Denali National Park and Kenai Fjords National Park all-inclusive tour package includes lodging in Denali National Park and Seward, a narrated bus tour into Denali Park, and sea kayaking around giant icebergs in Kenai Fjords National Park.

OVERVIEW
Tour Type: Scenic, Alaska Railroad, Denali Bus Tour, Hotel Lodging, Sea Kayaking, Wildlife Viewing, Hiking, Remote Alaska Lodging, Seward
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Comfort: Good, Hotel Lodging, WeatherPORT Shelters (fabric cabins)
Prior Experience: None

This is our best pre- or post-cruise Alaska land tour and combines a visit to Denali National Park Tour and Kenai Fjords National Park, the two most popular parks in Alaska.

Kenai Fjords National Park. No prior sea kayaking experience is require at Bear Glacier Wilderness Retreat. Our guides will teach you what you need to know. Bear Glacier is located in a remote area of Kenai Fjords, where a maze of giant ice bergs awaits your arrival. Sea kayaking around the icebergs is so amazing that you'll wish you could stay all summer. Take a minute to look at our Bear Glacier Photo Album and just imagine how amazing it would be seeing this awesome place in person.

Denali National Park is famous for it's Alaska wildlife. On your Denali Park bus tour that travels along the restricted Denali National Park Road, a trained bus driver/naturalist guide will provide natural history interpretation along the way and help you search for bears, moose, caribou and other wildlife while pointing out the biology and geology of the region. And if you are lucky and the weather is cooperating, you get views of Mt. Denali (Mt. McKinley). You'll stop along the way for photos and take several rest stops where you can stretch your legs. Lunch is provided.

You'll also enjoy spectacular Alaska views on your way to and from Denali, Seward, and Anchorage by motor coach and on the Alaska Railroad.

SAMPLE ITINERARY **
Arrival - Fly into Anchorage International Airport. Plan to arrive at least one day before your trip departure date. Anchorage offers many fine hotel and bed and breakfast lodging options. We can provide you a list of recommended lodging options or we can include hotel lodging in Anchorage with your tour package. If you would like us to include hotel lodging in Anchorage with your tour package just let us know.

Day 1 - Depart Anchorage at 8:15 AM. Board the Alaska Railroad's Denali Star Train. Traveling aboard the Alaska railroad you'll have unobstructed scenic views on your train ride to Denali. You'll arrive in Denali around 3:45 PM. Check into your hotel. You can choose some add-on optional afternoon excitement, for example, go for an afternoon river rafting trip, either a whitewater or scenic trip. You can visit Iditarod champion Jeff King's dog mushing kennel or go for an ATV ride into Alaska's wilderness. Or enjoy an evening stroll or go shopping at the park entrance for that perfect Alaska gift.

Overnight in Denali. Hotel lodging in Denali is included. Meals while in Denali are not included.

Day 2 - Early 6:00 AM departure for a Denali wildlife bus tour along the restricted Denali Park Road. The bus tour is your best opportunity to see Denali's famed wildlife, including grizzly bears, moose, sheep and caribou. Your guide will narrate the drive with detailed behavior of different animals, natural history and geology of the park, and recount adventures of early explorers. We stop for photo opportunities when Mother Nature presents them. We will also stop at rest areas to enjoy the sweeping vistas. This trip traverses round trip through the most beautiful and rugged wilderness in Alaska. Lunch is included.

Overnight in Denali.

**Custom option. If you have extra time adding another day is highly recommended. Adding an extra day will make for a more leisurely tour and give you more time to to relax and enjoy the scenic wonders of Denali.

Day 3 - Depart Denali at 7:00 AM. Board the Denali Seward Bus for your trip to Seward. The ride between Denali and Anchorage travels the George Parks Highway and depending on the weather features some of the best views of Mt. McKinley in the state. The buses will arrive in Anchorage at the Anchorage Museum at approximately 1:30 PM. A visit to the Anchorage Museum is highly recommended. The Museum features a fabulous cafe if you would like to enjoy lunch on your own.

At 3:00 PM board the bus to continue your journey south to Seward. The trip between Seward and Anchorage travels the spectacular and scenic Seward Highway, a National Scenic Byway. Travel through the Kenai Mountains and Turnagain Pass following along the Turnagain Arm, a body of water featuring the world's second highest tides at over 30 feet. You'll arrive in Seward around 5:45 PM.

Overnight in Seward. Hotel lodging in Seward is included. Meals while in Seward are not included.

Day 4 - In Seward breakfast on your own. Meet the water taxi boat for a scenic boat ride to Bear Glacier Wilderness Retreat.

Arriving at Bear Glacier our guides will outfit you with a dry suit life and jacket. We will also provide a dry bag for your camera if needed to help keep your camera dry between shots. After a short kayaking instructions from our guides we will head out to explore Bear Glacier icebergs.

After a family style dinner you can choose to go out for another short paddle or just hang around camp and relax. During the summer months Alaska has almost 24 hours of daylight so you will have almost unlimited time for exploring Bear Glacier's giant icebergs.

Day 5 - Full day sea kayaking. Today we paddle up to the face of Bear Glacier and stop for a shore-side lunch on the glacier moraine and a short walk to explore the moraine. We'll explore maze of icebergs on the way to the glacier and on the way back. We'll keep and eye open for seals laying on the ice as we paddle. After dinner take an evening hike, paddling or go beachcombing.

Day 6 - After breakfast take the water taxi back to Seward. Overnight in Seward, hotel lodging included.

