Discover Alaska's Wonderland at your own pace. Our two-week circle adventure self drive tour features most of the highlights and scenic wonders of Alaska’s great outdoors. Originating in Anchorage you’ll travel to Denali National Park where you observe grizzly bears and a variety of wildlife, all in the shadow of towering Mt. McKinley - the highest mountain in North-America. Continue to Fairbanks with its gold rush atmosphere, board the Alaska Ferry and explore scenic Prince William Sound with magnificent Columbia Glacier - the largest tidewater glacier in Alaska. It's time to visit the communities of the Kenai Peninsula - Seward, Homer, Soldovia and Kenai. It is your choice to try your luck fishing, go kayaking, join a wildlife cruise or visit a remote community. The schedule leaves plenty of time for side trips and outdoor activities such as river rafting, flightseeing, wildlife viewing, whale watching and short hiking trips.

Departure Day

Daily

13 Nights Accommodation

Alaska Ferry Transportation from Valdez - Whittier / Car

Hotel & State Tax

Alaska Ferry Transportation from Valdez - Whittier / Passengers

14 Day Rental Car (Compact) - Upgrades available

Denali Wildlife Shuttle Bus Tour to Eielson Visitor Center

Unlimited Mileage

Denali National Park Fee

Rental Car Licensing Fee

Full Day Kenai Fjords Wildlife & Glacier Cruise

Rental Car Taxes

Seward Harbour Tax, Kenai Fjords Park Fee

Airport Pick up / Drop off fee

Homer: Evening Boat Cruise to Halibut Cove

Full Coverage Rental Car Insurance

Tour Documentation

Anchorage - Talkeetna (120 miles)
Pick up your rental car at the Anchorage airport and drive north on the Parks Highway. Enjoy sweeping views of snowcapped mountain peaks while traveling from Anchorage via Wasilla (Iditarod Museum) to Talkeetna - the base for most climbing expeditions. This afternoon you may enjoy a flightseeing tour to Mt. McKinley (optional). This magnificent flight takes you within six miles of Mt. McKinley's summit. As your flight departs, you begin to see how the last ice age has shaped the land. Moments later, you enter a world of rugged high mountain peaks and wide glacier filled valleys. See the Sheldon Amphitheater, beautiful Ruth Glacier, and the Great Gorge. Overnight: Talkeetna

Talkeetna - Denali National Park (110 miles)
Continue your journey along the Alaska Range through Denali State Park with countless wildlife viewing opportunities. Stopover at Byers Lake and rent a canoe or kayak. Arrive at Denali Village. The Denali parks office provides many informative ranger-naturalist programs, slide shows and sled dog demonstrations. Overnight: Denali National Park

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Denali National Park
Early departure (pre-reserved time) for a full day national park and wildlife observation tour within the shadows of 20.320 foot Mt. McKinley to the Eielson Visitor Center or scenic Wonder Lake with a immense view of “ the Mountain”. Watch out for grizzly bears, moose, caribou, wolf and fox moving along the ridges and river beds or observe one of the 150 different bird species which inherit the park area. From the park road you enjoy great hiking opportunities. Return to the Denali Park entrance anytime during the day. Overnight: Denali National Park

Denali National Park - Fairbanks (120 miles)
Short drive via Nenana (Alaska Ice Classics) to Fairbanks. Fairbanks, known as the Golden Heart City of Alaska, is the gateway to the interior and features almost 24 hours of daylight during the summer months. You are invited to explore the local gold rush history, its vibrant traditional native cultures as well as its abundant wildlife and fantastic scenery. Tucked into miles of unexplored wilderness only 120 miles from the Arctic Circle, Fairbanks offers excellent year-round outdoor recreational opportunities. This afternoon you may visit the renown Alaska University Museum featuring Alaska's natural history best collection, Alaskaland or take an authentic sternwheeler on a scenic 20-mile roundtrip cruise down the Chena and Tanana Rivers. Enjoy lively narration, stop at a reconstructed Athabascan Indian Village to learn about native hunting & fishing techniques and watch a dogsled demonstration. Overnight: Fairbanks

Fairbanks
In Fairbanks you have the unique chance to go on a bush mail plane 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. Put your hand in the Yukon River, travel through the wetlands and crest the rounded peaks of the Northern Edge of the Alaska Range looking out for moose and dall sheep. Another option is to drive along Chena Hot Springs road (watch out for moose!), go on a hiking trip and visit Chena Hot Springs Resort. Here you can relax in the large heated indoor pool or the natural outdoor rock lake. Visit the Aurora Ice Museum and grant yourself to a "Appletini" beverage served in an ice glass. Return to Fairbanks.

