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No matter if you arrive by cruise ship or by flight - this land program provides an in depth view into the most beautiful scenery Alaska has to offer. Our one-week circle adventure tour features most of the sights and scenic wonders of Alaska’s great outdoors. Originating in Anchorage you’ll travel north to Talkeetna and Denali National Park. Here you spend an entire day inside the park observing Denali's famous "Big Five" mammals. Enjoy the breathtaking scenery as you travel on the Denali Highway towards the Wrangell/St. Elias National Park. Another highlight is the overnight stay in the remote town of McCarthy and Kennicott. Explore the historic Kennecott Copper Mine and join a glacier hike on Root Glacier. From Valdez you take a scenic cruise on board the Alaska Ferry across Prince William Sound. The "Spirit of Alaska" itinerary gives you plenty of time for side trips and outdoor activities such as river rafting, flightseeing, wildlife viewing, whale watching and hiking trips. This tour is also available in reverse. |
AK#04 Spirit of Alaska Self Drive Tour from Anchorage
Tour Itinerary
Dates | Rates
Options | Extensions
Accommodation
Rental Car
Self Drive FAQ
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Day
01 |
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Anchorage - Talkeetna Pick up your rental car at the airport or in downtown Anchorage. Enjoy sweeping views of snowcapped mountain peaks while traveling from Anchorage on the George Parks Highway via Wasilla (Iditarod Museum) to Talkeetna - the base for most climbing expeditions and spectacular glacier flightseeing activities within the Alaska Mountain Range. You can add on a flightseeing trip and have the option to land on a glacier at the base of Mt. Denali (formerly Mt. McKinley). Experience the excitement of standing among the great peaks; the immense scale will astound you. Distance: 120 Miles | Overnight: Talkeetna |
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Talkeetna - Denali National Park Continue your journey along the Alaska Range across Denali State Park with countless wildlife viewing opportunities. Stopover at Byers Lake and rent a canoe or kayak. Arrive at Denali Village. Denali Park offers many activities for visitors: Join a ranger sled dog demonstration, raft of float down the Nenana River or visit Jeff King’s Sled Dog Kennel. Join a warm welcome at the year-round homestead of four-time Iditarod Sled Dog Race champion Jeff King at his Husky Homestead Kennel. Widely heralded as the most authentic and entertaining look into rural lifestyles, your visit includes holding Husky puppies, greeting world-class sled dogs, and sharing forty-years of Alaskan tales of the trail. Enjoy the compelling stories and check out arctic survival gear, racing sleds and equipment used to traverse the 1100 mile long "Last Great Race on Earth". Distance: 110 Miles | Overnight: Denali National Park |
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Denali National Park Early departure (pre-reserved time) for a full day Denali National Park and wildlife observation tour within the shadows of 20.320 ft Mt. Denali (formerly Mt. McKinley) to Eielson Visitor Center or scenic Wonder Lake with a immense (best) view of “ the Mountain”. Tour Included ! Look for Dall sheep, moose, caribou, wolves and grizzly bears along the ridges and river beds or observe one of the 150 different bird species which inherit the park area. This trip offers some great hiking opportunities. Return to the national park entrance anytime at your own pace. Optional: Exchange to the narrated Tundra Wilderness Tour or the Kantishna Roadhouse Adventure. This is a full day narrated tour along the Park Road to the Kantishna Roadhouse. This trip covers the entire length of the restricted 95-mile Denali Park Road to Kantishna in a private bus. A trained naturalist provides natural history interpretation and assists in search for wildlife while pointing out the regional biology and geology. |
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Denali National Park - Denali Highway or Glenn Highway - Wrangell St Elias National Park Today you have the choice to either travel on the Denali Highway - one of the last great wilderness gravel roads or take the scenic Glenn Highway. Both highways offer truly magnificent sceneries: stop at the Matanuska Glacier, visit the Musk Ox Farm, or explore the Tangle Lakes district with dense concentrations of archaeological resources. Once you have reached the Richardson Highway, you may get a breathtaking view of Mt. Deborah, Mt. Sanford and Mt. Drum. Watch native fish wheels turning at nearby Copper River bridge, home of the famous Copper River Red Salmon. Distance: 250 Miles (Denali Highway), 360 miles (Glenn Highway) | Overnight: Copper Center. |
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Copper Center - Flight to Kennicott | McCarthy (Wrangell/St. Elias National Park) Short drive to Chitina and park your car at the airport. From here take a scenic flightseeing trip (included) to Kennicott/McCarthy (departures 9:05 AM or 2:45 PM), heart of the Wrangell/St. Elias National Park. You will see the Kennicott Glacier as it winds its way 25 miles to the North where it tumbles off the South East face of Mt. Blackburn. The Root and Gates Glaciers flow from ridges of Mt. Regal to join the Kennicott forming one of the most spectacular vistas in the park. Check into your hotel. This afternoon join a guided glacier hike on the Root Glacier. After meeting your guide and getting fitted for crampons, you'll start out on the 1.8 mile hike to the "white ice" of the Root. Along the way your guide will share interesting details on the local natural and human history. Once on the ice you will explore other-worldly formations unlike anything else you have ever seen: blue pools, waterfalls, canyons, crevasses and moulin holes drilled hundreds of feet deep into the ice by the flowing meltwater. Overnight McCarthy / Kennicott |
