Magnificent Alaska!

Overview

This trip by season

We run this one in summer. Here is what that week is like.

• Summer

  June to August

  Everything open

  The full itinerary runs and every road and trail is open. These dates are popular, so they fill first.

  6 summer departures ›

Day by day

1. 

   Day 1

   Arrive Anchorage

   Arrive at Anchorage and check into hotel. Tour historic downtown Anchorage with your guide. This fully narrated trip visits cultural and historical sites including Lake Hood, scenic viewpoints, and Earthquake Park. Group dinner to celebrate the start of our Alaskan adventure (included).

   OvernightAnchorageMealsDinner

2. 

   Day 2

   Anchorage to Homer

   Drive along the Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet, home to one of the largest bore tides (it forms a wave) in the world, looking for Beluga Whales. We will visit the Wildlife Conservation Center. The center’s mission is to provide refuge for orphaned, injured, and ill animals. The road to Homer is one of the most scenic drives in Alaska! There will be many stops along the way for scenic viewing and points of interest. Total drive time 4.5 hours.

   OvernightHomerMealsBreakfast, Lunch

3. 

   Day 3

   Homer / Katmai National Park or Lake Clark National Park

   Fly from Homer to Katmai National Park or Lake Clark National Park (based on weather) to see Grizzly Bears. We will catch a glimpse of the bears as we hike about 4-5 miles over 3 hours through braided rivers and meadows to see them in their natural habitat. In the late afternoon we will visit the Alaska Islands and Oceans Visitor Center (If Open).

   OvernightHomerMealsBreakfast, Lunch

4. 

   

   

   

   

   Day 4

   Homer/Hiking Kachemak Bay/Seward/Exit Glacier

   This morning, enjoy one of the best hikes in the area. Begin with a water taxi from Homer to Kachemak Bay State Park. After your drop off at the Glacier Spit, begin your hike through the forests of Alaska. For the first 1.5 miles, the trail meanders through mixed cottonwood and Sitka spruce. These cottonwoods are some of the largest in the park so take time to appreciate their enormous size. After 1.5 miles, the trail proceeds straight towards the lake on alluvial flats. Keep an eye out for small hawks and bald eagles hunting from treetops in this area. Enjoy a breathtaking view of Grewingk Glacier, a glacier lake full of icebergs and the seclusion of the Alaska wilderness before finishing your hike out the Saddle Trail. Return to Homer on the water taxi for your final view of this timeless landscape.

   After lunch you will traverse the peninsula as you travel into Seward, AK. We will drive the scenic road to the picturesque city of Seward. Total drive time 4.5 hrs. After checking into your hotel and an early dinner you will end the day exploring Exit Glacier and Kenai Fjords National Park. Multiple hikes and scenic walks are available to choose this evening as you enjoy the sun setting in this iconic wilderness.

   Don’t miss this day full of adventure!

   OvernightSewardMealsBreakfast, Lunch

5. 

   Day 5

   Seward – Sea Kayaking, Optional Helicopter Flight & Dog Sledding, Hiking

   We will start the day by sea kayaking along the dramatic coastline of Resurrection Bay. This trip will be a perfect introduction to sea kayaking and a great opportunity to take in the towering mountains, soaring bald eagles, curious harbor seals, and an enchanting ghost forest. After lunch in town, an optional activity today would be a helicopter flight up to a glacier and then dogsled rides on top of the glacier: Take off in one of our helicopters and find yourself landing at dog camp atop an ancient glacier. A team of sled dogs anxiously awaits to pull you across perfect white snow. Dog sled tours on Godwin Glacier are some of the most fun you can have in Alaska! After your sled ride, cuddle the lovable puppies, take pictures of the beautiful Alaskan scenery, and talk with your Alaskan musher about his best trail stories. We have all the gear and equipment you’ll need for your Alaskan dog sledding experience; you just need to bring your camera. This is a 1.5-hour tour that includes 15 minutes of flight seeing and an unforgettable dog sled ride. $615.00 per person.

   OvernightSewardMealsBreakfast, Lunch

6. 

   Day 6

   Seward – Kenai Fjords – train to Anchorage

   This morning, we head out for a 8.5-hour nature cruise in Kenai Fjords National Park. You will be watching for puffins, sea otters, humpback whales, sea lions, and cormorants as we go to one of the least visited fjords for an up close and personal view of a tidewater glacier in Northwestern Fjord. These types of glaciers calve directly into the ocean. In the evening you will enjoy dinner on a scenic train ride back to Anchorage on the Coastal Classic Train - Adventure Class service

   OvernightAnchorageMealsBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner

7. 

   

   

   

   

   

   Day 7

   Anchorage to Talkeetna / Denali Flight Seeing

   Take your time getting up this morning before beginning your exploration of the Glaciers, Mountains, Rivers, and Tundra that Alaska is famously known for. As you leave Anchorage, your first stop will be at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. The Alaska Native Heritage Center offers a unique experience for you to learn and explore the traditional and contemporary ways of Alaska’s Indigenous cultures. More than a museum, the Center is a place to engage and interact–to ask questions and discover. Our living cultures continue to flourish in a changing world, and although our world changes, our values and traditions remain. Your visit today will take you on a journey through 10,000 years of Alaska Native history and culture through art, dance, Native Games demonstrations, exhibits, traditional Native dwellings, films and more.

