RRSD#02 Into the Wild - Rail & Road Tour from Juneau to Anchorage

Juneau

Arrive in Juneau. Transfer to your hotel in Juneau. Originally a fishing outpost for local Tlingit Native Americans, the area now known as Juneau was founded in 1880 after two prospectors, Richard Harris and Joseph Juneau, discovered gold. Juneau became the capital of Alaska in 1906. This afternoon join a city sightseeing tour (included) of Juneau including the visit to Mendenhall Glacier - a half-mile wide and 1,800-feet deep ice field - which is for many the most accessible and breathtaking glacier in Alaska. The Mount Roberts Tramway takes guests up to an observation deck that is about 2,000 ft. above Juneau, providing arguably the best picture-taking opportunities in the state (optional). Explore the natural and cultural roots of Juneau and check out the Alaska State Museum, which recounts not only the native people of Alaska and its early settlers, but also the natural wildlife that can be seen throughout the region. Overnight: Juneau

Juneau | Optional: Glacier Bay Tour or Tracy Arm Fjords Cruise

Option I: Scenic day cruise to Tracy Arm Option II: Glacier Bay National Park day tour. Early morning flight to Gustavus, board the high-speed catamaran and discover Glacier Bay's West Arm. For 7-hours passengers will explore a diversified landscape with a rich flora, fauna and history. Explore a waterway that was under a river of ice only 250 years ago. A park ranger assists onboard to spot wildlife and provide information. Glacier Bay includes numerous tidewater glaciers - several are actively calving icebergs into the bay. As water undermines the ice fronts, great blocks of ice - up to 200 feet high - are crashing into the water. The Johns Hopkins Glacier calves such enormous volumes of ice and it is unsafe to get within a 2-mile radius of its cliffs. Watch out for humpback whales, orcas, puffins and murres at the Marble Islands, mountain goats high on the cliffs, and harbor seals on the icebergs. Return to Juneau. Option: Overnight at Glacier Bay Lodge and fly directly to Haines.

Juneau - Haines (Ferry Transfer, Start Driving Tour)

Board the Alaska Ferry / catamaran for a relaxed cruise through the most scenic stretch of Alaska's Inside Passage to Haines. Pick up your rental car and check into your hotel. Haines is situated at the upper end of the Inside Passage, surrounded by snowcapped mountains, lush meadows and forests. Across the waters of the Chilkat River is Pyramid Harbor and the start of the Dalton Trail — one of the routes to the gold fields of the Klondike. The Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve can be found below Klukwan on the Chilkat River flats (mile 18 to 24 on the Haines Highway). This area is called the "Council Grounds" because of its large congregation of eagles. The Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve was established to protect the world's largest concentration of Bald Eagles and their critical habitat. Visit the Fort William H. Seward with its old officers' headquarters and barracks buildings, designated as a National Historic Site. Overnight: Haines

Haines - Whitehorse

The Haines Highway winds from Haines over the Chilkat Pass - the highest summit on this highway. You pass Klukshu, a native summer fishing camp offering great photo opportunities. You'll pass Kluane National Park, covering the largest non-polar icefields in the world. Visit the sheep mountain visitor center with its interpretive programs about the flora and fauna. Viewing telescopes are available where you can spot dall sheep on the mountain slopes. Continue to Whitehorse and discover the many attractions of Yukon's capital: The SS Klondike Historic Park – with an historic 210 ' long sternwheeler, the Yukon Archives with documented history back to 1845, the McBride Museum showcases the Yukon's cultural and natural history - and the Log Church Museum displays relics of northern pioneer missions. Experience gold rush history first hand on a riverboat tour on the Yukon River to Miles Canyon ! Driving Distance 250 miles | Overnight: Whitehorse

Whitehorse - Dawson City

Visit the large Yukon Beringia Center: During the last ice age, a land bridge joined Asia to Alaska and the Yukon, forming a subcontinent known as Beringia. Bordered on all sides by glaciers, Beringia was once home to woolly mammoths and other fascinating Pleistocene-era animals, as well as to cave-dwelling humans. This museum presents the archaeological and paleontological past of Beringia, with life-size exhibits of ice-age animals, multimedia displays, films, and dioramas on its prehistoric people, animals, plants, and ecosystems. Try your hand at hurling an atlatl, which is a sling and spear weapon that early hunters used in these parts 10,000 years ago. After a side trip to the scenic Miles Canyon leave Whitehorse and drive north on the famous Klondike Highway through stands of white birch and black spruce, often paralleled by the mighty Yukon River. Stop at the Five Finger Rapids and hike down to the shore of the Yukon River. Distance: 340 Miles | Overnight: Dawson City

Dawson City

Dawson City had once a population of 35,000, but the "stampede" of `98 died out almost as quickly as it began. Visit the historical buildings, Jack London and Robert Service cabins, abandoned commercial buildings and old stores that were the pulse of the gold rush capital in its hey-days. And as you drive through the heart of Dawson City, your imagination will run to the likes of Klondike Kate, Arizona Charlie Meadows and Diamond Tooth Gertie strolling down Dawson's boardwalks. Their spirit is as alive today as it was in 1898. From the one-time capital of the Yukon you'll follow history up Bonanza Creek (pan for gold) to Discovery Claim and Grand Forks once boasted a population of 10,000 where the Eldorado Creek and Upper Bonanza come together to form the "mighty" Bonanza Creek. Overnight: Dawson City

