Compare Alaska Explorer by Audley Travel vs Alaska: The Great Exploration by Discover Corps
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| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 19 days | 7 days |
| Price From | $ 8,182 | $ 4,695 |
| Price Per Day | $ 431 | $ 671 |
| Highlights |
N/A
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| Trip Style | Private guided tour | Group tour |
| Lodging Level | Premium | Standard |
| Physical Level |
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| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
| Activities |
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| Meals Included | N/A |
6 Breakfast, 5 Lunches and 4 Dinners |
| Description |
The USA’s largest state, Alaska is also its wildest corner. As you explore its vast national parks, you’re more likely to see grizzly bears than other visitors. Mountains rise like giant meringues over dense evergreen forests laced with hiking trails. And, along the island-strewn coastline, you can watch as humpback whales twist and twirl their huge bodies out of the water, blowing plumes of spray before disappearing again beneath the waves. Planning a trip to somewhere so untouched can seem daunting, but our specialists, having visited the region, can help tailor an Alaska holiday to your interests. Alongside the state’s natural world are towns and cities with a rich gold-mining past. Skagway could have been plucked from a history book with its brightly painted wooden buildings. From here, you can hop on the White Pass & Yukon Railroad, following in the footsteps of gold prospectors caught in the fever of the Klondike Gold Rush. |
As America’s last frontier, Alaska boasts a nearly endless amount of natural beauty. From glaciers that rival the size of some states to snow-capped mountains that scrape the sky, the rugged Alaskan landscape is unrivaled. Add to that a litany of land and marine life found nowhere else in the U.S. and you have one of the most awe-inspiring experiences available to travelers today. |
Day 1 : Anchorage
Today you begin your journey by boarding your international outbound flight to Anchorage. On arrival in Anchorage make your way to your downtown accommodation. The remainder of the day is free to relax.
Day 2 : Anchorage
Enjoy a day at leisure in Anchorage, relaxing after your flight. You may wish to visit the museums and shops and admire the nearby Chugach Mountains.
Day 3 : Denali Park Entrance
Collect your hire car from the airport depot and drive to Denali National Park. The remainder of the day is free to go white water rafting or explore the vicinity of the park.
Day 4 : Denali Park Entrance
Enjoy a full day trip, by bus, into Denali National Park. This long journey is where most visitors to the park see the vast majority of wildlife. After lunch, return back to the Park Entrance in the afternoon.
Day 5 : Denali Park Entrance
Today you have a full day to explore Denali Park Entrance region. You may wish to take part in some of the many available activities or, alternatively, explore the magnificent scenery of the region.
Day 6 : Fairbanks
Drive north to Fairbanks where you will spend the night. This afternoon you may wish to take a paddle wheeler cruise on the Chena and Tanana rivers.
Day 7 : Fairbanks
Travel by mini coach and light aircraft on a spectacular journey beyond the Arctic Circle. You will see vast stretches of lake-strewn tundra, the Alaska oil pipeline and there will be time to walk on the spongy tundra and learn all about this northern wilderness.
Day 8 : Kennicott & McCarthy
Set off early and drive to Chitina where you board a light aircraft and fly into the mining ghost town of Kennicot on the edge of Wrangell St Elias National Park.
Day 9 : Kennicott & McCarthy
Spend the day exploring Kennicot, McCarthy and Wrangell St Elias National Park. There are some magnificent walks amongst the mountains here and wildlife is prolific.
Day 10 : Kennicott & McCarthy
Enjoy another full day exploring this spectacular national park. Don't miss a visit to the nearby Kennicott copper mine which splendidly evokes the history and industry of the area.
Day 11 : Valdez
After a spectacular early flight back to Chitina re-join your car and drive south to Valdez. The afternoon is free to explore upon arrival.
Day 12 : Seward
Today, board the ferry that will take you across the remarkable Prince William Sound to Whittier. Upon arrival, drive south to Seward.
Day 13 : Seward
Embark on a full day cruise in Kenai Fjords National Park. Here you will be able to appreciate the stunning beauty of the coastal scenery, including icebergs and glaciers, whilst looking out for the abundant wildlife. A delicious salmon and prime rib lunch on Fox Island is included.
Day 14 : Seward
Spend a day exploring the little town of Seward and neighbouring Kenai Fjords National Park. Many activities are available such as walking and canoeing.
Day 15 : Homer
Today, drive to Homer at the tip of the Kenai Peninsula. Homer is well known for halibut fishing so you may wish to try your hand at hooking one of these large fish.
Day 16 : Homer
Take a thrilling light aircraft flight to Katmai National Park, where you land on a deserted beach. From here you will walk in a small group, with your experienced guide, looking for grizzly bears that are seen in significant numbers in the green meadows here. After the bear viewing enjoy the views from the aircraft on your flight back to Homer.
Day 17 : Cooper Landing
Drive to Cooper Landing, a convenient stopping place on the road back to Anchorage.
Day 18 : International return flight
Depart after breakfast to Anchorage Airport where you drop off your hire car before boarding your onward flight.
Day 19 : International return flight
Arrive home today to complete your journey.
Day 1: Arrive in Anchorage
Meals: Dinner
Our Alaskan adventure begins in its charming city of Anchorage. Arrive into Ted Stevens International Airport (ANC) and meet your local Alaskan guide. We’ll get a brief introduction to the area before settling into our accommodations at a boutique inn in downtown Anchorage. Dine alongside locals at a brewhouse and get to know one another as we gear up for the week ahead.
