Trip Overview
Trip Overview
- Set out on a wildlife safari through Denali National Park and Preserve to spot the resident “big five”—grizzlies, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, and wolves.
- Visit the famed Alaska SeaLife Center for an up-close look at playful sea otters, colorful puffins, and leggy octopi.
- Watch champion sled dogs train for the upcoming racing season and learn about Iditarod traditions.
- Cruise Kenai Fjords National Park to see a glacier flowing straight into the sea.
Itinerary
Itinerary
Epic wildlife, soaring summits, and tundra stretching as far as the eye can see: everything is bigger in Alaska. Journey to the far north—where the sun never quite sets in the summer—and make the most of long days on hiking and wildlife-viewing excursions in the Alaskan wilderness. Explore Denali and Kenai Fjords National Parks, where kids will set out on educational adventures to claim their junior ranger badges.
This trip is operated in collaboration with G Adventures.
Day 1: Anchorage
Arrive in time to meet your fellow travelers for a welcome gathering this evening. Your arrival transfer is included.
Day 2: Anchorage/Seward
Travel down the scenic Seward Highway, past Turnagain Arm, where one of the largest bore tides in the world surges a massive wave into the waterway each day. Hike to view Exit Glacier on the Glacier Overlook trial. The afternoon is free to explore Seward; or opt for adventure in the Alaskan wilderness while hiking, or even dogsledding across a glacier!
Meals Included:Breakfast
Day 3: Seward
Visit the famed Alaska Sealife Center, an aquarium that collaborates with National Geographic on wildlife initiatives. Board a catamaran for a cruise through Kenai Fjords National Park, where nearly 40 glaciers flow down coastal mountains, forging icy pathways into the sea. Our boat takes us to the exit ramp for one of these massive ice sheets, where we may see—and hear—great chunks of ice fall straight into the water. Kenai is also a wildlife-lover’s paradise, home to orcas and humpbacks, puffins, porpoises, and much more. Enjoy lunch on board.
Meals Included:Breakfast, Lunch
Day 4: Seward/Talkeetna
On our journey back north, we’ll stop to explore the wilds surrounding the mountain town of Girdwood. Make your way along a winding boardwalk through the northernmost rainforest in North America. Later, ride the gondola up Mount Alyeska for a look at hanging glaciers clinging to high mountain cliffs. Continue to Talkeetna, a quirky town that welcomes many a mountaineer hoping to conquer Denali’s lofty summit.
Meals Included:Breakfast
Accommodations:Swiss Alaska Inn
Day 5: Talkeetna/Denali National Park and Preserve
As we travel toward Denali National Park, we get ever closer to Denali—or “the great one”—North America’s highest peak. Even among the soaring summits of the Alaska Range, Denali dominates the horizon. At the gateway to the park, pick up junior ranger packets (if available) then meet a field educator at the Denali Education Center to learn about the surrounding ecosystems and the native people who have survived in these harsh conditions for centuries. This evening, we’ll travel to the home of a true Alaskan hero, Jeff King, who has won the grueling, 998-mile Iditarod dogsledding race four times! Snuggle a husky puppy and watch grown champion sled dogs go through their summer training routine.
Meals Included:Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodations:Denali Grizzly Bear Resort
Day 6: Denali National Park and Preserve
This morning, venture into the heart of Denali National Park and Preserve on a wildlife safari. The park’s incredible creatures stand out against the sparse landscape, and a drive along the park road is often the best way to see them. As we drive to the East Fork Bridge at (Mile 43) and back, make it your mission to spot Denali’s “big five:” grizzly bears, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, and elusive wolves. The return trip to our hotel offers another chance for wildlife-viewing.
Meals Included:Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodations:Denali Grizzly Bear Resort
Day 7: Denali National Park and Preserve
This morning, meet up with an Alaska resident to hear all about life in America’s northernmost state. Then set off for a hike with a naturalist guide from the Denali Education Center. Kids will have the opportunity to wrap up their junior ranger activities. Enjoy a free afternoon to relax, or opt to fly above Denali’s soaring summit on a helicopter flight-seeing excursion.
Meals Included:Breakfast
Accommodations:Denali Grizzly Bear Resort
Day 8: Denali National Park and Preserve/Anchorage
This morning, we begin our journey back to Anchorage. Join the group for a farewell dinner this evening.
Meals Included:Breakfast, Dinner
Day 9: Anchorage
Depart at any time.
Meals Included:Breakfast