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SDFA02 Explore Denali - Fairbanks Road Trip

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SDFA02 Explore Denali - Fairbanks Road Trip

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Join our popular one way Denali driving tour from Fairbanks to Anchorage. Discover famous Denali National Park - one of Alaska’s most popular attraction and destinations in the shadows of towering 20.320 ft. Mt. Denali. Denali National Park is the natural habitat for more than 380 Grizzly Bears, Moose, Wolf, Fox, Lynx, Dall Sheep and Caribou. It is most likely you will spot some of them while taking our full day Denali Transit Bus to Eielson Center, Wonder Lake or Kantishna Roadhouse. You may exchange this tour and join the guided Tundra wilderness bus tour. During your stay at Denali Village, enjoy other Denali activities: short guided hikes, Nenana rafting or float trip, backcountry jeep adventure, guided helicopter hiking trips or a sled dog demonstration. If you are of adventurous nature book a flightseeing or helicopter tour around Mt. Denali and the Alaska Range. The leisure drive to Anchorage provides many spectacular vistas of the Alaska Range.

  • Itinerary

  • Prices & Dates

  • Attractions & Add-ons

  • Accommodation

  • Rental Car

  • Map

  • Information

  • Reviews

Fairbanks ( Overnight: Fairbanks )

Arrive in Fairbanks during the day and pick up your rental car. Welcome to the "Golden Heart City". You are invited to explore the local gold rush history, its vibrant traditional native cultures as well as abundant wildlife and fantastic scenery. This morning you may visit the renown Alaska University Museum featuring Alaska's natural history best collection, Alaskaland or take an authentic sternwheeler on a scenic 20-mile roundtrip cruise down the Chena and Tanana Rivers. Guided van tour along the Dalton Highway or flightseeing tour to the Arctic Circle is super popular choice for experiencing the Arctic Circle and Yukon River. Enjoy a bush mail plane flight or a flightseeing trip to Fort Yukon to understand as well as experience how the Gwich'in Athabascan Natives live in "Bush" Alaska.

Fairbanks – Denali National Park ( Driving Distance: 130 miles | Overnight: Denali Village )

Known as the Golden Heart City of Alaska, Fairbanks is tucked into miles of unexplored wilderness only 120 miles from the Arctic Circle. It enjoys almost 24 hours of daylight during summer months. You are invited to explore the local gold rush history, its vibrant traditional native cultures as well as fantastic scenery. This morning you may visit the renown Alaska University Museum featuring Alaska's natural history best collection, Alaskaland or take an authentic sternwheeler on a scenic 20-mile roundtrip cruise down the Chena and Tanana Rivers. Enjoy lively narration, stop at a reconstructed Athabascan Indian Village to learn about native hunting and fishing techniques and watch a dogsled demonstration. Leisure drive to Nenana - known for its Alaska Ice Classics - to Denali National Park.

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. IIncluded: Denali Transit Bus to Eielson Center

Denali National Park - Talkeetna ( Driving Distance: 150 miles | Overnight: Talkeetna )

Spend the morning at Denali Village and join a whitewater rafting tour, watch a sled dog demonstration presented by the Denali park rangers or go on a short hiking trip around the Denali Visitor Center. Leave for Talkeetna - the base for most climbing expeditions and spectacular glacier flightseeing activities within the Alaska Mountain Range. Optional Tour: Take a flightseeing trip within 6-Miles of Denali's 20.320 ft summit and get a picture perfect view of the Kahiltna and Ruth Glacier with its Great Gorge - over 9.000 ft deep - as well as onto magnificent ice-falls. You will also see the Sheldon Amphitheatre - the largest of its kind in the world. Another highlight will be an adventurous glacier landing at the 5600 foot level of the Ruth Glacier, located in the Sheldon Amphitheater. Included: Mt. Denali Flightseeing Tour

Talkeetna - Anchorage, Depart Anchorage ( Driving Distance: 115 miles )

Join a jet boat safari on the Susitna, Talkeetna and Chulitna Rivers this morning. Return to Anchorage via the Parks Highway and take a break in Wasilla - Home of the Iditarod Trail Headquarter. The museum features historical displays of the "Last Great Race on Earth", videos and a gift shop with unique souvenirs. Stopover at Eklutna Indian village which is an Athabascan Indian settlement. It houses a unique cemetery, in which each grave is surrounded by a small, decorative burial house. Alternative Routing: From the Parks Highway drive via Hatcher Pass Road to the Independence Mine Historical Park - operated from 1938 - 1941 by one of the largest gold producers in the Willow Creek Mining District. Drop off your rental car in downtown or at the Anchorage Airport.

