RAAN03 Alaska's Treasures by Rail – Alaska Railroad Trip

If there is a super simple way to combine the great beauty of Denali and Kenai Fjords National Parks in one single rail trip, then this tour is it! You start in Anchorage, which is filled with lot of adventures along with metropolitan amenities. With thousands of moose, very many national parks nearby and 60 glaciers in a quick drive away, it's one of the best places to start your vacation. Experience Alaska's most spectacular train route on board the Coastal Classic Train to Seward on the Kenai Peninsula. Relax on the train and see glaciers, snow-capped peaks, lakes and wildlife. Seward is situated at the head of Resurrection Bay on the Kenai Peninsula and it is one of Alaska’s oldest and most scenic communities. Trophy sport fishing, glacier and wildlife cruises, sailing, hiking, kayaking, flightseeing, summer dog sled rides and lots more is possible to do from Seward. But the major attraction is the Kenai Fjords Wildlife & Glacier Cruise, which on a clear day will be a trip that you would remember forever! Denali National Park nestling in the shadows of towering 20.320 ft. Mt. Denali will be your next stop. Denali National Park mesmerizes every one with its pristine beauty amazing hikes and great wildlife spotting. Please read our itinerary to have more detailed day-to-day experience. On request, this trip can be customized and can be organized in reverse order.

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Itinerary

Anchorage ( Overnight: Anchorage )

Arrive in Anchorage during the day. Transfer to your hotel in downtown Anchorage. Nestled along the Chugach Mountains, the coastal city of Anchorage is not the frozen tundra of Alaska you might imagine. You will find it’s brimming with activities for the outdoorsy and adventurous. Being the largest city in Alaska, it is rich in indigenous culture; spend your day enjoying the Alaska Native Heritage Center, visiting the Anchorage Museum, or browsing through the Saturday Market. Visit the Lake Hood Floatplane base, go for a walk along the Coastal Train and try out one of Anchorage popular seafood restaurants. With so much of variety of things, for a first time visitor to Alaska or a seasoned traveller, Anchorage has more to offer and is the perfect starting point for your journey into Alaska.

Anchorage – Seward ( Overnight: Seward )

Board the Alaska Railroad early morning for your departure to Seward. The train ride offers incomparable vista of fjords, glaciers and mountains as you follow the Cook Inlet/Turnagain Arm. Arrive in Seward at 11 am. You will be greeted by the tour guide for your Seward area Sightseeing Tour. Heading out to Exit Glacier, take a short walk to the face of the glacial ice. Watch for mountain goats, moose or bear on the mountainside. During the salmon runs, see salmon swimming upstream to spawn. A hearty lunch will be served at nearby Resurrection Roadhouse before you travel to the Seavey homestead and experience "IditaRide" 1.5 hour Wilderness Dog Sled Ride and Tour. In the evening enjoy a seafood dinner at the boat harbor. Included: Seward Area Sightseeing Tour

Seward - Anchorage ( Overnight: Anchorage )

This morning board the stable catamaran for a spectacular cruise deep into Kenai Fjords National Park with actively "calving" glaciers and magnificent scenery. Covering 110-miles, the trip is narrated by a National Park Ranger, who is highly adept at spotting wildlife and pointing out the many sights. Kenai Fjords showcase the best of Alaska’s marine world in a compact package. Sea otters float belly-up eating mussels while Harbor seals haul out on icebergs. Look out for Steller sea lions on Chiswell Island as well as Humpback and killer whales. After reaching the tidewater glacier, guests witness "glacier calving" a process by which glaciers shed giant slabs of ancient ice. Board the Alaska Railroad this evening for a scenic train ride north to Anchorage. Included: Kenai Fjords Glacier & Wildlife Cruise

Anchorage - Denali National Park (Overnight: Denali Village )

Morning transfer to the railroad station where you'll board the train to Denali National Park. Choose between the standard rail car or the glass-dome compartments with large panorama windows ensuring unobstructed views of snowcapped mountain ranges, pristine scenery and abundant wildlife. Enjoy the comfortable ride as the train takes you via the Matanuska Valley towards the Alaska Range and Mt. Denali. Onboard services feature a restaurant, gift shop and snack bar. Arrive at Denali Village late afternoon. Transfer to your hotel and check into your room. Once you settled take a stroll through Denali Village, join a flightseeing tour, wildwater rafting trip or visit Jeff King’s Husky Homestead Kennel for a personal tour with four-time Iditarod champion Jeff King and his sled dogs.