Fairbanks - Copper River / Wrangell-St. Elias Nat'l Park (260 miles)
Heading south, the Richardson Highway passes through stands of white birch and black spruce, often photogenically close to the Tanana River. Soake up the raw beauty of the drive into the central Alaska Range, often paralleled by the Alaska pipeline. Visit the historic roadhouse in Copper Center and watch native fish wheels at the nearby Copper River, providing an excellent salmon run. Overnight near Copper Center with great views of the Wrangell Mountains - Mt. Deborah, Mt. Sanford and Mt. Drum.

Wrangell St Elias National Park - Valdez (100 miles)
Stopover at Worthington Glacier where a boardwalk leads to the toe of the glacier. Arrive in Valdez - often called “the Switzerland of Alaska”, the gateway for salmon fishing trips and narrated cruises to magnificent Columbia Glacier. This afternoon you have time to take a scenic cruise to Columbia Glacier. On board you will have a chance to view the Sound's wildlife including Bull Head Sea Lion Haul-out. You will learn about the mining, oil, earthquake, and fishing history and you will hear stories about the native people exploring Prince William Sound. Visit the terminus of the Alaska Pipeline Terminal, enjoy a kayaking or a short hiking trip. Overnight: Valdez

Valdez - Prince William Sound (Ferry) - Seward (80 miles + ferry)
Scenic cruise through Prince William Sound onboard the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry. Watch out for whales, bald eagles, seals, sea lions and other marine wildlife. In the distance you'll see the ice floating from Columbia Glacier. 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 toe of the glacier where you can climb on the surface of the glacier itself. Overnight: Seward

Seward / Kenai Fjords National Park
In the morning take a 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 - Homer (170 miles)
This morning visit the Alaska SeaLife Center or go on another hiking trip. Continue your journey and follow the Sterling Highway - a designated scenic road covering 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. 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. Overnight: Homer

Homer
Homer, so called “Halibut Capital of the World” is located at the gateway to beautiful Kachemak Bay State Park. You have a full day to explore the area - kayak to a remote cove, take a scenic cruise and spot wildlife including whales, seals, sea otters and many shorebirds. You may choose to take a water taxi across Kachemak Bay and go hiking or try your luck fishing and catch salmon or a barndoor-sized halibut. If you wish to observe grizzly bears up close, take a flight to Katmai Coast. In the evening a cruise to Halibut Cove / The Saltry restaurant is included. After a delicious dinner at the Saltry (dinner reservation included) take a walk to renowned artist galleries along the pictureque boardwalk. Enjoy the incredible evening scenery as you return to Homer. Overnight: Homer

Homer - Cooper Landing (120 miles)
Leave Homer this morning and drive to Cooper Landing located at the world famous Kenai River. Attend a 1/2 day guided fishing trip for salmon on the Kenai or Russian River. Your fishing guide is expert in spinning, casting and fly fishing techniques on these waters. Or if you prefer, join the Kenai Canyon raft trip. Start with a scenic float searching for moose, bald eagles and salmon, then ride the Class II+ spirited rapids through the Kenai River Canyon. End with a cruise along the wild and scenic shore of a glacier-carved lake in the heart of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. Overnight: Cooper Landing

Cooper Landing - Anchorage (100 miles)
Leave Kenai Peninsula and drive north towards Girdwood / Alyeska Ski Resort. If time allows take the tram on top Alyeska mountain offering a splendid view of Turnagain Arm and the Chugach Mountain Range. Continue along Seward highway traveling past salt water bays, ice blue glaciers and alpine valleys. You have a great chance to spot a bear, moose and dall sheep along the way. Arrive in Anchorage and check in your hotel. Spend the last evening visiting one of Anchorage excellent seafood restaurants.

Anchorage
Check out of your hotel. Your vacation ends with the return of your rental car at the airport.

Optional Rental Car Upgrades & Extensions
Rates include Taxes, Fees, Unlimited Miles, Insurance

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