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Overview
Carpenter Company travel staff will be available throughout your trip to see to your travel needs. The Hospitality Desk will be open during posted hours at each hotel, manned by professional staff eager to assist you in every way possible. Travel staff members will also be available to assist you on your arrival.
Note: Follow the links within the itinerary below to learn more about individual activities.
Day 1 - Alyeska
- Upon disembarking from the ms Veendam, we will proceed overland to enjoy a six hour cruise of the Kenai Fjords. Rich in wildlife, alpine and tidewater glaciers and breathtaking scenery the Kenai Fjords and its protected waters offer a glimpse at the beauty of the Alaskan coast. Lunch is served on board during your cruise.
- After you've returned to docks, board a private motorcoach for Girdwood. Experience the lush forests of the Chugach Mountains and scenic Turnagain Arm … and be sure to watch for the moose grazing in the marshy meadows along the way!
- Check-in to your pre-registered, pre-assigned room at the award-winning Alyeska Prince Hotel in nearby Girdwood for your two days and nights stay!
- Join our group at a private dinner at the Glacier Express restaurant. Located atop a nearby mountain, the Glacier Express features great scenery … with food to match … in a casual atmosphere. You'll be enthralled by the seven-minute Aerial Tramway ride to the Restaurant as you enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of majestic mountains, hanging glaciers, sparkling streams, towering spruce, and an array of wildlife.
Day 2 - Alyeska/Anchorage
Day 3 - Alyeska to Denali National Park
- Buffet breakfast is served at your leisure in the Hotel
- Early morning checkout from the Hotel, after which you will board a deluxe motorcoach for your trip to Denali via the spectacular George Parks Highway. Take in the wide open scenery as we travel through the world-renowned Matanuska Valley, a farming region famous for its mammoth vegetables … past colorful Wasilla, the "Home of the Iditarod" … and along scenic rivers such as the Susitna, which means "Mother River" in native Inuit. We'll make several convenience stops along the approximately 4 ½ hour trip to Denali National Park.
- Check-in to your pre-registered, pre-assigned room at the award-winning McKinley Chalet where you'll enjoy two days and nights of Alaskan hospitality!
- The balance of the day is yours to relax, rest, unpack and explore the area or choose an optional activity like river rafting, helicopter flightseeing, or horseback riding.
- Enjoy a delicious Buffet dinner at the hotel.
Day 4 - Denali National Park
Day 5 -Denali to Fairbanks
- Buffet breakfast is served at your leisure in the Chalet
- The morning is yours to relax, rest, explore the resort, or indulge in more of Denali's wild charms on one of the following optional tours:
- A Denali Natural History Tour - Get a deeper understanding of one of North America's most remarkable national parks on the three-to-four hour tour of the taiga forest and expansive rolling tundra. You will marvel at Denali's awesome beauty, and hear colorful stories about the area's cultural and geological history
- The Husky Homestead Tour - Visit the Goose Lake Homestead of three-time Iditarod winner Jeff King and his wife, renowned wildlife artist Donna Gates. Hold husky puppies and see more than 60 world-class sled dogs as you listen to Alaskan tales of the trails!
- A River Rafting Tour - Treat yourself to an unforgettable experience - river rafting on the glacier-fed Nenana River. Enjoy stunningly beautiful scenery on your choice of either an exciting whitewater rafting trip through the rapids or a milder trip through tranquil waters. Whichever you choose, you'll have the chance to see a part of Alaska you can't explore any other way!
Afternoon checkout from the Chalet, after which you will board a private deluxe motorcoach for travel to the Denali rail station.
- Travel to Fairbanks aboard the McKinley Explorer Luxury Rail. Dinner will be served during your ride.
- Upon arrival in Fairbanks, board private minicoach or motorcoach transportation to your accommodations.
- Check-in to your pre-registered, pre-assigned room at the Westmark Fairbanks Hotel for your overnight stay!
- Enjoy a Farewell Dessert Party at the Hotel.
Day 6
- Buffet breakfast served at your leisure in the Hotel
- Depart the hotel via private motorcoach transportation to the airport, for air transportation back to your home in the United States or Canada.