Immerse yourself in the best-preserved natural areas of rugged Alaska
The Great Alaska Adventure is an unforgettable adventure in some of Alaska’s best-preserved landscapes. Magnificent images are conjured when Alaska is mentioned: massive, sweeping glaciers, salmon leaping into the mouths of waiting bears, endless white-capped mountains, whales breaching from frigid seas, the lure of gold and the intricate native cultures that live with the land. All this and more put Alaska on many a bucket list. Come see for yourself why so many people rave about this awesome landscape!
Tucked between six mountain ranges and skirted by the Bering Sea, Anchorage has more than 60 glaciers, a myriad of wildlife and a collection of volcanoes nearby. This itinerary covers several national parks, record-breaking glaciers, important conservation areas, and villages where sled dogs set records. Anyone dreaming of the wild north should put this adventure on their calendar.
Highlights of the The Great Alaska Adventure
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The Great Alaska Adventure Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival in Anchorage
After check in you will meet your guide for an orientation and overview of the upcoming adventure. There are a number of exciting optional activities available on this trip, such as whale watching tours, flightseeing with glacier landing, sea kayaking, and more. You are welcome to ask your tour guide for more information on those activities.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Anchorage
Meals: None
Day 2 Talkeetna and Denali National Park
Sit back and enjoy the spectacular views rolling by as you head northbound to Talkeetna. This small frontier town, with a population of roughly 400, is the starting point for many Mount Denali ascent attempts. Magnificent views of Mt Denali provide a glimpse of what can be experienced on one of the available glacier flights (optional). Time will be allowed for browsing local shops and for some local Alaskan cuisine.
After Talkeetna, continue north until you reach Denali National Park, where you‘ll make a short stop before heading to dinner and checking into your hotel.
Overnight Location: Hotel near Denali National Park
Meals: None
Day 3 Denali National Park Tour
Without a doubt this is one of the highlights of Alaska! In the morning you will go on a Denali wildlife tour (included). A park owned shuttle bus takes you deep into one of the most scenic landscapes in North America. Besides stunning views of Mt McKinley, a variety of wildlife such as grizzly bears, caribou, moose, and wolves can often be spotted.
For those interested in whitewater rafting, there is an optional tour available on the Nenana River at 6:30 pm. Keep in mind it's bright here until almost 11pm or 12am in the summer so darkness will not be a factor.
Overnight Location: Hotel near Denali National Park
Meals: Lunch
Day 4 Wasilla Sled Dogs and the Mat-Su Valley
After breakfast, leave southbound towards other scenic and historic highlights. The first scheduled stop will be in the dog-mushing town and once almost Alaska state capital of Willow. The town hosts several sled dog races each year, including the Iditarod, an endurance race of over 1100 miles from Anchorage to Nome. You‘ll visit an active dog kennel to experience a presentation about Alaska‘s state sport and take a guided dog-powered ride with a genuine dog team and experienced dog musher.
In the afternoon you‘ll continue south to the Mat-Su Valley. Once completely glaciated, the area encompasses thousands of rivers, lakes, and streams and is home to a great variety of wildlife and only about 30,000 people.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Wasilla
Meals: Lunch
Day 5 Wasilla Matanuska Glacier Hiking, Hatcher Pass
In the morning you’ll depart east on the Glenn Hwy, a WWII era road cut through a rugged mountain backdrop with the occasional moose crossing. The 1.5-hour drive is stellar—you travel from the mouth of the Matanuska River to its source, the Matanuska Glacier. When you arrive, check in and gear up for an unforgettable hiking experience on Alaska’s and America’s largest roadside glacier. It’ll be a short and easy hike tailored to the fitness of the group, and any who can’t hike or prefer not to are welcome to relax and sightsee.
After everyone is back on thawed ground the group will enjoy a picnic lunch in the area overlooking the glacier. Before heading back towards civilization, you’ll stop at Hatcher Pass in the Talkeetna Mountains. The historic Independence Mine on top of the pass is a great place to get a sense of what life must have been like back then.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Wasilla
Meals: None
Day 6 Seward Wildlife Conservation Center and Kenai Peninsula
In the morning you’ll head to the adorable coastal town of Seward. The views of the snow-capped Chugach and Kenai Mountains that seemingly rise directly from the sea are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the highlights of the day. The first scheduled stop will be at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. The property, which has the likeness to a big farm, offers some big photo potential. Grizzlies, black bears, wood bison, and muskox are just a few of the animals that live here.
