Welcome to the edge of the wilderness – to a city surrounded by uninhabited landscapes and the perfect springboard to an epic adventure through Alaska. Spend the day recovering from your journey before joining your Travel Director and fellow travelers this evening for dinner.
Kickstart your day with a brief Anchorage City Tour before your MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience visiting the Alaska Native Heritage Center. You’ll love learning about the traditional and contemporary ways of Alaska’s Indigenous cultures, journeying through 10,000 years of Alaska Native history and culture through art, dance, exhibits, traditional Native dwellings, films and more. Unlock more local secrets at the Center on an Indigenous Plants Tour MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience where you’ll discover plants’ nutritional and health benefits. The evening is then yours to spend as you like.
This morning, your Local Specialist reveals the rare subarctic world of Denali National Park and Preserve, sharing insights into the plants and wildlife that thrive in this vast wilderness. Later, join a naturalist through boreal forest and tundra, where you’ll uncover Denali’s geology and glacial history and learn how life adapts to the extremes of the far north. Look out for signs of wildlife as you experience this remarkable landscape from a fresh perspective. The evening is yours to enjoy at leisure, or you may choose to join an Optional Experience at the Alaska Cabin Nite Dinner Theater.
Spend the morning at leisure in Denali, or choose from a range of Optional Experiences to see more of Alaska’s wilderness your way. You might head out on an ATV adventure, join a guided wilderness walk, soar through the treetops on a zipline or take to the skies on a flightseeing experience, with glacier or tundra landings available on select departures. Later, board your Alaska Deluxe Railcar bound for Fairbanks. Settle into your glass-domed carriage for views of the passing landscape, with an outdoor viewing platform offering an even closer look. On a clear day, you may even catch a final glimpse of Denali.
After breakfast, enjoy a city tour of Fairbanks. Then, delve into insights of Alaska's Gold Rush. Next, meet Fairbanks’ own Gold Daughters who will guide you through the process of panning for gold in real Alaskan paydirt. To conclude your day, and enjoy a special visit to the home of David Monson, a local dog-mushing celebrity, to learn about the sport of dog mushing in Alaska. Join him and his dogs for a Be My Guest experience.
Journey south to the port community of Valdez located along Prince William Sound. As you carve your way through this rugged state, you'll view the snow-capped summits of the Alaska Range. Stretch your legs with a brief stop at Meier’s Lake Roadhouse Lodge, an important crossroads for travelers, before continuing on to Wrangell–St. Elias National Park. Here, you’ll visit the Wrangell–St. Elias Visitor Center to explore the engaging exhibit hall and take in the scenic overlooks.
Delve into the heritage and culture of Valdez, the Copper River Basin and Prince William Sound during this morning’s visit to the Valdez Museum. Keep a keen eye out for seals, otters, sea lions and porpoises as you cruise around Prince William Sound, admiring the plunging ice cliffs of Columbia Glacier which have calved giant icebergs into the bay. Enjoy lunch against the backdrop of your wild surrounds before returning to Valdez.
We begin our return journey to Anchorage this morning, crossing Thompson Pass. Enjoy a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience during your afternoon stop at the Musk Ox Farm. Here you’ll join a Local Specialist for a guided tour to view the Artic Musk Oxen and learn how this non-profit organization promotes sustainable agriculture practice. Continuing your journey west, arriving in Anchorage later today where you’ll toast to new friends over a memorable dinner at a local restaurant.
Start the day with a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, where a Local Specialist shares the important role this rehabilitation center plays in protecting Alaska’s wildlife as you drive through the grounds. Continue to Seward and enjoy an afternoon at leisure to explore this scenic coastal town. You may also choose to join an Optional Experience, from a Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise to heli flightseeing or a visit to the Alaska SeaLife Center.
Your adventure through the rugged Alaskan wilderness has come to an end. Depart Anchorage at leisure.
