Discover
The Last Frontier

Day One: Arrival Anchorage

Arrive in Anchorage and be transported to your hotel for the evening.  There are restaurants nearby to choose from or eat at the hotel restaurant. This is the day to gather all of our guests together.  The real tour begins in the morning.

Day Two: Anchorage, Fish Hatchery, Potters Marsh, Flat Top

We begin the day at 8:00 am with a tour of the City of Anchorage and the surrounding area. Some of the sites visited include Earthquake Park and a discussion of the impact of the 9.2 earthquakes experienced in 1964; Flat Top Mountain which offers a great view of the whole Anchorage area; Potter’s Marsh and Bird Sanctuary where there are bald eagles, an occasional moose, migrating ducks and salmon swimming in the streams; Lake Hood, the worlds busiest seaplane base.

After lunch, we are off to make a visit to the local Salmon Fish Hatchery.  This is where several species of Salmon and other sport fish are being hatched to help support our native hatcheries. Once we have visited we will make our way into downtown for a driving tour of downtown Anchorage and dinner at a local restaurant.

Dinner and lodging in Anchorage that evening.

Day Three: Talkeetna and drive to Denali

After breakfast, we begin our drive towards Denali approximately four hours away.

As we travel, we hope to get a great view of Mt. McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America at 20,320 feet.

Along the way, we want to stop in the small community of Talkeetna, the gateway to Mt. McKinley.

Once we arrive, we take a wilderness jet boat ride on the nearby Susitna River. In past tours, we have seen bears, eagles, beavers, and moose. Part of the tour also involves visiting an Athabascan Indian fishing village and trapper cabin.

You have the option to upgrade this at the time of booking to a flight-seeing tour of Denali as well.  Lunch will be on your own in this unique and colorful old mining town. The nearby bakery is famous for their raspberry rolls which is a must for all to enjoy.

In the afternoon, we continue another hour or so towards Denali National Park. After checking into our hotel near the park and refreshing ourselves, we head for the nearby Alaska Dinner Show and theater. Previous guests have loved this fun-filled look back at Alaska’s colorful history presented in a comedy format. The food is really good as well (usually salmon and ribs).

Overnight near Denali National Park.

Day Four: Denali National Park 

We take a tour of Denali National Park and learn about the wildlife and natural history of the area. Here, we will have our best opportunity to see and experience Alaskan wildlife. We often see grizzly bears, caribou, wolves, moose, mountain goats, foxes, etc., while on this ride, so keep your fingers crossed. Binoculars are a must.

Dinner and lodging will again be next to Denali National Park.

Day Five: Alaska Native Heritage Center

We drive back to Anchorage ( approximately four hours away). We have another chance to see Mt. Mckinley which is a good thing as it is only free from clouds a third of the time. Once we arrive in anchorage, we visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center a must-see. This is “a renowned cultural center in Anchorage and an exciting place where all people can come to expand their understanding of Alaska’s first people. Here we share the rich heritage of Alaska’s eleven cultural groups drawing upon the life-ways of long ago.”

“Visitors to Alaska are introduced to Native traditions and customs of both the past and present. The Welcome House is a celebration of contemporary Alaska Native cultures while the outdoor facilities and sites allow the exploration of ancient tradition and the presentation of stories from the past.”. 

There is time in the afternoon to visit a number of downtown shops and stores for souvenir shopping. 

Dinner and Lodging will be in Anchorage.

Day Six: Alaska Railroad to Seward and the Sea Life Aquarium

This early morning, narrated, three-hour train ride on Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Seward will be one of the highlights of the tour. Wonderful views of ocean shores, rivers, lakes, forest-covered mountains, and waterfalls, are there to enjoy. Don’t be surprised if you see a moose or bear along the way.

Once we are in Seward and check into our hotel, we will visit Alaska’s Sea Life Aquarium.

“Alaska’s only public aquarium and ocean wildlife rescue center is celebrating ten years on the shores of Resurrection Bay. Visitors to this “window on the sea” have close encounters with puffins, octopus, sea lions, and other sea life while peeking over the shoulders of ocean scientists studying Alaska’s rich seas and diverse sea life.”

Lodging is in Seward. 

Day Seven: Kenai Fjords National Park

We begin our day by taking a boat tour into the Kenai Fjords National Park. You are going to love this experience. An excerpt from Kenai Fjords:

“Welcome aboard for an Alaska glacier and wildlife cruise experience of a lifetime. Imagine pulling up close to otters, sea lions, puffins, and whales for that perfect picture opportunity, or drifting slowly by the face of a massive silvery-blue glacier, sparkling in all its glory. Breathe in the fresh air from the viewing deck of one of our large, comfortable tour boats and listen as a uniformed Ranger explains the dynamic habits of the surrounding wildlife.”

As we make our way around the seal rookeries and nesting areas for the local aquatic birds we will be served a Sandwich lunch on board.  

We will make our way to one of the coastal glaciers where we will stop and watch as the glacier continues it’s march to the see.  We always see some ice and snow calve into the inlet but if we are very lucky we may see a large section of the glacier break free.  

As we begin our trip back to shore we will stop at a nearby Fox Island in resurrection bay where we will have dinner on the island.

Lodging is in Seward.

Day Eight: Local Shops and Hiking and Sightseeing, Exit Glacier Hike. (Optional Fishing) 

Today you can opt for the full day of fishing (not included in tour price) or stick with your guide as we take some time to explore the surrounding area.  There will be time to visit the local shops and art galleries as well as explore a couple of short hikes in the nearby vicinity.  

In the afternoon we will make our visit to Exit Glacier and take a walk out to the edge of the glacier itself. There are several interpretive signs along the trail and we will take our time making our way to its current location.

Dinner and Lodging in Seward

Day Nine: Dog Sled Ride and Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center 

After breakfast, we drive a short distance to the Seavey’s Iditarod Race Center for a Wilderness dog sled ride and tour.
”Your real Alaskan adventure begins with a two-mile dog sled ride. Feel the power, excitement, and energy of our amazing sled dogs as they are harnessed to our comfortable wheeled sleds. The intrigue of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, also known as Alaska’s Super bowl, comes alive as you mush through the Alaskan wilderness to the base of Resurrection Mountain and along Box Canyon Creek. Your Iditarod veteran guide will thrill and excite you with stories from the trail as you experience the raw power of 13 Iditarod sled dogs.

Upon return to the kennel, tour our beautiful kennel facilities, laugh as a guest is dressed up as an Iditarod musher, and cuddle adorable husky puppies. Our guides are all Iditarod racers and offer a delightfully humorous, behind-the-scenes look at the Seavey family’s training for the most demanding race on earth. Guaranteed to be one of the highlights of your vacation, this tour was chosen as one of Alaska’s Top Twenty Attractions, and is a must-do for all visitors to the Great land.”

After lunch, We depart for the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.

“Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Alaska’s wildlife through public education. AWCC takes in injured and orphaned animals year-round and provides spacious enclosures and quality animal care. Animals that cannot be released into the wild are given a permanent home at the center.  AWCC provides visitors with the opportunity to view Alaskan wildlife. It’s a great place to see bears, moose, eagles, elk, musk oxen, and even buffalo up close.”

We spend time doing some last-minute shopping in downtown Anchorage, have dinner, and then return to the airport for a late flight back home.

We would provide the vehicle (15 pass van pulling a trailer), guide, lodging (3-star hotels), meals as indicated, fees for all the listed activities (not including Flightseeing or fishing), park entrance fees, water, and snacks. Our minimum group size is 6 for this tour to travel. Price does not include airfare, meals other than those indicated, items of a personal nature i.e., room service, liquor, etc.