Alaska Self-Drive SUmmer Highlights Tour (12 days/11 nights)

After your arrival at the Anchorage International Airport (ANC), pick up your rental car and transfer on your own to your hotel in Anchorage. The remainder of the day is at leisure.

This morning, drive to Seward along the beautiful Seward Highway (approximately 2.5 hours). Enjoy a stop at a kennel for a 2-mile dog sled ride. Feel the power, excitement, and energy of the amazing sled dogs as they are harnessed to the comfortable wheeled sleds on this hour and a half dog sled tour. Mush through the Seward Alaska wilderness to the base of Resurrection Mountain and along Box Canyon Creek. The guide will explain how we train and steer the dogs, and tell stories from the trail. Upon return to the kennel, tour the beautiful kennel facilities, laugh as a guest is dressed up as an Iditarod musher and cuddle adorable husky puppies. The guides offer a delightfully humorous, behind-the-scenes look at the Seavey family’s training for the most demanding race on earth.

Board the Kenai Fjords Cruise that departs at 11:30am. During the 6-hour cruise explore the world of whales, wildlife, and glaciers found in Kenai Fjords National Park. The experienced captain will fully narrate your journey and will point out the spectacular sights while providing information on the area’s wildlife, history, and geology. Spend time in front of a towering tidewater glacier and watch for calving, where giant chunks of glacial ice break off and crash into the water. A light lunch will be served on board.

Following the cruise, transfer to your hotel and enjoy the evening at leisure.

Experience a helicopter ride with a glacier landing. Get up close to Alaska’s stunning glacial beauty on this unforgettable helicopter tour to Bear Glacier, the largest glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park. This Seward glacier tour features a scenic flight and a remote landing next to an iceberg-filled lake.  

Today is a travel day as you drive from Seward to Talkeetna (4.5 hours). The drive unfolds as one of Alaska’s most scenic road trips, tracing a path from the Kenai Peninsula to the heart of the Alaskan interior. We suggest a stop at the Iditarod headquarter in Wasilla. After arrival in the small historic town of Talkeetna, enjoy the remainder of the day as you like.

A jetboat adventure awaits you today. Your 2-hour natural history excursion begins aboard the fifty passenger “Talkeetna Queen” or one of her 20 passenger little sister boats, as it whisks you into the heart of the wilderness in comfort. These jet boats are designed to safely navigate rivers that were previously inaccessible. Your naturalist will talk about the history and rivers in the area, as well as information about Denali. You may see bald eagles that nest in the local area. Upon arrival at the adventure site, take a ¼-mile leisurely nature walk to a Dena’ina Encampment. The Dena’ina were the earliest native settlers in the area. You will also visit an authentic trapper’s cabin with its original furnishings and view how trappers lived in “Bush” Alaska at the turn of the century. Your guide will display furs from the local area and demonstrate trapping methods. Naturalists will also acquaint you with the wildflowers and plants that grow in abundance along the river system and you will learn about the edible plants that were used by the Dena’ina for cooking and medicines and some that are still utilized today.

Leave the small town of Talkeetna to reach Denali National Park. Several stops can be made along the way to enjoy the natural beauty of Alaska.

Board a modified school bus and join a knowledgeable naturalist guide who weaves tales of Denali’s fragile ecosystems and storied past as you’re driving along the rolling landscape. Venture onto the gravelly Park Road that can only be accessed by mappers and tour vehicles.

In the afternoon, if time permits, hike one of the trails around the park visitor center.

A thrilling adventure awaits you as you descend the Nenana River on a raft. Rest of the day at your disposal to hike one of the beautiful trails around the visitor center.

Continue north to reach the city of Fairbanks, famous for her golden past. On the way we suggest a stop in Nenana.

Cruise the great rivers of the Last Frontier on a three-hour tour that takes you into the heart of Alaska. Along the way, you'll be introduced to a family that has made Alaska's rivers their way of life for five generations. Start at Steamboat Landing where you will check in for your tour and board the Discovery vessel. Once aboard, view a bush pilot demonstration, Trail Breaker Kennel, and finally explore the Chena Village living museum where you will learn from Alaskan Native guides. Also, take a look at the dining options at Discovery Dining, Captain's Corner, and the Discovery III Galley. You can then continue to discover this city and visit the Morris Thompson Cultural Center or Pioneer Park. 

Drop off your rental car and catch your flight home at the Fairbanks International Airport (FAI).