Day 2: Learn about Alaska's History and Meet a Member of the Beluga Whale Alliance
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Today's adventure takes us to the Alaska Native Heritage Center. As Alaska’s largest living cultural center, we’ll get the unique opportunity to explore a village of authentic and traditional structures from Alaska’s many native cultures. We’ll also be treated to a range of performances including native dancing led by a community dance group, or athletes demonstrating World Eskimo-Indian Olympic Games skills. In the afternoon, enjoy a picnic lunch and guided hike into the snow capped mountains of the Chugach State Park. Stop along the way to discuss the stunning geography of the area while learning about Alaska history as you gaze over aerial views of Anchorage.
Before dinner, we’ll get a visit from a member of the Beluga Whale Alliance to discuss the declining Beluga Whale population of nearby Cook Inlet and their effort to sustain the species by volunteer driven data collection. Enjoy dinner with a view overlooking the Cook Inlet, named after Captain James Cook during his search for the Northwest Passage.
This hike is all abilities level and will be based on group pace with 3 different routes to choose between.
Day 3: Ride a Glass-Top Train to Seward & Explore Kenai Fjords National Park
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Rise early for an adventure down the Alaskan coast. Hop aboard the Coastal Classic train and venture from Anchorage to Seward in style. Often ranked as the top ten train rides in North America, you’ll wind along Turnagain Arm, where the steep mountains of the Chugach Range plunge directly to the sea before entering into the backcountry wilderness. Take in the panoramic vistas of Alaska’s beauty under the glass dome ceiling railcars. This 4.5 hour scenic ride will offer plenty of photo opportunities of wildflowers, rivers, and possible wildlife sightings so be sure to keep your camera handy! Arrive into the quaint, fishing town of Seward where you’ll go from train to boat for an afternoon of wildlife and glacier viewing in the remarkable Kenai Fjords National Park. Keep an eye out for whales, porpoises, puffins, sea otters, the stellar sea lion, and more as we cruise through Aialik Bay towards the mighty Holgate Glacier, an actively calving tidewater glacier. We will spend time in front of the glacier to watch for calving, where giant chunks of glacial ice break off and crash into the water. The tour is fully narrated by a National Park Ranger
Day 4: Join the Alaska Sealife Center for a Puffin Experience before a Dog Sled Tour Through the Wilderness
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Wake to the sounds of fishing boats departing for the day and views of towering Mt. Marathon and Mt. Alice outside your window. Today we will head to Alaska’s only marine rescue and research facility, The Alaska Sealife Center. You’ll have the opportunity to learn about how the center is protecting marine wildlife through rescue and rehabilitation. Go behind the scenes with researchers and learn about a range of animals from stellar sea lions, ringed & spotted seals as well as the giant pacific octopus. Join staff in a privately led deep dive into the characteristics and traits of a puffin. Learn first hand why their bright orange beaks change colors during the year and how they’ve earned their nickname, clowns of the sea!
In the afternoon, visit a local homestead kennel for a look into Alaska’s Iditarod dog sledding family, The Seaveys. Get to know their beloved team of huskies, a tether-free environment, and how mushing runs deep within the family line and their way of life. Your adventure begins with a 2-mile dog sled ride. Feel the power, excitement, and energy of these amazing sled dogs as they are harnessed to comfortable wheeled sleds on this hour and a half dog sled tour. Mush through the Seward Alaska wilderness to the base of Resurrection Mountain and along Box Canyon Creek.
Day 5: Head to Homer & Meet with the Alaska Center for Coastal Studies for "Belly Biology"
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
After breakfast, we will hit the road and head to the other side of the Kenai Peninsula stopping along the way in the old gold mining town of Cooper Landing. We’ll arrive in Homer and visit the Wynn Nature Center at the Alaska Center for Coastal Studies, whose mission is to protect the unique marine and coastal ecosystems of Kachemak Bay through science-based environmental education and stewardship. Get to know the 150 acre wildlife corridor with a habitat that includes spruce, black cottonwood, and alder trees and is the epicenter for a range of birds from the Black-capped Chickadee to the Orange-crowned warbler. The preserve is located on top of a bluff 1200 feet above Kachemak Bay. After touring the grounds, head down to the Homer Marina with a trained naturalist guide as you explore marine invertebrate life living on & around the Homer Harbor Docks in an activity called, belly biology.
Day 6: Visit a Local Oyster Farm
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Rise for a delicious breakfast followed by some free time to explore the small shops & cafes on the boardwalk along the Homer Spit. In the afternoon, we will board a boat for yet another engaging ocean experience. This time we will explore Kachemak Bay stopping at a local oyster farm to enjoy a tasting! Learn about ocean research by participating in a plankton tow, viewing them under a microscope and using an underwater remote operating vehicle to explore the ocean bed and all the creatures that call this place home! We’ll stop at the secluded Peterson Bay Field Station & visit Intertidal Creature Touch Tanks. Later in the evening, we’ll come together for a memorable Farewell Dinner to cap off our great Alaskan adventure!
Day 7: Explore the Homer Spit before Returning Home or Continuing to Denali
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Enjoy a relaxing final morning in Homer. Head into town for souvenir shopping or beach combing along the oceanfront. In the afternoon, we’ll drive back to Anchorage for evening flights out. Those who opt for the Denali Extension will bid the rest of the group farewell and take a domestic flight from Homer to Anchorage then onwards to Denali National Park.
