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RSSE02 - Classic Alaska Road & Rail Trip from Seward

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RSSE02 - Classic Alaska Road & Rail Trip from Seward (Pre- or Post Cruise Land Tour) 

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The Alaska Railroad is best known for its glass-coupled dome cars and excellent service. In addition to magnificent scenery, wildlife can also be seen along the routes from the coast to the interior of Alaska. Immerse yourself in the culture and beauty of Alaska’s luscious coastal region of the Kenai Peninsula along with the interior landscape. The port town Seward is a great location to start your train and drive vacation after arriving by the Alaska Ferry or cruise ship. Seward is the gateway for cruises into Kenai Fjords National Park. Board the catamaran for a full day wildlife and glacier cruise, arguably one of the most scenic places in Alaska to see spectacular coastal scenery, marine wildlife and calving tidewater glaciers. Now it is time to explore Alaska’s backcountry on board the Alaska Railroad. Choose between the “Adventure Class” seating in the single-storey railway car or the “Deluxe Dome Railcar” on board the Alaska Railroad or with one of the privately operated trains. All train cars feature large panorama windows ensuring unobstructed views around every bend of the majestic beauty of the glaciers, mountains and Alaskan wildlife. Your next destination is Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city and filled with lot of adventures along with metropolitan amenities. Enjoy the comfortable ride as the train takes you via the Matanuska Valley towards the Alaska Range and Mt. Denali. Denali National Park is one of Alaska’s most popular attraction and natural habitat for many types of wildlife including caribou, moose, wolves, Dall sheep, bald eagles, and the mighty grizzly bears. It is most likely you will spot some of them while taking the full day Denali Transit Bus to Eielson Center, Wonder Lake or Kantishna Roadhouse. The rail part of your vacation comes to an end in Fairbanks, where you are invited to explore Fairbanks gold rush history, its vibrant traditional native cultures and the fantastic scenery of the northern arctic region.  Pick up your rental car and enjoy the scenery along the Richardson Highway. Highlight will be the visit to the remote communities Kennicott and McCarthy, located in the heart of Wrangell - St. Elias National Park. Explore the Root Glacier during a guided glacier hike. On your return trip to Anchorage you'll overnight at Sheep Mountain Lodge (or similar) overlooking Matanuska Glacier - one of Alaska's most popular glacier. Please read our itinerary to have more detailed day-to-day experience. On request, this trip can be customized and can be organized in reverse order.

  • Itinerary

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Seward ( Overnight: Seward )

Arrive in Seward, a small fishing town at the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park. Check into your hotel. You will be greeted by the tour guide for your Seward area Sightseeing Tour. Heading out to Exit Glacier, take a short walk to the face of the glacial ice. Watch for mountain goats, moose or bear on the mountainside. During the salmon runs, see salmon swimming upstream to spawn. A hearty lunch will be served at nearby Resurrection Roadhouse before you travel to the Seavey homestead and experience "IditaRide" 1.5 hour Wilderness Dog Sled Ride and Tour. You may spend some time at the Alaska SeaLife Center – the world’s first cold water marine search institute. Enjoy a delicious seafood dinner at the harbor. Included: Seward Area Sightseeing Tour

Seward - Anchorage | Rail Tour ( Overnight: Anchorage )

This morning board the stable catamaran for a spectacular cruise deep into Kenai Fjords National Park with actively "calving" glaciers and magnificent scenery. Covering 110-miles, the trip is narrated by a National Park Ranger, who is highly adept at spotting wildlife and pointing out the many sights. Kenai Fjords showcase the best of Alaska’s marine world in a compact package. Sea otters float belly-up eating mussels while Harbor seals haul out on icebergs off Aialik Glacier. Look out for Steller sea lions on Chiswell Island as well as Humpback and killer whales. After reaching the tidewater glacier, guests witness "glacier calving" a process by which glaciers shed giant slabs of ancient ice. Board the Alaska Railroad this evening for a scenic train ride north to Anchorage. Included: Kenai Fjords Glacie Cruise

Anchorage – Denali National Park | Rail Tour ( Overnight: Denali Village )

Morning transfer to the railroad station where you'll board the train to Denali National Park. Choose between the standard rail car or the glass-dome compartments with large panorama windows ensuring unobstructed views of snowcapped mountain ranges, pristine scenery and abundant wildlife. Enjoy the comfortable ride as the train takes you via the Matanuska Valley towards the Alaska Range and Mt. Denali. Onboard services feature a restaurant, gift shop and snack bar. Arrive at Denali Village late afternoon. Transfer to your hotel and check into your room. Once you settled take a stroll through Denali Village, join a flightseeing tour, wildwater rafting trip or visit Jeff King’s Husky Homestead Kennel for a personal tour with four-time Iditarod champion Jeff King and his sled dogs.

