Alaska Upgraded Family Adventure

Arrive in time to meet your fellow travelers for a welcome gathering this evening. Your arrival transfer is included.

Travel down the scenic Seward Highway, past Turnagain Arm, where one of the largest bore tides in the world surges a massive wave into the waterway each day. Continue to Seward for a visit to the famed Alaska SeaLife Center. The afternoon is free to explore Seward; or opt for adventure in the Alaskan wilderness while hiking, kayaking, or even dogsledding across a glacier!

Board a catamaran for a cruise through Kenai Fjords National Park, where nearly 40 glaciers flow down coastal mountains, forging icy pathways into the sea. Our boat takes us to the exit ramp for one of these massive ice sheets, where we may see—and hear—great chunks of ice fall straight into the water. Kenai is also a wildlife-lover’s paradise, home to orcas and humpbacks, puffins, porpoises, and much more.

On our journey back north, we’ll stop to explore the wilds surrounding the mountain town of Girdwood. Make your way along a winding boardwalk through the northernmost rainforest in North America; then board a hand-operated tram and take turns pulling your family along a rope strung high above a rushing river. Later, ride the gondola up Mount Alyeska for a look at hanging glaciers clinging to high mountain cliffs. Continue to Talkeetna, a quirky town that welcomes many a mountaineer hoping to conquer Denali’s lofty summit.

As we travel toward Denali National Park, we get ever closer to Denali—or “the great one”—North America’s highest peak. Even among the soaring summits of the Alaska Range, Denali dominates the horizon. Meet a field educator at the Denali Education Center to learn about the surrounding ecosystems and the native people who have survived in these harsh conditions for centuries. This afternoon, we’ll travel to the home of a true Alaskan hero, Jeff King, who has won the grueling, 998-mile Iditarod dogsledding race four times! Snuggle a husky puppy and watch grown champion sled dogs go through their summer training routine.

This morning, venture into the heart of Denali National Park and Preserve on a wildlife safari. The park’s incredible creatures stand out against the sparse landscape, and a drive along the park road is often the best way to see them. As we drive to the Eielson Visitor Center, make it your mission to spot Denali’s “big five:” grizzly bears, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, and elusive wolves. The return trip to our hotel offers another chance for wildlife-viewing.

This morning, meet up with an Alaska resident to hear all about life in America’s northernmost state. Then set off for a hike with a naturalist guide from the Denali Education Center. Enjoy a free afternoon to relax, or opt to fly above Denali’s soaring summit on a helicopter flight-seeing excursion.