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RSWH01 Highlights of Kenai Fjords & Denali

  • end: Anchorage
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  • Code: RSWH01

RSWH01 Highlights of Kenai Fjords & Denali (Pre- or Post Cruise Land Tour) 

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This 6 day rail’n drive tour combines Alaska’s two most popular and accessible National Park - Kenai Fjords and Denali National Park. You’ll begin this self drive tour in Whittier where you’ll pick up your rental car. Whittier is most visited as the embarkation/debarkation point for one-way cruises between Anchorage to Vancouver by Princess and other cruise lines and an important port for the ferries on the Alaska Marine Highway. Follow the Seward Highway to the port town Seward, 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. Return to Anchorage where the driving portion of your vacation ends. 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. 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. Your final destination is Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city and filled with lot of adventures along with metropolitan amenities. 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

  • Prices & Dates

  • Attractions & Add-ons

  • Accommodation

  • Rental Car

  • Map

  • Information

  • Reviews

Whittier – Seward | Start Self Drive Tour ( Overnight: Seward )

Arrive in Whittier and pick up your rental car. Take the Whittier Tunnel to Portage Valley where you will catch the sight of Portage Glacier. The glacier is in retreat and not visible from the Begich Boggs Visitor Center, but it is still an interesting stop thanks to exhibits that let visitors walk through a simulated ice cave, view live ice worms or touch an iceberg. To get up close to the glacier, take an hour-long sightseeing boat cruise or hike on one of a number of foot trails that lead to the glacier. Continue your road trip to Seward, a small fishing town at the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park. Spend some time to visit Exit Glacier. Short trails lead to the edge of the glacier where you can take a good photo in front of glacier ice.

Seward ( Overnight: Seward )

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. Kittiwakes, puffins and other seabirds nest along cliff faces just above the swells. 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.Included: Kenai Fjords Glacier Cruise

Seward – Anchorage | End of Self Drive Tour ( Overnight: Anchorage )

Spend some time in the morning at the Alaska SeaLife Center – the world's largest and first cold water marine search institute with wildlife rehabilitation and public education facilities, try some outstanding halibut or salmon fishing within Resurrection Bay, book a half day kayak tour from Lowell Point to Holgate Glacier or hike the scenic Exit Glacier Trail - the choice is yours ! Take the Seward Highway north towards Anchorage. Feel free to take a break at the designated photo stops to enjoy the panoramic views over Cook Inlet. Arrive in Anchorage later in the day and drop off your rental car.

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 – Anchorage | Rail Tour

Board the Alaska Railroad and relax in your comfortable reclining seats, have a delicious lunch onboard or listen to the commentaries from an onboard interpreter. Just south of Denali National Park you will be passing the small community of Cantwell and then enter Broad Pass, offering majestic views of the Alaska Range in all directions. Your rail tour continues via Wasilla - home of the Alaska Iditarod Sled Dog Race - and crosses the Knik River with the Chugach Mountains as a backdrop before arriving in Anchorage. The tour ends with the arrival at the Anchorage Train Station. Please contact us for an additional overnight in Anchorage or extending the tour.

Rates in US $ / per Person
Comfort Hotel Category Single Double Triple Quad Child
May 18 - May 31 $3014 $1850 $1488 $1310 $385
June 1 - August 31 $3562 $2167 $1729 $1510 $423
September 1 - September 13 $3014 $1850 $1488 $1310 $385
First Class Hotel Category Single Double Triple Quad Child
May 18 - May 31 $3833 $2418 $1987 $1772 $545
June 1 - August 31 $4575 $2852 $2327 $2061 $593
September 1 - September 13 $3833 $2418 $1987 $1772 $545

What’s included

05 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

6 hr Kenai Fjords Glacier & Wildlife Cruise including lunch

Seward Port Fee

Denali Transit Bus Ticket to Eielson Visitor Center

Denali Railroad Station Transfers

Tour Documentation

Sightseeing Information

Railroad Transportation Anchorage - Denali National Park

Railroad Transportation Denali National Park - Anchorage

Comfort Hotel Category includes Reserved Seats in Standard Adventure Class Train
( upgrade to Dome Car Train is available $340 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.

More Details & Pricing

Seward: Godwin Glacier Helicopter Sled Dog Tour

Imagine running a team of Huskies on snow in the summer... Combine three thrilling activities: Helicopter Flightseeing, Glacier Landing and Dog Mushing - everything with breathtaking views of Resurrection Bay and the surrounding glacier-carved mountain ranges. Over 80 Alaskan Huskies wait to share an essential part of Alaska's culture - dog mushing. An experienced guide will explain how to run a dog team, then you're off across a snow field and the lure of the trail and thrill of driving a dog team will create the ultimate experience of a lifetime. Rain gear and waterproof equipment available. This is a 90 minute tour that includes 15 minutes of flightseeing.

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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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Tom, Montreal: My family and I enjoyed our Alaska vacation very, very much. After arriving by the Alaska Ferry in Whittier, we picked up the rental car and started our journey towards Seward. A first highlight was the easy hike to the Exit Glacier, followed by the full day cruise into Kenai Fjords National Park. Being able to see the wildlife and calving glaciers were spectacular! If you ever visit Alaska this is a must do trip. The hotels and lodges you chose were perfect and the Alaska Railroad trains are very comfortable and an awesome way to the the beauty of Alaska. We traveled as a family of 5 and this was one of the highlights. Breakfast was great (with a really good gluten free option) and then the views were amazing. Great service all around. I want to do this again with my grand kids someday. The result of our trip is: brilliant, simply super. And your organization of the trip (even in advance) made it super easy for us. Please stay that way and I can assure you that (without asking) we have only heard good things about Alaska Active Tours. Our hosts were all very satisfied with you. We met a couple who were also on the road with you and both of them were full of praise. Thank you very much and we will certainly come back to you.