ANCHORAGE  VALDEZ

Sights & Sounds Meet your fellow travel companions at this morning’s welcome orientation. Travel through Palmer in the Matanuska Valley, where cabbages can grow to an amazing 70 pounds (32 kg) in the 24-hour daylight. Venture over Tahneta Pass for wonderful vistas of Matanuska and Worthington Glaciers. Stop at Bridal Veil Falls before arriving in the seaside port of Valdez.

Breakfast Dinner

TOUR HIGHLIGHT NATURAL WONDERS

Located near the head of a deep fjord in Prince William Sound, Valdez is a mix of tidewater glaciers, rainforests, majestic mountains, and wildlife on land and sea. Orcas, humpback whales, otters, sea lions, and birds are among the many animals you might spy from this spectacular seaport.

VALDEZ. CRUISE ON PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND

True Fish Stories This morning, meet a local Alaskan fishing expert to learn more about the industry, the equipment used, and their daily lives. Then board your boat for a cruise on Prince William Sound. Before returning to Valdez, see the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Terminal, where supertankers are loaded with crude oil from Prudhoe Bay.

Breakfast Lunch

4/10 LOCAL FAVORITE CULTURE & TRADITIONS

Get an inside look at the proud traditions of the Alaskan fishing industry during a fascinating presentation by an industry expert. You’ll hear about the daily lives of fishermen who have carried on this way of life for generations. Go further with a scenic cruise on the spectacular Prince William Sound. Cruise along the 3-mile face of Columbia Glacier with a watchful eye out for wildlife, including seals, sea otters, birds, and even whales!

VALDEZ  DELTA JUNCTION  FAIRBANKS

Arctic Adventure Enjoy great scenery all the way as you travel along Richardson Highway. Stop at Delta Junction Roadhouse, a living history homestead with a museum, original roadhouse, and farm animals. Then, head west on the Alaska Highway to Fairbanks, the state’s second-largest city. Enjoy a free evening.

Breakfast

TOUR HIGHLIGHT CITY SIGHTS

Discover a world of the Northern Lights, the midnight sun, and sunsets and sunrises that seem to never end. Basecamp to Denali National Park, it’s no wonder Fairbanks is called the Golden Heart of Alaska.

FAIRBANKS

Gold Rush & Mushers Visit Gold Dredge 8 and ride the narrow-gauge railroad. Then, try your luck as you pan for gold. Later today, board the Sternwheeler Discovery for a cruise on the Chena River, with a stop at the Chena Village to learn about Athabascan Native culture. You will also have the chance to meet Iditarod mushers and their famed dog teams to learn about breeding, training, and the big race! This evening, enjoy a special Alaska salmon bake.

Breakfast Dinner

TOUR HIGHLIGHT CULTURAL GEMS

Experience frontier living in an Athabascan village on the Chena River. Here in the Alaskan forests, cabins are made of spruce logs, and the old ways of living with the land are beautifully preserved in the heritage of the Athabascan Native culture. Learn about traditions and survival in an unforgiving yet beautiful environment, where generations of Athabascans skillfully survived for over 10,000 years, ultimately adapting to village life and Western culture in the past century.

FAIRBANKS  ALASKA RAILROAD  DENALI NATIONAL PARK

Riding the Rails Board the world-famous Alaska Railroad for a journey through untamed wilderness. Today’s ride ends at Denali National Park, where North America’s highest peak, 20,320-foot Denali, (formerly known as Mount McKinley) majestically dominates the park’s 6 million acres. The afternoon is free. This evening, enjoy dinner at the Murie Science & Learning Center followed by an exclusive presentation on Denali National Park by a local Naturalist.

Breakfast Dinner

LOCAL FAVORITE NATURAL WONDERS

Get introduced to the incredible wilderness treasures of Denali National Park with dinner at the Murie Science & Learning Center located at the park entrance. Be treated to an exclusive presentation filled with insights and information by a Local Naturalist who shares stories and useful tips about your visit to the park.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT EPIC RIDE

Board the Alaska Railroad train for spectacular views through its panoramic windows designed for soaking in the stunning scenery on this full-day journey that truly showcases America’s 49th state. Keep an eye out for views of Denali (formerly known as Mount McKinley)—as well as wildlife along the way!

DENALI NATIONAL PARK

Wilderness Wonders Morning at leisure. Consider an optional photography excursion or a helicopter ride over the park. Then, prepare for an adventure of a lifetime with a Tundra Wilderness tour into the park with a Naturalist Driver Guide.

Breakfast Lunch

TOUR HIGHLIGHT NATURAL WONDERS

Venture deep into Denali National Park and Preserve with a Naturalist Driver Guide in search of fantastic wildlife and natural wonders. Your guide can help you to spot grizzly bears, caribou, moose, and other wildlife from a safe distance. Named for the highest mountain peak in North America, Denali is a natural treasure of pristine and untamed wilderness at its finest.

DENALI NATIONAL PARK  BIG LAKE  ANCHORAGEA

Dog’s Life Travel south toward Anchorage stopping at Happy Trails Kennels, home of four-time Iditarod Champion Martin Buser and his dogs. Continue to Anchorage for a visit to the Alaska Native American Heritage Center. This evening, your Tour Director hosts a special farewell dinner. Over dessert, enjoy a special presentation by an Alaskan bush pilot.

Breakfast Lunch Dinner

LOCAL FAVORITE ADVENTURE STORIES

After a special farewell dinner, you’ll be treated to dessert and a special presentation by an experienced Alaskan bush pilot who shares real-life tales of adventure in the wilderness you may have only heard about in movies or books!

TOUR HIGHLIGHT LEGENDARY LIVES

Visit Happy Trails Kennels, home of 4-time Iditarod Champion Martin Buser and family. Happy Trails Kennels was established in 1982 with the express purpose to raise and train happy, fast long- distance sled dogs to race and win the Iditarod. Martin’s loving care and faith in his hounds was made evident by his Iditarod wins to earn the 9-year record for the fastest Iditarod finish. Meet the Iditarod champions and learn about the relationship between musher and dog, how they race, and care for their dogs. Watch a demonstration on mushing, complete with a mock Iditarod checkpoint, and get a chance to play with the sled dogs!

ANCHORAGE. EXCURSION TO SEWARD & KENAI FJORDS NATIONAL PARK

Ice Sculptures Witness one of the world’s most scenic drives as you follow the south shore of lovely Turnagain Arm. Upon arrival in Seward, board your vessel for a cruise on the glacial waters of Kenai Fjords National Park.

Breakfast Lunch

TOUR HIGHLIGHT NATURAL WONDERS

Spectacular Kenai Fjords National Park covers 600,000 acres of protected and pure wilderness, with more than half of its majestic landscapes covered in ice and snow. From the massive Harding Icefield to the countless tidewater glaciers carving deep fjords, this arctic paradise is a natural wonder to behold. A cruise on the fjords affords an unforgettable opportunity to see glaciers calving into the sea, orcas, humpback whales, sea otters, and more breathtaking sights.

ANCHORAGE

Safe travels until we meet again! Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.

Breakfast