For 2010, we are offering several unique ways to experience the last great race on earth! Learn all there is to know about the Iditarod on our fully guided 6-day tour. Your experienced tour guide will accompany you to each day's events, sharing their local knowledge and anecdotes. Take a "behind the scenes" tour of the Iditarod communications center and join the mushers pre-race banquet. See the race start downtown Anchorage and the restart in Wasilla, where you view the race up close and personal. You will also fly to the remote Skwentna checkpoint and sightsee Mt. McKinley, as well as tour the kennel of Iditarod veteran Vern Halter, where you will ride a dog sled of your own.

For those wanting to be a bit more involved and "hands-on", see our 5-day guided program in Anchorage.  If you want to follow the exciting race from start to finish, you want to read more about our 13-day guided program. Experience the excitement of the race conclusion with our 5 day guided program in Nome.

For the very adventurous that wish to see as much of the trail and race as possible, we offer a 4 day / 3 night fully guided snowmobile program. This tour begins on March 7 with the ceremonial Iditarod start in Anchorage, then travels to Wasilla where guests will retrieve their snowmobiles and head out to the Yentna Station checkpoint. From their, continue on to TalVista Lodge and the Finger Lake checkpoint. No experience is necessary. Please contact us for more information.

For those preferring to travel on their own, our 7 day Independent Driving Tour allows you to see the Iditarod and Fur Rondy events at your leisure. Included in the tour are a visit to Seward and wildlife cruise, with plenty of free time for other optional activities.

Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Guided Tour - Program #A
March 4 - March 9, 2010 (Five Nights - Tour 237A-CTA)

Day 01:  Thursday, March 4, 2010
Arrive in Anchorage today and transfer to your centrally located downtown hotel on own. Later this afternoon a information meeting will take place where you will meet your guide and your fellow travelers. In the evening we have reservations for the Iditarod Mushers Banquet where you will have a chance to talk to the mushers. Feel the excitement build as they draw starting positions for Saturday's race start! Overnight Anchorage.

Day 02:  Friday, March 5, 2010
Depart on a city tour of Anchorage this morning, including a "behind the scenes tour" of the Iditarod communications center. Your Alaskan tour continues as you travel south of Anchorage along Turnagain Arm to the mountain community of Girdwood where you will ride the Alyeska Resort Aerial Tramway. A seven-minute ride brings you to a viewing deck which provides breathtaking panoramic views of majestic mountains, hanging glaciers, sparkling streams, towering spruce, and an array of wildlife. The observation deck at the 2,300 foot level of Mt. Alyeska is a perfect place to enjoy the view and take advantage of the telescopes. After lunch (not included) your tour continues to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center on the shores of Cook Inlet in Portage. Overnight Anchorage.

Day 03:  Saturday, March 6, 2010
Race day! Watch the start of the race in downtown Anchorage. After watching the mushers and their sled dog teams take off, we will go flightseeing towards Mt. McKinley and stop at an official Iditarod checkpoint along the way. This flight takes you within six miles of McKinley's 20,320 ft. summit. Fly over the foothills of Denali to view the entire length of the Ruth Glacier, the Great Gorge (at over 9,000 feet, the worlds deepest) and the massive south face of McKinley. Along the route we will make a landing at Skwentna, the second checkpoint for Iditarod mushers when they depart Willow tomorrow. We will have an hour on the ground here to provide insider look at the activities that go on at a race checkpoint 86 miles from the race restart. This will be a beehive of activity with race volunteers positioning food bags and bales of straw for the racers. This is probably the biggest and busiest checkpoint on the trail because all of the teams hit here at once on the first night of the race. Our flights return to Lake Hood in Anchorage where we transfer to our hotel. Overnight Anchorage.

Day 04:  Sunday, March 7, 2010
We depart Anchorage this morning and travel north to the uniquely Alaskan "Northern Exposure" style town of Talkeetna. After a stop at the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race headquarters and museum we will continue to the official Race Restart. At 2:00 pm, the mushers exit urban Alaska countryside for the great wilderness trek to Nome. Overnight Talkeetna

Day 05:  Monday, March 8, 2010
Today experience a full day of mushing knowledge and history before returning to Anchorage. We have an extended private visit with Iditarod veteran Vern Halter’s kennel. The presentation includes a demonstration of survival gear, explanations of dog care, mushing requirements, and an extended sled dog ride! Following will be a wilderness bonfire. Come prepared with your questions! Lunch is included. Overnight Anchorage

Day 06:  Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Departure from Anchorage, transfer on your own to meet your scheduled flights.

