Welcome to Alaska. On arrival into Anchorage airport, collect your luggage and transfer independently to the Marriott Hotel in downtown Anchorage.

Anchorage is a city on the edge of the wilderness, and the perfect springboard to an epic adventure through Alaska.

Spend the remainder of the day relaxing around the hotel or exploring the local area on foot. Join your Travel Director and fellow travellers in the evening at the hotel for a Welcome Reception.

Marriott Anchorage

Welcome Dinner

Discover more about Anchorage this morning by joining an immersive tour of the city. During a visit to the renowned Alaska Native Heritage Centre, you will be shown an exclusive presentation on Agutak (Eskimo ice cream), learning how it’s made by Alaska’s first people. You can learn how this culinary treat establishes a link to the past, inspires a sense of pride and spurs a dialogue on this culture’s remarkable ability to survive.

In the afternoon, travel by coach through the fertile Matanuska Valley and stop at a local farm to see how the long summer days and glacial silt create the perfect environment for growing vegetables and flowers.

Continue your journey to the community of Talkeetna, nestled at the base of Mount Denali, North America’s tallest peak. The evening is yours at leisure to dine where you choose in downtown Talkeetna.

Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge

Breakfast

This morning you can choose to join a jet boat tour up the Chulitna River and visit a Trappers Cabin. Here you can learn about the fascinating lifestyle of hunting and trapping in Interior Alaska.

Alternatively, you may prefer a more leisurely scenic rafting tour on the Talkeetna River, where you can see amazing views of Mountain Denali and possible wildlife sightings.

The rest of the day is yours to explore individually. You may like to stroll through the Riverfront Park, or wander through the town’s art galleries and craft workshops.

Talkeetna is known as the “Gateway to Denali,” and one of the best ways to experience the majesty of Denali (Mount McKinley) is through a flightseeing tour. This is an optional experience that you could choose, as is a guided walk in the forest with a local expert naturalist.

Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge

Breakfast

Enjoy a relaxed start this morning before boarding the world-famous Alaska Railroad train for a spectacular journey over swift-rushing streams, toward Denali National Park and Preserve. View the majestic surroundings from the comfort of your glass-domed rail car.

Later, meet a local climber who will share stories about what it’s like to a climb up one of the most daunting and tallest land-based mountains in the world, Denali. A trek that begins deep in the heart of the Alaskan Range and where conditions only get tougher further into the journey, forcing climbers to build snow walls for protection from the harsh elements. The climb which takes approximately 17-18 days round trip, takes incredible physical and mental fortitude.

For tonight’s dinner with wine, the choice is yours between a charming local brewery or the lodge’s rustic restaurant.

Grande Denali Lodge

Breakfast & Dinner

Embark on an extensive Denali Natural History Tour, which features several interpretive stops enhance the experience with an hour of off-bus experiences. You can visit ‘Savage Cabin’ to learn how the cabin was once used, and how it continues to be used today and stop at Primrose Ridge to experience a memorable Alaska Native presentation that will enlighten you with how the land has been used for nearly 10,000 years.

You’ll have the whole afternoon free to enjoy the National Park at your own pace. From a blissful stroll through one of the meadows, to a rewarding hike, this Park is for everyone.

You may also choose to participate in an array of optional activities available during the afternoon, such as a rafting trip down the Nenana River or a helicopter ‘flightseeing tour’ over the National Park.

End the day back at your lodge where you’ll enjoy panoramic views of your surroundings under the star filled night.

Grande Denali Lodge

Breakfast

Today begins with a scenic journey along the George Parks Highway. There is a stop in Big Lake, to visit four-time Iditarod winner Martin Buser at his own home. Arriving at his kennels, you will be greeted by between thirty and sixty excited sled dogs.

Spend some time with Martin to learn about the many challenges faced on the 1,049-mile dogsled race and take a virtual trip along the Iditarod trail alongside Martin’s narration including countless stories from his thirty-five years of racing, as well as a great deal of Iditarod history. It is a true insider experience into the world of the Iditarod.

The journey then continues on the Seward Highway along the side of the Turnagain Arm, a narrow branch of the Cook Inlet with dramatic cliffs, before arriving in the town of Girdwood.

In the evening, join your Travel Director for a wonderful Celebration Dinner, complete with wine.

The Hotel Alyeska

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Take this morning to enjoy the surroundings and amenities at the beautiful Alyeska Resort before travelling to the port of Whittier.

At Whittier board the ’26 Glacier Cruise’ for a 100-mile (round trip) boat tour of Prince William Sound and into the College Fjord with the chance to see the glaciers up close. You will also be able to visit with the Captain in the wheelhouse to learn how he expertly navigates the icy waterways. A sit down sumptuous lunch will be served onboard against an incredible backdrop.

At the end of the cruise you will return to Anchorage.

Marriott Anchorage

Breakfast & Lunch

You will have time this morning for some final souvenir shopping in Anchorage, before transferring independently back to Anchorage in time to check-in for your onwards flight.