T12: Alaska Adventure Tour (Hotel based!)  

Tour Overview

Are you ready? This is a fun, active trip that includes Prince William Sound, Chugach Mountains, and Denali National Park. Along the way we will sea kayak, walk on a glacier, go whitewater rafting, hike, and see wildlife! All you need is to be in decent physical shape and have a good attitude (be ready for adventure)! This moderately active trip is our most active adventure trip that does not include camping – we stay in comfortable locally owned lodges and cabins along the way.

Logistics

• Arrive Anchorage (ANC) by 04:00 pm July 7th.

• Fly home from Anchorage (ANC) any time on or after July 14th.

 

Highlights

• Tour begins in Anchorage
• Spectacular drive along Turnagain Arm on the boundary between sea and mountains
• Visit to Whittier, a secret port developed during World War 2
• Cruise across Prince William Sound on the Alaska State Ferry
• Sea kayak trip to Shoup Glacier (in a protected bay)
• Kayak past a colony of 20,000 sea birds (the only crowd on the trip)
• Pass through waterfall-lined Keystone Canyon and climb up dramatic Thompson Pass
• Worthington Glacier – a highway rest stop with a glacier!
• Explore the Matanuska Glacier with crampons
• Wildlife viewing excursion into Denali National Park
• Look for bears, Dall sheep, moose, and caribou
• Several opportunities to see Denali (Mt. McKinley), North America’s tallest mountain
• Whitewater rafting trip in Denali (class 3-4 rapids)
• Charming locally owned (LGBT when possible) lodging including Inns, B&Bs, and cabins.
• Fun and tasty – locally popular restaurants

Optional Activities

Optional – arrive early or stay after the trip for a flight tour to see bears, bike Anchorage's coastal trail, etc. (we can assist with your planning).  You can also follow up this trip of a lifetime to Alaska with a luxurious cruise south from Seward (near Anchorage) to Vancouver, Canada.

 

Anchorage Optional Tours and Activities

 

Bicycle along Anchorage’s Coastal Trail - $15+
Rent a mountain bike and helmet and explore Anchorage’s fabulous Tony Knowles Coastal Trail along Cook Inlet.

 

Alaska Native Heritage Center - $25
Experience and learn about the rich heritage of Alaska's eleven cultural groups drawing upon the lifeways of long ago, the wisdom of our elders, and the traditions that endure.

 

Knik Glacier Tour - $150
Fly over the water on an airboat upriver to the Knik Glacier, one of the largest glaciers in south central Alaska. See icebergs and the face of the glacier, before returning to civilization.

 

Float-plane Glacier flight Seeing Tour - $245
Take an exciting float-plane flight over the rugged Chugach Mountains to see glaciers and look for moose. Flying time about 1.5 hours.

Fly-out Bear Viewing Tour - $595
Depart from Lake Hood, the busiest float plane airport in the world for a scenic flight across Cook Inlet to Redoubt Bay. Your naturalist guides will take you in a covered pontoon boat through a chain of lakes where spawning salmon attract numerous brown and black bears. This half day trip includes lunch.

 

 

Denali Optional Tours and Activities

 

 

Denali (Mt. McKinley)– Flightseeing Tours

Circle Denali Flight - $350
This flight follows the spine of the Alaska Range, taking you (weather permitting) as close as 1 mile away from Mt. McKinley. View colossal glaciers and magnificent peaks. Fully narrated by the pilot, detailing the geography and wildlife of Denali National Park. Flights average about an hour in length. All seats are window seats!

Denali Glacier Landing - $450
Enjoy a breath-taking flight along the peaks of the Alaska Range to Mt. McKinley! Your pilot will take you through the Great Gorge of the Ruth Glacier (the world’s deepest gorge) and cap the experience by landing on the glacier with skis! Marvel at the mass of frozen ice and towing cliffs before your plane takes off from the glacier and makes the scenic return trip. Total flying time is about 100 minutes.

 

Helicopter Flightseeing Tours

Denali Excursion - $340 - Tour Length: 2 hours - Total Flight time: 50 min.
This flightseeing tour offers a panoramic view of Denali National Park. Travel along the spine of the Alaska Range through unexplored backcountry of towering peaks and ancient glaciers. View the impressive Cantwell Glacier as it cascades over a 900-foot cliff, while North America’s Highest peak, Mt. McKinley, towers on the horizon. Keep an eye out for park residents, such as bear, moose, and Dall sheep.

Denali Glacier Landing Expedition - $440 - Tour Length: 2 hours - Total Flight time: 50 min. (also 15-20 min. of glacier exploring)
Fly over the Yanert Valley and view how the Pacific and North American tectonic plates have collided with each other. Highlight your flight seeing adventure by landing on the Yanert Glacier. Step out onto the ancient ice and explore the glacier with your pilot/guide. Glacier walking boots are provided for your added safety on this tour.

 

Back Country ATV Adventure - $110
Join your guide as you drive your own 4-wheel all terrain vehicle (ATV) on a truly exciting journey! This experience takes you back on old coal mining trails and spills you out onto the Dry Creek river bed where Athabascan Indian artifacts have been found. Your trek takes you high up on Black Diamond Peak where you can view the entire Healy Valley.

Print the Tour Details

T12: Alaska Adventure Tour (Hotel based!)  

Day 1 - D

Arrive in Anchorage by 4pm today. Plan to arrive earlier if you need to buy outdoor clothing or supplies in Anchorage.

 

• 6 pm Meet the group and discuss the trip over a glass of wine at our lodging
• 7:30 pm Welcome Dinner

Day 2 - Meals included today: B, L

Our adventure begins with the spectacular drive along Turnagain arm to Whittier, which as we say, is weird even by Alaskan standards. You will have to experience Whittier to understand this, but for starters, most of the town is in one 14 story building! To get to Whittier, we will drive through a one way (at a time) Railroad tunnel that is three miles long. In Whittier we catch the Alaska State Ferry for a cruise through fabulous Prince William Sound. The ferry trip ends in Valdez, the terminus for the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline.