Professional Alaskan tour guide throughout. 5 nights accommodations including taxes.  Admission to the musher's banquet, Anchorage city tour, Ski plane flight seeing to Mt. McKinley with landing to see the Skwentna Iditarod race check point and full visit to Vern Halter's Dream a Dream Dog farm with dog sled ride. All other transportation as noted.

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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Guided Tour - Program #B
March 6-10, 2010 (Four Nights - Tour 237B)

2010 Tour is SOLD OUT! Book now for 2011 and receive 2010 rates!

This guided program is an introduction to the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. Its focus is upon the excitement of the Race start and the Checkpoints on the South side of the Alaska Range of mountains up and to Rainy Pass.

Highlights include the opportunities to be a musher handler inside the chute at the Ceremonial Start, be a Race Volunteer/road crossing guard at the Official Start, visit the race kennel of an Iditarod Champion, mush your own dog team along a groomed trail, drive a snowmobile, visit Race checkpoints by ski plane and have a grand aerial tour of Mt. McKinley.

Day 01:  Saturday, March 5, 2011 - Race day in Anchorage
Today is the ceremonial start in Anchorage. You will be a musher handler within the race chute, where you will assist in the handling of a racing team. One lucky guest will be drawn to be an "Iditarider" and ride in the sled during the first stretch of the trail! After the race start and lunch in downtown Anchorage, you will take a scenic ski plane flight over a nearby glacier before landing at the front door of the hotel. Overnight Wasilla.

Day 02: Sunday, March 6, 2011 - Race Restart / Official start:
Today's focus is on the Iditarod Re-start in Wasilla, where you will assist the race by manning a road crossing on the race trail. While manning the crossing, mushers will pass by within feet, even inches, of the group. After the last musher passes, you will enjoy a trailside lunch and then take a snowmobile ride before continuing on to Talkeetna. Overnight Wasilla.

Day 03: Monday, March 7, 2011 -  Aerial Tours:
Today you will experience Alaska and the Iditarod from the air! After a breathtaking flight around Mt. McKinley you will land mid-day to enjoy a trailside lunch prepared by your pilot/guides, and watch the mushers resting as they pass through the Finger Lake checkpoint on their way to Rainey Pass. Depending on weather, race progress and runway conditions, landings may be made at Skwentna, Finger Lake and/or Rainey Pass. Overnight Wasilla.

Day 04: Tuesday, March 8, 2011 - More Dog Mushing:
Today you will be introduced to dog mushing. After a kennel tour and comprehensive introduction to dog mushing, you will harness up and drive your own dog team along a groomed trail course. Enjoy a catered campfire lunch about mid-day. Overnight Wasilla. (Important Note: Days 3 and 4 may be reversed depending on trail and weather conditions.)

Day 05: Wednesday March 9, 2011 - Departure:
After breakfast, you will be transferred back to Anchorage. Tour concludes.

RECOMMENDED: recommended is a pre and post night in Anchorage. Please book separately!

4 nights accommodation, meals, air transportation beginning and ending in Anchorage, Iditarod commemorative jacket and backpack, and excursions as mentioned above.

Meals or optional tours other than mentioned. Flights to / from Anchorage. Gratuities.

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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Guided Tour - Program #C

March 6 - 18, 2010 (Twelve Nights - Tour 237C)

Limited availability!  One single male room and one single female room only.

This guided program follows the entire 1,049 miles of the Iditarod Race Trail by ski plane. This 12 day, 12 night tour begins in Anchorage on the first Saturday in March and utilizes a small ski-plane to fly over the Iditarod trail sled dog race from checkpoint to checkpoint. While the focus is on the sled dog race, the overall experience provides a rich and detailed look at Alaska, its people and the local winter activities.

During the program, you will keep pace with the Race leaders and have the opportunity to visit multiple checkpoints each day. You will have hands-on experience mushing a dog team, fishing through the ice, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and snow shoeing. The tour also includes a grand flight-seeing tour around Mt. McKinley, the highest peak in North America. This is the ultimate tour for the Iditarod enthusiast or for the adventurer seeking a unique expedition across regions of Alaska few will ever visit.

Day 01: March 6, 2010*
Today is the ceremonial start in Anchorage. You will be a musher handler within the race chute, where you will assist in the handling of a racing team. After the race start and lunch in downtown Anchorage, you will take a scenic ski plane flight over a nearby glacier before landing at the front door of the hotel. Overnight Wasilla.

