Day 1: Welcome to Anchorage & awesome Alaska
Your Alaska family vacation begins at 6:00 PM at The Hotel Captain Cook. A transfer is included from Anchorage International Airport to The Hotel Captain Cook. Meet the new friends who will share this memorable Alaska trip with you and your family at our welcome dinner tonight.
Day 2: Huskies, jet boats & more in Talkeetna
In Alaska, dog sledding is both a very popular sport and an important mode of transportation to remote places where roads still don't go. Drive from Anchorage this morning to Big Lake, where you'll meet the mighty dogs that respond to the cry of "Mush!" by racing off into the wild and pulling heavy sleds over the snow – Alaskan Huskies – on a visit to a facility where Alaskan huskies in training to run next year’s world-famous Iditarod Race learn how to be sled dogs, sure to be a highlight of your family's Alaska tour. Continue on to Talkeetna for a jet boat* ride with a naturalist guide to look for bald eagles, beavers, moose and even bears that live along the river, and a nature walk in the Alaskan bush to see an authentic, turn-of-the-century trapper's cabin. If the weather is good, you'll have an incredible view of Alaska's famous Mount Denali – the Athabascan Indians called the mountain Denali, meaning "the Great One" – en route to your wilderness lodge for a two-night stay. Once there, you and your family can compete in a high-tech treasure-hunting game – known as geocaching – where you'll use a GPS system to find hidden treasures... for Tauck Bridges guests only!
Day 3: A hike & a homestead visit in Trapper Creek
Nature is everywhere on a morning hike* at Talkeetna Lake, with loons and kingfishers above you, and a forest brimming with wildflowers and wildlife surrounding you. As you walk, your local guide shares stories about how the first native peoples survived in this beautiful but wild land, and about life in Talkeetna today – and, of course, about amazing encounters with wildlife. After lunch at your lodge, travel to Trapper Creek to visit the private homestead of Joanne Porterfield, nestled in the Alaska wilderness; her family's gardens and farm have flourished here in the shadow of Mount Denali for more than four decades. Later, back at your lodge in Talkeetna, enjoy an interpretive experience with storytelling, s'mores and more around an old-fashioned campfire tonight.
Day 4: Flightseeing near Denali & on to Kenai
Depart your lodge in Talkeetna and soar over the Denali foothills in a small plane (weather permitting) for a breathtaking bird's-eye view of towering Mt. Denali, the tallest mountain in North America. After your flight, you'll travel to Anchorage for a visit to the Alaska Native Heritage Center, a renowned cultural center and museum where you'll come away with a greater understanding of Alaska's Indigenous people. Following a dance performance, a tour and lunch, continue on to the wildlife-rich Kenai Peninsula and a two-night wilderness lodge stay in Cooper Landing, nestled within Chugach National Forest.
Day 5: Hike, kayak or raft on the Kenai Peninsula
Today, you can choose how you and your family will experience the wonders of the Kenai Peninsula, as your Alaska family vacation continues at your lodge in this wilderness wonderland between Cook Inlet and the Gulf of Alaska. You can choose to go kayaking*, take a scenic river-rafting trip*, or embark on a hike into the wilderness with a local guide – they're included with Tauck Bridges! You might also want to take advantage of optional opportunities for fishing or horseback riding that may be available at an additional cost. (Note: Tours of June 5, 19, 23; July 3, 5, 17, 19, 31; and August 2, 14, and 18, which stay at the Seward Windsong Lodge nights 4 & 5, will visit the Alaska Sealife Center.)
Day 6: Meet special wildlife & more on Turnagain Arm
Get a close-up glimpse of Alaskan wildlife on a visit to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center on Turnagain Arm, meeting moose, bison, elk and other orphaned or injured animals being rehabilitated by this non-profit organization. Then head to the Crow Creek Mine in Alaska's historic gold rush country, where you'll meet a "prospector," pan for gold and dig into a barbecue lunch. Then it's on to your resort in Girdwood, where a fun evening is in store.
Day 7: By rail to a glacier cruise in Prince William Sound
Hop aboard an Alaska Railroad self-propelled rail car for a trip along Turnagain Arm to Whittier; there you'll board a boat that takes your family on a glacier adventure cruise on Blackstone Bay in Prince William Sound! With an expert wildlife guide aboard, you'll sail past thundering waterfalls and tidewater glaciers. Keep your ears ready for sounds the glaciers make as they groan and crack – and keep an eye out for eagles, otters and harbor seals along the way. En route back to your hotel, you’ll travel through the Whittier Tunnel, the second longest highway tunnel in North America. Tonight, join us back at the hotel in Girdwood for our farewell dinner, where your family shares memories of your Alaska family vacation with your new-found friends.
Day 8: Homeward bound
Your Alaska family vacation ends in Girdwood, Alaska. Fly home anytime. A transfer from the Hotel Alyeska in Girdwood to Anchorage International Airport (approximately 75 minutes) is included for your flight home. Allow a minimum of two hours at the airport for check-in.
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