Fairbanks, Denali, Prince William Sound, Homer
Credit: Hage Photo/Alyeska Resort
Trip Type: Small Group Adventure
Territory:
Region: Alaska
Trip Price: From $7,795
Single Supplement: $1,175
On-Trip Airfare: $150
Duration: 9 days/8 nights
Trip Begins/Ends: Fairbanks / Anchorage
Minimum Travelers: 2 travelers
Maximum Travelers: 14 travelers
Pricing detailed for this Small Group Adventure is based upon double occupancy. Additional charges for single travelers and any on-trip airfare required for the trip apply. A booking deposit is required to reserve your space. Small Group Adventure pricing includes all lodging, meals (unless otherwise noted), activities, baggage handling, transportation, and guide service. Not included are travel costs to/from gateway cities, guide gratuities, and personal incidentals including, but not limited to, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, alcoholic beverages, and laundry service. Travel with Off the Beaten Path requires agreement to our standard Terms & Conditions.
No Sweat - 1-2 miles of walking or hiking per day, plus easy activities
Nice & Active – 3-6 miles of hiking or walking per day, plus physically active exploration
High Five! – 5-12 miles of hiking per day, plus possible peak bagging or other action-oriented fun
Travel is by train, plane, van, and private lodge bus, with some long travel days. Activities include hiking up to 4 miles, a tram-assisted creek crossing, optional mountain biking, and a cruise on Prince William Sound in a catamaran designed to prevent seasickness. You’ll also fly in a small plane that requires a bit of dexterity to climb in and out of.
Most all of our Small Group Adventures can be made private to just your traveling troupe. Just give us a call at (800) 445-2995 and tell us that you would like to “make it private”!
Generally, there are two ways to make a small group adventure private. First, you could capture one of our published departure dates for just your group. In order to achieve this, we have to have sufficient space available to create a separate private trip. Second, we could take the details of this itinerary and fashion it for just your group on dates of your choosing. For this, too, we just need to review your interest, group size, and preferred timing in order to create the trip.
In all cases, the process begins with a phone call so give us a ring at (800) 445-2995 and after just a few minutes gathering information, we can set to the task of making your trip a reality!
Meet your guide and fellow travelers for an early welcome dinner, then meet Iditarod veteran Mary Shields at her home outside Fairbanks. Mary will introduce us to her sled dogs and share some of her 40 years of Alaska stories. Tomorrow, Denali!
A scenic, four-hour ride on the Alaska Railroad takes us to the entrance of Denali National Park, where we meet the Camp Denali bus. The Denali road is closed to private traffic, so our ride into the heart of the park is unhurried and uncrowded. Sightings might include caribou, golden eagles, grizzly bears, and more. There are plenty of chances to stop for wildlife sightings, photo opportunities, rest breaks, and a hearty picnic-style dinner. You’ll know you’re someplace extraordinary when you arrive at your lodge.
Each morning you can select from a number of guided activity options to fit your interests and energy level. You may want to hike to a ridgeline summit for commanding views, strike out across the tundra, meander in a lush valley looking for ground-nesting birds and meadow wildflowers, or canoe across Wonder Lake on your own. The camp’s naturalists and your OBP guide are there to share their deep knowledge and help you experience this rich setting.
Get a real feel for the size of this state and watch the landscape change over the miles as we drive through the Alaska Range, down the mighty Susitna River, and along Turnagain Arm to Alyeska resort, tucked into the Chugach Mountains. There are lots of opportunities along the way to stop and watch wildlife, take photos, and picnic. Relax with dinner on your own tonight in one of Alyeska’s many restaurants.
Stretch your legs this morning on a 3-mile rainforest hike on the Winner Creek Trail, with its fun bridge and hand tram over the creek. Then properly invigorated, we drive 45 minutes to embark on a cruise of Prince William Sound, known for its concentration of glaciers and deep fjords. We’ll see more than 20 named glaciers and also watch for marine wildlife and birds from our smooth-sailing high-speed catamaran. Tonight, compare notes on the day over dinner in Girdwood.
We break up the four-hour drive to Homer with two interesting stops. The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, a visitor favorite, is a nonprofit sanctuary where you can see wildlife up close as you learn about the animals. Next stop is Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, where a short hike gives us long views. We end the day at our hotel on the end of the famous 4.5-mile-long Homer Spit, which juts out into Kachemak Bay.
Feel the joy this morning on an iconic Alaskan experience—landing on a beach and spending time with coastal brown bears on their own turf. Depending on weather and bear activity, you’ll either go to Lake Clark or Katmai National Parks to observe bears as they dig for clams, wade in the water, play, and just be bears. Tonight is yet another special treat, catching the ferry across Kachemak Bay to an island for dinner at the Saltry, a Homer institution and great restaurant.
A quick 30-minute flight gets us back to Anchorage to catch connections home.
SpringHill Suites is situated on the banks of the Chena River in the heart of downtown Fairbanks. You can walk out the front door and take a riverside walk on a path, or browse downtown shops and restaurants. The hotel’s Lavelle’s Bistro, one of Fairbanks’ best restaurants, is open for dinner each evening.
This very special accommodation is a collection of guest cabins plus a main lodge. The cabins are perched high on a hill with spectacular views of Mt. McKinley and the Alaska Range. Each has a bed and wood stove, with a charming outhouse right outside your door (Alaskans take great creative pride in their outhouses). There is also a shared bath facility with hot showers and flush toilets. The camp is rustic but truly inspirational, with the incredible setting and warm, welcoming staff. Guests gather at the main lodge for meals and to sit by the fire and enjoy stories from fellow travelers.
Alyeska Resort is a large full service retreat, set in the heart of the Chugach Mountains, right at the foot of the Mt. Alyeska ski resort. There are several great hiking trails right from the resort that will wind you through the lush temperate rainforest surrounding the lodge, or will take you high above the resort, giving you spectacular views of the seven hanging glaciers in this valley. As a full service resort, there are several dining options available for your stay, including the Seven Glaciers Hotel, which is accessed via exciting tram ride and sits at the top of Mt Alyeska!
Situated on the shores of Kachemak Bay at the end of Homer Spit, you can walk out the hotel door to walk the beach, or look for otters, whales, seals, and eagles right from your private deck. Guest accommodations are in 117 modern rooms, each with private bath and deck. Enjoy your stay in—pretty much literally—Kachemak Bay!
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