Spectacular Alaska

Meet your fellow traveling companions at this morning’s welcome orientation. Travel through Palmer in the Matanuska Valley, where cabbages can grow to an amazing 70 pounds in the 24-hour daylight, up over Tahneta Pass for wonderful vistas of Matanuska and Worthington Glaciers. Stop at Bridal Veil Falls before arriving in the seaside port of Valdez, often referred to as the “Switzerland of Alaska.” Before dinner tonight, enjoy a talk and Dock Walk of Valdez with a local fishing expert. Learn more about the Alaska fishing industry, the equipment used, and the daily lives of these fishermen.

Board your boat for a CRUISE on Prince William Sound and along the 3-mile face of Columbia Glacier, keeping a watchful eye out for wildlife, including seals, sea otters, birds, and even whales! Before returning to Valdez, see the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Terminal, where supertankers are loaded with crude oil from Prudhoe Bay.

Enjoy great scenery all the way as you travel along Richardson Highway. Stop at DELTA JUNCTION, a living history homestead with a museum, original roadhouse, and farm animals. Then, head west on the Alaska Highway to Fairbanks, the state’s second-largest city.

Visit Gold Dredge #8 and ride the narrow-gauge railroad. Then, try your luck as you pan for gold. Later today, board the sternwheeler Discovery for a cruise on the Chena and Tanana Rivers, with a stop at the Chena Indian Village to learn about Athabascan Native culture. You will also have the chance to meet Iditarod mushers and their famed dog teams to learn about breeding, training, and the big race! This evening, enjoy a special Alaska Salmon Bake.

Board the world-famous Alaska Railroad for a journey through untamed wilderness. Today’s ride ends at Denali National Park, where North America’s highest peak, 20,320-foot Denali, (formerly known as Mount McKinley) majestically dominates the park’s 6 million acres. The afternoon is free. This evening, enjoy dinner at the Murie Science & Learning Center followed by an exclusive Presentation on Denali National Park by a local Naturalist.

Morning at leisure. Optional activities include a float trip down the Nenana River and a helicopter ride over the park. Then, dress comfortably for a Wilderness Expidition into Denali National Park to seek out grizzly bear, caribou, moose, and other wildlife.

Continue your exploration of Denali National Park as you head south toward Anchorage. Stop along the way at Happy Trails Kennels, home of four-time Iditarod Champion Martin Buser and his dogs. Meet an Iditarod competitor and learn how they race and care for their dogs. You will also see a demonstration on mushing, complete with a mock Iditarod checkpoint, and get a chance to play with the sled dogs! This evening, your Tour Director hosts a special farewell dinner. Over dessert, enjoy a special Presentation by an Alaskan bush pilot.

Witness one of the world’s most scenic drives as you follow the south shore of lovely Turnagain Arm. Upon arrival in Seward, board your vessel for a cruise of Kenai Fjords National Park and the opportunity to see glaciers calving into the sea, orcas, humpback whales, sea otters, and more!

The tour ends this morning with guests departing on individual schedules. Airport transfers are provided.