Classic Alaska + Kenai & Arctic Tour
Classic Alaska + Kenai & Arctic Tour
Cruise Alaska's famous Inside Passage, through a watery wilderness alive with humpback and orca whales, seals and sea lions. Venture into ice choked fjords and witness the famous tidewater glaciers thundering into the sea. Then voyage across the gulf to Seward in Southcentral Alaska.
Alaska Insider Tip: If you want more time in port than traditional cruises, consider riding the Alaska Marine Highway (a.k.a., the State Ferry). Let your travel agent help you with the ferry's complicated schedule.
Your day in Seward includes your choice of naturalist-guided day cruises in Resurrection Bay or Kenai Fjords National Park to see calving glaciers, bird and sea lion rookeries and whales; a visit to the Alaska SeaLife Center for underwater views of the ocean's most amazing creatures; or a fly-in sled dog adventure atop a glacier; or an easy walk to the face of a mountain glacier. …Or stay an extra day and do it all!
Alaska Insider Tip: Half-day cruises explore the bay and its abundant wildlife and mountain vistas. Full day cruises go all the way to Kenai Fjords National Park where you'll also witness the famous calving tidewater glaciers and get up close to bird rookeries. On the longer tours, you also may experience ocean swells, so you may want to take your motion sickness pills.
Arrive in Seward and take the scenic drive through a rainforest, over a mountain pass and along the shores of the glacier-carved Turnagain Arm. Watch for eagles and sheep on shore and beluga whales and bore tides in the arm as you make your way to Anchorage. Have lunch and spend the afternoon in Anchorage at the Alaska Native Heritage Center, where Alaska Natives from various cultures meet and share their stories with the world. Hear the legends, watch dance performances, buy authentic Native arts, and walk through traditional dwellings. Continue north and have a fine dinner and luxurious night at a Jacuzzi Suite at the Best Western Lake Lucille Inn, the finest hotel property in the Valley.
Wake up to stunning views out your window of the snow-capped Chugach mountain range, beautiful Lake Lucille, and the manicured grounds of the Best Western Lake Lucille Inn. Have a complimentary continental breakfast on your private balcony, then head out and play in the Mat-Su Valley. Try your hand at fishing, take a ride with sled dogs, go flightseeing around Denali, visit the transportation museum, or explore the shops in quaint Talkeetna, the starting point for many climbers ascending Mt. McKinley. Arrive in Denali National Park by 5:00 for the start of your Denali Backcountry Safari.
Join a Denali Backcountry Safari, a complete 4 day Denali experience that includes a Denali Wildlife Drive to the very end of the Park Road, an overnight in Kantishna at Denali Backcountry Lodge, a visit to aptly-named Wonder Lake, and guided activities. All meals and guided activities are included. Here you can explore a vast landscape home to grizzly bears, moose, and caribou as well as smaller critters such as wolves, marmots, beavers and birds. All this in the shadow of "The Great One" towering 20,320 feet above. Return to Anchorage on your final day or spend another night around the park entrance.
Alaska Insider Tip: The Denali Park Road is about the only way to travel inside Denali National Park and view wildlife. Most Park tours go just partway down the Park Road and return to overnight at the crowded park entrance. A stay in Kantishna allows you to travel to the very end of the Park Road, overnight 95 miles inside the park borders, then take another wildlife drive when you return. The Denali Backcountry Safari overnights at the exclusive Denali Backcountry Lodge in Kantishna at the end of the Park Road.
Head north to Fairbanks and relive Gold Rush history at either an old gold mining camp or giant gold dredge and pan for gold yourself on either tour. Then enjoy fun entertainment aboard an authentic sternwheeler. You'll see an Alaskan bush pilot in action, visit the home and kennels of four-time Iditarod champion Susan Butcher, and step ashore at the Old Chena Indian Village for a guided tour.
Fly north across the Arctic Circle to the ancient Inupiat Eskimo village of Barrow. You'll meet the Inupiat Eskimo people while enjoying a cultural program featuring ceremonial song and dance, traditional games, and demonstration of local crafts. You'll also walk the shores the Arctic Ocean. Dip your toe into the frigid waters if you dare! Then fly back to Fairbanks or Anchorage for your return home.