Rates in US $ / per Person
Comfort Hotel Category Single Double Triple Quad Child
May 18 - May 31 $2473 $1430 $1096 $928 $280
June 1 - August 31 $2905 $1641 $1233 $1029 $280
September 1 - September 15 $2473 $1430 $1096 $928 $280
First Class Hotel Category Single Double Triple Quad Child
May 18 - May 31 $2921 $1642 $1247 $1046 $280
June 1 - August 31 $3548 $1956 $1456 $1207 $280
September 1 - September 15 $3158 $1761 $1326 $1109 $280

What’s included

4 Nights Comfort OR First-Class Accommodation

Hotel and State Taxes

5 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

Rental Car One Way Fee

Denali Transit Bus Ticket to Eielson Visitor Center

60 Min Mt. Denali Flightseeing Tour

Tour Documentation

Sightseeing Information

Tour Departures

Daily  from  May  18th  –  September  13th

Fairbanks: Guided Arctic Circle Van Tour

On this tour you will travel from Fairbanks along the Dalton Highway to the Arctic Circle in the Brooks Mountain Range. Enjoy the first-hand experience of the Earth’s northernmost circle of latitude in one of our climate-controlled vans. Here, in the summer, the sky is completely light for 24 hours a day! Travel along the famous Dalton Highway and spot wildlife (no guarantee) as you cross the Yukon River. When you arrive, learn about the area’s indigenous culture, take a walk with your guide, snap photos of the arctic landscape, and enjoy lunch amidst the incredible surroundings. You’ll take home an official Arctic Circle certificate to commemorate this amazing Alaska experience.

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Fairbanks: Riverboat Discovery Sternwheeler Cruise

If you've ever read Mark Twain you know of his days as a riverboat captain. Did you know that Jack London was a riverboat pilot as well? Here's your chance to experience the adventure these renowned writers enjoyed as you cruise aboard the authentic sternwheeler riverboat Discovery II, rated the number one boat tour in North America. Enjoy a lively narration as you view a trapper's cabin, log homes, and a bush pilot performance. Visit the home of four time Iditarod champion Susan Butcher, as you pass Trail Breaker Kennels along the Chena River. Learn first hand about kennel life and the challenges that go into making a champion dogsled team. You'll make a stop at the historic site of a Chena Indian village to see native crafters in action and to learn abut Native Alaskan hunting and fishing at an Athabascan Fish Camp.

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Denali: Extend Denali Transit Bus Tour to Wonder Lake

The Denali Transit Bus is the official shuttle bus service into Denali National Park. The shuttle is best suited for those visitors who are seeking flexibility in their day trip into the Park and would like to have the option of getting off the bus to hike or explore on your own. Excellent hiking and wildlife viewing opportunities all along the Park Road. Created by retreating glaciers, Wonder Lake offers visitors stunning views of Mt. Denali and the Alaska Range, as weather permits. Along the Park Road, alder and willow carpeted hills are dotted with kettle ponds often frequented by waterfowl and other wildlife. Reflection Pond, an amazing photo stop on a clear day, requires you utilize the Kantishna Transit Bus or hike 2.5 miles from the Wonder Lake turnaround stop.

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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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Talkeetna: Denali Flightseeing Tour - Add Glacier Landing

The 1 hr Denali flightseeing tour (included) takes you within six miles of Mt. Denali's summit. As your flight departs Talkeetna, you begin to notice how the last ice age has shaped the land. Moments later you enter a world of rugged high mountain peaks and wide glacier filled valleys. See the Sheldon Amphitheater, beautiful Ruth Glacier, and the Great Gorge (the world's deepest - almost 2 miles from top to bottom). Add a glacier landing to your flightseeing tour for a one-of-a-kind expedition. Passengers land usually at the 5600 foot level of the Ruth Glacier, located in the Sheldon Amphitheater. Other popular landing spots are the Kahiltna, the Pika, or the Eldridge glaciers. A glacier landing takes an additional 30 minutes (15 minutes of time exploring on foot and 15 minutes for landing and takeoff).

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Teri, Nashville: We have just returned from our trip to Alaska where the weather was perfect, scenery stunning and people very friendly. We were so lucky to see Mt. Denali on a clear and sunny day. We had great views of the north side while on the park and even better views of the south side while driving to Anchorage. It is a giant and dwarfs the surrounding mountains.