Discover the Untamed North
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Your family experiences the natural treasures of America’s 49th state in a new way on one of our newest Earth Journeys, created by Tauck and BBC Earth – nature’s premier storyteller. An Alaska family holiday of a lifetime… Travel by land, sea and air on this incredible Alaska family holiday that is designed for every member of your family – with on-tour film vignettes custom-made for Tauck by BBC Earth natural history experts plus other select BBC Earth touches. Your family’s travels begin with one night in Anchorage, then it’s off to the northern interior for a jet boat ride, a wilderness hike, a GEO-caching treasure hunt and two nights at a wilderness lodge. Meet Alaskan huskies at a dog sled training facility and soar above the foothills of Mt. Denali on a flightseeing adventure. Travel to Alaska’s alpine playground in Kenai for a two-night wilderness lodge stay and a choice of activities including kayaking, river rafting and a guided wilderness hike in the Kenai River region. Cruise the Kenai Fjords with a naturalist who points out wildlife along the way. During your final two-night stay in Girdwood, visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center to meet animals being rehabilitated (from moose to to grizzly bears), and pan for gold at the Crow Creek Mine.
Highlights
- On-tour film vignettes custom-made for Tauck by BBC Earth natural history experts plus other select BBC Earth touches
- Gratuities to Tauck Director, drivers and local guides included
- Travel the spectacular shoreline of Turnagain Arm on the Alaska Railroad
- Jet boat ride in “bush” Alaska, hike around Talkeetna Lake and go on a geocaching treasure hunt
- Meet sled dogs in training & flightsee over the soaring peaks of Denali National Park
- Lunch and a dance performance at the Alaska Native Heritage Center
- Kayak, river raft and hike on the Kenai Peninsula, known as “Alaska’s Playground”
- Visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, pan for gold at Crow Creek
- Cruise past glaciers on Prince William Sound
- Airport transfers on arrival and departure as noted
- 18 meals (7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 5 dinners); service charges, taxes & porterage
Itinerary
Day One
Day OneWelcome to Anchorage & awesome Alaska
Your Alaska family holiday 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.
Meals included: Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Captain Cook
Day Two
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!
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge
Day Three
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.
Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch
Accommodation: Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge
Day Four
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.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge
Day Five
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 holiday 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 12 & 26; July 10 & 24; and August 7, which stay at the Seward Windsong Lodge nights 4 & 5, will visit the Alaska Sealife Center.)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge
Day Six
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; your evening includes an entertaining mountaineering demonstration where you’ll learn about the latest gear required for safe mountain climbing.
Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel Alyeska
Day Seven
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 holiday with your new-found friends.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Alyeska
Day Eight
Homeward bound
Your Alaska family holiday 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.
Meals included: Breakfast
Note: For activities marked with an asterisk (*) in day-by-day descriptions, participation is at your own risk; a signed liability waiver will be required.
Note: Tours of June 12 & 26; July 10 & 24; and August 7 will stay at the Seward Windsong Lodge nights 4 and 5 and visit the Alaska Sealife Center on Day 5.
Departures & Rates
Children under 18 must be booked in a room with at least one adult. Quadruple accommodations are not available for four adults. Triples and quadruples are usually a two-bedded room plus one rollaway cot, when available.
Ask one of our Travel Specialists about Packaging Flights with your Tour and Save
Additional dates and rates may be available, please speak to one of our Travel Specialists for more information.
Single Supplement rates are available on request.
*Rates are subject to availability and seasonality and may change without notice. Rates are based on two adults sharing. For solo travellers or single person occupancy rates or further information on terms and conditions, please contact our Travel Specialists at time of booking.
