Circle Alaska Adventure Tour

Arrive in Anchorage and transfer to your hotel.  Enjoy the remainder of your day at leisure.  If time allows visit the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, the Log Cabin Visitor Center, and other downtown attractions all within walking distance of your hotel. Overnight in Anchorage.

This morning transfer to the Anchorage train station by hotel courtesy shuttle or on your own. At 8:15am, you will travel from Anchorage to Denali National Park aboard the Alaska Railroad. Upon arrival in Denali at 3:45pm transfer to your hotel by courtesy shuttle. With a size of over 6 million acres, Denali National Park is one of the world’s greatest wild animal preserves. Here, protected from hunting, the animals roam freely in a region dominated by the continent’s tallest mountain. Most visitor facilities are grouped near the park entrance. Your evening is free for optional activities or you can relax and enjoy some leisure time. Overnight near the Denali park entrance.

Today, depart on a narrated bus tour into Denali National Park.  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.  The tour is approx. 3-6 hours long and takes you approx. 30 - 43 miles into the park, depending on weather and road conditions. The rest of the day is free for optional tours, such as river rafting and flightseeing tours (see Tour Add-Ons). Overnight near the Denali park entrance.

Sleep in this morning or enjoy one of the optional tours at the Denali Park entrance. In the afternoon, travel by train to Fairbanks. Upon arrival in Fairbanks at 8:00pm, transfer to your hotel by courtesy shuttle. Overnight in Fairbanks.

This morning pick up your rental car at the Fairbanks airport to begin you day of sightseeing the local area. Arrive at the Gold Dredge 8 for a 2-hour guided tour to learn about the gold history surrounding Fairbanks folklore. Your guide provides lively commentary about the history of mining in Alaska. Board a narrow gauge train to the dredge where you will see first hand how the dredge worked the gold fields. Once the train arrives at the camp you will receive a brief but informative course in mining, and then you will try panning for gold yourself - you will find gold - its guaranteed! Explore the dredge and feel the colorful history of the era come alive. After the Gold Dredge 8 tour you have time for lunch before your departure aboard a classic sternwheeler riverboat. On this 3 hour river cruise you see an Athabascan fish camp, Alaskan bush pilot demonstration and a championship sled dog team. Overnight in Fairbanks.

Enjoy a scenic drive along the Richardson Highway, one of the oldest and most scenic highways in Alaska. This route follows the Alaska oil pipeline, one of the world's greatest engineering feats. Just outside of Fairbanks, stop at the Santa Claus House in the town of North Pole. Along your drive, there are several rest stops, including historic roadhouses and scenic viewpoints. As you near your final destination of Valdez, you are very near the boundary of the Wrangell-St. Elias National Preserve. This region of Alaska offers impressive vistas of several of North America's tallest peaks. Take some time today to explore and visit the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park headquarters and ranger station, then continue into the Chugach Mountains and through Thompson Pass. There are several places to stop and enjoy the amazing landscapes, including Worthington Glacier and Bridal Veil Falls. Overnight in Valdez.

Today is at your leisure to enjoy Valdez and surroundings. Try a leisurely and scenic kayaking trip or see some of Prince William Sound's well known glaciers with a glacier cruise (see Tour Add-Ons). Overnight in Valdez.

Today drive the Richardson Highway back north to the Glenn Highway. Take the Glenn Highway towards Anchorage to either the Sheep Mountain or Palmer/Wasilla area (depending on accommodation availability). Check out scenic Matanuska Glacier before you relax for the evening. Overnight in Sheep Mountain or Palmer/Wasilla area (depending on accommodation availability).

This morning continue driving the Glenn Highway to Anchorage and continue south on the Seward Highway. The Seward Highway takes you first along beautiful coastal scenery and then through scenic mountain areas. When arriving in Seward, check out Exit Glacier. Overnight in Seward.

Today you have time for an optional Kenai Fjords National Park tours today (see Tour Add-Ons) - certainly a "must do"! If time allows, you have the option to visit the Alaska Sealife Center, an aquarium and Alaska's only permanent marine mammal rehabilitation facility. Overnight in Seward.

This morning enjoy a 90-minute tour of Mitch Seavey's Iditarod Racing Kennel in Seward. Here you will meet the famous sled dogs that run the Iditarod sled dog race every year. Cuddle adorable puppies, dress up as an Iditarod musher, and then take in the spectacular Alaskan wilderness as you mush for two miles with an Iditarod racer. Later, drive back to Anchorage. On your drive to Anchorage you first pass through the Kenai Mountains and then along Cook Inlet's Turnagain Arm. Look for Dall sheep, black bears, and beluga whales along the Arm. En route we suggest a few worthwhile stops, including the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, the aerial tram in Girdwood and the Potter's Marsh bird sanctuary. Overnight in Anchorage.

Depending on your departure time, you may have time to visit the Alaska Zoo, the Alaska Native Heritage Center and an optional guided excursion. Return your car to the airport rental station in time to meet your departure flight.