Focusing on Alaska’s great abundance of natural highlights, this two week adventure includes excursions in Denali and Wrangell-St Elias National Parks, as well as plenty of free time to experience the natural beauty, wildlife and hidden gems of Alaska in your own way.
Take a guided excursion into the heart of Denali National Park in search of Alaska’s abundant wildlife, and enjoy aerial views over the vast expanse of Wrangell-St Elias National Park, before spending two nights in the abandoned former copper-mining settlement of Kennicott. Days at leisure in Seward, Knik River and Anchorage offer the chance to explore independently, taking advantage of numerous hiking opportunities or perhaps choosing optional excursions such as a cruise in to Kenai Fjords, scenic flight over Denali or a bear viewing tour (additional costs).
Time spent in the cities of Anchorage and Fairbanks provides a good contrast to the wilderness, making this a very comprehensive introduction to Alaska.
Itinerary
Arrive in Anchorage and make your own way to your accommodation. Alaska’s largest city sits on the edge of Cook Inlet and is surrounded by the Chugach Mountains, making this the ideal starting point for a wilderness adventure.
Optional Experiences
Cook Inlet Sunset Photo Safari, Anchorage
Prince William Sound Glaciers by Floatplane, Anchorage
Collect your rental car today and drive south to the scenic Kenai Peninsula. Your destination for today is the port town of Seward, gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park. Seward is one of Alaska’s oldest and most scenic communities, with Mt. Marathon rising steeply behind the town.
Today is at leisure to explore Seward and the surrounding area. You may wish to hike at nearby Exit Glacier or visit the Alaska SeaLife Centre. Highly recommended is an optional cruise through the Kenai Fjords. Home to miles of beautiful fjords, glaciers and coastal landscapes, the Kenai Fjords National Park is also known for its abundant wildlife – you may be lucky enough to spot orcas and humpback whales, Steller sea lions, harbour seal and sea otters.
Optional Experiences
Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise, Seward
Make your way north to Girdwood, where you may wish to take a hike through North America’s northern-most temperate rainforest. Alternatively take the Alyeska Aerial Tram to the top of Mt Alyeska for panoramic views over Turnagain Arm and the endless peaks and glaciers of the Chugach Mountain range.
Moose and bear sightings are common around Girdwood, so take a good look around before you head north to the quaint little town of Talkeetna. The town of Talkeetna has retained much of its early Alaskan flavour. Log cabins, a roadhouse and clapboard storefronts line the dirt streets, colourful locals and bush pilots stroll the wooden sidewalks. There are also plenty of activity options on offer here, including scenic flights over Denali National Park – pre-booking is advisable for a memorable introduction to this spectacular wilderness.
Optional Experiences
Experience Denali by Air, Talkeetna
Today continue your journey north to Denali Village, just outside Denali National Park.
Enjoy a guided bus tour into the heart of Denali National Park today (approx. 4-6 hours in duration). This vast wilderness is home to bears, moose, wolves and caribou, as well as sparkling lakes, rivers and towering mountain peaks. The more-often seen small mammals include arctic ground squirrels, red squirrels, foxes and marmots can also be spotted. The bird life of Denali is also varied and impressive. Golden eagles are often seen as well as ravens, mew gulls, gray jays and occasionally bald eagles.
Denali Tundra Wilderness Tour, Denali
Today you will drive the Parks Highway north to Fairbanks, Alaska’s second largest city. Accompanied by incredible forest and mountain landscapes, drive through the communities of Healy, Nenana and Ester – an old mining camp. A visit to the Museum of the North is highly recommended.
Optional Experiences
Sternwheeler Riverboat Tour, Fairbanks
Make the long drive south to Chitina, where you will board an Alaskan bushplane for your flight into the heart of Wrangell-St Elias National Park. This park is the largest in the United States National Parks system and contains several of the tallest mountains in the country, as well as the greatest concentration of glaciers in North America. Together with Glacier Bay National Park, and both Kluane National Park and Tatshenshini-Alsek Park in Canada, this area represents the single largest tract of protected land in the world, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your destination is McCarthy, from where you will transfer to the ghost town of Kennicott.
This magical location is the furthest road extension in the massive Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. With only a handful of year-round residents, the area is attracting a growing number of people looking to experience Alaska as they imagine it – a mix of solitude and scenery. Today you will join a 2-hour guided tour of Kennicott’s historic highlights, learning about this former thriving mining settlement which is now abandoned. The rest of the day is at leisure.
Today fly back to Chitina by bush plane while enjoying great views of the Wrangell Mountains. From Chitina continue by car to Knik River, near Palmer.
Today is at leisure for you to explore. Highly recommended is a visit to the Knik River Glacier – at over 28 miles long and 5 miles across, this is one of central Alaska’s greatest rivers of ice.
Today make the short drive back to Anchorage, keeping an eye out for for Dall sheep combing the mountainsides.
Enjoy a full and final day in Anchorage – the city boasts some interesting museums and galleries and great day hikes and bike trails, as well as a choice of shopping and dining options.
Return your rental car at the airport and depart Alaska.
Prices & departures
What's Included
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Accommodation in rooms with private bathroom (except for shared bathroom in Kennicott)
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Midsize car hire including unlimited mileage and loss damage waiver
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Guided bus tour into Denali National Park with snack
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2 hour guided Historical Kennicott Tour
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Return bushplane flights from Chitina to McCarthy (max luggage allowance 13kgs per person)
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24 hour emergency assistance from our team during your holiday
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No surcharge guarantee
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Full financial protection
From £4409 Excluding Flights
14 Nights
May-Aug
Prices are per person based upon 2 sharing, subject to availability. Your Travel Specialist will confirm the exact price based upon your tailored requirements, inclusions, and travel dates.
Make this trip yours
Every trip you see here can be adapted to suit you using inside-out knowledge to create one-off experiences created just for you.
Doug
4
Countries seen northern lights in
8
Canada provinces visited
We create holidays that are as individual as you are. And we’ve been doing it for 40 years, crafting each and every holiday using our in-depth knowledge and enthusiasm for our destinations. Whatever your brief, we’ll create an amazing trip for you to get excited about. That might mean adapting one of our existing itineraries or we’ll build you one from scratch.
Experts with real experience
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Gary
Travel Specialist
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Freya
Travel Specialist
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Kieran
Travel Specialist
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Dawn
Head of Customer Experience
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Phoebe
Travel Specialist
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Ben
Travel Specialist
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Doug
Travel Specialist
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Rosie
Travel Specialist
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Lauren
Travel Specialist
