Discover the unique beauty of Alaska and the Yukon Territory during this invigorating vacation. In Alaska, ride the Alaska Railroad to Denali National Park, with its impressive mountains, breathtaking scenery, and amazing wildlife. Denali is home to 130 bird species and 37 species of mammals, including lynx, moose, caribou, wolf, and grizzly bear. During your guided wilderness tour, you’ll have an opportunity to seek out some of these animals. Also enjoy the magnificent scenery during your cruise on Prince William Sound, and watch for eagles, whales, mountain goats, and more.You’ll also have an opportunity to experience some of the most majestic scenery in Canada combined with fascinating history. You’ll visit towns important during the Klondike Gold Rush in the Yukon—Whitehorse and Dawson City. In Dawson City, step back in time at the site where the first gold strike was made, and learn how gold changed this land forever. Enjoy entertainment at Diamond Tooth Gertie’s, Canada’s oldest gambling hall, complete with can-can dancers, ragtime music, and an old-fashioned casino. In Whitehorse, visit the premier dogsled facility, Muktuk Adventures, to meet the huskies and their trainers.This is just a sampling of the wonderful scenery and sights that await you on this marvelous tour to Alaska and the Yukon. Just imagine the memories you’ll create on this spectacular vacation!
Itinerary:
Day #1 Arrive in Anchorage. Welcome to Alaska! Meet your Tour Director this evening between 5 pm and 8 pm in the hotel reception area.
Day #2 Anchorage–Wasilla–Alaska Railroad–Denali National Park. Traveling north into the majestic wilds of Alaska, visit the IDITAROD HEADQUARTERS, home of the world-famous dogsled race. Arrive in Talkeetna, the jumping-off point for climbers attempting to summit Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America at 20,320 feet. Board the historic ALASKA RAILROAD for a scenic trip to Denali National Park. Enjoy dinner at the Murie Science Center followed by an exclusive [LF] PRESENTATION on Denali National Park by a local Naturalist. (B,D)
Day #3 Denali National Park. This morning, a GUIDED WILDERNESS TOUR takes you into 6-million-acre DENALI NATIONAL PARK to explore the majestic wilderness and seek out grizzly bear, caribou, moose, and other wildlife! Your afternoon is free for optional adventures such as float trips, a dogsled demonstration, a helicopter ride over the park, or a delicious dinner and rollicking musical comedy performed in a camp house reminiscent of the Gold Rush era. (B,L)
Day #4 Denali National Park–Fairbanks. Travel into the heart of Alaska to Fairbanks, where you will enjoy lunch at the historic Pump House restaurant on the banks of the Chena River. The afternoon and evening are at leisure in Fairbanks. (B,L)
Day #5 Fairbanks. This morning, board the sternwheeler Discovery for a CRUISE on the Chena and Tanana Rivers with a stop at a recreated Chena Indian Village to learn about Athabascan Native culture. Later, visit the UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA–FAIRBANKS MUSEUM during your Fairbanks city tour, and also stop at the Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline. (B)
Day #6 Fairbanks–Dawson City. Continuing the journey into Gold Rush history, motor over the Top of the World Highway and enter the Yukon. Passing through the village of Chicken, today promises to be filled with breathtaking scenery. Tonight, you have reservations at DIAMOND TOOTH GERTIE’S, featuring ragtime music, can-can girls, and an old-fashioned casino. (B)
Day #7 Dawson City. Today, step back in time at the site of CLAIM #1, where the first gold strike was made. Continue to an old GOLD DREDGE to learn how gold changed this land forever and to try your own hand at gold panning! Next, stop at the DÄNOJÀ ZHO CULTURAL CENTRE for a tour on the First Nations’ traditions and culture over the past 100 years. (B)
Day #8 Dawson–Whitehorse. Today, trace the trail of the gold seekers on their way to the Klondike. View the Five Finger Rapids, which once posed a major obstacle to the hordes of fortune seekers stampeding into the Yukon. Your day concludes in Whitehorse, capital of the Yukon. (B)
Day #9 Whitehorse. A city tour stops at the YUKON BERINGIA INTERPRETIVE CENTRE, where you can meet the Ice Age giant mammals that once ruled the ancient subcontinent. Stop at the SS KLONDIKE RIVERBOAT and learn about its importance on the Yukon River in the Gold Rush days. Later, head to Whitehorse’s premier dogsled facility, [LF] MUKTUK ADVENTURES, where you will personally meet the huskies and their trainers. Here, learn about the training and care of Alaskan huskies, as well as the lifestyle required to race in world-famous competitions such as the Iditarod and Yukon Quest. Afterward, enjoy a special Taste of the Yukon dinner (B,D)
Day #10 Whitehorse–Tok. Return to Alaska, traveling through the rugged mountains of KLUANE NATIONAL PARK, home to 19,625-foot Mount Logan, Canada’s highest peak. Continue on the Alaska Highway to Tok, the “Dog Sled Capital of the World.” (B)
Day #11 Tok–Valdez. Head to Alaska’s southernmost ice-free port, Valdez, home of the Alyeska Pipeline Terminal. As you travel toward some of the highest coastal mountains in the world, enjoy views of Thompson Pass, Worthington Glacier, and Bridal Veil Falls before arriving in the “Switzerland of Alaska”—Valdez. Visit the unique VALDEZ MUSEUM late this afternoon. (B)
Day #12 Valdez–Whittier–Anchorage. Board a BOAT today and get a closer look at the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Terminal, the 3-mile face of Columbia Glacier, and the playful sea life of PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND. Keep your eyes open for eagles, whales, mountain goats, dolphins, and sea lions! This evening, enjoy a farewell dinner at the Alyeska Hotel before returning to Anchorage. (B,L,D)
Day #13 Anchorage. The tour ends this morning with guests departing on individual schedules. Airport transfers are provided. (B)
