Your flight to the “Land of the Midnight Sun” takes you to Anchorage, Alaska. Meet your Tour Manager at 6:00 p.m. for dining suggestions. Your first day of travel will come to a quiet close as you prepare for your Alaska adventure.
This morning, climb aboard the Alaska Railroad for a scenic ride to the quaint town of Talkeetna. Watch for glimpses of McKinley and the rest of the Alaska Range through the stands of spruce and pine. Enjoy lunch on your own in this sleepy frontier town which is the jumping off point for those climbers wishing to tackle Denali. Later, continue up the George Parks Highway to Denali National Park. Arrive at Denali with time to relax and enjoy the natural beauty of the area. Later, sample Alaskan cuisine at Alaska Cabin Nite where you’ll enjoy an all-you-can-eat Alaska dinner. Then sit back for a hilarious show of tall tales, fun songs and foot-stompin’ music. Meals: B, D
An experienced local guide conducts today’s Tundra Wilderness Tour of Denali National Park. Weather permitting, see North America’s tallest mountain - Mt. McKinley. Be on the lookout for the caribou, moose, grizzlies, wolves and Dall sheep that inhabit the park. You’ll learn about Denali’s varied and interesting collection of birdlife as well as the over 650 species of flowering plants. Meals: B, Box Lunch
This morning stop in Nenana for a visit to the Alaska Railroad Museum and Nenana Depot. This museum is located in the original depot and focuses on the history of the Alaska Railroad and how it supported the growing state of Alaska. Then, continue up the George parks Highway to Fairbanks. Visit the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum, a world-class collection of vintage automobiles. Dinner tonight is at Pioneer Park. A delightful array of Alaskan specialties are served, such as king salmon and halibut. Entertainment this evening is at the Palace Theater with a musical revue presenting Golden Heart Review. Meals: B, D
This morning, cast off aboard the Riverboat Discovery, the only authentic sternwheeler in Alaska. Your narrated cruise takes you to Old Chena Village where native Alaskan guides show the culture and lifestyle of the original Alaskans. This afternoon visit Gold Dredge #8 Camp for a rail journey through an old mining camp. Here you will be able to try your hand at gold panning in an authentic setting. Meals: B, L
Leave Fairbanks this morning and travel south along the Alaska Highway toward Valdez. Follow the route of the Alaska Pipeline and past historic Rika’s Roadhouse, a well-known gathering place for long-ago traders, gold miners and trappers. Admire the towering Chugach Mountains as you travel through Thompson Pass on the way to Valdez. Stop at Worthington Glacier for a close look at this massive ice floe before arriving in Valdez, known as the “Switzerland of Alaska.” Valdez and the southern terminus of the 800-mile-long Trans-Alaska oil pipeline. Meals: B, D
This morning enjoy, a narrated cruise through the glacier-carved fjords and passageways of Prince William Sound aboard the Valdez Spirit. Enjoy lunch on board as you stay on the lookout for the many sea lions, humpback whales, orcas, puffins and bald eagles that inhabit the area while enjoying the majestic beauty of Alaska’s rugged shoreline. Meals: B, L
After breakfast, travel to Anchorage via the Glenn Highway. Sandwiched between two mountain ranges, the Talkeetna to the north and the Chugach to the south, this highway is filled with scenic beauty. Pass through the agriculturally rich Mat-Su Valley before your farewell dinner, which provides an opportunity to reminisce about your exciting journey. Take your group transfer available to the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport for flights out after 8:00 p.m. Meals: B, D
Arrive back in the “Lower 48” today for connecting flights or arrive home.
