Whitewater rafting, a kayaking or float trip at Spencer Glacier, an option for bear viewing, or Halibut fishing from Homer ensures great action in some of Alaska's unique places.
Enjoy an Alaska adventure vacation from Anchorage, exploring Alaska’s “playground” of the Kenai Peninsula and discovering Denali National Park by car. Raft, hike, and discover fantastic scenery and wildlife throughout your Alaska road trip. You’ll first leave Anchorage to travel northwards to Denali National Park for a guided bus tour. Then you’ll reverse course and travel south to explore the beautiful Kenai Peninsula in Southcentral Alaska, where you can go fishing and then add kayaking or even a bear viewing excursion. On Day Five of this Adventure Driving Tour, you can also add an optional ride on the Alaska Railroad into the backcountry of the Kenai for a kayaking paddle or float trip around icebergs with scenic views of Spencer Glacier. This special Alaska driving tour is planned especially for active outdoor and nature enthusiasts and is the perfect way to experience all Alaska offers in nine days.
8 days midsize rental vehicle with unlimited mileage
4-6 hour bus tour into Denali National Park (depending on weather and road conditions)
2-hour whitewater rafting at Denali National Park
All taxes and fees
What's Not Included
Meals, all optional excursions such as helicopter dog sledding tours; Spencer Glacier Tours; fishing, kayaking, or bear viewing in Homer and others. Gratuities. Car rental coverage (such as LDW or liability insurance), additional driver fees, gas, and GPS rental. Car rental category upgrades available at additional fee.
Tour Itinerary
Day 1
Anchorage Arrival
Arrive into Anchorage and pick up your rental car at the airport. Anchorage is Alaska’s largest city, nestled between the Chugach Mountains and Cook Inlet. Offering shopping, cultural attractions, and gourmet restaurants, Anchorage provides an excellent start to your vacation. Overnight in Anchorage at a hotel in the Anchorage midtown area or near the Anchorage Airport.
Important Note: Please provide us with your flight arrival information at time of booking, so that we can schedule the car rental pick up time correctly.
Early this morning depart Anchorage and travel north to Denali. Along the way you drive through the Matanuska-Susitna Valley and Denali State Park. When you get closer to Denali you can have stunning views of the Alaska Mountain Range and Mt. Denali, the tallest mountain in North America. This afternoon, enjoy a 2 hour white water rafting tour which takes you 11 miles through class III and one class IV rapid. Overnight near the Denali park entrance.
Today, depart on a bus tour of Denali National Park. This tour takes you approximately 30 – 43 miles into the park and is 4-6 hours long, depending on weather and road conditions. As you travel through the pristine wilderness, look for wildlife, such as bears, caribou, and moose, as well as views of the Mountain. Your experienced driver/guide will provide commentary and will make stops along the way. The rest of the day is at your leisure. Overnight near the Denali park entrance.
Enjoy the scenic drive southbound as you make your way back down to Anchorage. Along the way, stop in the quaint town of Talkeetna, known for its special backcountry town charm. From here you can take a breathtaking flightseeing tour to the Alaska Mountain Range and even land on a glacier! Later drive through Anchorage and along Turnagain Arm. This route has beautiful views of the Chugach Mountains. Girdwood is a quaint ski town in the winter and a fun outdoor adventure town in the summer time. Overnight in Girdwood.
Explore Girdwood and its amazing surroundings. There are many things to do. One of the options is a short helicopter ride up to the Chugach Mountains to meet an eager dog team and the experience a real dog sled ride on snow (in the middle of the summer) – a must do adventure! Another option is a scenic train ride from Portage to Spencer Glacier where you gear up for a fun float trip or kayaking trip through an incredible glacier landscape. (Tours are optional, see Tour Add-Ons). The rest of the day explore the hiking trails around the resort and enjoy this relaxing mountain setting. Overnight in Girdwood.
Drive south along Turnagain Arm onto the Kenai Peninsula. Head west on the Sterling Highway, following the world famous Kenai River. Homer is a quaint fishing town with a beautiful spit of land that extends into Kachemak Bay. Overnight in Homer.
Homer offers a wide range of activities. Fishing enthusiasts often describe Homer as halibut fishing capital of the world. If you like to try out Halibut fishing, Homer is the place to do it! If you are looking to see bears during your trip, book the optional bear & wildlife viewing flight safari. A scenic flight takes you to the Katmai Coast, where you will land and search for bears on foot. If you want it a bit more active, opt for the optional kayaking tour and enjoy a fun day of paddling. The rest of the day explore the Homer Spit, check out the local winery, visit the Islands and Ocean Center and don’t miss out on having a meal with fresh seafood in one of the restaurants. Overnight in Homer.
