VAN#01 Alaska's Highlights

Sample the best sceneries Alaska has to offer: Visit famous Denali National Park and towering Mt. McKinley, take the wildlife tour deep into the park, explore the towns of Talkeetna & Alyeska ski resort, attend a fishing trip on the world famous Kenai River and not to forget Seward, the starting point for scenic wildlife & glacier cruises into Kenai Fjords National Park. Your guide will show you the most scenic places of central Alaska. You will be traveling with a maximum of 10 people in a 15 Passenger Van where all luggage is stored inside. This itinerary gives you plenty of time for activities including hiking, canoeing or rafting, fishing trips, ATV Tours and flightseeing.

Anchorage (Arrival Day)

Arrive at Anchorage Airport. Your guide will welcome and meet the group at the airport. After checking in your downtown hotel, we will visit some highlights of Anchorage including Lake Hood the world’s largest seaplane base – where you can watch floatplane land and take off, Ship Creek – where local Alaskans fish for salmon, and the colorful downtown court. Afterwards we stroll along the Coastal Trail towards Earthquake Park with never ending views across Cook Inlet towards Mt. McKinley and the Alaska Range. The remaining afternoon is at leisure. In the evening we meet for a welcome dinner including Alaska's fresh salmon & halibut. (D)

Anchorage - Denali National Park (230 miles)

Breakfast at the hotel (C). In the comfort of the van we travel north on the Parks Highway towards the Matanuska Valley and stopover at the Iditarod Headquarter. We take a break at Byers Lake where you can rent a canoe or kayak. Along the way, we may spot a variety of wildlife. With sweeping views of snowcapped mountain peaks we arrive at Denali Village and check into our hotel. Overnight Denali Park.

Denali National Park

After breakfast (C) we depart early for a full day national park and wildlife observation tour within the shadows of 20.320 foot Mt. McKinley. We travel as far as to Eielson Visitor Center where we enjoy an immense view of “ the Mountain”. Watch out for grizzly bears, moose, caribou, wolf and fox moving along the ridges and riverbeds or observe one of the 150 different bird species which inherit the park area. From the park road we can go on short hiking trips and have time to photograph the scenery. We return to the Denali Park entrance anytime during the day. Overnight: Denali National Park

Denali National Park - Talkeetna (110 miles)

Breakfast at the hotel (C). We leave for Talkeetna - the base for most climbing expeditions and spectacular glacier flightseeing activities within the Alaska Mountain Range. This afternoon we take a 1 hr flightseeing tour to Mt. McKinley. This magnificent flight takes us within six miles of Mt. McKinley's summit. As the flight departs, we begin to see how the last ice age has shaped the land. Moments later, we enter a world of rugged high mountain peaks and wide glacier filled valleys. See the Sheldon Amphitheater, beautiful Ruth Glacier, and the Great Gorge. We land on a glacier and experience the excitement of standing among the great peaks; the immense scale will astound you. Overnight: Talkeetna

Talkeetna - Alyeska - Copper Landing (Kenai River) (210 miles)

We leave Talkeetna after a hearty breakfast (A). We follow the Seward Highway along the North Shore of Turnagain Arm through the Chugach State Park and enjoy panoramic views of the Chugach & Kenai Mountains. At Beluga Viewpoint we have a good chance to spot Beluga Whales, Dall Sheep, Mountain Goats or Moose. We pass Alyeska – Alaska’s largest ski area and stopover at Begich Boogs Visitor Center. Our hiking trip takes us to Byron Glacier. The trail gives us a close-up view of scenic Byron glacier and the surrounding rugged mountains. We continue to Cooper Landing located at the world famous Kenai River. Here we enjoy a two-hour float trip on the scenic Upper Kenai River. Have your camera ready as you keep a keen watch for moose, eagles, Dall sheep and bears as your guide navigates through the snow-capped mountain scenery of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. We have time for a walk to the Kenai River where we can watch fishermen catching salmon. Overnight Cooper Landing

Cooper Landing - Seward (50 miles)

Breakfast at the hotel (A). It is only a short drive to Seward, the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park. At 11 am we board the Kenai Fjords cruise tour boat for an exciting glacier and wildlife cruise into magnificent Aialik Bay with its calving glaciers and stunning scenery. 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 Glacier where guests witness calving - a process by which glaciers shed giant blocks and slabs of ancient ice. The cruise also offers the good chance to spot whales in Alaska. Overnight: Seward

Seward - Anchorage (130 miles)

This morning we may spend some time at the Alaska SeaLife Center – the world’s first cold water marine search institute with wildlife rehabilitation and public education facilities. Afterwards we’ll visit Exit Glacier, where we can walk right up to the glacier and feel the dense blue ice while listening to it crackle. We return to Anchorage in the late afternoon where your tour ends. Optional night in Anchorage.