Adventure Driving Tour

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 an abundance of shopping, cultural attractions, and gourmet restaurants, Anchorage provides an excellent start to your vacation. Overnight in Anchorage.

Today you depart Anchorage and travel north to Denali. Along the way are the Alaska Native Heritage Center and the Eklutna Indian Village. The drive through the Matanuska-Susitna Valley and Denali State Park can have stunning views of Denali, the tallest mountain in North America. This evening 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.

This morning, depart on a shuttle bus to Eielson, deep in Denali National Park. The 8-hour ride takes you approximately 66 miles into the park. The shuttle bus to Eielson provides visitors with a convenient trip into the park with the ability to get off, take a hike, take in the sights and re-board a different shuttle bus to return. The shuttle drivers can answer many of your questions but do not provide a formal, narrated tour. As you travel through the pristine wilderness, look for wildlife, such as bears, caribou, and moose, as well as views of the Mountain. The bus will turn around at the recently renovated Eielson Visitor Center, where National Park Service Rangers and interactive displays provide information about the park and its abundant resources. Overnight near the Denali park entrance.

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. Weather permitting, Talkeetna can have one of the best views of Denali and the Alaska Range. You also can depart on a spectacular flightseeing tour from here or a wilderness riverboat excursion (see Tour Add-Ons). After Talkeetna, drive through Anchorage and along Turnagain Arm. This route has beautiful views of the Chugach Mountains. Girdwood is a quaint ski town with one of the nicest resorts in Alaska. Overnight in Girdwood.

Today you will be transferred by shuttle to the Portage train station where you will board the Alaska Railroad’s wilderness route to Spencer Glacier. This part of the Chugach National Forest is only accessible by train. You will kayak across a lake, past icebergs, to the face of Spencer Glacier (approx. 1.5 miles and 1 hour one way). Your guide will equip you with glacier trekking gear, including crampons and helmets, and then lead you onto the blue glacier ice. During your three hours on the ice, peer down crevasses, see moulins, look for ice caves, and learn about glaciology up close. Afterwards, paddle back to the train depot and ride the Alaska Railroad back to Portage. Overnight in Girdwood.

Today you will 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.

Spend a free day exploring all that Homer and Kachemak Bay have to offer. Highlights include the Homer Spit, a local winery, the Islands and Ocean Center, the Pratt Museum, fresh seafood restaurants, and views from East End Road. Or you may prefer to participate in optional excursions, including halibut fishing or a bear viewing flight safari (see Tour Add-Ons). 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 take one of the many hikes along the Turnagain Arm. Overnight in Anchorage.

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.