Pure Alaska: Exploring Denali by Rail | Yampu Tours

Custom Travel Experiences Since 1998

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Pure Alaska: Exploring Denali by Rail

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PRIVATE/GROUP TOUR - 8 DAY SAMPLE ITINERARY

FROM £$ 9379

Private/Group Tour Highlights

  • Gain a unique perspective on local culture, life, and interesting Alaska facts with a privately guided Fairbanks City tour.
  • Journey deep into the heart of Denali Park, visiting the Polychrome Overlook with views of an incredible array of colorful vegetation, streams, glaciers, and mountains.
  • Join Naturalist Guides in Denali for a guided hike, botanical walk, or exploration of a nearby historic site or try your luck by the water, fishing, or gold panning right on-site in Moose Creek.
  • Choose from jeep and ATV tours, rafting trips, zip lining and hiking or visit the National Park Visitor Centre to explore exhibits about the natural and cultural history of the Denali area.
  • Board the Alaska Railroad train in Goldstar Class for the journey south to Anchorage with majestic views of the Alaska Range in all directions.
  • Embark on a scenic 90-minute flight by small plane to witness magnificent grizzlies digging for clams, sunning on the beach, or feeding in the meadow or out in the bay.
Interested in this tour?   Let us build you a customized quote based on your budget.

Tour Overview

Witness Alaska’s rugged terrain and soak in the views of North America’s largest mountain while experiencing the wilderness of Pure Alaska: Exploring Denali by Rail.

Starting in the small city of Fairbanks, Nature lovers, adventurers and wildlife enthusiasts will take to Denali National Park by scenic rail where over 6 million preserved acres of wilderness teeming with wildlife of all sizes beckons to be explored.

Being in one of the world’s wildest landscapes does not mean comfort needs to be sacrificed. Explorers will start each day refreshed during their time in the reserve with stays at two comfortable nature lodges who provide creature comforts along with an array of activities to appreciate all that Denali has to offer alongside experienced naturalist guides.

Boarding another scenic train ride, the adventure continues to the city of Anchorage, best known for its contrast between nature and city. From here, travelers will embark on a scenic 90-minute flight to the southern end of Lake Clark National Park and Preserve for a once in a lifetime experience of viewing massive grizzlies in their natural habitat.

 

Note: Some tours may be effected by COVID19. Your Yampu Tour Consultant will advise upon booking.

Inclusions
Price includes domestic and regional flights within the itinerary; all hotel accommodations including daily city tax; all transfers between airports and hotels with assistance and baggage handling; guided tours in English including entrance fees.
Exclusions

International airfare (unless specifically included), airport departure taxes that must be paid on-site, gratuities, meals not mentioned, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages with meals, early / late check-out, room service, visa fees/services, and other personal items or services not mentioned.

Best Time to Travel
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN
JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Best Good Consult

Package Price: From £$ 9379

Prices shown above are per person. Hotel categories do not adhere strictly to international ratings; Yampu has evaluated the hotels according to destination and availability. Prices include local airfare (where applicable), hotel accommodation including daily breakfast; all transfers with baggage handling, all guided tours in English and all entrance fees.

Please note that prices are subject to change based on availability and seasonality, especially during the holiday season from December 20th through January 5th each year. Please contact a Yampu Travel Specialist for more information on best times to travel.

Trip Type:

All our trips are operated on a private basis unless specified otherwise. This is only a sample itinerary; your Yampu Tour Consultant will personalize this trip for you according to your available dates, interests and type of hotels. This is your trip and we will work on making it perfect!

Tour Itinerary

Day
1

Flight to Fairbanks

Upon arrival to Fairbanks, you will be met and privately transferred to your hotel in Fairbanks. Enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure. Overnight Fairbanks.

Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska. Home to just over 100,000 people, this region is the second-largest population center in Alaska. The city features a university, an army base and an air force base and is known for dog sledding, northern lights and its extremes of light, dark, warmth and cold.

Upon arrival to Fairbanks, you will be met and privately transferred to your hotel in Fairbanks. Enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure. Overnight Fairbanks.

Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska. Home to just over 100,000 people, this region is the second-largest population center in Alaska. The city features a university, an army base and an air force base and is known for dog sledding, northern lights and its extremes of light, dark, warmth and cold.

Day
2

Fairbanks Guided City Tour with Afternoon Arctic Circle Air Adventure

This private guided Fairbanks City tour combines a unique perspective on local culture, life, and interesting Alaska facts. Stops on the tour include the Trans-Alaska-Pipeline, the pipeline viewpoint is the perfect spot to explain the astonishing engineering of the pipeline, the oil field in Prudhoe Bay, and the Alaska oil industry. The Morris Thompson Cultural Center welcomes you with great exhibits about Interior Alaska and the Museum of the North (admission included) is an extraordinary destination with its dramatic architecture and new exhibit galleries. Discover fascinating stories about Alaska's cultures, places, and wildlife.