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Kennicott | McCarthy - Flight to Chitina - Valdez Spend this morning to explore the area of Kennecott mine during a guided walking tour. The mine was abandoned in 1938 but many of the historic buildings still stand as they were on that last day, leaving a living history of those rugged days of high adventure. Return to Chitina by bush plane - or optional - on board a comfortable passenger van on the 60-mile McCarthy Road. Follow the path of the Copper River & Northwestern Railway, nicknamed 'Can't Run and Never Will'. You will stop at the Kuskulana River, which is a 525' steel bridge built in 1911 that spans a 283 ft. gorge, and at the Gilahina River railroad wooden trestle. Your scenic flight or van transfer ends in Chitina where you left your car. Drive to the Richardson Highway and stopover at Worthington Glacier. Arrive in Valdez - often called “ the Switzerland of Alaska” and a gateway for salmon fishing trips and narrated cruises to the magnificent Columbia Glacier. Distance: 180 Miles | Overnight: Valdez |
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Valdez - Prince William Sound | Ferry Trip - Seward Enjoy the scenic cruise across Prince William Sound on board the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry. Watch out for whales, bald eagles, seals, sea lions and other marine wildlife. In the distance you'll see Columbia Glacier - one of the largest tidewater glaciers in Alaska. Arrive in Whittier and drive to Portage Glacier. After a stop at the visitor center continue to Seward, a small fishing community at the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park. This afternoon you have time to visit Exit Glacier. Short trails lead to the face of Exit Glacier where you can climb on the surface of the glacier itself. Distance: 120 Miles + Ferry Trip | Overnight: Seward |
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Seward - Anchorage In the morning you have the choice to join a Kenai Fjords cruise tour boat (optional) for an exciting glacier and wildlife cruise into Aialik Bay with its calving glaciers and stunning scenery. (Departs 8 AM-2 PM) Covering 110-miles, the trip is narrated by a National Park Ranger, who is highly adept at spotting wildlife and pointing out the many spectacular sights. Wildlife is abundant throughout Kenai Fjords National Park, and the tidewater glaciers are massive. You'll visit the mighty Aialik or Holgate Glacier where guests witness calving - a process by which glaciers shed giant blocks and slabs of ancient ice. Return to Anchorage during the day and drop off your rental car at the airport. Distance: 130 Miles |
| Rates in US $ / per Person | Single | Double | Triple | Quad | Child | |
| May 23 - May 31 | $3846.00 | $2368.00 | $1926.00 | $1691.00 | $775.00 | |
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| June 1 - August 31 | $4430.00 | $2656.00 | $2114.00 | $1830.00 | $775.00 | |
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| September 1 - September 15 | $3770.00 | $2330.00 | $1900.00 | $1674.00 | $775.00 | |
First Class Hotel Category
| Rates in US $ / per Person | Single | Double | Triple | Quad | Child | |
| May 23 - May 31 | $4399.00 | $2633.00 | $2104.00 | $1836.00 | $775.00 | |
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| June 1 - August 31 | $5266.00 | $3067.00 | $2393.00 | $2060.00 | $775.00 | |
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| September 1 - September 15 | $4570.00 | $2719.00 | $2161.00 | $1879.00 | $775.00 | |
Departure Days
| Daily Departures from May 23 - September 15 |
Services included
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Flexible Tour Options - Upgrades & Sightseeing
| Rates in US $ | per Person | Adult |
| Talkeetna: Mt. Denali Flightseeing Tour + $120 Optional Glacier Landing (includes 11 % Transportation Fee, Tax) |
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| Exchange Shuttle Bus to 8-Hour Tundra Wilderness Tour including Boxed Lunch | |
| Exchange Shuttle Bus to Escorted 13-Hour Kantishna Wilderness Lodge Tour including Interpretive Program, Gold Panning and Lunch Departure: 6:00 am / Return 7:30 pm |
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| Exchange Shuttle Bus to Escorted 13-Hour Denali Backcountry Lodge Adventure including Guided Nature Hike, Gold Panning and Lunch Departure: 6:00 am / Return 7:30 pm |
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| Seward: 6 hr Kenai Fjords Wildlife & Glacier Cruise including lunch, taxes | |
