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Alaska Dreams Winter Tour

Walk on a glacier, watch for the northern lights, and experience the best of winter in Alaska!

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Tour Code: 228CTA

Tour Overview

Start your dream Alaska Winter Tour adventure in Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city. The city offers abundant shopping, cultural attractions, and gourmet restaurants between the Chugach Mountains and Cook Inlet. You’ll take a scenic trip north to the massive Matanuska Glacier, where an experienced glacier guide will walk over ancient blue ice while you look for towering ice spires and stunning ice caves along the way. Next, continue your journey north to Fairbanks aboard the Alaska Railroad. Your winter adventure concludes with a stay at Borealis Basecamp, where you overnight in private, custom-designed fiberglass domes crafted to maximize Northern Lights viewing and comfort. Clear, curved windows stretch 16 feet across each igloo roof, allowing you to lie in bed and view the dancing northern lights and scenery outdoors without leaving your cozy nest

What's Included
  • 4 nights’ accommodation in moderate-class hotel in Anchorage and Fairbanks
  • 8-hour Matanuska Glacier Adventure, including lunch
  • Train from Anchorage to Fairbanks
  • 2 nights at Borealis Basecamp with complimentary breakfast buffet **
  • Round-trip transfers to Borealis Basecamp from Fairbanks
  • 2-hour Sunset Tour
  • Reindeer Meet & Greet (30-minute tour)
  • Tour departures until mid-November include a choice of an approx. 1-hour UTV or approx. 30 min Dog Cart Tour  (weather conditions permitting)
    Tour departures starting mid-November include a choice of an approx. 1-hour Snowmachine or Dog Sled Tour (weather & snow conditions permitting)
  • All taxes and fees
What's Not Included

Meals, other than those mentioned. Optional excursions and gratuity.

** Borealis Basecamp Information: Igloos at the Borealis Basecamp are furnished with 1 King bed or 2 Twin beds. The en suite bathroom has a toilet, shower, and sink. Please advise bedding preference at the time of booking!

 

Tour Itinerary

Day 1
Anchorage Arrival

Arrival in Anchorage. The rest of the day is at your leisure to enjoy Alaska’s largest city. Overnight in Anchorage.

Day 2
Anchorage - Matanuska Glacier Adventure

Today’s glacier adventure begins with a pick up from your Anchorage hotel. Your guide will narrate points of interest during the scenic 100-mile drive north through the Matanuska-Susitna Valley on your way to the mighty Matanuska Glacier. Photo stops will be made along the way to capture the stunning valley and mountain peaks. Your experienced Glacier Guide will outfit each person with ice cleats, walking sticks, and helmets for safety. Additional warm supplemental winter outerwear can be requested at the time of booking. This fully guided glacier experience will allow you to meander along the surface of ancient blue ice in search of towering ice spires and gorgeous ice caves. Walking time on the glacier is from 2 to 3 hours. The glacier walk is considered a moderate activity with an elevation gain of approx. 140 ft (2 flights of stairs). Alunch is included and will be before or after the glacier hike. Overnight in Anchorage.

Day 3
Anchorage to Fairbanks

In the morning, transfer on your own to the Anchorage rail depot. Here you will board the famous Alaska Railroad in the morning and travel through beautiful Alaska’s winter landscape to Fairbanks. During the train ride, enjoy spectacular views of the Alaska Range and possibly even Denali (weather permitting). You will arrive in Fairbanks in the evening and transfer to the hotel via hotel courtesy shuttle. Overnight in Fairbanks.

Day 4
Fairbanks to Borealis Basecamp

The morning is at leisure in Fairbanks. Typically in the afternoon, you will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to Borealis Basecamp, approximately 45-50 minutes north of Fairbanks. Borealis Basecamp offers an unique stay in fiberglass domes / igloos with large, curved windows for optimal northern lights viewing right from your room! Dinner is available for purchase at their state-of-the-art craftsman built yurt. Stay up tonight to watch the sky from your warm, cozy bed, or request an aurora alarm to wake you up when the lights are visible. Overnight Borealis Basecamp.

Day 5
Borealis Basecamp

Today enjoy all the basecamp has to offer. Included with your stay is an UTV or Dog Cart Tour, or later in the season when snow conditions allow (typically starting mid-November) a Snowmachine or Dog Sledding Tour. The Dog Cart Tour is approx. 30 min long and the other tours are approx. 1 hour long.  (Only one activity is included, please choose at time of booking. Length of activity is subject to change due to weather and other unforeseen circumstances.) You will also have the chance to meet Alaskan born reindeer today. They live at Basecamp year round in their large enclosure, living on a diet of reindeer feed and treats like carrots and willow leaves. During a 30-minute tour, your guide will show you how reindeer live in the Alaskan Arctic year round and give you the opportunity to feed and take photos with them! Later today, take a 2-hour Sunset Tour. You will ride inside a heated Borealis Basecamp vehicle* on the trail in front of Borealis Basecamp, climbing up the hillside to a scenic viewpoint.

During the winter time, winter gear is provided for the activity. If winter gear is needed for the entire stay, it can be rented for an additional fee. Overnight at Borealis Basecamp.

Day 6
Borealis Basecamp to Fairbanks

This morning, you will be transferred back to Fairbanks. The afternoon is free to take optional tours and visit local attractions. Overnight in Fairbanks.

Day 7
Fairbanks Departure

Take the hotel shuttle to the airport for your departure or start an additional program.

Tour departures until mid-November include either an UTV or Dog Cart Tour; tour departures starting mid-November include a Dog Sledding or Snowmachine Tour (depending on snow conditions). *For the sunset tour, the vehicle used will be a Hagglund machine in the fall and a now coach in the winter. *** Orders of the tours at Borealis Basecamp may change, depending on availability and other circumstances. ***

Tour Map

 

Dates & Rates

Please see important information below.


*Child policy: not available / Borealis Basecamp is an adult-oriented property.

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.

Important Information:

  • Domes/igloos at the Borealis Basecamp are furnished with 1 King bed or 2 Twin beds. Please advise bedding preference at time of booking! (While we will request the preferred bedding, we will not be able to guarantee it.)
  • The domes/igloos at Borealis Basecamp are suitable for maximum of 2 people.
  • This is an adult oriented program and is suitable for families with children 15 years or over.
  • If the domes/igloos at the Borealis Basecamp as sold out, we might be able to offer the Cube units at the Borealis Basecamp. The cube unites are cozy and have large floor to ceiling windows, offering an amazing viewing opportunity for northern lights. The cubes are furnished with 1 queen size bed and also have a twin size treehouse bed suitable for one child/teenager (if not too tall). The cubes have private bath with a toilet, shower and sink.

Cancellation Policy:
Up to 61 days prior: 20% cancellation fee
60 - 45 days prior: 30% cancellation fee
44 - 31 days prior: 60% cancellation fee
30 to 0 days prior: 100% cancellation fee/ non-refundable

 

Tour Add-ons

Browsing optional excursions for the Alaska Dreams Winter Tour:
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Chena Hot Springs Aurora Tour from Fairbanks

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Enjoy a night tour from Fairbanks to see the northern lights, and Chena Hot Springs! You will be picked up from your hotel around 5:00 pm and transferred one and a half hours to Chena Hot Springs. After arriving at […]... Browse itinerary

Gretchen and I have been back a week from our glaciers and wildlife tour and we are still smiling and basking in the glow of our wonderful time. Your arrangements for the tour were flawless, and we kept being amazed at how well we were taken care of by everyone. Special mention... Read more  

Larry and Gretchen | Oregon

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