Alaskan Classic Adventure: Best of Denali and Prince William Sound with Alaska Discovery

Note:  You will need to arrive in Anchorage prior to Day 1.

On DAY ONE, meet the other members of the group and your guide at the Copper Whale Inn, at 9:30 a.m. There will be a mandatory pre-trip meeting with breakfast. After breakfast, we will check out of our hotels and depart Anchorage.

We load into our vehicles for a glorious drive along the Turnagain Arm to the mountain community of Girdwood. A bustling ski destination in the winter, Girdwood in the summer boasts great hiking and gorgeous scenic vistas. After lunch, the afternoon is full of activity. After settling into our rooms at the 5-diamond Alyeska Resort Hotel, we hop on a tram to the mountaintop, gear up with crampons and ice axes, and take a walk on the glacier. We'll round out this day with a delicious meal in Girdwood.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner / Alyeska Resort Hotel - Girdwood

With more coastline than the contiguous 48 states, no trip to Alaska is complete without getting out on the water, and there’s no place better to do this than Prince William Sound. After breakfast, we drive north to the end of Turnagain Arm and Portage Glacier. Then, with apparently nowhere to go, we drive around a corner and dive into a tunnel one lane wide and 2.5 miles long. This is an amazing trip, as we disappear into the heart of the mountain and emerge on the other side in Whittier, Alaska.

From Whittier, a motor vessel whisks us deep into the stunning fjords of Prince William Sound. After a 45-minute boat ride, we transfer to sea kayaks and begin paddling along the breathtaking shoreline past three tidewater glaciers. A cool breeze on our faces, the smell of the salty sea in our noses, and the creaks, groans, and booms of moving ice all around us complete this magical experience.

We end this day of scenic and sensory overload with another night at the Alyeska Hotel in Girdwood. Dinner is on your own tonight. Those who wish may sneak away by tram to a mountaintop restaurant for a once-in-a-lifetime experience of dining while gazing out at seven glaciers.

Breakfast, Lunch / Alyeska Resort Hotel - Girdwood

Alaska has more pilots and planes per capita than any other state in the country, as huge expanses of the state are inaccessible by road. Today we journey back to Anchorage and fly to the entrance of Denali National Park by bush plane. Weather permitting, our flight will take a jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring detour to circle the “big three”—Mounts Foraker, Hunter, and of course, McKinley (Denali). We land in Denali, Alaska, gateway to Denali National Park. Upon arrival at the park entrance, we jump into dry suits for a Class III/IV whitewater rafting trip down the Nenana River. This exciting ride takes us through a dramatic canyon from the Denali National Park entrance to the coal seams near Healy. We relax this evening in cabins a few miles from the park entrance.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner / Denali Grizzly Bear Cabins - Denali

Today we enter Denali National Park. After a leisurely morning, we drive into the park on a restricted access road with Camp Denali staff. Along the way we’ll search for wildlife (moose, caribou, bear, and wolves), stop for a picnic dinner, and begin to see a new side of Mount McKinley if the weather is good. When we arrive, Camp Denali staff will welcome us with a dessert reception and help us settle into our individual cabins.

Each guest cabin is beautifully appointed and affirms Camp Denali’s rustic style. Colorful, hand-crafted patchwork quilts and fine Alaskan artwork display an attention to detail. There is a small wood-burning stove for heat and a gas hotplate for heating water. There is running water (a spigot is outside) and wash basins in each cabin, and each has a convenient “house out back,” hand-built and uncompromisingly sanitary. Denali is even framed by a small heart in the door. A bathroom/shower facility with private hot showers and changing rooms, sinks, and flush toilets is located near the lodge and dining room. 

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner / Camp Denali - Denali National Park

Overlooking Wonder Lake and Mount McKinley, the traditions of excellence, community, and place of Camp Denali go back 50 years. Each day here is filled with laughter and camaraderie, exploration, and relaxation. Options each day are diverse, including photographing, hiking, paddling a canoe, biking, fishing, or reading and relaxing. After a delicious dinner at the lodge, evening programs round out the day.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner / Camp Denali - Denali National Park

Our senses overwhelmed and nerves relaxed, we journey out of the park, watching for wildlife. We’ll board the historic Alaska Railroad for a scenic trip to Anchorage. Leisure time on the train can be spent gazing out large windows or catching up on journals and correspondence. On the train, we enjoy our last dinner together.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner / Copper Whale Inn - Anchorage

We’ll enjoy breakfast together at the hotel and say our final good-byes as we head our separate ways for the journey home. You can schedule your departure from Anchorage any time today.

Breakfast