An Alaskan Odyssey

Arrive in Anchorage and transfer to your hotel via courtesy shuttle on your own.  The remainder of the day is free for exploring Anchorage or partaking in optional tours, such as a flightseeing tour or city highlights sightseeing tour by trolley (see Tour Add-ons). Overnight in Anchorage.

This morning depart on the Alaska Railroad at 9:45 am for the journey to the port of Whittier. From here, enjoy breath-taking scenery on a glacier cruise to see an abundance of glaciers in the surrounding coastal mountain fjords of Prince William Sound.  Your comfortable touring vessel will stop at a safe distance directly at the face of a tidewater glacier, giving you the chance to hear and see glacier calving (when the ice breaks off into the water). Lunch is included on board. Later this afternoon, return to Anchorage on the Alaska Railroad, arriving at 9:15 pm. Overnight in Anchorage.

Early this morning depart by motorcoach to Denali National Park. Relax and capture the scenery from large picture windows. Arrive in Denali with time this afternoon to enjoy time on your own for optional activities such as river rafting, or later tonight we can recommend the delicious salmon dinner and amusing antics served at the Cabin Nite Dinner Theatre Show (see Tour Add-ons).  Overnight near the Denali National Park entrance.

Very early this morning depart on a bus tour of Denali National Park. This tour takes you through the best wildlife viewing portion of the Park Road, approximately 55 miles into the 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 and make stops during your approx. 8 hour tour*.  Later this afternoon following the tour, at 3:45 pm, you will travel by train to Fairbanks. You will have the opportunity to purchase dinner while on board the train, with an evening arrival in Fairbanks scheduled for approximately 8:00 pm. Transfer to your hotel via courtesy shuttle or on your own. Overnight in Fairbanks.

Today enjoy a narrated sighteeing tour, bringing you to the highlights of Fairbanks. During the tour, you will visit the Morris Thompson Cultural Center where you will find great exhibits about Interior Alaska. Then stop at the Trans Alaska Pipeline where your guide will explain the astonishing engineering of the pipeline, the oil field in Prudhoe Bay, and the Alaska oil industry. From there, continue to the Museum of the North with its dramatic architecture and new exhibit galleries (closed on Sundays in September; then tour will go to the Antique Auto Museum instead). And finally, you will visit Santa Claus at his home in North Pole, and buy some Alaska souvenirs and Christmas decorations. Additionally, enjoy a sternwheeler cruise on the Chena River aboard the Riverboat Discovery.  Along the route you will see a bush plane take off, see a champion line of Alaskan husky sled dogs, and gain insight into the ancient Athabaskan Indian culture during a stop at Chena Village.  Overnight in Fairbanks.

Your 3-day guided tour deep into Alaska's Arctic begins today! From Fairbanks, fly across the Arctic Circle to Deadhorse/Prudhoe Bay where you will visit the Prudhoe Bay oil fields and dip your toe in the frigid waters of the Arctic Ocean. Overnight in Deadhorse (Prudhoe Bay).

Important: This 3-day escorted tour might operate in reverse direction as well. Please see "Important Notes" for more details.

Today start your guided overland journey on the Dalton Highway. Your experienced driver/guide will provide insight and information about Alaska's Arctic. The Dalton Highway is also know locally as the Haul Road, or perhaps even more famous as the 'ice road" as a trucker supply line route the North Slope oilfields. You traverse the majestic Brooks Mountain Range and over the Continental Divide at Atigun Pass and explore the amazing arctic tundra of the Arctic Coastal Plain up close where you can feel the veins of ice just beneath the surface. Keep your eyes open for grizzly bears and caribou! Spectacular peaks and panoramic vistas make this journey a highlight. Travel approximately 8 hours this day including frequent stops. Overnight in Coldfoot.

This morning visit the historic gold mining community of Wiseman. After a walking tour of the outpost, continue southward along the Dalton Highway where you cross the Arctic Circle. Other stops in route to Fairbanks include the trading post at Joy, and the Yukon River. Today's travel time is also approximately 8 hours including frequent stops. Overnight in Fairbanks.

This morning is free for optional sightseeing in Fairbanks. In the afternoon, fly back to Anchorage. Overnight in Anchorage.

Today transfer to the airport by courtesy hotel shuttle or on your own for departure, or start an additional program such as bear viewing or a wilderness lodge stay.