Itinerary Details
1 Arrive Anchorage, Alaska
Festivals, fascinating museums and a healthy showing of craft breweries — at 61 degrees north, the state’s largest city might feel utterly at the whim of the elements, but Anchorage can rival anywhere further south, with the added bonus of being just a river-smoothed stone’s throw from serene inlets and wooded creeks, where anglers sling their lines into pure, rushing waters.
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2 : Kenai Peninsula | Bear Sightings & Mountain ViewsTake off on a bush plane to Chinitna Bay, a tranquil arm of the Cook Inlet known for its numbers of grizzly bears. Even if you do not spot them feeding at the water’s edge, the soaring white mountains and boundless meadows are a show-stealing consolation prize. Straying into the frigid waters of the inlet, the Kenai Peninsula is an adventure all its own, a stirring wilderness of forests and icefields, where rivers wind unhurried for miles, finally meeting the sea in epic, orca-patrolled fjords.
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3 Kenai Peninsula | Glacier & Wildlife CruiseCruise amid the towering tidewater glaciers in Harriman Fjord or spy orcas and humpback whales in Prince William Sound. Explore shorelines, bird rookeries, marine wildlife and calving glaciers. Go ashore on a remote beach for some tide pooling or a short hike into this northernmost rainforest.
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4 Kenai Peninsula | Kayaking Spencer GlacierHop on the Alaska Railroad’s Coastal Classic train to the Spencer Glacier Whistle Stop, admiring the scenery as it flickers past like the footage of a wildlife documentary. Disembark for a guided paddle along the mirror-like waters of a glacial lake, spotting a host of wildlife along the way.
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5 Talkeetna | Mighty DenaliAn enclave of historic roadhouses, old-school inns and a smattering of quaint local stores, Talkeetna is your gateway to Denali National Park. Take off on a flightseeing adventure over the peaks and glaciers of Denali, North America’s highest peak. Land on a glacier’s surface and disembark to experience snow-veiled peaks stretching in every direction. Then, explore Talkeetna’s best trail as your guide leads the way through lush, old-growth forest alive with songbirds, wildflowers, moose and eagles.
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6 Talkeetna | Dog Sled & Jet Boat RideLearn what it takes to become a musher with a visit to the kennels of seasoned sledder, Dallas Seavey. Meet the dogs (including this year's puppies!) and climb aboard a racing rig for an exhilarating ride through the Talkeetna woods, before setting off on a jet boat excursion, spotting bald eagles and visiting a historic trapper’s cabin.
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7 Depart AnchorageMeals: