Day 01- Fairbanks, Alaska
Arrive Fairbanks Airport. Collect baggage from baggage claim, transfer via hotel shuttle to your hotel for check-in and overnight.
Fairbanks was founded by miners consumed with the gold fever that swept Alaska at the turn of the century. As gateway to Alaska's rugged Interior, this is where the real Alaska begins -- the Alaska of the Northern Lights and the Midnight Sun. Here, at the edge of Alaska's vast wilderness frontier, is a haven of warm service and exceptional comfort: the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge.
Fairbanks' most refined hotel is also its best situated. Ideally located just minutes from the Fairbanks International Airport, we're also convenient to the downtown area and the University of Alaska Fairbanks as well as popular attractions such as the El Dorado Gold Mine, the Riverboat Discovery and Alaskaland.
Princess Riverside LodgeDay 02 – Fairbanks - Denali National Park
This morning transfer by courtesy hotel shuttle from hotel to train station in Fairbanks. Depart by Alaska Railroad from Fairbanks to Denali.
Next, you will board an awaiting bus and transfer into Denali National Park (luggage restrictions - 1 bag with max 35 pounds per person). Watch for wildlife such as moose, caribou, bears and maybe even a glimpse of Mt. McKinley en route to your lodge.
Arrival at the lodge (inside Denali Nat Park) at about 7:30PM. Dinner included tonight. Transfer via hotel shuttle to Fairbanks Denali Backcountry Lodge offers thirty comfortably appointed cedar cabins. Each cabin is heated and enjoys its own private bath -- unexpected luxuries for such a remote location. Dining and lounge areas are found in our spacious two-story lodge.
Denali Backcountry Lodge (Dinner)Day 03 - Denali National Park
Enjoy a full day to explore the backcountry of Denali National Park. Daily programs with naturalist guides are available such as nature walks, mountain biking, and evening programs.
All outdoor activities (except flight seeing) are included.
It's more than a mountain. Denali National Park and Preserve features North America's highest mountain, 20,320-foot tall Mount McKinley. The Alaska Range also includes countless other spectacular mountains and many large glaciers. Denali's more than 6 million acres also encompass a complete sub-arctic eco-system with large mammals such as grizzly bears, wolves, Dall sheep, and moose.
Denali Backcountry Lodge (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)Day 04: Denali National Park
Return to the park entrance by shuttle bus. Arrive Denali Train Station and board the Alaska Railroad to Anchorage (meals available for purchase on board.)
Anchorage, nearly the size of Delaware, lies between the Chugach Mountains on the east and Knik Arm of Cook Inlet on the west. The surrounding mountain ranges encompass the city in a setting of scenic splendor.
Upon arrival into Anchorage, you are met and transferred by private vehicle to your hotel for check-in and overnight.
In the heart of downtown Anchorage, Alaska, the Hilton Anchorage hotel stands out for its convenience and comfort. The Anchorage Airport Hotel is a 10-minute drive from Ted Stevens International Airport and a block from the Alaska Railroad Depot.
Hilton Hotel (Breakfast)Day 05: Anchorage - Glacier Bay National Park
Transfer by private vehicle to the Anchorage airport for your scheduled flight to Juneau with connecting flight to Gustavus.
Arrive Gustavus and transfer to the Gustavus Inn. Enjoy the afternoon at your leisure exploring your surroundings. Glacier Bay National Park, with snow-capped mountain ranges rising to over 15,000 feet, coastal beaches with protected coves, deep fjords, tidewater glaciers, coastal and estuarine waters, and freshwater lakes.
These diverse land and seascapes host a mosaic of plant communities ranging from pioneer species in areas recently exposed by receding glaciers, to climax communities in older coastal and alpine ecosystems. Diverse habitats support a variety of marine and terrestrial wildlife, with opportunities for viewing and research that allow us to learn more about the natural world.
OPTIONAL: Arrive Juneau airport and meet your pilot-guide for a 3-hour private flight-seeing tour of Admiralty Island. The "Fortress of the Bears", a name given to Admiralty Island by native people due to the fact that the island has the highest concentration of bears found anywhere in Alaska. Your skilled pilot-guide will land and take you to the best areas of bear viewing.
From here, you will fly from Admiralty Island to Gustavus, right in front of your lodge. Walk the short distance to the lodge for check-in. Evening at leisure.
Gustavus Inn (Dinner)Day 06: Glacier Bay National Park
Enjoy an 8-hour cruise into Glacier Bay (transfers included.)
The marine wilderness of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve provides opportunities for adventure, a living laboratory for observing the ebb and flow of glaciers, and a chance to study life as it returns in the wake of retreating ice. Amidst majestic scenery, Glacier Bay offers us now, and for all time, a connection to a powerful and wild landscape.
Glacier Bay (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)Day 07: Glacier Bay National Park - Juneau
Transfer from the lodge to the Gustavus dock where you will board a small boat for an intimate 3.5 hour Whale watch experience. This area is the summer feeding grounds for the massive humpback whales.
After your cruise, you will return to the dock and transfer to the Gustavus airport for your scheduled flight to Juneau.
Arrive Juneau, transfer by taxi (not included) to your hotel for check-in. Built to rival the most lavish hotels of its day, the historic Baranof serves as a second home for legislators and corporate travelers doing business in Juneau. Located downtown within walking distance of the capital, cruise ship docks, shops and state offices, the nine-story "Jewel of Juneau" offers guests elegant, art-deco public areas and comfortable accommodations.
Enjoy the balance of your day at leisure in Juneau.
Alaska's capital city, Juneau is located in Southeast Alaska. The Tongass Rainforest climate provides Juneau with lush terrain and vibrant wildflowers. Early settlers included miners during Alaska's gold rush and Russian fur traders. The Tlingit and Haida Indians were the first settlers to our area. Native Alaska influence is prominent today in Juneau.
Westmark Baranof Hotel (Breakfast, Lunch)Day 08 – Juneau - Depart
Enjoy the day at leisure until your departing flight.
Juneau offers unparalleled glacier viewing from Tracy Arm Fjord, Mendenhall Glacier, the Juneau Icefield and Glacier Bay National Park. Outdoor enthusiasts will love Juneau's extraordinary kayaking, dogsledding, rafting, biking, hiking and glacier hiking. Winter enthusiasts will enjoy snowboarding and downhill, cross-country and heli-skiing. Time permitting, you may wish to visit Mendenhall Glacier, walk downtown Juneau, the Governors Mansion and State Capitol area.
Transfer by taxi (not included) to the Juneau airport.
