Alaska

12-Day Ultimate Alaska: Kenai Fjords, Denali & Alaska Peninsula

Detailed Itinerary

DAY 1 Arrive in Anchorage
Arrive in Alaska at least the day before your trip begins and overnight in Anchorage, as you will be starting early tomorrow morning. Overnight at Hilton Garden Inn or similar.

DAY 2 Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge
Transfer from your hotel this morning to Anchorage’s Municipal Airport, Merrill Field, by 7:15 am. This segment will start with an incredible scenic flight from Anchorage to Wildman Wilderness Lodge. You will travel southwest by comfortable twin engine aircraft through Lake Clark and Katmai National Parks, along the volcano-studded Alaska Peninsula Wildlife Refuge, viewing wildlife and exploring the wonders of the remote Alaska Peninsula. Photograph glaciers, volcanoes and miles of untouched wilderness along the way, then down the Bering Sea coastline, all before reaching Wildman Wilderness Lodge. Here in Alaska’s true wilderness, Brown Bear, Pacific Walrus and Wolves are our closest neighbors, while moose, caribou, fox and many more wild species flourish all around us and the bird species are too numerous to count. You will enjoy 4 days of guided wildlife photo safaris featuring Alaska’s most wild creatures in their natural habitat. Like nowhere else on the planet, the Alaska Peninsula is truly wild! Each day our experienced Bush Pilots and wilderness guides will show you a wildlife viewing experience that you will never forget, and return to the warmth and comfort of this deluxe wilderness lodge each evening. Nowhere else in Alaska will you find real uninhabited wild animals roaming as they did a century ago. This is not a canned tourist attraction, this is an exclusive wildlife photo safari, guided by real Alaskans on the remote Alaska Peninsula. Here, unlike even Alaska’s best national parks, the bears never see people, and neither will you.

Arrive mid-day. Enjoy lunch, guest orientation and briefing on “The Flora and Fauna of the Alaska Peninsula”

Then embark on a jet boat wildlife viewing tour on Ocean River’s pure artesian waters to spot bears, caribou, wolves and more. Visit the site of an ancient native village, dating back 4,000 years, where more than 400 dwellings once stood on the banks of Ocean River.

DAY 3 Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge - All Day Brown Bear and Wildlife Excursion:
Depart Wildman Lodge after a hearty breakfast for an all-day guided Alaska Grizzly Bear viewing excursion by jet boat, with our experienced river guides.

Watch for migrating or calving herds of Barren Ground Caribou, often being followed by hungry Arctic wolves. Along the river you may also see: River Otter, Mink, Beaver and Brown Bear. Birding: watch for Sand hill Crane, Tundra Swan, Bald Eagle and a variety of different waterfowl species often seen on the way to the Willy Creek salmon spawning grounds.

Enjoy a Salmon Bake shore lunch over an open driftwood fire on the black sand of Bering Sea Beach. There are many tracks of bears and wolves who wander these beaches at night and the early hours of the Aleutian mornings.

Wild Planet Adventures Exclusive!

Alaska Peninsula Wildlife Refuge Here in Alaska's true wilderness, Brown Bear, Pacific Walrus, and Wolves are our closest neighbors; while moose, caribou, fox and many more wild species flourish all around us and the bird species are too numerous to count. Each day embark on Safaris to view and photograph Alaska’s most wild creatures in their natural habitat. Like no where else on the planet, the Alaska Peninsula is truly, in the Wild! Join our experienced Alaska Bush Pilots and Wilderness Guides for a wildlife viewing experience that you will never forget, and return to the warmth and comfort of our deluxe wilderness lodge each evening. Nowhere else in Alaska will you find real uninhabited wild animals roaming as they did a century ago. This is not a canned tourist attraction, this is an EXCLUSIVE Alaska Wildlife Safari, guided by real Alaskans on the remote Alaska Peninsula. If you want to see more bears than people, don’t go to a National Park! Visit the Alaska Peninsula Wildlife Refuge, where the bears never see people, and neither will you!

DAY 4 Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge - All Day Scenic-Flight Assisted Wildlife Expedition
This morning we’ll start our full day wildlife flight-seeing with a visit to Alaska’s premier walrus colony. We’ll land on the Bering Sea coastline and spend the day at Cape Seniavan, Alaska’s premier walrus haul-out where we generally find hundreds to thousands of Pacific Walrus, resting and digesting on the black volcanic sand beach, beneath the protective cliffs of Cape Seniavan. Photographic opportunities are endless as we take your up close and personal with these 4,000-pound fin-footed sea mammals. In addition to Pacific walrus, we often see marine mammals such as Orka, Steller Sea Lion, Seals and coastal birds including hundreds of Bering Sea Species. In abundance are Bald Eagles, Gyre Falcons, Red and Black Legged Kittiwakes, Arctic Terns, Puffins, Cormorants, Jaegers, Shearwaters, Murre, Gulls and more.

Enjoy shore lunch along the black sand Bering Sea Beach and join our guides and naturalists for beach combing and birding in this wildlife-packed coastal habitat.