This morning, drive north on the scenic Sterling and Seward Highways back to Anchorage. Possible stopovers include the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Portage Glacier, or one of the many hiking trails along Turnagain Arm. Overnight in Anchorage at a hotel in the Anchorage midtown area or near the Anchorage Airport.
Depending on your departure time, you might have free time for some souvenir shopping or additional excursions. Return your car to the Anchorage airport rental car station. Depart or start an additional program.
You can start this tour daily (within the listed dates of operation).
Please provide us with your flight arrival information (arrival time, flight number and name of airline) when you make your reservation. That way we can book the rental car accordingly.
Click the "Book Now" button next to the date range you are interested in. After you select the date and number of room / people, you will see all services included in the tour and hotel information. To book the tour, add the package to your cart and checkout.
Minimum age for this tour is 12 years due to the included activities.
Our Standard Program Includes:
2 and 3 star hotel accommodations.
The program will include a combination of hotels or motels that are considered moderate to standard tourist class. Please be aware not all hotels have shuttle services.
Standard train car seating on all rail services (reserved seats).
If you would like to book the standard program but with upgraded rail seating, the option and surcharge will be listed when you save to your cart.
Our Upgraded Program Includes:
* 3 and 4 star hotels (best available) wherever possible.
The program will include standard rooms at this category of hotel where possible. Alaska has very limited hotel choices in remote areas and small towns. The properties will typically offer a wider range of services such as a full-service restaurant, room service and perhaps a pool or spa facilities. Please be aware the upgraded accommodations in downtown Anchorage do not have hotel shuttle services. Many of the upgraded hotels also offer guaranteed view rooms for additional cost. If you would like a specific room type, in addition to the upgraded program, please ask us about availability and cost difference.
Deluxe dome train car seating between Anchorage, Denali and Fairbanks, or Anchorage and Seward.
All journeys between Anchorage and Whittier are in standard seating as deluxe dome cars are not available on that route.
Not all tours in Girdwood and Homer are included in the package price.
After you click "book now" and select a date, you will see tour availability and the optional tours from Girdwood and Homer with pricing. "To Be Requested" indicates that the service cannot be immediately confirmed online. This status requires us to check space with the hotel or service supplier and the service may or may not be available.
Contact us to book this Tour.
Thank you for your interest in this tour! At this time, it is not currently available to book online. Please feel free to continue to peruse our website for more Alaska travel ideas. If you would like options and information from our team of Alaska experts, please call 1-866-317-3325 or fill out the form below.
Tour Add-ons
Browsing optional excursions for the Adventure Driving Tour:
Enjoy a scenic flightseeing and bear viewing tour out of Homer, Alaska. First you take an approx. 1 hour scenic flight by small wheeled plane which takes you over a volcano and glacier-rich scenery to either Lake Clark National Park […]... Browse itinerary
Enjoy a fun and exciting dogsledding day tour out of Girdwood just south of Anchorage. The most extraordinary Alaskan experience of all is dog sledding on a glacier! Enjoy a scenic 10-minute round-trip helicopter flight from Girdwood to the unique […]... Browse itinerary
The Alaska city of Homer is known as the “Halibut Capital of the World” and offers some of Alaska’s best halibut fishing from mid-May to September. The boat trip itself on this Homer fishing trip is a treat – cruising […]... Browse itinerary
An excellent family itinerary designed to allow for a leisurely travel pace with plenty of time for family-oriented activities. Top destinations include Denali and Kenai Fjords National Parks. Touring highlights include riding aboard a “whistle stop” train operated by the Alaska Railroad to spectacular Spencer Glacier, driving along some of Alaska’s most scenic roads, and […]
Transfers to the lodge are from Seward via a cruise tour. The sailing route offers many of the same highlights as the popular Kenai Fjords National Park day cruises. Along the way, learn about the region’s natural history while exploring the rugged coastline and looking for whales and other wildlife. Stare in awe at the […]
Visit 4 National Parks: Kenai Fjords, Denali, Wrangell-St. Elias and Katmai (or Lake Clark National Park for bear viewing). Plus, an add-on opportunity for a 5th national park with a visit to Gates of the Arctic National Park (please get in touch with us). Experience Alaska’s diverse wildlife, natural history, and Native culture. See the […]
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