9 nights camping

4 nights hotel or cabins

Visit 9 National Parks and protected areas

Wildlife viewing tour in Denali National Park

Walk on the Matanuska Glacier

Explore an abandoned ghost town

Scenic ferry across Prince William Sound past the impressive Columbia Glacier

Canoeing in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and near Denali National Park

Explore the best preserved gold rush community in South Central Alaska

Excellent hiking opportunities throughout

For the Adventurous:

Additional optional adventure tours will be available throughout the Grand Tour and little or no prior experience is needed to enjoy them.

The Grand Tour features whitewater and scenic river rafting, Mt. biking, horseback riding, glacier/ wildlife cruises, dog sledding, world class fishing, flight seeing, sea kayaking, glacier hiking, ice climbing and more!

These activities can generally be arranged during your trip with the local area experts at the places we visit. Your guide will make all of the arrangements and will recommend our favorite activities. See detailed itinerary description for optional trip descriptions and prices (all prices are approximate and subject to change). If you have any questions concerning these activities please contact us and we’ll be happy to discuss them with you.

Detailed Itinerary Description

 

Days 1-2: Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and Chugach National Forest

We’ll travel south on the scenic Seward Highway (a USDA National Scenic Byway, Alaska Scenic Byway, and All American Road) along the Turnagain Arm to the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge on the Kenai Peninsula. The mountains of the Chugach Range and the Kenai Mountains will tower above us as we marvel at the scenery and look for wildlife along the way. We’ll camp near the waters edge at one of our favorite Alaskan lakes.

You will have a full day here to participate in a variety of recreational activities. We recommend taking advantage of the great hiking in the area and encourage you to use our canoes to explore the local lakes.

Other popular activities in the area include:

World class fishing- Fish the world famous waters of the Kenai River for salmon, trout and/or Dolly Varden (from $125-225)

River rafting- 2 hour and full day scenic river rafting trips are available on the Kenai River ($50-125)

Horse back riding- ($50)

Mt bike rentals- Great single track trails in the area! ($35/day)

Day 3: Seward

Today our destination is Seward and Kenai Fjords National Park, home of the 300 square mile Harding Ice Field and abundant marine wildlife. You will have a full day here to participate in a variety of recreational activities. Tonight we’ll stay at a Seward hotel.

There is outstanding hiking here for those who didn’t get enough the past few days. Hikers can choose between the Harding Ice Field trail at Exit Glacier or Caines Head trail on beautiful Resurrection Bay.

Or consider the other activities available. The glacier/wildlife cruise is one of our favorites.

Other popular activities in the area include:

Glacier/wildlife cruise- By far the most popular activity in the area is the glacier/wildlife cruise into the heart of Kenai Fjords National Park. Look for the abundant wildlife that can be observed including whales (orcas and humpbacks), sea otters, endangered Stellar sea lions, Dall porpoises, and colonies of nesting sea birds (including Puffins, cormorants, Oyster Catchers, and Bald Eagles to name a few). On the way you’ll visit an active tidewater glacier and watch and listen for falling ice. This is one of Alaska’s premier wildlife and glacier viewing trips and we highly recommended it! ($140)

Flight seeing- Check out the Harding Ice Field from the air ($270)

Sea Kayaking- Explore the shore of Resurrection Bay by sea kayak ($60-125)

Dog sledding- Fly out to a glacier for a ride with a team of sled dogs ($415 adult, $376 child)

Alaska Sea Life Center- Visit a world class marine research facility with fascinating exhibits ($15)

Day 4: Denali National Park

Today we travel north to Denali National Park. Mt. Denali (Mt. McKinley) (20,320 ft.), Mt. Foraker (17,400 ft.), and Mt. Hunter (14,573 ft.) are all visible from several vistas along the way.

Continuing north, we will head over Broad Pass and our first taste of the treeless north. On the north side of Alaska Range we’ll meet up with the Nenana River which will lead us to Denali National Park.

This afternoon we’ll have time to explore the park entrance, visit the newly constructed Denali National Park Visitor Center and/or go on a short hike. This evening you can canoe from our campsite on Otto Lake.

Days 5-6: Denali National Park

We’ll spend two full days exploring the Denali region.

One day is set aside for a wildlife bus tour into the heart of Denali National Park (included in tour cost). Keep your camera ready as you search for grizzly bears, black bears, moose, wolves, caribou, Dall sheep, arctic fox, and if you're lucky, tremendous views of North America's largest mountain Mt. McKinley (Denali). Get off the bus for a hike in a wild and remote wilderness.

The other day is set aside for recreational activities based near the park entrance. There are multiple hiking options within Denali National Park near the park entrance. Another popular activity is the sled dog kennel tour offered free by the National Park Service.

