Fly Drive USA

Depart the UK on your chosen scheduled flight to Anchorage. Upon arrival, collect your rental car and proceed to your hotel.

This morning travel along the Seward Highway towards scenic Turnagain Arm. Turnagain Arm is a body of water featuring the world’s second highest tides at over 30 feet. Keep an eye out for Beluga whales chasing salmon in the bay or Dall sheep along the highway.

Today you can personalise your day by choosing one of these excursions:
Option 1. Tonsina Point Resurrection Bay Kayaking Adventure – Resurrection Bay is surrounded by snow-capped mountains and home to several Alaska state parks that offer abundant opportunities to hike, sea kayak and explore!
Option 2. Bear Lake Kayak/Canoe Trip – Kayak or canoe on this scenic local lake with fun-loving guides. Bear Lake is located just outside Seward, and normally offers flat calm waters, and a home for Sockeye salmon. On the way there is a stop to visit the salmon weir and learn about their life cycle. Eagles, loons, and bears are often seen while on this adventure.
Option 3. Wilderness Dog Sled Ride Tour – Visit the Seavey Family Homestead in Seward, and tour the beautiful tether free summer camp for Iditarod athletes! Meet the dogs, feel their excitement as teams are hitched to comfortable summer sleds, then mush for two miles through the scenic rainforest.
Option 4. Exit Glacier Hike – This moderate hiking adventure is great for viewing the jewel of the Resurrection River Valley – Exit Glacier. This massive wall of blue ice descends the mountainside from the Harding Ice Field, down to the Resurrection River.
Option 5. Resurrection Bay Wildlife Cruise – Treat yourself to an abundance of wildlife viewing with this 3 1/2 hour Kenai Fjords cruise in Resurrection Bay. Travel 55 miles (round-trip) along a rugged coastline and snap plenty of memorable photos as you sail past Bear Glacier. Sail close to sea lion colonies and seabird rookeries, and keep your eyes peeled for whales, sea otters, Dall’s porpoises and eagles.

Continue your journey and follow the Sterling Highway, a designated scenic highway covering miles of spectacular landscape. Along the way view snowcapped mountains, active volcanoes including Mt. Iliamna, Mt. Redoubt and Mt. Augustine, deep ocean bluffs, excellent salmon fishing opportunities along the Kenai River, and a magnificent coastline.

Homer “Halibut Capital of the World” provides you with truly incredible panoramic views of mountain ranges, white peaks, glaciers and the famous Homer Spit. Use the day to explore the area – kayak to a remote cove, take a scenic cruise and spot wildlife including whales, seals, sea otters and many shorebirds. If you prefer to observe Grizzly bears up close, take an optional scenic flightseeing tour to the Katmai Coast.

This morning, drive north on the scenic Sterling and Seward Highways back towards Girdwood. Along the way we have included admission to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center which provides care and rehabilitation for injured and orphaned wildlife. Here you can safely get close, observe, and photograph some of Alaska’s largest land animals including moose, bison, elk, deer, caribou, bears, muskox. Continuing to Girdwood, take an aerial tram up Alyeska Mountain for views of Turnagain Arm, up to seven “hanging” glaciers and the endless peaks of the Chugach Mountain Range. At the base of the tram is your overnight accommodation at Alyeska Resort.

Drive north from Girdwood along scenic Turnagain Arm, travelling through Anchorage and the agricultural region of the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, to the small, picturesque town of Talkeetna. Talkeetna serves as a base camp for Mt. Denali climbers; the community of 857 residents is located at the confluence of the Talkeetna and Susitna Rivers. A turn-of-the-20th-century gold-mining centre, the town has retained much of its early Alaskan flavour.

This morning, embark on a Wilderness Adventure Jet Boat tour. Stand in the splendor of Denali and the great Alaska Range from a spectacular vantage point on the Susitna River! The folklore, artifacts and a panoramic view of Denali in the Alaska Range combine to make this an unforgettable and unique Alaskan river adventure. After your jet boat tour, drive the Parks Highway north to Denali National Park, passing by incredible forest and mountain landscapes.