Denali National Park ( Overnight: Denali Village )

Denali National Park offers excellent wildlife viewing and spectacular sceneries. Pick up your tickets, board the bus and watch out for grizzly bears, moose, caribou, wolf and fox moving along the ridges and river beds. Your driver informs about the history of Denali National Park, its diverse wildlife and flora. Once an animal has been spotted the bus will stop that everyone can watch and take pictures. The bus turns around at Eielson Visitor Center - 66 miles one way/8 hours round trip. You can get off the bus anytime to go for a hike. Return to the Denali Park entrance anytime during the day. Optional: We can extend the transit bus tour to Wonder Lake or exchange to the Tundra Wilderness Tour, Kantishna Wilderness Trails or Backcountry Lodge Tour. Included: Denali Transit Bus to Eielson Center

Denali National Park – Anchorage

Board the Alaska Railroad and relax in your comfortable reclining seats, have a delicious lunch onboard or listen to the commentaries from an onboard interpreter. Just south of Denali National Park you will be passing the small community of Cantwell and then enter Broad Pass, offering majestic views of the Alaska Range in all directions. Your rail tour continues via Wasilla - home of the Alaska Iditarod Sled Dog Race - and crosses the Knik River with the Chugach Mountains as a backdrop before arriving in Anchorage. The tour ends with the arrival at the Anchorage Train Station. Please contact us for an additional overnight in Anchorage or extending the tour.

Prices & Dates

Rates in US $ / per Person

Comfort Hotel Category	Single	Double	Triple	Quad	Child
May 18 - May 31	$2307	$1650	$1450	$1350	$560
June 1 - August 31	$2636	$1854	$1616	$1497	$785
September 1 - September 13	$2558	$1776	$1538	$1419	$573

First Class Hotel Category	Single	Double	Triple	Quad	Child
May 18 - May 31	$2901	$2169	$1979	$1884	$814
June 1 - August 31	$3827	$2721	$2402	$2242	$939
September 1 - September 13	$3259	$2353	$2101	$1975	$876

What’s included

5 Nights Comfort OR First-Class Accommodation

Hotel and State Taxes

Seward Area Sightseeing Tour & Sled Dog Ride

Kenai Fjords Glacier & Wildlife Cruise including Lunch

Seward Harbor Tax

Denali Transit Bus Ticket to Eielson Visitor Center

Seward and Denali Railroad Station Transfers

Anchorage Airport and Railroad Station Transfers ( Comfort Category Only )

Tour Documentation

Sightseeing Information

Railroad Transportation Anchorage – Seward

Railroad Transportation Seward - Anchorage

Railroad Transportation Anchorage - Denali National Park

Railroad Transportation Denali National Park – Anchorage

Comfort Hotel Category includes Reserved Seats in Standard Adventure Class Train
( upgrade to Dome Car Train is available upon request )

First Class Hotel Category includes Reserved Seats in Upper Level Panorama Dome Car Train,
Meals on Board, Priority Check-in & Boarding, Use of Private Outdoor Viewing Platform,
Priority Dining Room Seating, Enhanced Reclining Seats

Tour Departures

Daily from May 18th – September 13th

Attractions & Optional

Seward: Extend Kenai Fjords Cruise to Northwestern Fjords Cruise

The premium 8 1/2 hrs Kenai Fjords Cruise covers magnificent Northwestern Fjord - the home to three amazing tidewater glacier, hanging alpine glacier, abundant wildlife such as Orca Whales, Steller Sea Lions, playful Sea Otters, Bald Eagles, Puffins and of course the magnificent scenery. On this tour we travel futher into Kenai Fjords National Park than most other daily cruise tour operators. In addition we visit the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge and Chiswell Island's seabird rookeries within Resurrection Bay. Make sure you bring your camera to photograph the abundant marine and coastal wildlife, many types of sea birds and the untouched beauty of Alaska's shorelines. Tour includes a light breakfast and hot lunch. Total 150 miles round trip.

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Seward: Extend Kenai Fjords Cruise and include a dinner on Fox Island

Spend your day aboard the most popular wildlife and glacier cruise in Alaska. Explore the wildlife and glaciers of Kenai Fjords National Park. Then, dock at the magical Fox Island for an all-you-can-eat prime rib and Alaska salmon buffet. What a day!

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Denali: Exchange Transit Bus Tour to Denali Tundra Wilderness Tour

The fully narrated 62-mile Tundra Wilderness Tour into Denali National Park is led by a certified naturalist driver/guide who will also provide historical and geographical background of the area. The tour will last approximately eight to nine hours and includes ample photo and rest stops. When your tour driver is able, he/she will take video footage of animals along Park Road and project these images onto drop-down video screens, featured only our specially designed tour buses. This way you can get a close-up look at the roadside action. At the end of the tour, you’ll have the opportunity to purchase a “Tundra Wilderness Tour” DVD, which will feature some of the video footage shot from your tour! Guests cannot switch buses throughout the day (only the Denali Transit Bus allows this).

