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RSJU02 Alaska Wilderness Spirit Holiday

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  • Code: RSJU02

RSJU02 Alaska Wilderness Spirit Holiday

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This 12 day scenic route will give you a wonderful introduction to the natural wonders of Alaska and the Yukon Territory. Arrive to Juneau by plane or cruiseship. Alaska’s capital city Juneau is many things: a mountain town, a coastal community, wildlife hotspot, cultural jewel and rich in history, art, music and Native heritage. Explore the highlights of Juneau, visit Mendenhall Glacier and enjoy a journey through one of the most dramatic sites in the world - Tracy Arm Fjord. Continue on board the Alaska Ferry along Alaska’s Inside Passage to Haines. Pick up your rental car in Haines, travel on the historic gold-rush trail and visit Whitehorse and the gold-rush town of Dawson City. You soon will be admiring the vast untamed wilderness and majestic mountain scenery of the Yukon Territory. The scenic Top of the World Highway takes visitors via the historic Fortymile gold mining district to Alaska. You then explore the great northern arctic region from Fairbanks and may cross the Arctic Circle. Board in Fairbanks the last full-service railroad in North America and choose between the “Adventure Class” seating in the one-storey railway car or the “Deluxe Dome Railcar” on board the Alaska Railroad or with one of the privately operated trains. All train cars feature large panorama windows ensuring unobstructed views around every bend of the majestic beauty of the glaciers, mountains and Alaskan wildlife. Spend two days at Denali National Park which is the natural habitat for many types of wildlife including caribou, moose, wolves, Dall sheep, bald eagles, and the mighty grizzly bears. The name ''Denali'' means ''The Great One'' in the native Athabascan language. At 20,310 feet above sea level Denali is the highest peak in North America and is surrounded by one of the world's most spectacular wildlife sanctuaries. The leisure train ride to Anchorage provides many spectacular vistas of the Alaska Range. The finale to this tour is Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city and brimming with activities for the outdoorsy and adventurous. 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.

  • Itinerary

  • Prices & Dates

  • Attractions & Add-ons

  • Accommodation

  • Rental Car

  • Map

  • Information

  • Reviews

Juneau | Arrival Day ( Overnight: Juneau )

Welcome to Juneau ! Transfer to your hotel in downtown Juneau. You may join a sightseeing tour of Juneau including the visit to Mendenhall Glacier - a half-mile wide ice field - for many the most accessible and breathtaking glacier in Alaska. The Mount Roberts Tramway takes guests up to an observation deck, providing arguably the best picture-taking opportunities. Another option is the full day bear viewing tour to Admiralty Island, home to the largest concentration of brown bear in the world. Admiralty Island, also known as the "Fortress of the Bears" is the location for some of the finest brown bear viewing in Southeast Alaska. Depending on when you go, you’ll see bears foraging for clams or fishing for salmon.

Juneau ( Overnight: Juneau )

Journey through one of the most dramatic sites in the world - Tracy Arm Fjord. This narrow fjord twists and turns for over 30 miles, culminating in a spectacular view of the twin tidewater Sawyer Glaciers. Your captain will navigate as close as the ice floe allows, stopping for an extended stay at the face of the glacier. Watch for seals relaxing on the icebergs and bald eagles soaring above the cliffs. Learn about the natural history of the fjord, glaciers and the wildlife from our onboard naturalist. Gain insights into Tlingit Native culture. Overcast days will not dampen your enjoyment as clouds and mist only heighten the drama of the fjord and intensify the glacial blue color. Included: Tracy Arm Fjords Glacier Cruise

Juneau - Ferry to Haines, Rental Car pick-up ( Overnight: Haines )

This morning board the Alaska Ferry to Haines. It is a spectacularly scenic and relaxing ferry ride along the Lynn Canal, a fjord that is as beautiful and pristine as any in the world. Arrive in Haines, located in the Valley of the Eagles and pick up your rental car. Haines is situated at the upper end of the Inside Passage, surrounded by snowcapped mountains, lush meadows and forests. Across the waters of the Chilkat River is Pyramid Harbor and the start of the Dalton Trail - a route to the Klondike gold fields. The Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is called the "Council Grounds" and was established to protect the world's largest concentration of Bald Eagles and their critical habitat. Visit Fort William H. Seward with its old officers' headquarters and barracks buildings.

