Anchorage
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 may enjoy a stroll along the 12-Mile Coastal Trail with never ending view across Cook Inlet towards Mt. McKinley and the Alaska Range. The remaining day is at leisure. You can explore the downtown court or enjoy a seafood dinner with fresh crab, halibut or salmon in one of Anchorage’s restaurants.

Anchorage – Seward  (Travel Distance: 120 Miles)
After breakfast check out of your hotel room. 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 first 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 Seward, gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park. Optional activity: Salmon Fishing Trip: There is a huge run of red and silver salmon that terminates in Resurrection Bay as well as some nice resident king salmon. Learn several techniques to capture the salmon. We can drift or anchor mooching for the salmon. This involves slowly dropping and retrieving a bait. It is simple to learn and very effective. We are also set up to troll either bait or lures if the salmon are spread out.

Seward
Today we join the spectacular full-day Kenai Fjords wildlife and glacier cruise. This thrilling full-day cruise travels throughout the Kenai Fjords National Park and the Chiswell Islands National Wildlife Refuge. Covering 120-miles, the trip is narrated by a National Park Ranger, who is highly adept at spotting wildlife, pointing out the many spectacular sights, and fielding any questions you may have. Wildlife is abundant throughout the National Park, and the tidewater glaciers are massive. You'll visit the mighty Holgate Glacier where guests often witness calving - a process by which glaciers shed giant blocks and slabs of ancient ice - from a close distance. This cruise also offers the best opportunity for whale watching in Alaska. Watch for Steller Sea Lions, Whales, Dolphins, Bald Eagles, Harbor Seals and a variety of shore birds which inhabit or migrate throughout the area. Lunch included: Alaska salmon and prime rib meal served buffet style.

Seward
Today 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.
Harding Icefield hiking trip: A challenging day hike (seven miles roundtrip) to a 3,500-foot summit treats you with stunning views of the 700-square-mile Harding Icefield. While valley glaciers nestle between high peaks, ice fields bury mountains entirely of leave just their tops jutting out of the ice. The Harding Icefield trail is an established trail that leads to the ice field overlook. This massive ice sheet, located within Kenai Fjords National Park, is the source of over 35 named glaciers, including Exit. The Harding Icefield trail winds up the north edge of Exit Glacier, offering spectacular views of the blue-white glacier and surrounding mountains along the way. Views of the glacier contrast sharply with the deep green of thick summer foliage and the magenta of fireweed blooms to create a memorable walk, even for those who tire before reaching the highest point.   Optional: 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.

Seward – Homer  (Travel Distance: 180 Miles)
Our van tour continues on the Kenai Peninsula towards Homer. The Sterling Highway - a designated scenic road covers miles of spectacular landscape with snowcapped mountains and volcanoes (Mt. Iliamna, Mt. Redoubt, and Mt. Augustine), deep ocean bluffs, excellent salmon fishing opportunities along the Kenai River and a magnificent coastline. We won’t miss a stop at the famous Russian River and Kenai River, to watch anglers standing shoulder-to-shoulder along the river bank and harvesting sockeye and king salmon. Without a doubt the Russian and Kenai River are the most heavily fished salmon stream in Alaska. The Sterling highway comes to an abrupt conclusion at the tip of the Homer Spit, almost 5 miles out of Kachemak Bay. Homer is blessed with a view to the south that is stunning in its beauty and grandeur. The rugged Kenai Mountains spread across the sparkling waters of Kachemak Bay. For a sundowner stop by Salty Dawg Saloon, Homer’s famous landmark.
Optional: We can board the m/v Danny J at 5 pm for a scenic cruise across Kachemack Bay to the small scenic community Halibut Cove, only accessible by boat. Enjoy a delicious dinner at the Saltry Restaurant, stroll along the boardwalk and visit local art galleries. The Danny J arrives back in Homer by 10 pm.

Homer – Whittier – Valdez (Travel Distance: 200 Miles + Ferry)
Today we return on the Sterling Highway and head towards Whittier. After driving through Whittier Tunnel we board the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry for a scenic cruise in the majestic waters of Prince William Sound. Along the way you will pass icebergs floating from massive Columbia Glacier, Alaska’s largest tidewater glacier. The seawaters near Valdez abound with sea otters, Dall porpoise, harbor seals, Stellar sea lions, & Humpback and Orca whales. Early evening we arrive at picturesque Valdez, surrounded by the towering Chugach mountains.

Valdez – Chitina – McCarthy/Kennicott (Travel Distance: 120 Miles + Flight)


We re-board the van and continue our journey. We drive past Bridal Veil waterfalls, through Keystone Canyon and continue over Thompson Pass, the snowiest place in Alaska recording yearly about 550 inches of snow. We stop at Worthington Glacier and walk the short distance to the moraine and the face of the glacier. At Chitina we board a bushplane and take a spectacular flight to McCarthy / Kennicott. See the major peaks of both the Wrangell and St. Elias mountain ranges, Kennicott, Root and Gates Glaciers, Stairway Icefall, Erie Mine, Kennicott and McCarthy. The Wrangell/St. Elias National Park is part of UNESCO World Heritage Site and largest U.S. national park, about the size of six Yellowstones. A shuttle takes us across Kennicott river and to the historic town of McCarthy. A local guide will show us today the remnants of the former Kennicott Copper Mill.

McCarthy/Kennicott – Denali Highway (Travel Distance: Flight + 150 Miles )
After a short, but scenic flight we’ll land at Chitina and re-board the van. We head north along the Richardson Highway, often paralleled by the Alaska pipeline. The scenic route offers magnificent scenery of the Wrangell/St. Elias Range with towering 16.237 ft. Mt. Sanford. At Paxson we turn onto the Denali Highway. The 135 mile long highway cuts through the wild heart of Alaska along the south side of the Alaska Range. The original road to Denali National Park offers hundreds of spectacular viewpoints of snow-covered mountains, free flowing rivers and countless lakes. We overnight at the Tangle Lakes region.

Denali Highway – Denali National Park (Travel Distance: 150 Miles)
Tangle Lakes region is a land of tundra-covered rolling hills that forms the divide between two wild and scenic rivers, the Delta and the Gulkana. The area is home to a fabulous diversity of wildlife. Moose, black and grizzly bears, and caribou roam the open spaces and forests. We have plenty of time for sidetrips to explore archaeological sites, paddle a wild river or hike the alpine tundra. The Denali Highway ends at Cantwell where we head north to the entrance of Denali National Park. We overnight near Denali Village.

Denali National Park
Today we explore the wonderful sceneries and wildlife of Denali National Park during the full day shuttle bus tour. No private cars are allowed within the park boundaries but a convenient shuttle bus system allows us to the see wildlife along the road or during tundra hikes. After boarding the bus, we sit back, enjoy the scenery and look out for wildlife. Our driver informs us about the history of Denali National Park, its diverse wildlife and flora. Once a bear, caribou, dall sheep or another animal has been spotted the bus will stop that everyone can watch and take pictures. On our way to Eielson Visitor Center, we can get off the bus anytime, take a stroll, go hiking and enjoy the unique landscape.