Denali National Park ( Overnight: Denali Village )

Denali National Park offers excellent wildlife viewing and spectacular sceneries. Pick up your tickets, board the bus and watch out for grizzly bears, moose, caribou, wolf and fox moving along the ridges and river beds. Your driver informs about the history of Denali National Park, its diverse wildlife and flora. Once an animal has been spotted the bus will stop that everyone can watch and take pictures. The bus turns around at Eielson Visitor Center - 66 miles one way/8 hours round trip. You can get off the bus anytime to go for a hike. Return to the Denali Park entrance anytime during the day. Optional: We can extend the transit bus tour to Wonder Lake or exchange to the Tundra Wilderness Tour, Kantishna Wilderness Trails or Backcountry Lodge Tour. Included: Denali Transit Bus to Eielson

Denali National Park – Fairbanks | Rail Tour ( Overnight: Fairbanks )

Join this morning the sled dog demonstration hosted by Denali Park Rangers or hike around the Denali Visitor Center. Board the Alaska Railroad this afternoon for a scenic ride to Fairbanks. Just north of the Denali park, the train winds along Healy Canyon, following the curves of the Nenana River below. The train passes through the small community of Nenana, known for the Nenana Ice Classic Lottery. It is a fundraising event in which individuals attempt to guess the exact time the Tanana River ice will break up. Arrive in Fairbanks, the largest city in the interior and gateway to Alaska's Arctic northern region. The city enjoys almost 24 hr of daylight during summer. In the evening enjoy a dinner at the Pump House on the banks of the Chena River. 

Fairbanks – Copper Center | Start Self Drive Tour ( Driving Distance: 250 miles| Overnight: Copper Center or Glennallen )

Pick up your rental car. Travel on the Richardson Highway to Delta Junction - a telegraph station established in 1904. The intersection, marked by an oversized white milepost for Mile 1422 is known as the Triangle. Delta Junction is also home to the 90,000-acre Delta Bison Sanctuary. The area features spectacular views of the Alaska Range and the Delta River. On clear days the panoramas of Mount Hayes, Mount Moffit and other peaks are stunning. Continue to Paxson with it's many sled dog kennels and further on to Copper River area - known as a paradise for anglers and rafters searching for big fish and whitewater adventure. Copper Center is a great jump-off points to fish for the famed Copper River Sockeye. For trout and grayling as well as salmon, try the Gulkana River nearby.

Copper Center – Flight to McCarthy / Kennicott ( Driving Distance: 70 miles | Overnight: Kennicott )

Short drive to Chitina and park your car at the airport. From here take a scenic bushplane flight to Kennicott / McCarthy. You will see the Kennicott Glacier as it winds its way 25 miles to the North where it tumbles off the South East face of Mt. Blackburn. The Root and Gates Glaciers flow from ridges of Mt. Regal to join the Kennicott forming one of the most spectacular vistas in the park. Check into your hotel. Join a guided glacier hike on the Root Glacier. After meeting your guide, you'll start out on the 1.8 mile hike to the "white ice" of the Root. Once on the ice you will explore other-worldly formations unlike anything else you have ever seen: blue pools, crevasses and moulin holes drilled hundreds of feet deep into the ice by the flowing meltwater. Included: Half Day Root Glacier Hike

Kennicott, Flight to Chitina – Matanuska Glacier ( Driving Distance: 140 miles | Overnight: Sheep Mtn Lodge (or similar) )

This morning you may join the guided tour of the Kennecott mill. Explore the Kennecott Mine with it's white-trimmed red buildings that stand out against the dramatic mountain-and-glacier backdrop at the actual mine site. In recent years, the National Park Service has restored many of the mine buildings and a guided tour of the huge mill building, bunkhouses and train depot is available. From 1908 until its closure in 1938, $200 million in ore was extracted from Kennecott, making it the richest concentration of copper ore known in the world. The entire area is for sure a photographer’s dream. Mid afternoon scenic flight back to Chitina and drive on the scenic Glenn Highway towards Palmer. Overnight at a lodge with scenic views of the Matanuska Glacier.