Haines – Whitehorse ( Driving Distance: 250 miles | Overnight: Whitehorse )

The Haines Highway winds from Haines over the Chilkat Pass - the highest summit on this highway. You pass Klukshu, a native summer fishing camp offering great photo opportunities. Arrive in Haines Junction, gateway to Kluane National Park. The Kluane area covers the largest non-polar icefields in the world. Visit the sheep mountain visitor center with its interpretive programs about the flora and fauna. Viewing telescopes are available where you can spot dall sheep on the mountain slopes. Continue to Yukon's capital Whitehorse and explore the sights: Miles Canyon, SS Klondike, McBride Museum - covering half a city block, this log-cabin museum is crammed with relics from the gold-rush era and has a large display of Yukon wildlife and minerals, all lovingly arranged by a nonprofit society.

Whitehorse – Dawson City ( Driving Distance: 270 miles | Overnight: Dawson City )

The Klondike Highway often parallels the Yukon River as it winds its way to Dawson City. Water in the Yukon River travels more than 3,000 km from headwaters near the Chilkoot Pass to the mouth at the Bering Sea. As you travel you will leave country that has been glaciated many times to visit an environment, known as Beringia, which was ice free during the last major ice age. Steppe bison and woolly mammoths inhabited this cool, ice-free land that once connected the continents of North America and Asia. The highway passes through three communities on the way to Dawson City - and there is plenty to see along the way. Drive along Lake Laberge to Carmacks, a former trading post and stopover at the 5-Finger Rapids – a navigational hazard for many stampeder on their way to the gold claims

Dawson City ( Overnight: Dawson City )

A full day to explore the goldrush town Dawson City and the gold fields: Visit the historical buildings, Jack London and Robert Service cabins and old stores that were the pulse of the gold rush capital in its hey-days. As you walk through the heart of Dawson City, your imagination will run to the likes of Klondike Kate, Arizona Charlie Meadows and Diamond Tooth Gertie strolling down Dawson's boardwalks. Their spirit is as alive today as it was in 1898. From the one-time capital of the Yukon you'll follow history up Bonanza Creek (pan for gold) to Discovery Claim and Grand Forks once boasted a population of 10,000 where the Eldorado Creek and Upper Bonanza come together. Take a guided tour of the Gold Dredge #4 and visit the Diamond Tooth Gertie's Gambling Hall for evening entertainment.

Dawson City – Fairbanks ( Driving Distance: 380 miles | Overnight: Fairbanks )

Cross the Yukon River by ferry (no charge) after leaving Dawson City and enjoy a scenic drive on the Top of the World Highway offering endless views into spectacular alpine valleys. Stopover in Chicken - a former mining camp and trading post on the banks of the Fortymile River. Explore some old remnants of the old frontier Alaska such as: the mercantile emporium, Chicken Creek Saloon and the historic Tisha's Schoolhouse. Continue your journey on the famous Alaska Highway #1 and drive via Tok towards Fairbanks. Stopover at Santa Clause House in North Pole where Christmas is celebrated year round. In the evening enjoy a dinner at the Pump House on the banks of the Chena River. Please Note: We can add an overnight in Tok if you wish to drive the distance in two days.

Fairbanks | End of Self Drive Tour ( Overnight: Fairbanks )

The allure of crossing the Arctic Circle becomes a possibility once you reach Fairbanks. Guided van tours along the Dalton Highway or flight tours to the Arctic Circle and Yukon River is a super popular choice. Join a bushplane flight to Fort Yukon to understand as well as experience how the Gwich'in Athabascan Natives live in "Bush" Alaska. As mentioned earlier Fairbanks becomes a hub for very many activities and the list keeps going on. Visiting Chena Hot Springs Resort can be added to the 'To-Do' List! Chena Hot Springs Resort offers a large indoor heated pool and a natural outdoor rock lake for relaxation. The on-site Aurora Ice Museum is a special attraction and was created from over 1,000 tons of ice and snow, all harvested at the resort. Drop of your rental car this evening.