 

• Breakfast
• 9 am Depart lodging
• 12:15 pm Drive Out in Alaska van on state ferry
• 12:45 pm MV Chenega departs Whittier - watch for orcas, sea lions, birds and ice bergs!
• 3:30 pm Arrive Valdez
• Check into hotel
• Hike/explore

• Dinner (on our own or together “Dutch treat”)

Day 3 - B, L, D

Today’s schedule will be determined by the tides – we are going sea kayaking! We will take a water taxi from Valdez out to Shoup Bay. We need to time the tides right to paddle into the inner lagoon of Shoup Bay where steep glacial carved walls, the Shoup Glacier, and a colony of 10,000 sea birds await us!! We will spend the day exploring this amazing bay and its glacier – stopping on shore for lunch and to take in the sights.

 

• Check in at kayak company office, water taxi out to Shoup Bay
• Arrive back in Valdez
• Dinner

Day 4 - B, L, D

Time to leave the coast behind and head inland. We climb up dramatic Thompson Pass as we traverse through the coastal Chugach Mountains. We will stop and stretch our legs at the Worthington Glacier, which offers some fun photo ops before we continue on to the Copper River Valley. If the skies are clear, we will enjoy dramatic views of the massive volcanoes of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park on our way to the coastal Chugach Mountains and the community of Valdez. Mt Sanford is 16,000 ft., Mt. Wrangell is 14,000 ft., and Mt. Drum is 12,000 ft. At the community of Glennallen we head west following the divide between the Chugach Mountains and the inland Talkeetna Mountain range until we reach the Matanuska Glacier and our nearby lodging for the night at Sheep Mountain.

 

• Breakfast
• 10 am Depart Lodging
• Visit Worthington Glacier
• 4 pm Guided walk on the Matanuska Glacier! You will marvel at the other-worldly features as we explore this icy environment with crampons (foot spikes). Sturdy hiking boots needed.

Day 5 - B, L

This morning, we make the scenic drive west and then north to Denali National Park! Keep your fingers crossed for clear skies and a chance to see Denali (Mt. McKinley, which is only visible about 20% of the time in summer) North America’s tallest mountain at 20,320ft. En route, we will begin exploring the Denali region on a refreshing hike. We will arrive at our lodging for the night in late-afternoon. Dinner tonight is on our own (romantic dinner with your partner?) - or together “Dutch treat”.

Day 6 - B, L, D

Today we start the day with a visit to the Denali National Park Visitor Center to orient ourselves and shop a bit and/or stretch our legs on a short walk before we explore the remote wilderness of Denali on a wildlife bus safari.

• Breakfast
• 9:15 am Depart lodging for Denali National Park
• Check out Denali’s Visitor Center, gift shop, and entrance area nature trails
• 11 am Wildlife bus tour in Denali National Park
• Bag lunch (sandwich on homemade bread, fruit and dessert)
• 6:30 pm Return to Denali Park entrance
• Group Dinner

 

Virtually the only way to enter Denali National Park is the park’s shuttle bus system. This is a long bumpy trip on a gravel road in a modified school bus, yet it is an incredible journey through the alpine wilderness of Denali. While wildlife and mountain sightings are never guaranteed, bears, Dall sheep, caribou and moose are often seen from the bus. For many previous Out in Alaska guests, this wildlife safari in Denali was the highlight of their entire trip. Don’t forget your camera and binoculars!

Day 7- B, L, D

This morning we head out on a thrilling whitewater rafting trip on the Nenana River, which forms the eastern border of Denali National Park.

The rafting trip is through the exciting class three and four rapids of the Nenana River gorge. This river drains several large glaciers in the Alaska Range and features giant waves (often over fifteen feet tall) and impressive hydraulics. The rafting company will outfit us with full dry suits (only our heads and hands are exposed). Wearing this “space suit” is part of the fun of this rafting experience. You will want to wear synthetic long underwear underneath the dry suit. We will all be paddling in a “paddle raft” under the command of the guide. The only thing you might want to bring in the raft is a disposable water proof camera.

• Breakfast
• 8 am   Arrive rafting company office
• 11 am  Complete rafting trip

• Lunch
• Approx. 7 pm Arrive Anchorage
• Farewell Dinner
• End of guided portion of Out in Alaska Trip

Day 8- B

• Breakfast at our lodging

Fly home any time today from Anchorage (ANC) or extend your trip with planning help from Out in Alaska - including a cruise south to Vancouver.

 

Print the Itinerary

T12: Alaska Adventure Tour (Hotel based!)  

Date

July 7-14

Price

$3275 per person, double occupancy.

($3925 single)

 

 

 

This trip includes

• Accommodations: 7 nights of comfortable lodging (Bed and Breakfasts and cabins).
• Transportation: All ground and boat transportation during the trip (Airport transfers are not included).
• Meals: 7 Breakfasts, 6 lunches, and 5 dinners (alcoholic beverages and espresso drinks not included at restaurant meals).
• Equipment: Use of Out in Alaska’s high quality dry bags, rain gear, rental kayaks. See the Packing list for this trip for more information.
• Taxes: All local taxes are included.

 

Items of a personal nature are not included.
Gratuities (For hotel maids, guides, etc. ) are not included.

 

All information subject to change due to weather, current conditions, road closures, or other reasons!

 

For more information and to inquire about a trip contact us: (907) 339-0101 or info@outinalaska.com

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T12: Alaska Adventure Tour (Hotel based!)  

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