Other popular activities in the area include:

River rafting- Mild and wild rides are offered on the Class II-IV Nenana River ($70-99)

Flight seeing- The best way to experience the immensity of Mt McKinley up close ($240)

Horseback riding- ($60-99)

Mountain biking- Rent a Mt. bike for a ride into Denali National Park ($25-40)

River kayaking- Ride an inflatable kayak on the Nenana River ($85)

Day 7: To Anchorage

Casual drive to Anchorage with time to stop for sightseeing and day hikes. We will arrive in Anchorage by 5:00-5:30 pm and will bring you to your Anchorage hotel.

Day 8: Matanuska River Valley

We’ll depart Anchorage in the morning for a beautiful trip to the Matanuska Glacier, the largest accessible glacier in Alaska. En route we’ll visit Hatcher Pass Recreation area and Independence Mine State Historic Park. This afternoon we’ll walk out onto the Matanuska Glacier and explore a variety of unique glacial features.

Days 9-10: Wrangell St. Elias National Park

Wrangell St. Elias National Park is the largest national park in the U.S. (13.2 million acres) and is part of one of the largest protected areas in the world (a world heritage site). Four major mountain ranges can be found here; the Chugach, St. Elias, Alaska, and the Wrangell Mountains, containing some of North America's highest peaks.

Our destination within the park is the old copper mining towns of McCarthy and Kennicott. En route we'll cross the mighty Copper River and travel the old railway path to McCarthy.

The Kennecott mines (different spelling then the town) were developed starting in 1907 and were, for awhile, the most productive copper mines in the U.S. Today they remain as a national historic landmark and an excellent example of early 20th century Alaskan history.

Located nearby are the massive Kennicott and Root Glaciers. They converge here and are overshadowed by the 5000 foot Stairway Icefall. This is a truly unique location not accessible to the average tourist.

For the next 2 nights we will stay at either a historic hotel or in cabins.

You will have a full day here to participate in a variety of recreational activities. We recommend taking advantage of the great hiking in the area. Hike along the side of the Root glacier or climb up to Bonanza Mine for sweeping views.

Other popular activities in the area include:

Glacier hiking with crampons- This is one of the best places for glacier hiking in Alaska (from $55)

Ice climbing- Expert guides will show you “the ropes” of glacier climbing ($100)

Flight seeing- View immense ice fields from the air (from $90)

Historic mine tours- Take a guided tour of Kennicott and learn about the area's fascinating human history ($25)

Days 11-12: Valdez and Prince William Sound

En route to Valdez we’ll view the Alaska Pipeline and stop at the road accessible Worthington Glacier for a short hike. Later, we’ll cross scenic Thompson Pass and arrive in Valdez in time to explore the harbor or go on a short hike.

Often referred to as the 'Little Switzerland" of Alaska, Valdez is beautifully situated at the base of the towering Chugach Mountains on the shores of Prince William Sound. Made famous by the Alaska Pipeline, and later the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Valdez has since become a popular tourist destination. Visitors are attracted to the lush landscape, high concentration of glaciers, and great outdoor recreation.

You will have a full day here to participate in a variety of recreational activities. We recommend taking advantage of the great hiking in the area or consider our other favorite activity: the sea kayak trip to Shoup Glacier.

Other popular activities in the area include:

Sea kayaking- An outstanding trip to the face of Shoup Glacier to view wildlife and a tidewater glacier, perfectly suitable for beginners. ($145)

River rafting- Splash through the waves of the nearby Lowe River (from $50)

Glacier/wildlife cruises- Look for wildlife and enjoy the outstanding glacial scenery ($90-130)

Ocean fishing- Fish for halibut and/or salmon ($185-225)

Day 13: Prince William Sound

Today we’ll cross Prince William Sound on the Alaska State Ferry. We'll look for bears, humpback and killer whales, Dall porpoises, sea lions, harbor seals, and mountain goats as we relax and enjoy the scenery. En route we'll pass the Columbia Glacier, one of the largest and most magnificent tidewater glaciers in the state. The Columbia Glacier covers an area the size of Los Angeles and casts thousands of tons of ice into the sea each year.

Our destination this afternoon is the small, end of the road town of Hope. We’ll camp near the shore of beautiful Turnagain Arm.

Day 14: Hope to Anchorage

Today we’ll explore the fascinating gold rush town of Hope (population about 200). Walking among the narrow roads lined with well preserved log cabins is like going back in time to turn of the century Alaska. There is great hiking in the area as well as outstanding whitewater rafting on one of Alaska’s premier whitewater rivers.

We will begin our casual drive to Anchorage this afternoon with time to stop for sightseeing and day hikes. We will arrive in Anchorage by 5:00-5:30 pm and will bring you to the Anchorage location of your choice.

Other popular activities in the area include:

Six Mile Creek whitewater rafting- Class V ($145). Class IV ($95)

Granite Creek scenic float- Class II ($75)

Reserve this trip

References

We believe that our trips are outstanding, but we don’t expect you to take our word for it. Many of our past guests have offered to act as references for us. If you would like to contact our past guests we encourage you to. Get in touch with our office and we’ll be happy to send you their info.

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