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Family Fun Vacation by Car

A fun and educational Alaskan experience for all ages.

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Tour Code: 1520CTA

Tour Overview

Specially designed for families, this self-drive route allows your family to slow down and spend some quality time together. At the same time, you have fun and see major Alaska highlights, including Denali National Park and Kenai Fjords National Park. The driving route for this exciting family getaway has been carefully chosen to maximize your enjoyment of outdoor activities. You’ll enjoy stunning wilderness scenery and meet real Alaska sled dogs at the home of one of Alaska’s leading Iditarod dog sledding families while facing glaciers, whales, and other marine wildlife on a day cruise in Kenai Fjords National Park. Experience unique family activities like a float trip to Spencer Glacier and a ride on the Alaska Railroad. Create memories to last a lifetime for your entire family on this entertaining, exciting, and educational Alaska family adventure vacation

What's Included
  • 8 nights of hotel accommodations in moderate-class hotels
  • 8 days midsize car rental, including unlimited mileage
  • Spencer Glacier float trip from Portage with a ride on the Alaska Railroad
  • 4.5 hours Resurrection Bay boat cruise from Seward
  • Seavey’s Ididaride Kennel tour, including a dog team cart ride
  • All taxes and fees
What's Not Included

Meals, optional excursions, bus tour into Denali National Park, admissions to attractions listed in the itinerary, and gratuities. Car rental coverage (such as LDW or liability insurance), additional driver fees, gas, and GPS rental. Car rental category upgrades available at additional fee.

 

Tour Itinerary

Day 1
Anchorage Arrival

Upon arrival in Anchorage pick up your rental car at the airport and drive to your hotel. 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. You will stay overnight at a hotel in the Anchorage midtown area.

Important Note: Please provide us with your flight arrival information at time of booking, so that we can schedule the car rental pick up time correctly.

Day 2
Anchorage Day Trip

Start the Alaska family trip with a great highlight: a ride on Alaska Railroad’s whistle stop train and a float trip surrounded by stunning scenery and icebergs! In the morning drive from Anchorage along the scenic Turnagain Arm to the Portage Train Station. Plan some stops along the drive to enjoy the scenery. At 1:25pm depart from Portage on the Alaska Railroad and take a short but scenic train ride to Spencer Glacier in the remote Chugach Mountains. Board your raft for a 2 hour gentle float among the icebergs at Spencer Lake and down the Placer River. After the float trip, return to the Portage Train station at 5:15pm and leisurely drive back to Anchorage. Overnight Anchorage.

Day 3
Anchorage to Denali National Park

Depart Anchorage and follow the Glenn Highway northbound. A few interesting stops along this highway are the Alaska Native Heritage Center and the village of Eklutna. Continuing on the Parks Highway towards Denali National Park, you drive through the Matanuska-Susitna Valley and Denali State Park. Take a side tour to the quaint town of Talkeetna, known for its special back-country town charm. Weather permitting Talkeetna can have one of the best views of the mountain Denali and the Alaska Range. From here you can depart on a spectacular flightseeing tour to land on a glacier on Denali or a jetboat tour. Upon arrival in Denali, you may wish to attend a dinner theater.  Overnight near the Denali park entrance.

Day 4
Denali National Park

Enjoy a free day in the Denali area. You may wish to add an optional bus tour into Denali National Park (select during the booking process) or tours in the Denali Park entrance area such as an ATV, rafting or flightseeing tour. Hiking and dog sled demonstrations are also excellent opportunities. Overnight near the Denali park entrance.

Day 5
Denali National Park to Wasilla

Today drive the Parks Highway back south to the Wasilla area. Points of interest in the Mat-Su area include the Iditarod Museum, the Independence Mine State Historical Park, the Musk Ox farm and the reindeer farm. Overnight in the Palmer/Wasilla area.

Day 6
Wasilla to Seward

Drive south towards the Kenai Peninsula today, passing scenic landscapes on your way to Seward. You have all day to explore the scenic driving route. You may visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, a home for orphaned animals of Alaska and a great place for kids to see! As you enter Seward, you can stop at Exit Glacier, one of Alaska’s most accessible glaciers. Depending on your arrival time in Seward you may have time to stop by the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward. The SeaLife Center is a state-of-the-art marine science facility where you can get an up close look at Alaska’s diverse marine life and sea birds. Overnight in Seward.

Day 7
Seward

The morning is free to explore Seward.  At 12:30pm you’ll depart on a 4.5-hour cruise through the rich waters of Resurrection Bay. The area boasts abundant wildlife, glaciers, and breathtaking scenery. Keep watch for Stellar sea lions, harbor seals, eagles and whales. Cruise past the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, home to a large variety of birds, such as puffins and cormorants. See Bear Glacier at a distance, the largest glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park. The evening is at your leisure in Seward. Overnight in Seward.

Day 8
Seward to Anchorage

Before you depart Seward, tour Iditarod champion Mitch Seavey’s Iditarod Racing Kennel, meet famous sled dogs, cuddle adorable puppies, dress up as an Iditarod musher, and take in the spectacular Alaskan wilderness as you mush for two miles with an Iditarod racer. Your drive back to Anchorage today is an excellent opportunity to stop by Portage Glacier and tour the visitor’s center or ride the aerial tram to the top of Mt. Alyeska in Girdwood. Overnight in Anchorage, at a midtown area hotel.

Day 9
Anchorage Departure

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.

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.

To confirm the reservation we will need: Flight arrival information, Full name including middle name(s), Gender and Date of Birth and body weight.


Child prices are valid for children 4 to 11 years, 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.

Minimum age for this program is 4 years.

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 Family Fun Vacation by Car:

Denali Wilderness ATV Adventure

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Length: 2.5 hours

Starting at: $160 / pp

This Alaska ATV day tour from Denali is fun, exciting, and scenic for both novices and experienced ATV riders. You will ride your All Terrain Vehicle along trails surrounded by Denali National Park at speeds up to 30 mph. Your […]... Browse itinerary

two river rafts with people exploring a river surrounded by a mountainous landscape

Wilderness Run Float Trip from Denali

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Length: 3 hours

Starting at: $140 / pp

On this Alaska river rafting day trip from the Denali Park Entrance, you’ll float down the Nenana River bordering Denali National Park. You may see moose, sheep, caribou, and bear as you raft downstream 11 miles. Your rafting guide will […]... Browse itinerary

Thank you. We had a great vacation. We were sad to leave Kenai Fjord Glacier Lodge a day early but everything else was excellent. We really enjoyed Tonglen Lake Lodge. The helicopter/hiking and airplane sightseeing excursions were home runs! We even saw the Northern Lights which were amazing.

Wendy | California

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