In the afternoon, enjoy an Arctic Circle Air Adventure. Fly north from Fairbanks and wonder at the vast and remote land below. Witness remnants of the gold mining that continues nearly 100 years after the yellow metal first brought newcomers rushing north. View the remarkable Trans Alaska Pipeline, symbolizing the immense changes brought to Alaska's Arctic by the discovery of oil over 30 years ago. Fly over the expansive Yukon River Valley, home of traditional peoples that sustain their lifestyle and culture as they have for thousands of years. Thrill at the excitement of crossing the Arctic Circle. Experience the rugged and magnificent Brooks Mountain Range as the flight route passes just south of the Gates of the Arctic National Park. Land at a wilderness community on the Middle Fork Koyukuk River and receive an official Arctic Circle Adventure Certificate (you will receive your certificate upon return to Fairbanks). Enjoy an orientation tour and learn the fascinating story of the surrounding Brooks Range wilderness.
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Day
3

Train to Denali with Sightseeing Tour

At the appropriate time, you will be met at your hotel and privately transferred to the Fairbanks train station to board the Alaska Railroad Goldstar Service to Denali.
Travel deep into the Alaskan interior passing through the historic town of Nenana, and crossing the Mears Memorial Bridge, one of the largest single-span railroad bridges in the United States. North of Denali park, the train winds along Healy Canyon, following the curves of the Nenana River below before arriving at Denali.

BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE: Carry-on luggage is restricted to one personal item not exceeding 15" x 14" x 6". Two pieces of checked baggage per person, weighing a maximum of 23kgs (50lbs) each.

Upon arrival to Denali, enjoy a sightseeing transfer by shared shuttle bus to Denali Backcountry Lodge. (Duration approximately 6 hours.) The bus picks up directly from the train station for an exclusive guided wildlife & sightseeing bus tour. Highlights of the journey deep into the heart of Denali Park include the Polychrome Overlook with views of an incredible array of colorful vegetation, streams, glaciers, and mountains, with a gorgeous kaleidoscope of colors formed by volcanic rock. Watch for grizzlies, moose, and caribou below! Eielson Visitor Center offers an incredible view and you're only 33 miles from the summit of Denali!

On arrival check into your Traditional Cabin room in the Denali Backcountry Lodge.
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Day
4

Denali Backcountry Lodge Activity

Join the lodge's Naturalist Guides for a guided hike, botanical walk, or exploration of a nearby historic site. Or, if you prefer to go at your own pace, ask the guides to point out the best areas to explore for hiking, or biking on one of the lodge's mountain bikes. You can also try your luck by the water, fishing, or gold panning right on-site in Moose Creek. If after a full day of activities, you still want more, attend an after-dinner talk on rotating topics about Denali National Park, or relax those tundra-tired legs fireside, indoors, or outdoors. ...read less

Day
5

Denali Cabins Activity

Early morning departure from the lodge with the bus shuttle for the return journey through Denali Park to the Denali Cabins at the Denali Park Entrance. Arrival around 1.00pm. Spend the afternoon free in Denali for local sightseeing or optional activities. Choose from jeep and ATV tours, rafting trips, zip lining and hiking or visit the National Park Visitor Centre to explore exhibits about the natural and cultural history of the Denali area or to join a variety of ranger walks or talks. A short 1.5-mile hike or a free shuttle bus ride from the visitor center are the sled dog kennels where you can tour the kennels, meet the dogs and see a sled dog demonstration (Jun-Aug).

Overnight at Denali Cabins.
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Day
6

Train to Anchorage with Scenic Route

Take the complimentary shuttle transfer to the Denali train station in time to board the Alaska Railroad train in Goldstar Class for the journey south to Anchorage.
Just south of Denali National Park, Broad Pass offers majestic views of the Alaska Range in all directions. Traveling south into the backcountry Hurricane area; this region offers views of the snaking Indian River, the occasional remote cabin and the expansive sight of Hurricane Gulch from the top of a 296-foot bridge. The train will stop in Talkeetna, the jumping off point for climbers wishing to scale Mt. McKinley, before continuing the journey between the mountains of the spectacular Alaska and Talkeetna ranges. Just south of Talkeetna, watch for views of Denali rising high above the Susitna River. Take in the wide-open scenery as you travel through the Matanuska Valley, a farming region known for mammoth vegetables, passing colorful towns like Wasilla, "Home of the Iditarod". After dinner arrival into Anchorage.