DAY 5 Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge
This morning enjoy an alpine tundra hike and learn about the wild berries, mushrooms, fireweed and numerous Alaska wildflowers while birding on our “Wildflower Loop”. Finish off your check list of Alaskan mammals, birds, plants, edible berries and wildflowers. Then prepare for your breathtaking 500-mile scenic flight return to Anchorage, arriving by early afternoon. Your scenic flight provides one last opportunity to view the glacier-blanketed mountains of the Aleutian Range as you travel back to civilization in our fast, comfortable twin engine aircraft. Overnight Hilton Garden Inn, Anchorage or similar.

DAY 6 Marine Wildlife & Glacier Cruise
Meet your trip leader at 6:30 a.m. this morning, then enjoy a scenic drive south along Turnagain Arm to Seward, a picturesque seacoast town situated at the head of Resurrection Bay. Embark on a marine wildlife and glacier cruise bound for Kenai Fjords National Park, home to an array of glaciers and marine wildlife such as whales, Steller sea lions, sea otters, puffins and more! Enjoy lunch in front of a tidewater glacier before arriving at our exclusive lodge destination: Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge. Overnight at Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge.

DAY 7 Explore Kenai Fjords National Park
Enjoy a full day of exploration at the lodge and choose from an array of activities to match your interest and energy level. Guided options include interpretive nature walks, sea kayaking amid glacial ice, canoeing in the lagoon and coastal explorations. Or relax at the lodge by the wood stove, peruse the natural history library or take a leisurely stroll along the beachfront. Overnight at Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge.

DAY 8 Kenai Fjords / Seward
This morning allows for a final half-day activity at the Glacier Lodge before boarding our boat for the return wildlife cruise to Seward. Enjoy a fine dinner with your group and spend the evening relaxing at Seward Windsong Lodge this evening. Overnight at Seward Windsong Lodge.

DAY 9 Seward / Takeetna - Gateway to the Alaska Range
Begin the journey north through the scenic Chugach State Park to Talkeetna, gateway to the Alaska Range. Once there, you'll have the freedom to choose from several activities, including a guest favorite - flightseeing! Take to the skies on an optional flightseeing tour of Denali and its adjacent glacial canyons or wander through "downtown" Talkeetna and learn about mountaineering and Talkeetna's history. Tonight, you have the flexibility to dine with the other members of your group or enjoy a great meal on your own. Overnight in Talkeetna.

DAY 10 Talkeetna / Denali National Park
After a hearty breakfast, we begin our journey further north to our charming and small-scale Denali accommodations. We’ll travel in comfort from Talkeetna to the Denali Education Center, near the entrance to Denali National Park where we’ve made special arrangements for local experts to share a “Welcome to the Subarctic” presentation. Then we’ll put our new knowledge of Denali’s history, ecology and geology to use on an interactive guided nature hike, as we explore Denali’s beautiful front country sights and sounds. After our day of exploring Denali by foot, we’ll check into Tonglen Lake Lodge. This secluded 5-acre piece of paradise boasts incredible mountain views, lakeside solitude and authentically Alaskan crafted “hide- away” style guest cabins. In addition to rustically elegant and private guest accommodations, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy a rotation of optional activities, which may include local nature walks, yoga, evening art and music events, Native Alaskan cultural presentations and more. Appetizers followed by a savory dinner in the main lodge await us this evening. Following dinner, we’ve carved out some free time to settle in and relax. Tonglen Lake Lodge routinely offers evening bonfires and yard games as a fun option for guests. Overnight at Tonglen Lake Lodge.

DAY 11 Denali National Park
Today, we’ll enjoy a peaceful morning and breakfast at Tonglen Lake Lodge, followed by a new perspective of Denali – by bus. One of our favorite ways to explore Denali and increase the odds of seeing Alaska’s charismatic wildlife is by way of an interpretative bus tour. Our trip will start at the Denali Visitors Center and will include awe-inspiring sights along the way. Make sure to have your camera and binoculars at the ready; there’s always the possibility to spot a majestic eagle overhead or a lumbering grizzly foraging along the road’s edge. After our drive tour adventure, we’ll return to Tonglen Lake Lodge for dinner and unwinding. Overnight Tonglen Lake Lodge.

DAY 12 Denali Sled Dogs, Alaskan Railroad to Anchorage
On the last day of this active adventure, we’ll enjoy a more relaxed morning at Tonglen Lake before embarking on our voyage south to Anchorage. After breakfast, we’ll make our way to visit Alaska’s 4-legged “celebrities” – Alaskan sled dogs! You’ll be able to learn more about how sled dogs serve an important role throughout rural and remote Alaskan communities. Next, board the historic Alaska Railroad for comfortable sightseeing en route back to Anchorage. You’ll arrive safely at the Anchorage Rail Depot (located at 411 West 1st Avenue) at approximately 8:30 p.m. Taxis are located directly outside the rail terminal and are easy to access. Although transfers to the airport or local hotels are not included, some hotels include courtesy shuttle service from the rail depot to their property.