Fairbanks – Denali National Park | Rail Tour ( Overnight: Denali Village )

Enjoy the scenic ride onboard the Alaska Railroad 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. The train passes through the small community of Nenana, known for the Nenana Ice Classic Lottery. Just north of the Denali park, the train winds along Healy Canyon, following the curves of the Nenana River below. Arrive at Denali Village at noon. 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 | Rail Tour ( Overnight: 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 you'll enter Broad Pass, offering majestic views of the Alaska Range in all directions. Your rail tour continues via Wasilla and crosses the Knik River with the Chugach Mountains as a backdrop before arriving in Anchorage, Alaska's largest city. Nestled along the Chugach Mountains, the coastal city is brimming with activities for the outdoorsy and adventurous, as well as the more relaxed. Visit the Log Cabin Visitor Center and its Crossroad, Ship Creek Viewpoint overlooking Cook Inlet and the Resolution Park with its Captain Cook Monument. Try out one of the popular seafood restaurants this evening.

Anchorage

Time for your favourite activity - join a bear viewing day tour to Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park or to Silver Salmon Creek in Lake Clark, take a scenic glacier & wildlife cruise deep into Prince William Sound or explore the local attractions. A picture-perfect flightseeing trip takes you over Cook Inlet to Katmai Coast. Watch bears digging for clams, wandering the sedge grass, or nursing their young. Another option is the day trip to iconic Brooks Falls in the middle of Katmai, famous for bears swatting at Salmon making their way upstream. The Prince William Sound is one of the few places left in the world where a concentration of glaciers can be found in such abundance. View majestic alpine and tidewater glaciers covered with ancient ice and observe a large variety of marine wildlife.

Rates in US $ / per Person
Comfort Hotel Category Single Double Triple Quad Child
May 20 - May 31 $4774 $2735 $2141 $1841 $560
June 1 - August 31 $5301 $3030 $2359 $2020 $585
September 1 - September 15 $4774 $2735 $2141 $1841 $560
First Class Hotel Category Single Double Triple Quad Child
May 20 - May 31 $5525 $3243 $2573 $2237 $706
June 1 - August 31 $6072 $3557 $2809 $2436 $741
September 1 - September 15 $5525 $3243 $2573 $2237 $706

What’s included

11 Nights Comfort OR First-Class Accommodation

Hotel and State Taxes

06 Days Midsize Rental Car (For additional Upgrades and Extras Click Here)

Unlimited Free Mileage

Rental Car Licensing Fees

CFC, State & City Rental Car Sales Taxes

One Way Rental Fee

Alaska Ferry Transfer from Juneau - Haines / Passengers

Denali Transit Bus Ticket to Eielson Visitor Center

Tracy Arm Fjords Glacier Cruise

Juneau, Denali & Fairbanks Railroad Station and Airport Transfers

Tour Documentation

Sightseeing Information

Railroad Transportation Fairbanks – 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 for $280.00 per person )

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

Tour Departures

Daily  from  May  20th  –  September  15th

Skagway: White Pass & Yukon Railroad Summit Excursion

Take an unforgettable journey aboard the "Scenic Railway of the World" to the White Pass summit. Begin your excursion as you board the train in Skagway and travel 20 miles from tidewater, to the Summit of the White Pass - a 2,865-foot elevation! On this Skagway train tour, relax in vintage passenger coaches as you retrace the original route to the White Pass summit, passing Bridal Veil Falls, Inspiration Point, and Dead Horse Gulch. Enjoy a breathtaking panorama of mountains, glaciers, gorges, waterfalls, tunnels, trestles, and historic sites along the White Pass Railroad. See the original Klondike Trail of 1898 worn into the rocks, a permanent tribute to the thousands of souls who passed this way in search of fortune. This tour takes about 3 to 3.5 hrs.

