Great Alaskan Road Trip

Arrival in Anchorage

Pick up your rental vehicle at the Anchorage airport upon your arrival and drive to your hotel. The rest of the day is for you to explore. Anchorage is Alaska’s largest city, nestled between the Chugach Mountains and Cook Inlet. Anchorage offers shopping, cultural attractions, and gourmet restaurants. Overnight in the midtown area of Anchorage.

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.

Anchorage to Denali National Park

Depart Anchorage this morning at your leisure. As you travel outside of Anchorage you may want to visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Then travel the Glenn Highway northbound towards Wasilla. Continue on the Parks Highway towards Denali National Park and drive through the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. Then drive through Denali State Park. 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, Alaska’s many animals roam freely in a region dominated by the continent’s tallest mountain. Most visitor facilities operate near the park entrance. Your evening is free for optional activities, or you can just relax and enjoy some leisure time. Overnight near the Denali park entrance.

Explore 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 approx. 4-6 hours long and takes you approx. 30 – 43 miles into the park, depending on weather and road conditions. The rest of the day is at your leisure. Check out the Visitor Center at the park entrance or add a rafting trip or sled dog kennel tour. Overnight near the Denali park entrance.

Denali National Park to Palmer and Alaska Glacier Lodge

This scenic drive takes you back south on the Parks Highway towards Anchorage. We recommend a side trip to the quaint town of Talkeetna, known for its special backcountry-town charm. Weather permitting, Talkeetna can have one of the best views of Denali and the Alaska Range. Continue to Wasilla and make a stop at the Iditarod Sled Dog Race Museum before you head out to Alaska Glacier Lodge. If time allows, you can also visit the Musk Ox Farm, and the Reindeer Farm in Palmer. You overnight at Alaska Glacier Lodge, a breathtaking property at the end of the road, overlooking Knik River and the surrounding mountains.

Palmer / Alaska Glacier Lodge

The Alaska Glacier Lodge is a hub for stunning helicopter tours. Take this opportunity and add on a helicopter trip to your Alaska vacation (additional costs apply). One of the most popular Alaska helicopter tours is the helicopter adventure with glacier dogsled tour, where you fly up a glacier and ride on a dog sled in the snow! During the flightseeing portion you have the chance to see Knik Glacier and you will have an hour to experience a dog sledding tour on this adventure.  You can also book an amazing helicopter tour with glacier landing! On that tour, you will land right in the middle of Knik Glacier, where you can get out of the helicopter and spend about 30 minutes exploring with your pilot/guide. You will be able to see azure blue melt pools, crevasses, and the bizarre ice formations created by water, wind, and the sun.
There is more to explore around Palmer! Take a drive to Hatcher Pass, an old mining area, visit the close by Reindeer farm or enjoy one of the great hiking trails around Palmer. You might also want to drive to beautiful Eklutna Lake (approx. 45 minutes away) where you can hike, bike or kayak (mountain bike and kayak rentals available at the lake).
Overnight in the Palmer area at Alaska Glacier Lodge.

Palmer and Alaska Glacier Lodge to Seward

Drive south onto the Kenai Peninsula today. You will pass through the communities of Eklutna and Eagle River as you near Anchorage. Continue south from Anchorage along Turnagain Arm to Seward. This route has beautiful views of the Chugach Mountains. Recommended stops along the route include the Begich-Boggs Visitor Center at Portage Glacier and the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Just before you reach Seward, you have a chance to visit Exit Glacier. This is one of the few glaciers that visitors can walk to. The interpretive trail leading to the glacier provides an illustrated history of the glacier’s path as it has receded over the last 100 years. Overnight in Seward.

Seward - Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise

At 11:30 am, you’ll depart on an 6-hour wildlife and glacier cruise into Kenai Fjords National Park, one of Alaska’s treasures. As you cruise through the park and the Chiswell Islands National Wildlife Refuge, watch for Stellar sea lions, harbor seals, puffins, eagles, and whales. During the cruise, you will see examples of Alpine, Cirque, Piedmont and Tidewater glaciers. A stop will be made at either Holgate or Aialik Glacier to witness glacier calving – when large ice chunks fall off the glacier. Lunch is included onboard. The rest of the day is at your leisure. Overnight in Seward.

Seward to Anchorage - Departure

Today, drive to Anchorage at your leisure (driving time is approximately 3 hours). Return your car to the Anchorage airport rental car station. Depart for home or begin an additional Alaska adventure.