Majestic Alaska

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 a Welcome Reception.

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, Native Games demonstrations, 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. Then it’s onto the untamed wilderness of Denali National Park where a Local Specialist reveals insights into the rare subarctic flora and fauna of the park. The evening is then yours to spend as you like.

With the Denali National Park and Preserve just a short drive away from your hotel, you'll find a number of ways to enjoy the Alaskan wilderness on your own or spend the day partaking in one of our optional activities. With Denali, the highest peak in North America at the center of it all, the park consists of 6 million acres of tundra, boreal forest and ice-capped mountains. This magnificent land is nature at its most pure yet has something to offer all.

Tune into your beautiful surrounds as you’ll have the whole morning to connect with Denali on your terms. Later, we’ll board a deluxe dome railcar on the Alaska Railroad, and make our way to the Golden Heart City of Fairbanks. A delicious Regional Meal is served aboard the train before our arrival in Alaska’s Northern Lights capital.

After breakfast, you will enjoy a city tour of Fairbanks. Then you'll be digging into insights of Alaska's Gold Rush. Dive Into Culture with Fairbanks’ own Gold Daughters who will guide you through the process of panning for gold in real Alaskan paydirt. To conclude your day, Connect With Locals 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.

We 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, expansive glaciers and the Trans Alaska Pipeline which runs parallel to the highway. Stretch your legs during a brief stop at the Historic Rika Roadhouse, an important crossroads for travelers, and the Wrangell St. Elias Visitors Center, before arriving in Valdez.

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, your home for a second night.

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 Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant.

We journey along the Scenic Seward Byway this morning to the port community of Seward. Our first stop is for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, where a Local Specialist will reveal the role of this wildlife rehabilitation center. Next up is a sightseeing cruise, including lunch, into the icy heart of Kenai Fjords National Park. Share the waters with Humpback whales and glacial icebergs.

Our adventure through the rugged Alaskan wilderness has come to an end. Depart Anchorage at leisure.