Tour 1551A-CTA - 9 Days / 8 Nights

Day 1:  Anchorage Arrival

Pick up your rental car at the Anchorage airport upon your arrival. Depending on your arrival, you may have time to take part in an optional tour, such as a guided hike or horseback trail ride (not included). Overnight in Anchorage.

Add a trip to Denali! Click here for the extended itinerary.

Day 2:  Anchorage to Knik / Palmer area / 62 miles

Plan 1.5 hours driving time, not including stops.

Your morning is free to experience Anchorage, Alaska's largest city. Rent a bike and cruise the Coastal Trail, add an optional bear viewing tour, or hike up Flat Top Mountain. Drive north through the Matanuska Valley to the Knik River Lodge. From the lodge, take a nature walk on your own to enjoy this quiet setting. Overnight at the Knik River Lodge.

Day 3:  Knik / Palmer area
Today enjoy a 4 hour glacier tour. You will travel seven miles up the Knik River (approximately 1/2 hour) in an fully enclosed Airboat; passing the occasional stray iceberg, waterfalls and some of Alaska's most spectacular scenery. You navigate around the Icebergs keeping a safe distance before you get up close to Knik Glacier. This glacier is awe inspiring as it pours from the Chugach mountains greatest peaks. This 25 mile river of ice is over 5 miles wide and hundreds of feet thick. You will pull ashore for a two hour visit to Glacier Camp. Here you will get a front row seat to one of natures most powerful shows. Listen to the sound of white thunder as icebergs the size of 5 story buildings may tumble into the new lake. Your Alaskan guide knows where to look for wildlife; black bear, moose, Dall sheep, and eagles are common. Hot drinks are served from the camp kitchen. Take a hike or kayak around the beautiful icebergs. After pictures are taken and memories are made, jump in the Airboat for the 1/2 hour ride down river back to the departure point. The rest of the day is at your leisure. Explore Hatcher Pass with Independent Mine and/or visit the Musk Ox Farm. Overnight Knik River Lodge.
 

Day 4:  Knik / Palmer area to Sheep Mountain / 92 miles
Plan 2 hours driving time, not including stops.
Drive the Glenn Highway northbound toward Glennallen. Before you reach Sheep Mountain Lodge you will see majestic Matanuska Glacier. Turn into the viewing area for great pictures. Sheep Mountain Lodge is located on the Glenn Highway just west of Glennallen, in a true wilderness setting. Overnight in Sheep Mountain.
 

Day 5:  Sheep Mountain to Valdez / 194 miles
Plan 4 hours driving time, not including stops.
Continue along the Glenn Highway to Glennallen and then take a scenic drive south on the Richardson Highway. Part of the Richardson Highway follows the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. You'll pass by Worthington Glacier and Keystone Canyon with its many cascading waterfalls. In the afternoon enjoy an exciting and educational paddle over the calm waters of duck flats in a double or triple person sea kayak. This 3 hour excursion includes on land instruction and guided sea kayaking. The path of the tour will follow a chain of small Islands recognized for their nesting birds and sun bathing seals. Paddling into the depths of Duck Flats will bring you to the nesting sites of Bald Eagles and ravens. Enjoy the discussions of natural history as well as the history of Valdez. Overnight in Valdez.

Day 6:  Valdez
A full day backcountry adventure awaits you today! Meet your guide and the rest of the group to get fitted into crampons. Then you take a van up to Worthington Glacier via Keystone Canyon and Thompson Pass. Worthington Glacier is more strenuous than Valdez Glacier and quickly increases in elevation. We hike for about 2 hours, take a lunch break, and then hike back to the base of the glacier. (total time for the hike including breaks is 5hrs). Then we raft Keystone Canyon on the way back to Valdez to end the day with some extra excitement. (The rafting trip is approx. 1 hour long).