   Afterwards, continue to the Matanuska Glacier with a beautiful scenic drive on the Glen Highway. Your next adventure is exploring the Matanuska Glacier with a 2-3 hour ice excursion! Your afternoon will be spent exploring blue and basal ice, as well as learning about the history and glaciology of the Matanuska Valley in Southcentral Alaska. Enjoy a hands-on adventure while having a truly Alaskan experience. The recessional moraine leads to the terminus, where you and your guide will venture into a wondrous world of glacial features, including moulins, crevasses, open water streams, and conduits. This will be an afternoon you won’t soon forget!

   OvernightWasillaMealsBreakfast, Lunch

8. 

   

   

   Day 8

   Jet Boat Wilderness Adventure / Denali State Park

   This morning you will experience an Alaska Wilderness Adventure up the Susitna River. Behold the splendor of Denali and the great Alaska Range from a spectacular vantage point on the Susitna River in our technically advanced jet boat! The folklore, artifacts and panoramic views combine to make this unique 20-mile Alaska river adventure unforgettable. Your 2-hour trip begins aboard the fifty-two-passenger "Talkeetna Queen" or one of her 15 or 20-passenger little sister boats, as it whisks you into the heart of the wilderness in comfort. These are the most technologically advanced jet boats in Alaska designed to safely navigate rivers that were previously inaccessible. As you travel twenty miles of river, your naturalist will talk about the history and rivers in the area and information about Denali. You may have opportunities to view bald eagles that nest in the area. Upon arriving at our Adventure site, you will take a ¼-mile leisurely nature walk to a Dena'ina Indian Encampment, which was the earliest native settlement in the area. You will also visit an authentic trapper’s cabin with its original furnishings and view how trappers lived in "bush" Alaska at the turn of the century. Your experienced guide will display furs from the local area and demonstrate trapping methods. Naturalists will also acquaint you with the wildflowers and plants that grow in abundance along the river system and you will learn about the edible plants that were used by the Native Indians for cooking and medicines and some that are still eaten today.

   This afternoon, we take a flight to see the tallest peak in North America. Fly up to 6 miles (10 km) from Denali's summit, then descend into the awe-inspiring Ruth Amphitheater and Great Gorge. View the Tokositna and Ruth Glaciers, the sharp ridges of Mount Huntington, hanging glaciers clinging to Mount Hunter, the famous Moose's Tooth, as well as the stunning views of the 45-mile-long Kahiltna Glacier. Pass by Little Switzerland and its peaks. View the world-famous Kahiltna Base Camp and the formidable east face of Mount Foraker. Discover for yourself why this is our most popular tour of Denali National Park.

   Late this afternoon, enjoy exploring north through Alaska with stops at Denali State Park and other areas before arriving in the small town of Denali and your resort for the evening. Enjoy relaxing at your hotel. Nestled on the banks of the Nenana River, you can enjoy multiple walking and hiking options along with wildlife viewing or just relax on the patio of the main Lodge!

   OvernightDenali ParkMealsBreakfast, Lunch

9. 

   Day 9

   Denali Tundra Tour

   Today is your day to explore Denali National Park! The Tundra Wilderness Tour is the premier tour of Denali National Park and Preserve! This tour offers wonderful diversity for visitors. Incredible scenery, a narrated history of the park road, and some of the best opportunities to view the park’s wildlife inhabitants await you on this tour.

   The Tundra Wilderness Tour will guide you along a spectacular road corridor, promising different experiences every day, as Denali's wildlife moves at its own pace and according to the seasons. During the main summer season, your tour will continue beyond the Toklat rest area to Stony Hill Overlook, which offers awe-inspiring views of the Alaska Range and, if conditions permit, North America's highest peak.

   A bottle of water and a snack pack are included with this tour.

   The rest of the day is yours to relax and explore the area. Explore Denali National Park Visitors Center and the small town of Denali. There are some great shorter hikes and walks to enjoy as you explore this beautiful destination. Those interested can take the hiker shuttle into the park with pre-purchased tickets and enjoy some of the longer hikes available inside the park. Or you can return to Denali Park Village and enjoy the afternoon relaxing in the Alaskan Wilderness!

   OvernightDenaliMealsBreakfast, Dinner

10. 

    Day 10

    Denali to Anchorage

    We depart Denali and drive south back to Anchorage, AK. The group will enjoy a farewell lunch. You may schedule your departure flight for 3pm or later. Total drive time 4 hrs.

    MealsBreakfast, Lunch

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SWAT Trip Protection Plan

The SWAT Trip Protection Plan (TPP) gives you the freedom to cancel your tour for any reason up to the day before departure and receive a full refund of your SWAT-collected tour payments. It’s a simple, transparent cancellation waiver designed to provide flexibility for our guests and clarity in our booking process.

Read the full Trip Protection terms — eligibility, how to buy, cancelling, rescheduling and refund timing.