Matanuska Glacier – Anchorage | End of Self Drive Tour ( Driving Distance: 110 miles )

The Matanuska Glacier is one of Alaska's most accessible glaciers, a 27-mile long river of ice poking out of the Chugach Mountains that is visible for miles along the highway. A self-guided hike leads to the gravel-laced ice. Travel towards the Matanuska Valley - a fertile farmland that was settled by families as part of a New Deal relief program in 1935. Because of the fertile farmland and the immense amount of summer sunlight, vegetables grow to incredible sizes. The Alaska record cabbage is 106 pounds! This is just one of the attractions at the State Fair held in Palmer. Arrive in Anchorage during the day and drop off your rental car at the airport. Optional tour extensions are available on request.

Rates in US $ / per Person
Comfort Hotel Category Single Double Triple Quad Child
May 18 - May 31 $4465 $2956 $2516 $2298 $1104
June 1 - August 31 $4986 $3247 $2709 $2458 $1116
September 1 - September 13 $4472 $2959 $2517 $2299 $1104
First Class Hotel Category Single Double Triple Quad Child
May 18 - May 31 $5394 $3616 $3079 $2825 $1281
June 1 - August 31 $5997 $3959 $3338 $3043 $1341
September 1 - September 13 $5394 $3616 $3079 $2825 $1281

What’s included

08 Nights Comfort OR First-Class Accommodation

Hotel and State Taxes

03 Days Midsize Rental Car (For additional Upgrades and Extras Click Here)

Unlimited Free Mileage

Rental Car Licensing Fees

CFC, State & City Rental Car Sales Taxes

One Way Rental Fee

Seward Area Sightseeing Tour

Kenai Fjords Glacier & Wildlife Cruise (6 hrs)

Harbor Tax

Denali Transit Bus Ticket to Eielson Visitor Center

Round Trip Flight Chitina to Kennicott/McCarthy

Half-Day Root Glacier Hike

Seward, Denali & Fairbanks Railroad Station and Airport Transfers

Tour Documentation

Sightseeing Information

Railroad Transportation Seward - Anchorage

Railroad Transportation Anchorage – Denali National Park

Railroad Transportation Denali National Park – Fairbanks

Comfort Hotel Category includes Reserved Seats in Standard Adventure Class Train
( upgrade to Dome Car Train is available for $410 per person )

First Class Hotel Category includes Reserved Seats in Upper Level Panorama Dome Car Train,
Priority Check-in & Boarding, Use of Private Outdoor Viewing Platform,
Priority Dining Room Seating, Enhanced Reclining Seats

Tour Departures

Daily  from  May  18th  –  September  13th

Seward: Extend Kenai Fjords Cruise to Northwestern Fjords Cruise

The premium 8 1/2 hrs Kenai Fjords Cruise covers magnificent Northwestern Fjord - the home to three amazing tidewater glacier, hanging alpine glacier, abundant wildlife such as Orca Whales, Steller Sea Lions, playful Sea Otters, Bald Eagles, Puffins and of course the magnificent scenery. On this tour we travel futher into Kenai Fjords National Park than most other daily cruise tour operators. In addition we visit the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge and Chiswell Island's seabird rookeries within Resurrection Bay. Make sure you bring your camera to photograph the abundant marine and coastal wildlife, many types of sea birds and the untouched beauty of Alaska's shorelines. Tour includes a light breakfast and hot lunch. Total 150 miles round trip.

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Seward: Extend Kenai Fjords Cruise and include a dinner on Fox Island

Spend your day aboard the most popular wildlife and glacier cruise in Alaska. Explore the wildlife and glaciers of Kenai Fjords National Park. Then, dock at the magical Fox Island for an all-you-can-eat prime rib and Alaska salmon buffet. What a day!

