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IDIA01 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Tour Start

  • end: Anchorage
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  • Code: IDIA01

IDIA01 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Tour Start - 2025

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The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is one of Alaska’s most popular winter events, and the excitement starts in Anchorage on the first Saturday of March each year. Crowds gather in downtown Anchorage to celebrate the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race. The annual long-distance sled dog race runs from Anchorage to Nome and mushers and a team of 14 dogs cover the distance in 8–15 days or more. Our Iditarod tour start package features many highlights around the race start and Fur Rendezvous celebration. Included is a visit to a sled dog kennel near Willow. Enjoy riding with a team of huskies through stunning scenery on actual trails. The Mushers Banquet dinner is the annual banquet fundraiser and drawing for the official start order. This is the chance to meet the mushers personally. Experience the bustling atmosphere of the Iditarod ceremonial race start on Anchorage's 4th Avenue and the Iditarod restart in Willow. Please  read  our  itinerary  to  have  more  detailed  day-to-day  experience.  On  request,  this  trip  can  be  customized.

  • Itinerary

  • Prices & Dates

  • Attractions & Add-ons

  • Accommodation

  • Map

  • Information

  • Reviews

Anchorage ( Overnight: Anchorage )

Welcome to Anchorage! Upon arrival, settle into your downtown hotel and dive into the festive spirit. The day is yours to explore the vibrant Winter Fur Rendezvous, bustling with activities including the Native Arts Market, captivating theater shows, winter carnival fun, stunning snow and ice sculptures, quirky snowshoe softball, and dazzling fireworks—all setting the stage for the upcoming Iditarod Race Start. Don't miss the iconic Balto statue on 4th Avenue, symbolizing the race's ceremonial start. This evening, get ready for laughter and lively entertainment at the Rondy Melodrama at the Snow Goose Theatre. "Déjà Vu All Over Again in Chicken" promises an unforgettable night of singing and joy. Cap off the night with a gourmet dinner, enjoying spectacular views of Cook Inlet.

 

Anchorage (City Tour & Mushers Banquet) ( Overnight: Anchorage )

Join a 3-hour sightseeing tour through Anchorage, beginning at the historic Ship Creek's Port. Explore the snow sculptures and scenic Bootleggers Cove, which leads to Earthquake Park. Next, enjoy a scenic drive around Lake Hood, recognized as the world's most active seaplane base. Continue to Turnagain Arm, Beluga Point for a chance to spot wildlife, and Potter Marsh within the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge. Meet at the Dena'ina Center at 4:00 PM with a Musher Meet & Greet, setting the stage for a captivating evening. At 6:00 PM, a gala and fundraiser for the Iditarod begins, featuring live auctions, a three-course dinner, and insightful musher presentations. A highlight of the night is the mushers' drawing of their official race start positions. 

Anchorage (Sled Dog Ride) ( Overnight: Anchorage )

Today, you'll depart from your hotel and head to a sled dog kennel nestled near the iconic Iditarod restart point in Willow, just 70 miles north of Anchorage. Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of dog sledding, an essential Alaskan experience. Upon entering the kennel, you'll be warmly welcomed by retired sled dogs. Each dog is cherished as a part of our family, and you'll feel this profound connection as you embark on your dog sled adventure. Experience the contagious enthusiasm and camaraderie of our prime sled dogs as they lead you through the winter trails of Alaska. Join us for an unforgettable excursion complete with equipment preparation, captivating stories from the trail, and the opportunity to either ride in a customized sled or even take a turn at driving! 

Anchorage (Iditarod Ceremonial Race Start) ( Overnight: Anchorage )

The legendary Iditarod Race starts at 10 AM on 4th. Avenue in Anchorage. Observe the start preparations, take close up pictures from about 80 Musher's, over 1000 Sled Dogs and enjoy the bustling and exciting race atmosphere before the teams are leaving from the starting line for the "1050 mile race to Nome". Anchorage parks and green belts are providing also a great alternative to observe the race activities. The Balto Statue marks the ceremonial starting point of the Iditarod. Balto was the final lead sled dog in a relay of dogsleds that brought vaccine from Anchorage to Nome just in time to stop a diphtheria epidemic in 1925. The story of the sled dog relay is a classic tale of adventure and sacrifice, as mushers risked their lives in brutal conditions to save their fellow citizens.

Anchorage (Iditarod Race Start Willow) ( Overnight: Anchorage )

After breakfast board the motorcoach for a guided tour to the official Iditarod Race Start in Willow. Leave at 9:30 AM and enjoy the drive along the scenic Glenn Highway with a brief stopover in Wasilla. Continue to Willow where the Iditarod restart ceremony begins at 2:00 PM. Enjoy the busy and bustling Iditarod race atmosphere and the musher's final preparation. For mushers, thousands of cheering fans at the official race restart -- following Saturday's ceremonial start in Anchorage -- now give way to remote Alaska wilderness and the promise of a finish line in Nome some 1,000 miles away, but not before crossing a trail that may prove perilous for both mushers and dogs. Return to Anchorage approximately 7:00 PM.