Today you can personalize your day by choosing one of these excursions:
Option 1. Denali Highway Jeep Excursion (Self-Drive Guided 4×4 Excursion) – Ranked #2 in ‘Drives of a Lifetime’ by National Geographic Traveller magazine, experience the natural wonders of Alaska’s Denali Highway — this time by Jeep! This 4-hour guided excursion travels along a 135 mi (217 km) gravel road & takes you off the beaten path in a 4 x 4 to enjoy scenic views of Denali, the Alaska Range, glaciers and wildlife.
Option 2. Tundra Wilderness Tour (Coach Tour) – This half day tour offers incredible scenery, a narrated history of the park road and opportunities to view the park’s wildlife inhabitants. Picturesque highlights include the craggy cliffside of Cathedral Mountain, wildlife rich Sable Pass and braided wash of the East Fork River in Denali National Park.
Option 3. Upgrade Option: Denali Summit Flightseeing (Small Aircraft) – Get a closer look at Alaska’s majestic Denali from the comfortable window seat of a small aircraft. Slip on your provided headset to hear commentary from your guide as you fly over the snow-covered peaks, jagged ridgelines, and glacier carved valleys of Denali National Park, and get within half a mile of the mountain peak.
Option 4. Upgrade option: Denali Glacier Landing (Helicopter) – Be immersed in the vastness of the Denali National Preserve. On your way to the massive Yanert Glacier, your pilot will serve as your guide through this unique glacially-carved environment. Soar over the rolling tundra, keeping an eye out for local residents – caribou, moose, bear, and Dall sheep. Snow capped peaks and glaciers abound on this journey before you set down on a river of ice.

Continue on the George Parks Highway north to Fairbanks. Accompanied by incredible forest and mountain landscapes, you drive through the communities of Healy, Nenana and Ester – an old mining camp. In the afternoon, climb aboard the Riverboat  Discovery III for an unforgettable three hour cruise into the Alaskan Interior, travelling the Chena and Tanana Rivers on the only authentic sternwheeler riverboat operating in Alaska. This narrated tour provides background on the area’s natural history and the Athabascan Indian culture.

Settle in for a day of driving through some of Alaska’s most diverse and dynamic landscapes. You’ll drive the Richardson Highway along the Tanana River through Delta Junction, home to the Delta Bison Sanctuary. Once you’ve reached Copper Center you’ll turn east to the small town of Chinitna. Flying from Chitina is the best way to get to McCarthy-Kennicott and the flightseeing that is included in the trip makes it a great value. On the way to McCarthy fly alongside 16,000’ Mt. Blackburn, over the Kennicott and Root Glaciers, past the Erie Mine and view the awe-inspiring Stairway Icefall. A flyby of Kennicott and McCarthy before landing will orient you to the area you are about to explore. Along the way your pilot will describe landforms, point out wildlife and fill you in on a bit of the human history of the area.

Spend the morning exploring the dynamic features of nearby Root Glacier on a guided trail and ice hike. The afternoon is yours to visit the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark and the funky-rustic nearby enclave of McCarthy.

Today fly back to Chitina by bush plane while enjoying great views of the Wrangell Mountains. From Chitina continue south where you will begin to enter the Chugach Mountains that ring the coast of Alaska from Prince William Sound.

Discover the magic of Alaska on this seven hour Columbia Glacier cruise from Valdez. A local captain and crew will guide you through the Trans Alaska Pipeline Terminal and Columbia Bay before arriving at Columbia Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in South-central Alaska. Look out for wildlife along the way; if you’re lucky you could spot porpoises, puffins, sea lions and sea otters among other creatures.

Today you will drive back north on the Richardson Highway with great views of the Wrangell Mountains as you return to Glennallen (weather permitting). Here you follow the Glenn Highway towards Palmer/Anchorage until you reach Sheep Mountain Lodge. The rest of the day is at leisure to enjoy the scenic mountain views or recreational activities in the area. There are over 20 km/12 mi of trails near the lodge perfect for exploring. Birds and wildflowers abound.

Drive the Glenn Highway south to Anchorage. Highlights on this part of today’s trip include the Independence Mine in beautiful Hatcher Pass and the many communities in the Mat-Su Valley. This valley contains many farms and offers beautiful views of the Chugach Range. Upon arrival in Anchorage relax and enjoy your evening.

You may choose to extend your holiday with extra time in Anchorage. If not, return your rental car and check in for your flight back to the UK.