Overnight Valdez

Day 7:  Valdez to Girdwood / Ferry from Valdez to Whittier (3 or 6 hrs). Drive Whittier to Girdwood (30 miles; plan 40 minutes driving time, not including tunnel waiting period or stops.
Today you depart Valdez on the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry and travel through beautiful Prince William Sound. Upon arrival in Whittier, drive through the Whittier-Portage Tunnel (one-lane tunnel, open to traffic during certain hours only) with a possible stop at the Portage Glacier and Visitor Center. Continue along the Seward Highway to they Alyeska Highway and drive to Girdwood. Overnight in a B&B in Girdwood.

Day 8:  Excursion to Spencer Glacier by train from Portage
Enjoy another unique Alaskan adventure. In the morning drive to Portage. Park your car and board the Alaska Railroad in Portage. From here you travel into another incredible backcountry area in Alaska. Get off the train at the Spencer Whistle Stop for a narrated 2.6 mile hike with a U.S. Forest Service ranger. The trail leads to Spencer lake for spectacular glacier viewing. In the afternoon you travel back by rail to Portage. Drive back to Girdwood. Overnight in a B&B in Girdwood.

Day 9:  Girdwood to Anchorage / 42 miles
Plan 50 minutes driving time, not including stops.
The scenic drive along the Turnagain Arm takes you back to Anchorage. Stop at Beluga Point and see if you can spot any Beluga whales which sometimes can be seen in this area. Also watch out for Dall-sheep on the other side of the highway. Depending on your flight departure time you may have time for optional excursions in Anchorage or Girdwood or some souvenir shopping before returning your rental car. Depart or start an additional program.

1551B-CTA - Adventure Driving Tour with optional Denali extension

11 Days / 10 Nights

Day 2: Anchorage to Denali National Park 237 miles
Plan 5 hours driving time, not including stops.
Depart Anchorage and follow the Glenn Highway northbound. A few interesting stops along this highway are the Alaska Native Heritage Center and the Eklutna Indian Village. Continuing on the Parks Highway towards Denali National Park, you drive through the Matanuska-Susitna Valley and Denali State Park. You can take a side trip to the small gold mining community Talkeetna for an optional jetboat cruise or flight seeing tour (not included), or continue on to Denali National Park for an afternoon of optional rafting or a jeep safari (not included). Overnight near the Denali park entrance.

Day 3: Denali National Park Bus Tour
Early this morning (between 5:30am and 7am), depart on a bus tour of Denali National Park. This 6 to 8 hour tour takes you approximately 53 miles into the park. As you travel through the pristine wilderness, look for wildlife, such as bears, caribou, and moose, as well as views of Mt. McKinley. The afternoon is free for optional tours, such as a jetboat ride or heli-hiking (not included). Overnight near the Denali park entrance.

Day 4: Denali to Knik River Lodge 230 miles

Plan 4.5 hours driving time, not including stops.

This scenic drive takes you back south towards Anchorage. Along the way, you may wish to stop in Talkeetna, visit the Iditarod Sled Dog Race Headquarters, or hike in Denali State Park.Overnight at the Knik River Lodge.

Day 5: Knik / Palmer area

Resume itinerary above at Day 3.

8 nights accommodation, 8 days midsize rental vehicle with unlimited mileage, 3-4 hour Knik Glacier Tour, 3 hour Duck Flats kayaking tour from Valdez, 5 hour Worthington Glacier hiking tour including transfer from Valdez with 1 hour scenic rafting tour, ferry passage for passengers and vehicle, Alaska Railroad from/to Portage to Spencer Whistle Stop with 1.5 hour narrated hike, and all taxes and fees.

Tour 1551B-CTA additionally includes:  2 nights accommodations, 2 days rental car, 6 to 8 hour Denali National Park bus tour with snack box, and all taxes and fees.

Any insurances for rental car, additional driver fees, gas.

Airfare, meals, optional excursions, park/admission fees other than mentioned, gratuity.

For additional car rental days please click here!