Self Drive Highlights Alaska’s Denali and Kenai Fjords

Day 1 Anchorage to Seward | 204 km/127 mi This morning travel along the Seward Highway towards scenic Turnagain Arm, a body of water featuring the world’s second highest tides at over 30 feet. Keep an eye out for Beluga whales chasing salmon in the bay or Dall sheep along the highway. A great stop for lunch is Alyeska Ski Resort in Girdwood where you can take the tram up Mt. Alyeska (optional). Other stops we recommend include Portage Glacier and its visitor centre, and in Seward, Exit Glacier and the SeaLife Centre.

Day 2 Seward | Full Day Northwestern Fjord Cruise Today we have arranged for you to take an all-day Kenai Fjords Cruise. Travel farther into Kenai Fjords National Park than with any other cruise and visit the magnificent Northwestern Fjord, home to three amazing tidewater glaciers, numerous alpine glaciers and marine wildlife like Stellar sea lions, seals, humpbacks, orcas and otters. (A continental breakfast & deli-style lunch is included onboard) Add-on Option: Kenai Wilderness Lodge | 3 Days /2 Nights Day 2 Seward to Kenai Wilderness Lodge Fox Island | Cruise Kenai Fjord This morning cruise to exclusive Fox Island for lunch and an afternoon of optional activities. After dinner prepared by a gourmet chef, enjoy an evening at leisure or a beach campfire. Overnight on Fox Island at Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge. (Lunch & dinner included today) Day 3 Fox Island | Guided Sea Kayaking Today, enjoy a guided sea kayak trip through the protected waters of Resurrection Bay. Look for puffins, sea lions and seals as you explore the rocky coves of Fox Island. You can even spot whales close to the shore. Overnight on Fox Island at Kenai Fjord Wilderness Lodge. (Breakfast, lunch & dinner included today) Day 4 Fox Island to Seward | Northwestern Fjord Glacier Cruise After a hot and hearty breakfast, you’ll depart this morning on the Northwestern Fjord Cruise. Travel farther into Kenai Fjords National Park than with any other cruise and visit the magnificent Northwestern Fjord, home to three amazing tidewater glaciers and numerous alpine glaciers. Kenai Fjords National Park boasts abundant wildlife, alpine and tidewater glaciers and breathtaking scenery. This cruise is the best way to see this pristine National Park and its inhabitants. Also, visit the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, an island home to teeming seabird rookeries. Don’t miss this opportunity to see the untouched beauty of Alaska’s coastal waters. Return to Seward this evening for an overnight stay at Seward Windsong Lodge. (Breakfast at lodge & deli style lunch is included onboard cruise today)

Day 3 Seward to Talkeetna | 386 km/240 mi Head back to Anchorage today taking in the sights of the Seward Highway as you go. Pass through Anchorage and drive the Glenn Highway north to Wasilla and onto Talkeetna. Stops can include a visit to the Alaska Native Heritage Centre in Anchorage and the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry in Wasilla. Talkeetna serves as a base camp for Denali climbers; the community of under 1000 residents is located at the confluence of the Talkeetna and Susitna Rivers. A turn-of-the-20th-century gold-mining centre, the town has retained much of its early Alaskan flavour. Log cabins, a roadhouse, and clapboard storefronts line the dirt streets, and colourful locals and bush pilots stroll the wooden sidewalks, while Denali looms overhead. Main Street, the only paved road in town, begins with a “Welcome to Beautiful Downtown Talkeetna” sign at the town park and ends at the banks of the Susitna River, a nice place to view the big mountain when it’s out.

Day 4 Talkeetna to Denali National Park | 257 km/153 mi Today, explore Denali’s south side or depart early for the drive to Denali National Park. You’ll have as much time as you like to experience the majesty of Denali National Park, take in the sights of the George Parks Highway or arrive at your hotel near the park entrance to take advantage of an optional excursion or a visit to the Denali Visitor Centre.

Day 5 Denali National Park Backcountry Tour | Coach | Flightseeing This full-day narrated coach trip explores the entire 148 km/92 mi of Denali Park Road on your way to Denali Backcountry Lodge. With multiple stops for wildlife viewing and photography, your experienced driver-guide will help search for grizzly bears, moose, wolves, caribou and Dall sheep while sharing the biology and geology of the area. For the return trip, board a small Alaskan bush plane for a flightseeing tour back to the park entrance where if weather permits, you will fly close to Mount Denali (Lunch & snacks included today between Jun 4 - Sep 12) (Please note during May to Jun 4 this tour does not include the scenic return flight and will be replaced with a shorter 6-7 hour Tundra Wilderness Coach Tour while the road further into the park thaws and dries out.)

Day 6 Denali National Park to Fairbanks | 198 km/123 mi Continue on the George Parks Highway north to Fairbanks. Accompanied by incredible forest and mountain landscapes, you’ll drive through the communities of Healy, Nenana and Ester - an old mining camp. Upon arrival into Fairbanks your incredible Alaska self drive adventure comes to an end.