Day 02: March 7, 2010
Today's focus is on the Iditarod Re-start in Wasilla, where you will assist the race by manning a road crossing on the race trail. While manning the crossing, mushers will pass by within feet, even inches, of the group. After the last musher passes, you will enjoy a trailside lunch and then take a snowmobile ride before continuing on to Talkeetna. Overnight Talkeetna.

Day 03: March 8, 2010
Today you will experience Alaska and the Iditarod from the air! After a breathtaking flight around Mt. McKinley you will land mid-day to enjoy a trailside lunch prepared by your pilot/guides, and watch the mushers resting as they pass through the Finger Lake checkpoint on their way to Rainey Pass. Depending on weather, race progress and runway conditions, landings may be made at Skwentna, Finger Lake and/or Rainey Pass. Overnight Talkeetna.

Day 04: March 9, 2010
Today, you will be introduced to dog mushing. After a kennel tour and comprehensive introduction to dog mushing, you will harness up and drive your own dog team along a groomed trail course. Enjoy a catered campfire lunch about mid-day. Overnight Talkeetna.

Day 05: March 10, 2010
Fly between Talkeetna and McGrath, landing at checkpoints en-route. Overnight McGrath.

Day 06: March 11, 2010
Fly from McGrath onward to the halfway checkpoints. Overnight McGrath.

Day 07: March 12, 2010
Fly from McGrath to Unalakleet, landing at checkpoints en-route. Overnight Unalakleet.

Day 08: March 13, 2010
Fly from Unalakleet to Yukon River checkpoints. Overnight Unalakleet.

Day 09: March 14, 2010
Fly from Unalakleet to Nome, landing at Norton Sound checkpoint en-route. Overnight Nome.

Day 10: March 15, 2010
Fly from Nome to White Mountain and Norton Sound Checkpoint. Overnight Nome.

Day 11: March 16, 2010
Watch winner and finalists mush into Nome and visit Safety Checkpoint by snowmobile or ski plane. Overnight Nome.

Day 12: March 17, 2010
Fly from Nome to an Eskimo Village. Enjoy an aerial tour of Seward Peninsula. Overnight Nome.

Day 13: March 18, 2010
Tour concludes in Nome*.

*RECOMMENDED: We highly recommend a pre-night in Anchorage, which we would be happy to arrange for you. Please let us know if you would like a pre-night and/or if you need assistance booking a flight from Nome to Fairbanks or Anchorage on Day 13.

12 nights accommodation**, meals, air transportation from Anchorage to Nome, Iditarod commemorative backpack and hat, and excursions as mentioned above.

**(based double occupancy; single travelers will have to share room with another traveler same gender.)

Meals or optional tours other than mentioned. Departure flight from Nome on Day 13. Gratuities.

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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Guided Tour - Program #D

March 15 - 19, 2010 (Four Nights - Tour 237D)

Limited availability!  One double occupancy room only.

Experience the excitement of the cheering the Iditarod champion enter Nome's burled arch, as well as the Eskimo culture of the Bering Sea coast and the rich human and natural history of Nome and the surrounding Seward Peninsula.

Highlights of this tour include watching the winner and runners-up mush into Nome, ski plane flights to White Mountain and other Norton Sound checkpoints, a snowmobile tour back along the trail to Safety checkpoint, an aerial tour of Seward Peninsula, wildlife viewing of caribou, Musk Oxen, moose and other animals, a visit and tour of a coastal Eskimo village and an opportunity to witness and interpret the legendary history of Nome.
 

Day 1: March 14, 2010
Arrive into Nome on your own on the first morning flight*. You will be met by your local guide, who will escort you to a flight to Unalakleet, the first checkpoint on the Norton Sound coast. After lunch in this small town, you will take a 45-minute snowmobile ride up the trail to your private cabins. In the evening after dinner, travel 1 mile to the trail to watch the mushers race to the coast. Overnight near Unalakleet, rustic cabin. (Lunch, Dinner)

Day 2: March 15, 2010
Return to Unalakleet by snowmobile this morning, where you will tour the town and the checkpoint. Fly to Nome, where you will be met by a local host. Overnight in Nome, Aurora Inn. (All meals)

Days 3&4: March 16&17, 2010
Fly or snowmobile to the most exciting checkpoints, such as Koyuk, Elim, White Mountain, or Safety. Be at the Burled Arch in Nome to watch the teams cross the finish line in Nome. You will also have a locally-guided tour of the remote and historic town Nome on one of the days. Cultural experiences include interactive with Native Alaskan craftsmen and dancers in Nome. Your final dinner in town will be a private crab feast, fresh from the Bering Sea! Overnight Nome. (All meals)

Day 5: March 18, 2010
Tour concludes in Nome*. (Breakfast)

*RECOMMENDED: Please let us know if need assistance booking flights between Anchorage or Fairbanks and Nome.

