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From: £4295
Alaska - America’s Last Frontier - is a land of superlatives: largest national park, longest coastline, biggest state, longest day and night; shortest day and night; highest mountain peak...the list goes on. The 49th state packs a huge holiday punch of adventure, history, native culture, fishing, hiking, skiing, wildlife watching and scenery that is simply amazing.
Embrace the experience of travelling somewhere most people don’t. You won’t be disappointed in this rail/drive adventure through America's Last Frontier.
From price per person includes:
Alaska’s largest city is situated between mountains and an inlet and surrounded by national parks and wildlife. Anchorage is the perfect blend of outdoor and urban with all the comforts of a larger city, while retaining a small town vibe.
Stroll around the Alaska Native Heritage Centre, or check out the Tony Coastal Trail with views of Cook Inlet and six mountain ranges. Visit Sunshine Plaza for a historical view of the 1964 earthquake, or see it first hand at Earthquake Park. Take a Bear Safari to Katmai National Park, world famous for Alaskan Brown Bear viewing (tour is approx 10-12 hours). Or visit Redoubt Bay Lodge for bear viewing from covered boat (tour approx 6 hours).
All Aboard! The Alaskan Railroad's Denali Star departs Anchorage at 8.15am and arrives into Denali at 3.30pm. You'll travel in comfort in Goldstar Class with glass-dome ceilings and panoramic views.
Watch Alaska unfold on the outdoor, upper-level viewing platform -- the only of its kind in the world -- offering fresh air and an excellent vantage point for photos. Full service dining and soft drinks are included, as well as, an Alaskan tour guide providing a running commentary on the scenery and wildlife.
Six million acres of untamed wilderness greet you at Denali National Park, home to North America’s highest peak, Mount McKinley. With just one road through this vast park, you’ll experience solitude and peace on an enormous scale. On arrival in Denali, a courtesy shuttle will take you to your hotel for your two night stay. The following day, we've included a seven-hour Tundra Wilderness Adventure into the heart of the park. Fingers crossed, you'll spy caribou, moose, grizzly bears, wolves and Dall sheep. An experienced naturalist will provide you with an overview of this enormous park. Other optional tours are available ranging from helicopter tours to whitewater rafting trips. Your Bon Voyage Consultant will be delighted to discuss the most suitable trips for you.
As the train doesn’t leave Denali until 3.45pm, you have most of the day to continue to enjoy this incredible park. The journey to Fairbanks, the biggest city in Interior Alaska, is 4.5 hours over winding river valleys and boreal forests with snow-capped Mt McKinley looming in the background. Arrive into Fairbanks, known for dog mushing, northern lights and extremes of light/dark and warmth/cold at 8pm.
On your full day in Fairbanks, an optional morning tour of the Eldorado Gold Mine, is recommended. On this two hour tour you’ll learn about the past and present of gold mining in Alaska. In the afternoon, we recommend a cruise aboard a classic stern-wheeler riverboat to see an Athabascan fish camp, Alaskan bush pilot demo and a championship sled dog team.
Distance: 364 miles
Enjoy the wide open roads today as you leave Fairbanks and begin your self-drive along the Richardson Highway - voted one of the top three most stunning drives in Alaska. The highway follows the Alaska oil pipeline, one of the world’s greatest engineering feats. Gaze out over soaring mountain ranges, glaciers, canyons and waterfalls. And just when you think the scenery can't possibly get any better, it does.
Along the way you’ll pass historic roadhouses and scenic view points of the Wrangell St Elias National Preserve. A stop at the ranger centre and park HQ is recommended before heading into the Chugach Mountains and through the Thompson Pass. Also make sure you stop at the Worthington Glacier and Bridal Veil Falls. Then, deep in the heart of Prince William Sound, surrounded by some of the world’s tallest coastal mountains, is Valdez. A small city that’s remarkably big on scenery!
You’ll have a free day in Valdez to enjoy kayaking, hiking or a cruise for an up-close view of the glaciers in Prince William Sound.
Distance: 178 miles
Drive your car aboard the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry and cruise to the port of Whittier. The journey typically takes 5 hours and is full of truly stunning scenes as you sail through Prince William Sound.
On arrival in Whittier, you’ll drive through the longest combined vehicle-rail road tunnel in North America. Another 75 miles south and you’ll join another staggeringly beautiful route – Alaska's Seward Highway, a designated Scenic Byway that runs through the Kenai Peninsula, Chugach National Forest and Kenai Mountains. Take it slow and savour every moment, this is exactly what you came here for.
Seward is known as the Gateway to the Kenai Fjords National Park. On the edge of the Kenai Peninsula, lies a land where the ice age still lingers. Home to 40 glaciers that flow from the Harding Icefield - the Kenai Fjords' crowning feature. Wildlife thrives in icy waters and lush forests surround this vast expanse of ice. We recommend a Wildlife and Glacier Catamaran Cruise to thoroughly explore this region and get close to the glaciers.
Head to an authentic Alaskan roadhouse in the evening and mingle with the locals over a beer or two - there’s likely to be an interesting story or two to be shared!
Distance: 127 miles
Take the whole day and enjoy the drive back to Anchorage. Stop and linger over the beautiful Kenai Mountains and Cook Inlet’s Turnagain Arm, a waterway into the northwestern part of the Gulf of Alaska.
Keep an eye out for black bear, Dall sheep and beluga whales.
Don’t miss the aerial tram in Girdwood which travels up 2,500 feet to the observation deck on Mt. Alyeska.
Or make a stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Centre - the day is yours.
Time for one last Alaskan breakfast before heading to the airport and your return home.
Unless.......you are keen to extend your time in Alaska? Spend some time in the Inside Passage? Travel to one of the most northern points in the world - Barrow? Cross the border into Canada and see how the scenery compares?
All Bon Voyage holidays are tailor made to your exact requirements. Let us know what your ideal Alaska adventure looks like.