More Details & Pricing

Fairbanks: Guided Arctic Circle Van Tour

On this tour you will travel from Fairbanks along the Dalton Highway to the Arctic Circle in the Brooks Mountain Range. Enjoy the first-hand experience of the Earth’s northernmost circle of latitude in one of our climate-controlled vans. Here, in the summer, the sky is completely light for 24 hours a day! Travel along the famous Dalton Highway and spot wildlife (no guarantee) as you cross the Yukon River. When you arrive, learn about the area’s indigenous culture, take a walk with your guide, snap photos of the arctic landscape, and enjoy lunch amidst the incredible surroundings. You’ll take home an official Arctic Circle certificate to commemorate this amazing Alaska experience.

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Fairbanks: Guided Arctic Circle Fly/Drive to Coldfoot & the Yukon River

Cross the Arctic Circle on this one day guided roundtrip journey by air and land. This tour takes visitors deep into the Arctic tundra within Alaska’s Far North region. The adventure begins with a scenic flightseeing tour from Fairbanks. Gain a birds-eye view of the Gates of the Arctic National Park and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on your way to the mining community of Coldfoot, a remote pipeline camp nestled in the Brooks Mountain Range. Your journey continues on the return drive to Fairbanks via the Dalton Highway, a roadway made famous during the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Experience the grand Yukon River and learn about its storied past and visit the Arctic Circle Trading Post in Joy, Alaska where you will receive an official certificate for crossing the Arctic Circle!

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Fairbanks: Arctic Circle Flightseeing Tour to Fort Yukon & the Yukon River

Experience a breathtaking tour of Fort Yukon by plane. Enjoy the 50 minute flight to For Yukon. Fly north over the Yukon River, across the Arctic Circle, thru the Brooks Mountain Range, and over the Gates of the Arctic National Park. Upon landing you will meet a local host who will take you around Fort Yukon by bus and share their home with you enlighten with facts about the area. The tour does make a stop at the Yukon River for a chance to get out and take pictures. Once the tour is over, you will have a return flight to Fairbanks where you'll receive an official certificate for crossing the Arctic Circle!

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Fairbanks: Riverboat Discovery Sternwheeler Cruise

If you've ever read Mark Twain you know of his days as a riverboat captain. Did you know that Jack London was a riverboat pilot as well? Here's your chance to experience the adventure these renowned writers enjoyed as you cruise aboard the authentic sternwheeler riverboat Discovery II, rated the number one boat tour in North America. Enjoy a lively narration as you view a trapper's cabin, log homes, and a bush pilot performance. Visit the home of four time Iditarod champion Susan Butcher, as you pass Trail Breaker Kennels along the Chena River. Learn first hand about kennel life and the challenges that go into making a champion dogsled team. You'll make a stop at the historic site of a Chena Indian village to see native crafters in action and to learn abut Native Alaskan hunting and fishing at an Athabascan Fish Camp.

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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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Sasha, Vienna: We have booked our first Alaska trip with you this year and everything was very well organized. As a matter of fact, it was great that we were able to install individually desired stops during the actual driving tour across the Yukon Territory and Alaska. We liked that very much. The drive on the Taylor Highway was a bit slow (gravel road mostly) but the scenery makes the trip worthwhile. Of course I can't work through all the recommendations. We have selected the most interesting places for us. As with our first trip, we were very enthusiastic about the hotel and B&B accommodations. All hosts were very obliging and very friendly. It was a very nice trip with a varied landscape. The highlight from our point of view was the Tracy Arm Fjords Cruise - never seen so many glaciers and calving ice before, the charming gold rush town Dawson City (went gambling !) and Denali National Park. Exactly on the day of our Denali bus tour, we had the best weather with blue sky and sunshine. We really liked Alaska’s Inside Passage. We will definitely return to explore more of this beautiful last frontier. Thank you very much!