the southbound journey to Talkeetna. Leaving Denali National Park Entrance, the route passes through backcountry landscapes of river corridors, forested valleys and mountain views as the Alaska Range recedes behind you. On clear days, Denali and the surrounding peaks may appear above the horizon before the train arrives in Talkeetna, a relaxed rail town known for its river setting, local character and deep connection to Denali climbing and flightseeing. (Lunch is included onboard the train today.)
Day 4 Talkeetna to Seward | Coach
Mid-morning, board your scheduled motorcoach for the scenic journey from Talkeetna to Seward. Leaving the historic mountain town of Talkeetna, travel south along the Talkeetna Spur Road and Parks Highway, passing boreal forest, river crossings and broad views of the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. As the route nears Anchorage, watch for views of Pioneer Peak and the Chugach Mountains before arriving for a midday stop of approximately 90 minutes. Continue south on the Seward Highway, one of Alaska’s most beautiful roadways, following the dramatic shoreline of Turnagain Arm between the Chugach and Kenai Mountains. Look for tidal flats, waterfalls, eagles, Dall sheep and, with luck, beluga whales when the tide is high. The road then climbs through Turnagain Pass and the Kenai Mountains, passing turquoise Kenai Lake and the small community of Moose Pass before descending into Seward on Resurrection Bay.
Day 5 Seward | Kenai Fjords Northwestern Fjord Cruise
Set out from Seward on a full-day cruise into Kenai Fjords National Park, travelling beyond Resurrection Bay into a world of steep coastal cliffs, alpine ice, tidewater glaciers and rich marine habitat. The Northwestern Fjord route reaches deeper into the park than standard cruises, giving you more time among the remote glacier-carved landscapes that define this part of coastal Alaska. Watch for Steller sea lions, harbour seals, puffins, humpback whales, orcas and sea otters as your vessel follows the rugged shoreline and approaches the ice. (A continental breakfast and deli-style lunch are included onboard today.)
Day 6 Seward to Girdwood | Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
Begin your adventure with a stop to view Exit Glacier, then visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center which provides care and rehabilitation for injured and orphaned wildlife. Here you can safely observe and photograph some of Alaska’s largest land animals including moose, bison, elk, deer, caribou, bears and muskox. Take an aerial tram up Alyeska Mountain for views of Turnagain Arm, up to seven “hanging” glaciers and the endless peaks of the Chugach Mountain Range, then find your overnight accommodation, Alyeska Resort, back at the base of the tram. (Lunch is included today.)
Day 7 Girdwood to Anchorage | Glacier Dog Sled Helicopter Tour
This morning transfer to the helipad for a helicopter ride, a glacier landing and dog sledding (on snow)! There is no better way to see Alaska than from the air, and there’s no better Alaskan activity than dog sledding! While on the glacier your luggage will be collected from the resort and meet you at the helipad for the transfer back to Anchorage with a tour of he city before being taken to your hotel.
Day 8 Anchorage | Floatplane Fly-in Bear Viewing Excursion
Fly from Anchorage by floatplane into one of Alaska’s remote bear-viewing regions. Depending on the season, weather and bear activity, your destination may be Redoubt Bay, Katmai National Park, Lake Clark or Chinitna Bay. From the air, Alaska opens into a vast landscape of coastline, rivers, mountains, wetlands and wilderness valleys. After landing, join professional guides for a bear-viewing experience in natural habitat, with opportunities to watch brown or black bears fishing, foraging or moving through the landscape. (Lunch is included today.)
Day 9 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.
