Customize Your Tour 907-277-3000
  Find Your Tour

Greatland Explorer Tour

A great option to add before or after an Alaska cruise with highlights including historical Fairbanks and tour into Denali National Park.

  Browse Dates & Rates
Tour Code: 159CTA

Tour Overview

This classic rail journey through Alaska’s heartland takes place along one of the most scenic rail routes in the world.  It is a perfect Alaska tour add-on to an Alaska Inside Passage cruise.  Starting in Fairbanks, the route takes you south on the Alaska Railroad to Denali and includes a narrated bus tour of Denali National Park before continuing by train to Anchorage.  You’ll have ample opportunities to search for wildlife viewing and get a close, panoramic view of Denali, North America’s tallest mountain.

What's Included
  • Four nights accommodations
  • Alaska Railroad from Fairbanks to Denali National Park and Denali to Anchorage
  • 4-6 hour bus tour into Denali National Park (depending on weather and road conditions)
  • All taxes and fees
What's Not Included

Transfers in Fairbanks and in Anchorage, meals unless otherwise noted, optional excursions, and gratuities.

 

Tour Itinerary

Visit iconic inland highlights including Fairbanks, Denali and Anchorage. This is a perfect program for those with limited time, or before an Alaska Inside Passage cruise.

Day 1
Fairbanks Arrival

Arrive into Fairbanks and transfer from the airport to your hotel on your own. Depending on when you arrive, you may have time for some sightseeing and optional activities. Overnight in Fairbanks.

Day 2
Fairbanks to Denali National Park

Transfer on your own to the Alaska Railroad station. Depart from Fairbanks at 8:15am on the Alaska Railroad to Denali, arriving at 12:10pm.  This afternoon we suggest taking time to see the Denali National Park Visitor Center which offers many exhibits and information about the park.  Or enjoy an optional tour, such as a dinner theater, or seeing Denali by helicopter (see Tour Add-ons).  Overnight near the Denali park entrance.

Day 3
Denali National Park

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 approximately 4-6 hours long and takes you approximately 30 – 43 miles into the park, depending on weather and road conditions. Rest of day is at leisure.  Overnight near the Denali park entrance.

Day 4
Denali National Park to Anchorage

Enjoy a leisurely morning on your own, or choose from several excursions like flightseeing or river rafting (see Tour Add-ons) before departing. Transfer to the rail station is provided by hotel courtesy shuttle where you depart at 12:30pm and journey southward on the Alaska Railroad. Soak up the breathtaking scenery as you travel along the Alaska Range and Matanuska-Susitna Valley en route to Anchorage. Upon arrival in Anchorage at 8:00pm, the transfer to your hotel is on your own. Overnight in Anchorage.

Day 5
Anchorage Departure

Depending on your departure time, you may have time for an optional excursion such as a city tour. The transfer to the Anchorage airport is on your own.

If you depart Alaska by cruise ship we offer optional transfers from Anchorage to Seward and Whittier. Please contact us for details.

Tour Map

 

Dates & Rates

You can start this tour daily (within the listed dates of operation).

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.


*Child prices are valid for children 11 years and younger, sharing a room with at least 2 full paying adults with the existing bedding. Maximum of 4 people per room.

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.

After you click "book now" and select a date, you will see tour availability. "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.

 

Tour Add-ons

Browsing optional excursions for the Greatland Explorer Tour:
people sitting at a table eating dinner and enjoying a dinner theatre show

Cabin Nite Dinner Theater

Save to Favorites

Length: 2 hours

Starting at: $96 / pp

Enjoy old-time Alaska as you enjoy a popular dinner theater performance in Denali National Park set in an authentic Alaska log-paneled roadhouse. Join heroine Fannie Quigley and an unforgettable cast of characters in this true-to-life Alaska Gold Rush tale of […]... Browse itinerary

After having a couple of out of the country trips cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic we decided to take a last minute trip to Alaska. Alaska tours found us everything we wanted to see and do while we were in the the great state for 8 days. They worked with us... Read more  

Jim | BirdEye

Related Natural Attractions Tours

Save to Favorites
Best Seller

Alaska by Rail Tour

Duration: 10 days

Starting at: $3689 / pp

Travel the entire Alaska Railroad in just nine days! Take the train from Anchorage to Seward, Talkeetna, Denali, and Fairbanks. Cruise to an active glacier, jet boat on the Talkeetna River, view wildlife in Denali National Park and... Browse itinerary

Save to Favorites
Best Seller
a GMC vehicle and a moose on a paved road in Alaska

All Alaska Classic Self Drive Tour

Duration: 15 days

Starting at: $3829 / pp

Explore three of Alaska's National Parks: Denali, Wrangell - St. Elias, and Kenai Fjords. Excellent wildlife viewing opportunities throughout. Travel on four designated National Scenic Byways showcasing Alaska's natural beauty with its jagged mountain peaks, lush alpine meadows,... Browse itinerary

Save to Favorites
a caribou on a dirt road in front of a tour bus

Denali & Glacier Experience

Duration: 6 days

Starting at: $1799 / pp

Travel along the scenic Seward and Portage Glacier Highways before entering the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, the second-longest tunnel in North America. On arrival in Whittier, embark on the 26 Glacier Cruise with lunch. Enjoy viewing massive rivers... Browse itinerary

Save to Favorites
a woman and two children sit on the shore of a glacial lake admiring Spencer Glacier

Family Fun Vacation by Car

Duration: 9 days

Starting at: $2729 / pp

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... Browse itinerary