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Denali: Exchange Transit Bus Tour to Kantishna Wilderness Trails Tour

The Kantishna Wilderness Trails tour is the premier Denali Park wilderness bus excursion. Spend the entire day in Denali National Park and discover a piece of Alaska's gold rush history and warm hospitality at the historic Kantishna Roadhouse, located just past Wonder Lake on the banks of Moose Creek. Your 12 to 13-hour fully-narrated excursion to Kantishna travels via a custom motorcoach through 95 miles of Denali National Park's prime wildlife habitat. The last 30 miles allow for full viewing of Mt. Denali, weather permitting. The wilderness backcountry of Denali Park provides diverse habitats which support big-game species such as black bear, grizzly, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, wolf, and wolverine. Hot beverages and refreshments are included en route to the Kantishna Roadhouse. After a hearty deli style lunch in the dining room at the Roadhouse, relax and visit the Historical Recorder's Cabin and enjoy a dog sled demonstration or gold panning. Guests cannot switch buses throughout the day (only the Denali Transit Bus allows this).

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Denali: Exchange Transit Bus Tour to Denali Backcountry Adventure Bus Tour

The Denali Backcountry Adventure Tour is another premier Denali Park Wildlife bus excursion. This full-day, 13-hour tour travels 95 miles in each direction to the Denali Backcountry Lodge in Kantishna. You'll travel by private bus with a trained naturalist driver/guide giving interpretation along the way helping you search for bear, moose, caribou and other wildlife while pointing out the biology and geology of the region. Several photo and rest stops will be made. Snacks, drinks and lunch are provided. Lunch is served at the exclusive Denali Backcountry Lodge in Kantishna. Lunch consists of a sandwich bar, soups, fruits, snacks, fresh baked goods and non-alcoholic drinks. After lunch try your luck at gold panning near the lodge or take a guided nature walk before returning to the Park entrance.

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Anchorage: Bear Viewing Tour Day Trip to Brooks Falls / Katmai National Park

Take off from Anchorage to an all day bear viewing expedition past glaciers and volcanoes - within the land of the giant animals: the brown bear country of southwest Alaska. You'll fly to Katmai's - worlds famous Brooks River Falls where brown bears feed on salmon. Each year millions of sockeye salmons burst from the Bering Sea into lakes and streams of the Katmai National Park. These fish provide the primary food source for the worlds largest population of brown bears. As many as 50 bears may be viewed up-close-and-personal from elevated boardwalks and viewing platforms fishing along the 1 1/2 mile Brooks River during peak season (July). Local National Park Rangers are answering all of your questions about this incredible park during the self guided full day tour. Lunch is included at Brooks Lodge.

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Accommodation

First Class Hotel Category (**** Hotels & Lodges)

First Class Hotels tend to provide additional amenities such as on-site restaurant, Lounge, Bar, Fireplace Seating, Fitness Facility, Swimming Pool / Hot Tub etc. All First Class Hotel Rooms are of higher category and are always equipped with a private bathroom. Most of these Category Hotels are normally located in prime downtown locations or within national parks. These include larger hotel chains are for example: Marriott Hotels, Sheraton, Westmark Hotels, Princess Hotels and Lodges, Clarion Suites, Comfort Inn & Suite. The larger hotel chains are only available in Anchorage and Fairbanks. In case of non-availability of a larger hotel chain, we prefer to book locally owned Premium Hotels / Deluxe Cabins or Cottage for our clients. Please note that First class accommodation may not be available in small locations and in such cases we will then book the best available accommodation.

Comfort Hotel Category (*** Hotels, Motels & Lodges) Title

Comfort Hotels offer a good amount of essential guest services and are located in downtown locations and/or in/near national park areas. All Comfort Hotel Rooms are provided with private bathroom facilities. Example larger hotel chains for Comfort Hotel Category are: Holiday Inn, Howard Johnson, Guesthouse Inn, Ramada Inn, High Country Inn. As you might be aware, that these hotel chains are not available throughout Alaska. In such cases or/and when we feel that Alaskan owned hotels & lodges offer a better experience, we go with that choice. Cabins and Cottages also considered in this category to make your experience even more ‘Alaskan’. We ensure that all the Cabins & Cottages have a private bath to make your stay comfortable.