4 nights accommodation**, meals, air transportation from Nome to checkpoints, Iditarod commemorative hat and backpack, and excursions as mentioned above.

**(based double occupancy; single travelers will have to share room with another traveler of the same gender.)

Meals or optional tours other than mentioned. Flights to / from Nome. Gratuities.

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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Guided Tour - Program #E
March 1 - March 7, 20010 (Six Nights - Tour 237E-CTA)

Day 01:  Monday, March 1, 2010

Arrive in Anchorage at any time. Transfer on your own to the hotel. Overnight in Anchorage, Hilton Hotel or similar.

Today travel south along the spectacular Turnagain Arm. Visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center for a behind-the-scenes tour. This afternoon is at your leisure for relaxation in the spa facility, dog sledding, downhill skiing or snow shoeing (not included). Enjoy an included tram ride offering spectacular views of the valley. Overnight in Girdwood, Hotel Alyeska, Alaska’s only four-diamond property. (Breakfast)

Day 03:  Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Climb aboard your motorcoach for a journey to the port community of Seward. Visit the Alaska SeaLife Center for an in-depth look at marine wildlife above and below the waters. Overnight in Girdwood. (Breakfast)

This morning you will depart north to Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage. Enjoy a tour through the historic downtown district, by Lake Hood, and to the Alaska Zoo, where you will have a behind-the-scenes tour. Tonight, enjoy the Iditarod festivities at the Musher’s Banquet (available to guests who reserve prior to January 1, 2010)! Overnight in Anchorage. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Travel north today to meet the dogs of four-time Iditarod Champion Martin Buser at his Happy Trails Kennel. Hear personal stories while viewing a glimpse of the grandeur Alaska has to offer along the Iditarod trail. Returning to Anchorage, visit the Iditarod Headquarters and see a replica Iditarod Trail station. Overnight in Anchorage. (Breakfast)

This morning, head to 4th Avenue to get a great spot at the start of the Iditarod. Spend time cheering on mushers from all over the world. Watch each of them depart or take off early and enjoy other Iditarod festivities in Anchorage. This afternoon, enjoy the cultural opportunities available at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Tonight, reminisce over your Alaska winter adventure at a farewell dinner. Overnight in Anchorage. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Professional Alaskan tour guide throughout. 6 nights accommodations including taxes.  Behind-the-scenes tours at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and the Alaska Zoo, admission to the Alaska SeaLife Center, admission to the Alaska Native Heritage Center, admission to the Iditarod Headquarters, MushersBanquet, Anchorage city tour, and Happy Trails Kennel tour. All other transportation as noted.

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Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Guided Tour - Program #F
March 3 - March 8, 2010 (Five Nights - Tour 237F-CTA)

Day 01:  Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Arrive in Anchorage at any time. Transfer by taxi to the hotel. Overnight in Anchorage, Westmark Hotel or similar.

Today, your local driver/guide will drive you south along the spectacular Turnagain Arm. Visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, home to injured and orphaned animals. See bears, moose, elk, caribou, and other local species up close. You will also stop at the Alyeska Resort, the only ski resort in the state. You have the option of riding an aerial tram up the mountain for lunch or relaxing over a cup of hot soup at another local restaurant (not included). Return to Anchorage this afternoon. Overnight in Anchorage.

This morning, walk a couple of blocks to 4th Avenue to get a great spot at the ceremonial start of the Iditarod. Cheer for the mushers and meet the dogs. Watch each of them depart or take off early and enjoy other Iditarod festivities, such as the snow sculpture competition or ice skating. The afternoon is at your leisure. Overnight in Anchorage.

5 nights accommodations, guided tour of Anchorage with museum admission, guided tour to Alyeska with wildlife center admission, guided tour to Willow for the race restart, airport transfers, Mushers Banquet, and all taxes and fees.

Important Note:  A local host/guide will join you for portions of this tour, but it is not fully escorted.

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