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First Class Hotel Category (**** Hotels & Lodges) First Class hotels usually offer additional amenities such as a restaurant, lounge, bar, fireplace seating, fitness room, swimming pool/hot tub, etc. All rooms in First Class hotels belong to a higher category and are always equipped with a private bathroom. Most hotels in this category are usually located in prime locations in prime downtown locations or in national parks. These include larger hotel chains such as: Marriott Hotels, Sheraton, Westmark Hotels, Princess Hotels and Lodges, Clarion Suites, Comfort Inn & Suite. The larger hotel chains are only available in Anchorage and Fairbanks. If a major hotel chain is not available, we prefer to book local premium hotels/deluxe cabins or cottages for our clients. Please note that premium accommodations may not be available in small towns; in such cases we will book the best available accommodation..  Superior Hotel Category (*** Hotels, Motels & Lodges) Superior Hotels offer a good amount of essential guest services and are located in downtown locations and/or in/near national park areas. All superior class hotel rooms are equipped with a private bathroom. Example larger hotel chains for superior class hotels are: Holiday Inn, Howard Johnson, Guesthouse Inn, Ramada Inn, High Country Inn, Aspen Hotel Group, Comfort Inn. As you might be aware, that these hotel chains are not available throughout Alaska. In such cases or/and when we feel that Alaskan owned hotels & lodges offer a better experience, we go with that choice. Cabins and Cottages also considered in this category to make your experience even more ‘Alaskan’. We ensure that all the Cabins & Cottages have a private bath to make your stay comfortable.  |
Rental CarWe have compiled a list of car rental categories that fit Alaska trips and are suitable for various budgets, trip durations, as well as group sizes. Mid Size Car (included - part of the package / additional day $150) Generally, midsize cars measure between 180 to 195 inches in length but can vary depending on specific models. Mid-size cars, also commonly known as intermediate or standard cars, are four-door sedans that are more spacious than compact cars while still being fuel-efficient. They can fit 3 or sometimes 4 bags depending on the model. They feature more interior space compared to compact cars and offer comfortable seating for four to five passengers.  Full Size Car (upgrade $8 per day / additional day $160) Full Size cars are what many people would describe as large cars. A full-size car typically refers to a vehicle that offers more extensive interior space, comfort, and power compared to smaller vehicles such as compact or midsize cars. These cars usually have larger dimensions, including length, width, and height. They commonly feature roomy interiors with ample seating for five or more passengers along with expanded trunk capacity for luggage or cargo. Historically, full-size cars were synonymous with large sedans boasting V8 engines and body-on-frame construction. While this has changed over time due to evolving industry trends and technological advancements, what remains consistent is the emphasis on spaciousness, comfort, and performance these vehicles provide.  Standard Size SUV (upgrade $55 per day / additional day $210) SUVs (short for sport or suburban utility vehicles) are good-sized vehicles with a rugged look, set higher off the road than normal cars. In an SUV, the description of “standard” generally refers to the size of the SUV. The standard SUV is larger than the intermediate or compact versions. These full-size models are more powerful, like a truck, and they are usually more equipped to handle a wider variety of terrains and road conditions as well. In addition to being powerful, their size also means that they typically have more seating capacity than the smaller SUVs. They can seat more passengers and have more cargo space for transporting luggage and equipment.  Premium SUV (upgrade $170 per day / additional day $325) A favorite of weekend warriors and full-time adventurers, this sturdy SUV rental boasts versatile interior and strong performance. A premium SUV is a high-quality, extra-large sport utility vehicle made to seat 7 or 8 passengers in three rows of seating. They also have powerhouse engines and room for plenty of cargo. The result is a smooth and spacious ride. Premium SUVs are suitable for different types of terrain and great for all types of travelers and occasions. Book from this vehicle group to enjoy a safe, strong, family-friendly SUV with extra space and premium features. The following models included in the premium SUV vehicle group will make you happy to hit the road.  Mini Van (upgrade $90 per day / additional day $250) This roomy mini van is your ticket to family adventures and travel memories on your next rental. More spacious than a full-size car, and with better gas mileage than an SUV, a minivan is a 7-passenger van that provides unbeatable comfort and convenience. By providing leg and luggage room, configurable seating and storage layouts, easy in-and-out, competitive fuel efficiency, and high-performance drive—all without sacrificing style—minivans accommodate every kind of group outing, from lengthy family vacations to quick business trips. Did somebody say “road trip”?  11 Passenger Van (upgrade $250 per day / additional day $400) Choose a 11-person passenger van so that no one gets left behind on your road trip or vacation. Instead of trying to coordinate a car pool; save time, resources, and gas money by putting everyone together in one clean and comfortable van. You'll find each passenger has much more leg room. Sample Models: Chevrolet Express, Ford Transit or similar Sample Features: 3 Doors –10 to 11 Passengers- 6 Large Suitcases - Air-conditioning - Automatic Transmission  |
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Self Drive Tours Information - FAQ
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