Information

Customizing Tours

All of our tours are flexible and you can add, modify or exchange nights in destinations to suit your timetable and preferred routing. Thus, sometimes it will be necessary to observe ferry schedules, national park opening/closing dates etc. to match certain dates and/or departures. Please check also each itinerary online.

Included Services

Please refer to the appropriate tour page for a listing of included services. Our service generally includes the rental car, accommodation, applicable local taxes, ferry trips as scheduled, sightseeing as per itinerary, a detailed tour description, highway or road logs. Not included are: Meals, tunnel tolls, gasoline, entrance fees, additional sightseeing tours. The rental of a compact car (automatic) is always included in our flexible self drive tour packages. Additional rental days or upgrade to a Mid and Full Size Car, Mini Van or Sport Utility Vehicles (4x4) are available. The displayed upgrade rental rates are always per car (not per person) - and of course for the total length of the tour package. Our advertised rates include all local taxes, licensing fee, airport fee, road tax and unlimited mileage. Rental Car insurance is not included as most US guests can use their own private insurance. A valid driver license and a valid major credit card are mandatory for all individual vehicle rentals and/or tour packages including vehicle rentals. Driving on gravel roads/highways is at own risk. The rental car insurance is void on the following highways Denali Highway, Dalton Highway, Top of the World Highway, Taylor Highway, McCarthy Road, Dempster Highway and all other gravel roads. You will be responsible for any damages. Drivers have to be more than 25 years of age. Contact us if you are below 25 years of age.

Advance Reservation

If you travel during the high season from the middle/end of June until the end of August we recommend booking as early as possible to avoid disappointments with sold out situations in highly frequented national parks and gateways - because the northern tour season is very short. The same applies in/around national holidays. Any hotel accommodation, rentals cars and ferry space must be definitely booked well in advance. Thus, tour operator such as our company may still have space on a short notice. Accordingly it is well worth to contact us.

Travel Month

The last two weeks of May, June and September are perfect months for a vacation in the Land of the Midnight Sun. The weather is usually stable and sunny with almost 24 hours of daylight. July and August are prime travel months and are obviously very busy.

Emergency Assistance

You can contact us in case of an emergency. We have a dedicated 24/7 helpline available for our guests.

Available Room Occupancy / Bed Configuration

Single: A room assigned to one person. Room with one bed (double, queen, king size)

Double: A room assigned to two people. Room with two double/queen beds or a king size bed.

Triple:A room assigned to three people. Room with two double/queen beds

Quad: A room assigned to four people. Room with two double/queen beds The maximum occupancy per room is four. Please request if you require a roll-a-way bed.

We can arrange our self drive tours including 2 rooms and 1 rental car if your group is larger than 4.

Bed and Breakfast (B&B) Option

We can substitute the overnight in a hotel with the overnight in a Bed and Breakfast. In this case breakfast is included. The rate of the first class / comfort hotel class will remain the same. We can only exchange some of the hotels since B&B’s are not available in all locations.

Northern Lights Observation

Because of the long daylight hours it is uncommon to see the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) displays from mid May until mid August. The Aurora occurs mainly during the fall / winter months from September – April. Please refer also to our winter touring program.

VISA / Identification

The Visa/entry requirements do change frequently. Please check requirements on the appropriate government pages. We are unable to take any responsibility for such information however you will definitely need your passport to cross the US/Canadian Border. Please ask us if your self drive tour enters Canada.

Travel Insurance

We strongly encourage you to purchase travel insurance to cover: cancellation fees associated with an outing as well as airfare or other nonrefundable expense in the event you need to cancel a trip; medical expenses incurred on a trip; and the cost of a possible medical evacuation from a trip, canceled flights due to weather. We have made arrangements with our trusted travel insurance provider for you to purchase a comprehensive travel insurance plan. Please contact us for details

Reviews

Jessie, NY: We have had a great vacation, Alaska is just beautiful. Taking the train from Anchorage to Seward was one of the favorite parts of the trip. There were amazing views and the seats were comfortable. The cafe had good options for breakfast and snacks. The Seward Sightseeing Tour was a once in a life time experience for someone who is from the East coast. First, you had an introduction to the Iditarod race. Then you walked back to the kennels and were introduced to the dogs. We were a small group of 5 so we loaded up on a sled and mushed away. All of the guides were great. They talked about the dogs and how they are cared for and prep for racing. After our ride through the woods, we came back and got to play with the puppies, some newborns and some a few weeks old. After play time, we went into the class room and were shown sleds, trophys and one dog was dressed up to be out in the tundra (even though he was not happy about doing it).