Dawson City - Fairbanks

A drive on "Top of the World Highway." Please allow plenty of time for travel as the road is winding and narrow in many places. The highway #9 continues from Dawson to the Alaska and Yukon border, where it becomes the Taylor Highway - Alaska Route #5. Much of its route meanders along the tops of mountains and ridges with endless views. Those driving along this route are able to enjoy beautiful vistas including spectacular alpine valleys. During the summer months the sun sets forever and you'll have hours of light to set-up that special sunset photograph. It all began 1894 with Robert Henderson, a fur trapper and part-time prospector who found gold in Rabbit Creek (later renamed Bonanza) not far from where the Klondike River empties into the Yukon. By 1904, an estimated $100 million in gold had been shipped from the Klondike.  Distance 340 Miles | Overnight: Fairbanks

Fairbanks (End Driving Tour)

In 1902, Felix Pedro found gold in the region and thousands of prospectors swarmed to the area. Nearly a century later, Fairbanks is the trade center for the Interior and Far North Alaska. Today you have the unique chance to join an arctic flight to Alaska's vast, roadless interior. Enjoy the scenic flight above the arctic circle and experience how the Gwich'in Athabascan Natives live in "Bush" Alaska. Visit the renowned Alaska University Museum featuring Alaska's best natural history  collection or take an authentic sternwheeler cruise for a scenic 20-mile roundtrip on the Chena and Tanana Rivers. Other sightseeing options are a drive along the Chena Hot Springs Road (watch out for moose!), take a hiking trip and visit Chena. Relax in the large natural outdoor rock lake. Step inside the Aurora Ice Museum and grant yourself to an "Appletini" beverage served in an ice glass. Return your rental car in the evening and get ready for the exiting rail tour. Overnight: Fairbanks

Fairbanks - Denali National Park | Rail Tour

Railroad departure in Fairbanks at 8:15 AM. Choose between standard and glass-domed train compartments with large panorama windows and unobstructed views of snowcapped mountains, pristine scenery and wildlife. Enjoy the scenic rail tour south via Nenana - known for its Alaska Ice Classics - and further on to Denali. Arrive at the Denali Park Rail Station at 12:30 PM and transfer to your hotel. In the afternoon join the Tundra Wilderness Tour, 54 mile journey into Denali National Park to the Toklat River rest area. The 7-hour guided tour offers incredible scenery of the Alaska Range and Mt. Denali, narrated history of the park and the best opportunity to view the park's diverse wildlife. On days when Denali (formerly Mt. McKinley) is visible, it may be possible to travel to Stony Hill Overlook at mile 62 where the mountain first becomes fully visible from base to summit - an impressive view. Return to your hotel around 8:00 PM. | Overnight: Denali Park

Denali National Park - Talkeetna | Rail Tour

Morning at leisure: attend a ranger sled dog demonstration, join a Jeep Safari or raft down the Nenana River. Enjoy a scenic float trip near the entrance of Denali with a taste of whitewater rafting. This guided trip skirts the boundaries of Denali National Park down the glacier-fed Nenana River. Experience beautiful scenery and keep your eyes out for wildlife as you raft downstream 11 miles. The most scenic portion of the Nenana River gives you a thrilling, yet safe rafting. More adventurous guests have the option to continue with the Canyon Run! Get into real whitewater rafting as you hang on through thrilling rapids. Board the Alaska Railroad at noon and relax in your comfortable reclining seats, enjoy a delicious lunch onboard or listen to the local tour guide giving commentaries. Have your camera ready as the train crosses Hurricane Gulch Bridge, 300 feet above the creek. Transfer to a Talkeetna downtown hotel or to a beautiful deluxe mountain lodge with breathtaking views of Mt. Denali.

Talkeetna - Anchorage | Rail Tour

This morning you have the option to join us for a flightseeing trip within a 6-Miles range of Mt. Denali's 20.320 ft summit. Get close up views of the Kahiltna and Ruth Glacier with its 9.000 ft Great Gorge and magnificent ice-falls. See the Sheldon Amphitheatre and add on a glacier landing at the base of Mt. Denali. Experience the excitement of standing among the great peaks - the immense scale will astound you. Talkeetna is nestled at the base of North America's tallest peak and provides outstanding panoramic views of the Alaska Range that can be enjoyed and photographed from several places as you wander through the historic town and discover it's unique location. Your rail tour continuous via Wasilla - home of the Alaska Iditarod Sled Dog Race - to Anchorage. Transfer from the rail station to your hotel. Try some fresh Alaska seafood for your dinner and enjoy a evening stroll along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail with sweeping views over the inlet. | Overnight: Anchorage

Anchorage

Your tour ends today with the transfer to the airport. Spend the day in Anchorage if you booked an evening flight. Anchorage features dozens of parks and 122 miles of paved bike paths. Warmed by a maritime climate, you can spend the day salmon fishing at Ship Creek, hiking the nearby mountains, photographing glaciers and dining at a four-star restaurant. Within a 15-minute drive from downtown on the hillside is the tree-lined trailhead of Anchorage’s most popular hike, Flattop Mountain. A short floatplane ride opens up the possibility of almost any type adventure. That’s one reason why Lake Hood is the world’s busiest floatplane base. Tour extension on request.