Anchorage

Morning at leisure in/around Anchorage. Time for your last shopping activities or have a delicious seafood lunch in one of Anchorage's top restaurants. Spend some time at the Alaska Native Heritage Center: the Gathering Place is center stage for Alaska Native dancing, compelling Native Games demonstrations and intriguing storytelling. The Hall of Cultures features exhibits and demonstrating Alaska Native artists. Visitors discover more about each of the five major culture groups through engaging exhibits. Check out of your hotel and individual transfer to the airport.

Rates in US $ / per Person
Comfort Hotel Category Single Double Triple Quad Child
February 26 - March 3 $1795 $1352 $1228 $1166 $944
First Class Hotel Category Single Double Triple Quad Child
February 26 - March 3 $2289 $1599 $1417 $1326 $944

What’s included

5 Nights Comfort or First Class Hotel Accommodation

Local Taxes

Kennel Visit & Sled Dog Ride (2 hrs)

Round Trip Transfer to Sled Dog Kennel

Anchorage City & Turnagain Arm Sightseeing Tour

Mushers Banquet Ticket, Meet & Greet including Dinner

Guided Tour to the Iditarod Race Restart in Willow

Anchorage Airport Transfers (Comfort Hotel Category only)

Sightseeing Information

Tour Documentation

Tour Departures

February 26 - March 03, 2025

Matanuska Glacier Walk

The Matanuska Glacier is a stable 27 mile long river of ancient ice. Thousands of years old, this massive glacier is tucked up into the Matanuska Valley. You spend 2 h. on the glacier learning how the glacier has formed the landscape in the Matanuska Valley. Explore blue meltwater pools, the ice formations and deep crevasses that make up the Matanuska Glacier. Walking on ice is slippery fun so our guests are equipped with a helmet, walking stick and cramp on for your shoes. This tour requires a walk of 1.5-2 h. In these winter months, we will actually have the assistance of a snowmachine. Of course, our fully-guided transportation includes a pick up at your hotel in Anchorage as well as water and snacks in the touring vehicle. We will also stop for lunch where we will overlook the glacier while enjoying some yummy Alaskan fare

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Alaska Snowmobile Adventure 

Experience the thrill of riding snowmobiles in the wild backcountry of Alaska with opportunities to see wildlife, breathtaking views of Denali, and of course plenty of charging through the powder. Whether you’re a first-time rider or have more experience, our trails cover a wide variety of terrain from twists and turns to snow-covered forests and mountains that will keep you smiling all day long. Located just over an hour from downtown Anchorage, we have hundreds of miles to ride in Willow. Our tours take you from trail riding to exploring powder-covered fields on the Iditarod Trail, or climbing up the Talkeetna Mountains on Hatcher Pass. We’ll build your skills as we go and help you feel confident to ride like a champ as we get you into the best spots in Alaska! 3 hr Duration. Optional shuttle from Anchorage: add $100 per person

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Prince William Sound Glacier & Wildlife Cruise

A rich variety of wildlife thrives year-round in Prince William Sound, and you can cruise these spectacular waters in the comfort of our spacious heated cabins. Winter is no obstacle to your enjoying the beauty of alpine glaciers, jagged shorelines and towering rocky outcroppings through our vessels' large picture windows. We commonly see Steller sea lions, sea otters, Dall's porpoise, and perhaps even Orca or Humpback whales. There is also a variety of ducks and waterfowl present at this time of the year. Join the 3 1/2 hr cruise to see the massive tidewater glaciers of Alaska at Blackstone Bay and Beloit Glacier - some of the most amazing sights you will ever see. Cruise along Passage Canal and venture into magnificent Blackstone Bay, home to seven glaciers and Yosemite-scale waterfalls. During our adventure you’ll step ashore to experience the natural geology and thick rainforest. Enjoy a snack and hot drink as you reflect on your journey and this magnificent nook of Alaska.

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Beverly, New Zealand: Thank you very much for all the hard work you put into organising this trip. It was an excellent trip. I would recommend it to anyone considering going to watch the Iditarod Race. The hotels were well located and really good, as was the transport. Considering that tis trip was booked 18 months in advance and airfares sorted at that time, - all was perfect. Thank you once again

Kees, NY: Yes it was a great tour. You see all the different parts of the Iditarod and also you see a lot of Anchorage and the surrounding. Everything was arranged perfectly. We never had to wait for the tours. The guide was always on time and the program was very diverse. Vern told us all about the in and outs of the race, dogs, sled and the musher. Vern can tell his story out of his own experience and he can do that very well. We had a great lunch and we went out with the dogs and the sled and even got to drive it !