Discover Denali

This itinerary starts BEFORE the accompanying cruise itinerary.

Upon arrival at the Anchorage airport, you will be met and transferred to the Hilton Hotel. Those guests who have made their own flight arrangements need to supply their flight schedule to RSSC reservations no later than 30 days prior to arrival in Anchorage. The evening is at your leisure. Overnight at the Hilton Hotel, Anchorage.

After breakfast at the hotel, begin your 3-hour scenic tour from Anchorage to Talkeetna via the George Parks Highway, linking the state's two largest cities, Anchorage and Fairbanks, with Denali National Park and Preserve. The George Parks Highway travels through the kind of scenery that defines the Alaskan interior: tundra and muskeg, the continent's highest peaks, glaciers, forests, wild rivers, and vast expanses inhabited only by moose, grizzlies, foxes, wolves, and a wealth of birds. Visit the quaint town of Talkeetna filled with Alaska history and local charm. This afternoon, ride on the world famous Alaska Railroad from Talkeetna to Denali (4 and a half hrs) along the Susitna River, and enjoy your lunch onboard. Upon arrival in Denali you will be transferred to the Grande Denali Hotel. After dinner in the hotel, the night is at your leisure. Overnight at the Grande Denali Hotel, Denali Park.

After an early breakfast at the hotel, pack the camera for the six to eight hour Tundra Wilderness Tour deep into the heart of Denali Park in search of wildlife. The tour is operated by the Denali National Park concessionaire in assigned school buses. Keep your eyes open for moose, sheep, caribou and grizzly bear. The trip is fully narrated and makes frequent stops for photos and restroom breaks. A snack box lunch is included on the bus. Upon returning to the hotel mid-afternoon, enjoy the rest of the day and evening at leisure for optional activities. Overnight at the Grande Denali Hotel, Denali Park.

After breakfast at the hotel, begin your day's tour from Denali to Alyeska on the Parks Highway. Magnificent views of Mt. McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America, are found along the highway (weather permitting). Stop at the Iditarod Sled Dog Headquarters and learn about this truly Alaskan competition. From Anchorage, to Nome on the Bering Sea coast, each team of 12 to 16 dogs and their musher cover 1,150 miles in 10 to 17 days over the roughest, terrain Alaska has to offer. Over jagged mountain ranges, frozen river, dense forest, desolate tundra and miles of windswept coast, the mushers and their dog teams race. Add temperatures far below zero, winds that cause complete loss of visibility, the hazards of overflow, long hours of darkness, and you have the Iditarod. The last Great Race on Earth. A picnic box snack lunch is included en-route. Continue past Anchorage along the shoreline between the Chugach Mountains and the waters of Turnagain Arm to Girdwood and the Alyeska Prince Resort. The rest of the day and evening are at your leisure. Overnight at the Alyeska Prince Resort, Girdwood.

After breakfast at the hotel, ride to the top of Mt. Alyeska on the aerial tramway for a spectacular view of the surrounding area with its seven glaciers. Back at the hotel, a light snack lunch is served before departing for Seward. The road linking Anchorage with Seward passes through some of the most spectacular scenery in the country and holds triple designation: USDA Forest Service Scenic Byway, Alaska Scenic Byway, and All-American Road. Then on to Seward and your waiting cruise ship.