Alaska “On A Dime” Tour

Arrive at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and transfer to the hotel by courtesy shuttle. There are no activities planned today so the entire day is yours to explore on your own or to participate in optional excursions. Overnight in Anchorage.

This morning pick up your rental car in downtown Anchorage and drive south to Seward on the Kenai Peninsula. As you depart Anchorage you will have time to visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, home to bears and moose, as well as other animals native to Alaska. There are plenty of opportunities to stop along the way for a short hike or picnic. Overnight in Seward.

There is time to explore the small, friendly port city of Seward or visit a dog kennel for a wilderness sled dog tour and kennel tour (see Tour Add-Ons). At noon, board a sightseeing vessel to cruise through the wildlife-rich and glacier-filled waters of Kenai Fjords National Park. First, you cruise to Fox Island for an all-you-can-eat wild Alaska salmon and prime rib lunch at a remote lodge. Watch a presentation by a National Park Ranger and explore the "skipping stone" beach before continuing your cruise on Resurrection Bay. Watch for sea otters, puffins, sea lions, whales and other wildlife as you travel past pristine rain forest. See Bear Glacier at a distance, the largest glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park.  Overnight in Seward.

After breakfast on your own you will drive back to Anchorage along the Seward Highway enjoying the natural beauty of south central Alaska between Seward and Anchorage. About mile 79, you will see Whittier/Portage turn off on your right to Portage and visit the Begich-Boggs Visitor Center. Take an unforgettable one-hour cruise on Portage Lake right up to the face of Portage Glacier. Watch for chunks of ice to calve into the water with a splash. After your cruise, drive on to Anchorage. Overnight in Anchorage.

Depart Anchorage and follow the Glenn Highway northbound. A few interesting stops along the way are the Alaska Native Heritage Center and the Eklutna Indian Village. Continuing on the Parks Highway towards Denali National Park, you will drive through the Matanuska-Susitna Valley and Denali State Park. You can take a side trip to the small gold mining community Talkeetna for an optional jet boat tour or a ski-plane flight to land on mountain Denali along the route to Denali National Park. This afternoon you may wish to take an optional Denali River rafting tour or attend a dinner theater (see Tour Add-ons). Overnight near the Denali Park Entrance.

Early this morning you will depart on a shuttle bus into Denali National Park. This 8 hour round trip journey takes you approximately 66 miles into the park to the Eielson Visitor Center. At the Eielson Visitor Center National Park Service rangers and interactive displays provide insight and information about the park and its myriad of resources. If you would like to experience the park longer, you may stay at the Eielson Visitor Center for a while, and then take a later bus back to the park entrance (only possible as long as space is available and bus is designated "Eielson" shuttle bus). In the afternoon there may be free time for optional tours, such as a flightseeing or rafting tour (see Tour Add-Ons). Overnight near the Denali Park Entrance.

*Please note that the bus condition may be basic and the journey is not narrated.

Today you continue your driving adventure by heading back to Anchorage. If you did not stop on the way to Denali, you still have the opportunity to stop by Talkeetna for optional tours such as a jet boat tour or a flightseeing tour to land on Denali (see Tour Add-ons). Overnight in Anchorage.

Today return your rental car at the airport in time to meet your departure flight, or extend your Alaska vacation by adding additional days to you trip.