Grand Alaska Tour

Alaska's largest city, Anchorage, welcomes you as you arrive in the far north today. As your plane lands, transfer to your downtown hotel on your own and meet your Tour Manager. The remainder of your day is at leisure to get acquainted with this cultural epicenter. Overnight Anchorage.

Anchorage sits at the crossroads of culture, heritage, and nature and is brimming with sites that illustrate them all. Set your sights upon some of the most popular as you venture through the city on this morning's guided tour. Stops along the route may include places like Earthquake Park, Point Woronzof, or Lake Hood, where seaplanes abound. The museum buildings are beautiful, as are the local parks. Our tour concludes with a visit to the Alaskan Native Heritage Center, which opened in 1999 as a place to celebrate and explore Alaska's indigenous people.

Later this afternoon, the group joins a motorcoach for a scenic drive alongside Turnagain Arm. Look over the calm waters surrounded by snow-capped mountains. You may even be lucky enough to see whales breaching or other marine life surfacing. Our drive takes us to the port town of Whittier, where a boat awaits to guide us through the gorgeous surroundings of Prince William Sound in the Gulf of Alaska to Valdez. We transfer to the hotel on arrival and enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure in our new locale. Overnight Valdez.

• Breakfast

After breakfast at the hotel, we depart Valdez on the Richardson Highway. This byway was the first long-distance roadway constructed through Alaska's interior and boasts breathtaking views along its 366-mile course. Thanks to their scenery, two sections of this roadway have achieved State Scenic Byway status. As we drive to Fairbanks today, watch views of the Chugach Mountains, Copper River, the Alaskan Range, and the Tanana River unfold. Other highlights of our journey include Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, encompassing 13.2 million acres of pristine land and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. We arrive in the aptly named Golden Heart City later this afternoon, with plenty of time for you to settle in on your terms. Fairbanks offers an exciting juxtaposition of old and new, with gold mining history adjoining thriving art and culinary scenes. Overnight Fairbanks. 

• Breakfast

A guided introduction to Fairbanks' landmark sites and most fantastic attractions beckon on this morning's guided city tour. Our knowledgeable guide tells the tales of the town's mining past and offers tidbits of history as we explore the sights. Your tour may include highlights like the moose antler arch and the historic buildings which once housed boomtown businesses. We stop at the University of Alaska's Museum of the North to uncover thousands of years of Alaskan history through exhibits featuring art, artifacts, fossils, and more. There are over 2.5 million specimens throughout the museum in total. The tour continues to the Chena River banks from the museum, and here, we board an authentic sternwheeler for a cruise down the river. Towering evergreen trees, wide-open skies, and a great deal of history guide the way on this excursion.

Return to Fairbanks with the rest of the day at leisure. Perhaps visit the Aurora Ice Museum or have a drink at one of the local breweries, like the HooDoo Brewing Company. Overnight Fairbanks.

• Breakfast

From the country's tallest mountain to endless forests and rushing river views, the vistas from Alaska's Park Highway will leave you in awe as we drive from Fairbanks to Denali today aboard a comfortable motorcoach. Our route takes us through communities like Nenana, Clear, and Healy before arriving outside of Denali National Park. Over 6 million acres of land - larger than the state of New Jersey - encompass this spectacular destination; it is no wonder that visitors flock from all corners of the earth to see its offerings. This afternoon you have a chance to do just that. Once we have checked in at our hotel, you are free to hike, take photos of the marvelous surroundings, or join one of the park's wildlife spotting tours. You could also visit the park's sled dog kennels to learn more about this iconic - and essential - cold-weather sport. Overnight Denali. 

• Breakfast

Immense natural beauty and diverse wildlife find their place amongst the landscapes of Denali National Park. Following breakfast, join the group in marveling upon these wonders as we embark on a guided bus tour outside of the park. Our guide presents facts about the protected lands and takes us to some of the most scenic lookouts. We keep a close watch for animals during our travels, as the vast wilderness includes over 39 species of mammals, including wolves, caribou, moose, bears, foxes, marmots, and Dall sheep. In addition, more than 160 species of birds soar overhead, including Golden and Bald Eagles. Keep your binoculars and camera at the ready. We return this afternoon with the remainder of the day at leisure. Overnight Denali. 

• Breakfast

This morning, we join the Alaska Railroad at the Denali Depot and set out into the deep Alaskan wilderness bound for Anchorage. Each mile of the journey is set before you from the domed glass windows of a Wilderness Express Dome Car. An upgrade from standard seating on the Denali Star, the Wilderness Express Dome Car features dual-level cars with comfortable seating and impressive 360-degree views of the changing terrain. Look upon fleeting scenes of Mount Denali and over the beautiful expanses of the wild outback. Mountains, forests, and inland waterways make for marvelous viewing during our route toward Talkeetna, where we switch modes of transportation and join a motorcoach for the final leg of the trip to Anchorage. We arrive at our hotel with time to settle in and freshen up, and then the group comes together once more for a farewell dinner this evening. Overnight Anchorage.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Your grand Alaskan journey concludes this morning after breakfast. The hotel offers a complimentary shuttle service to Anchorage's international airport for your return flight home. 

• Breakfast