Day 7 - Free morning and afternoon in Seward. Or add on an optional Whale Watching Day Cruise departing at 11:30 AM. Seward activities you may want to consider include: a walking tour of Seward to visit the many shops; a harbor and sea wall walk; a guided ice climbing adventure, or visit the Seward museum. Ask our travel host about making arrangements for these special side excursions. Seward has many coffee houses and restaurants to choose from for lunch (on your own).

You can also visit the Alaska SeaLife Center. The Alaska SeaLife Center is a non-profit marine science facility. The center's research facilities and naturalistic exhibits immerse visitors in the dynamic marine ecosystems of Alaska and provide opportunities to watch animals in naturalistic habitats as well as research settings.

Seward is a small community and everything is within walking distance. From your Seward hotel you can easily walk to the small boat harbor, downtown and the SeaLife Center.

At 5:00 PM board the Alaska Railroad Train. Riding first class on the Gold Star dome car you'll have a spectacular scenic train ride back to Anchorage. You'll arrive back in Anchorage around 8:30 PM.

2014 TOUR DATES Daily Departures June 6 - September 6 Upgrade Options Are Available Call 1-907-222-1632 to add tour options. Alaska Railroad Upgrade, Gold Star Dome Car Gold Star first class upgrade on the custom built double-deck luxury dome railcars. Features unobstructed views and an exclusive open air viewing deck making this the perfect way to enhance your Alaska experience and to experience the grandeur of Alaska. Denali Lodging Upgrade The Grande Denali Lodge's main lodge is a beautiful building of log construction, river rock fireplaces and vaulted ceilings. Located on the slopes of Sugarloaf Mountain the lodge is perched at the edge of the bluff with spectacular views of the valley below. The front desk, Alpenglow restaurant, Peak Spirits Lounge, Peak Espresso and gift shop are all located here, making it a perfect place to gather with friends and family for dining, shopping and relaxing. Additional Denali Add-On Options Includes river rafting on the Nenana River, ATV guided tour, dog mushing tour, heli-hike featuring a scenic helicopter flight and guided nature hike, flight seeing, and a guided Interpretive jet boat tour on the Nenana River.

2014 RATES This tour can be customized with transportation options, optional activities, lodging options, and the option to continue on to or departing from Fairbanks. If you have interest in a custom Denali and Kenai Fjords tour package give us a call. Rates, Standard 7 Day Tour Includes Alaska Railroad transportation to Denali, 2 nights lodging in Denali, Park bus tour, Bus transportation to Seward. 2 nights lodging in Seward, 2 nights lodging at Bear Glacier Wilderness Retreat, sea kayaking at Bear Glacier, and Alaska Railroad transportation to back to Anchorage. This tour can also be done in the reverse order. Meals while in Anchorage, Seward, and Denali are not included. Meals are included at Bear Glacier Wilderness Retreat. Rates may vary depending on available hotel rooms at Denali. Rates are per-person and are based on shared room with 2 beds. Solo Traveler: $2323 plus tax Two Travelers: $1877 each plus tax Three Travelers: $1747 each plus tax Four Travelers: $1682 each plus tax OPTION RATES Alaska Railroad Gold Star Dome Seat Upgrade Add: $155 each Add Extra Night Stay At Denali, Per-Night Solo Traveler Add: $229 plus tax Two Travelers Add: $114.50 each plus tax Three Travelers Add: $76.35 each plus tax Four Travelers Add: $57.25 each plus tax Extra Night Stay At Bear Glacier, Per-Night Add: $220 each plus tax On payment of your deposit to Backcountry Safaris, you agree to be bound by Backcountry Safaris' tour terms and conditions. Complete Tour, Reservation and Payment Terms are located here. Prices are subject to change without notice. Call 1-907-222-1632 to add tour options.

MAPS
Alaska Railroad Route Map, Points Of Interest
Aialik Bay Map
Kenai Fjords National Park Map
See All The Kenai Fjords Maps Available

RELATED LINKS AND NATURAL HISTORY
Aialik Bay Photo Album
Kenai Fjords Wildlife
Kenai Fjords National Park Cultural Resources
Kenai Fjords Glaciers - Glacial Features
Harding Icefield
The Retreat of Exit Glacier
A Tour of the Life of a Glacier
Iceberg Sizes, Shapes And Classifications
Hypothermia, Cold Water Immersion
Wildlife Whale Watching Glacier Cruise
Denali National Park (National Park Service)
Denali National Park Weather and Forecast
Rail Passenger Service Trains
  Denali Star -Anchorage to Denali & Fairbanks
Alaska Railroad History
Alaska Railroad Wiki
Alaska Central Railroad Tunnel No. 1

SUGGESTED ALASKA READING LIST
Kenai Fjords Historic Resource Study (online book) by Linda Cook and Frank Norris
Exploring Alaska's Kenai Fjords by David Miller
Kenai Fjords Park - Trails Illustrated Map
Alaska: A Novel by James A. Michener
Discovering Denali: A Complete Reference Guide to Denali National Park and Mount McKinley, Alaska by Dow Scoggins
In the Shadow of Denali: Life and Death on Alaska's Mt. McKinley by Jonathan Waterman
Alaska: A History of the 49th State by Claus-M Naske and Herman E. Slotnick
Guide to the Birds of Alaska by Robert H. Armstrong
Wild Flowers of the Yukon, Alaska by John G. S. Trelawny
Coming into the Country by John McPhee
Travels in Alaska by John Muir

Did You Know?
Did you know that Denali or Mt. McKinley, located within Denali National Park and Preserve, is the highest mountain on the North American continent? Measured from the 2,000 foot lowlands to its snowy summit at 20,320 feet, the mountain’s vertical relief of 18,000 feet is greater than that of Mount Everest.