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Denali: Exchange Transit Bus Tour to Denali Tundra Wilderness Tour

The fully narrated 62-mile Tundra Wilderness Tour into Denali National Park is led by a certified naturalist driver/guide who will also provide historical and geographical background of the area. The tour will last approximately eight to nine hours and includes ample photo and rest stops. When your tour driver is able, he/she will take video footage of animals along Park Road and project these images onto drop-down video screens, featured only our specially designed tour buses. This way you can get a close-up look at the roadside action. At the end of the tour, you’ll have the opportunity to purchase a “Tundra Wilderness Tour” DVD, which will feature some of the video footage shot from your tour! Guests cannot switch buses throughout the day (only the Denali Transit Bus allows this).

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Denali: Exchange Transit Bus Tour to Kantishna Wilderness Trails Tour

The Kantishna Wilderness Trails tour is the premier Denali Park wilderness bus excursion. Spend the entire day in Denali National Park and discover a piece of Alaska's gold rush history and warm hospitality at the historic Kantishna Roadhouse, located just past Wonder Lake on the banks of Moose Creek. Your 12 to 13-hour fully-narrated excursion to Kantishna travels via a custom motorcoach through 95 miles of Denali National Park's prime wildlife habitat. The last 30 miles allow for full viewing of Mt. Denali, weather permitting. The wilderness backcountry of Denali Park provides diverse habitats which support big-game species such as black bear, grizzly, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, wolf, and wolverine. Hot beverages and refreshments are included en route to the Kantishna Roadhouse. After a hearty deli style lunch in the dining room at the Roadhouse, relax and visit the Historical Recorder's Cabin and enjoy a dog sled demonstration or gold panning. Guests cannot switch buses throughout the day (only the Denali Transit Bus allows this).

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Denali: Exchange Transit Bus Tour to Denali Backcountry Adventure Bus Tour

The Denali Backcountry Adventure Tour is another premier Denali Park Wildlife bus excursion. This full-day, 13-hour tour travels 95 miles in each direction to the Denali Backcountry Lodge in Kantishna. You'll travel by private bus with a trained naturalist driver/guide giving interpretation along the way helping you search for bear, moose, caribou and other wildlife while pointing out the biology and geology of the region. Several photo and rest stops will be made. Snacks, drinks and lunch are provided. Lunch is served at the exclusive Denali Backcountry Lodge in Kantishna. Lunch consists of a sandwich bar, soups, fruits, snacks, fresh baked goods and non-alcoholic drinks. After lunch try your luck at gold panning near the lodge or take a guided nature walk before returning to the Park entrance.

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Anchorage: Bear Viewing Tour Day Trip to Brooks Falls / Katmai National Park

Take off from Anchorage to an all day bear viewing expedition past glaciers and volcanoes - within the land of the giant animals: the brown bear country of southwest Alaska. You'll fly to Katmai's - worlds famous Brooks River Falls where brown bears feed on salmon. Each year millions of sockeye salmons burst from the Bering Sea into lakes and streams of the Katmai National Park. These fish provide the primary food source for the worlds largest population of brown bears. As many as 50 bears may be viewed up-close-and-personal from elevated boardwalks and viewing platforms fishing along the 1 1/2 mile Brooks River during peak season (July). Local National Park Rangers are answering all of your questions about this incredible park during the self guided full day tour. Lunch is included at Brooks Lodge.

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Simone, Munich: First of all, a big thank you to you. Everything went well and my husband and I were completely enthusiastic about the Alaska drive and rail trip. It was our first time in Alaska and we were totally thrilled by the friendliness of the people as well as by the landscape. We had great weather, did very different things (wandered, visited the SeaLive Center, hiked to the Matanuska Glacier, visited Jeff King's sled dog kennel of course Kennecott and much more). We are glad that we customised the tour and added the 2 night stay at the Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge. After 4 hours of fascinating boat tour, we arrived at the strand close to the Lodge. Just a short walk and then......you are there, surrounded with Rainforest and a breath taking view over the Lake. Nature, Guides, Food, Cabins and the Weather :-) - everything was excellent. We had two nights one more would be perfect. Your documents were very helpful. We didn't take on too much, picked out some interesting things for us and enjoyed everything. We also didn't find the distances between the accommodations exhausting. The accommodations were extremely charming and we felt very comfortable there. Many greetings