Private transfer from the Anchorage train station to the hotel for overnight.
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Day
7

Anchorage Guided Sightseeing Tour and Chinitna Bay Bear Viewing

Today, enjoy a private 3-hour sightseeing tour of Anchorage by SUV with your Yampu driver-guide. Tour highlights include Lake Hood, the world's busiest float plane base, Earthquake park where we can learn about the 1964 earthquake and a viewing point of the city from the Glen Alps. Hear the history of Anchorage as you explore the historic downtown area. The Anchorage Museum, a world-class museum which seeks to preserve, exhibit, and interpret the art and history of Alaska, is a recommended optional add on (additional charge).

In the afternoon, embark on a scenic 90-minute flight by small plane to the southern end of Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. Chinitna Bay is home to a multitude of brown bears that come to the bay to feed on the protein rich sedge grasses, copious clams and fish the late summer salmon runs. Listen as your expert guide shares tales of the resident bears and their families. You'll travel with your guide by 4WD bus to where the brown bears are most active. Once at best location, you will disembark the bus and witness these magnificent animals digging for clams, sunning on the beach, or feeding in the meadow or out in the bay. You'll be amazed at the shear mass of the male brown bear and fall in love with the cubs as they wrestle and play. Return by air to Anchorage.
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Day
8

Flight Home

At the appropriate time, you will be met at your hotel and privately transferred to Anchorage airport for your flight home.

At the appropriate time, you will be met at your hotel and privately transferred to Anchorage airport for your flight home.

Fairbanks, AK, USA

Denali, Alaska, USA

Anchorage, AK, USA

Places You'll See

  • Anchorage

    Long-serving as the gateway to Alaska’s wilderness, Anchorage is the largest city in the state with less than 300,000 inhabitants. Best known for its contrast between nature and city, Anchorage is famous for hiking trails, glaciers, and wildlife while boasting its local cultures and history with pride. Art fills the city streets and local galleries, while numerous museums such as the Alaska Native Heritage Center that teaches of the many distinct native cultures, each with traditions reaching back thousands of years, and continued, contemporary presence in Anchorage today.

  • Fairbanks

    Located in central Alaska, just north of Denali National Park, Fairbanks hosts the state’s largest population with approximately 100,000 inhabitants. Serving as a basecamp for explorers as far back as the Fairbanks gold rush in the early 20th century, the city continues to be the starting point for adventurers seeking to experience Alaska’s wildlife. Visitors can partake in the excitement of panning for gold in the nearby Chena River, hike the region’s numerous trails, learn of dog mushing, and visit local museums and art galleries.

  • Denali

    Roughly translating to “the Great One” in the Athabascan language, Denali Mountain is the largest peak in North America with a staggering height of 20,310 feet. Sharing its name with 6-million preserved acres of pure wilderness including pristine lakes, alpine meadows, sweeping vistas and abundant wildlife, Denali is rightfully one of Alaska’s most popular destinations for explorers and nature lovers. Visitors can admire the mountain’s spectacular views while exploring the rugged backcountry of the park with opportunities to spot wildlife such as moose, caribou, grizzly bears, and wolves.

Hotel Options

4 Star Properties

Fairbanks : Pikes Waterfront Lodge

Denali : Denali Backcountry Lodge

Denali : Denali Cabins

Anchorage : Hilton Anchorage

Testimonials

Gary W.

Traveled June 2018

a great curation of activities

They chose amazing hotels, energetic enthusiastic tour guides, and a great curation of activities in Peru

Traveled To

Ron C.

Traveled June 2018

A life rewarding experience

Our family of four just returned from a two-week excursion in Peru. We traveled to Lima, the Peruvian Rainforest, Cusco, Urubamba, Machu Picchu and Puno/Lake Titicaca. We stayed in five different amazing hotels during our stay. Our tour operator, Yampu Tours did an exceptional job organizing the trip. We had an incredibly knowledgeable guide with us every step of way meeting us at our hotel managing our domestic air, bus and train transportation in Peru. Every guide was extremely knowledgeable about the sites/attractions. At no point did we ever get lost, feel rushed or left to our own devices (we do not speak Spanish… but we tried). This was easily one of the most carefree/safe trips with lots of adventures along the way. Lima is a city full of culinary delights, the biodiversity of the rainforest was incredible and visiting Cusco, the ancient Inca ruins, indigenous cultures of Puno, and Peruvian people in general was a life rewarding experience. I would wholeheartedly and emphatically recommend Yampu Tours (without reservation) for individuals and families alike for any travel considerations to Peru.

Traveled To

Cathy M

Traveled November 2018

A perfect trip from start to finish.

A perfect trip from start to finish. Each country, each lodging, every event was well planned and thought out. The service was impeccable. My trip was to Africa and I feel that what we did was a true representation of the countries we visited. As a traveler, every detail was handled for me and my group. Thank you Yampu and Karolina

Let Us Customize This Trip For You

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