After lunch and your arrival in Seward, you’ll travel on a small dirt road out to the community of Lowell Point. Spawning salmon, bald eagles, majestic rainforest groves and spectacular glacier views are amongst your experiences on a short hike down to Tosina Beach.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Seward
Meals: None
Day 7 Kenai Fjord National Park, Tidewater Glaciers
Today is a free day for optional activities. Spend time in Seward’s downtown with its museums, shopping opportunities, and great restaurants, has a lot to offer, or take a boat trip into Kenai Fjord National Park (optional). With a 10:30am check in, this is Alaska‘s premier marine life viewing location, where humpbacks, sea otters, Steller’s sea lions, seals, orcas and hundreds of seabird species come to feed and breed each summer. Additionally, the trip gets up close and personal with one of two or both tidewater glaciers in Aailak Bay before returning to Seward in the afternoon.
If human powered transportation is preferred, you can rent sea kayaks in town or we can organize a professionally guided kayak trip for any skill level to various places in Resurrection Bay and the surrounding area. At Bear Glacier, for instance, you can kayak among icebergs and at the face of the largest glacier in the national park arriving and departing either by helicopter or jet boat.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Seward
Meals: None
Day 8 Tram Ride and Departure
In the morning you’ll return to Anchorage on the Seward Highway. The first scheduled stop is the former Gold Rush and present ski resort town of Girdwood, where you’ll take a tram ride to the top of Mt. Alyeska and have lunch at the top. The view is splendid with the Chugach Mountains on one side and Turnagain Arm and Fjords on the other.
Then with what time you have remaining you‘ll continue to Anchorage. If you are staying in Anchorage or Alaska for additional days your guide can give you advice and recommendations on what to do.
Overnight Location: None
Meals: None
The Great Alaska Adventure Price and Dates
This guided overland tour of Alaska is run as a fixed-departure tour and the price per person depends on what kind of room you stay in.
Prices below are per person.
Accommodation on the Great Alaska Adventure
This tour is based in 3 or 4-star hotels. The rooms are superior middle-class.
In some cases, the accommodation listed below may need to be substituted for other comparable accommodations.
Single Rooms and Solo Travelers
Rooms are double occupancy. You can pay a supplement to have a private room in a hotel where possible. Solo travellers may be required to pay a supplement.
Hotels on Standard Tour
Hotels in Alaska
The exact hotels you’ll stay in will be confirmed upon booking, but expect pleasant 3 or 4-star options.
What’s Included in the Great Alaska Adventure?
Meals
Two lunches are included. Hotels may offer free breakfast as well.
Accommodations
Accommodations for 7 nights are included.
Transportation during the Tour
All personal and luggage transfers required by the itinerary are included. This includes pickup from the airport and departure transfers.
Also Included
- Personal guide with interpretation throughout the trip
- All overland transportation
- Air-conditioned maxi van (capacity 15 seats) or comfortable air-conditioned midsize coach
- Professional guided glacier hike on the Matanuska Glacier
- Day tour through the Denali National Park and one lunch bag
- Admissions for all state and national parks
- Admission to dog Kennel and lunch
- Alyeska Tram ride to the top of Mount Alyeska
- Transportation to/from most optional activities
- Airport transfers
Not included
- Visas if required
- Personal gear
- Flights
- Travel insurance
- Airport transfers
- Meals
- Optional tours
- Anything not mentioned as included
Optional Extras
- Additional nights before or after the tour
- Single occupancy upgrades where available
- Kenai Fjord Boat Tour
- Half Day Guided Sea Kayaking from Resurrection Bay / Guided Sea Kayaking at Bear Glacier with helicopter and boat transportation
- Sea Life Center Aquarium
- Helicopter Tour with Glacier Landing / Bear Glacier Landing / Heli Dog Sledding
Frequently Asked Questions about The Great Alaska Adventure
Ruby Range Adventure has been guiding visitors to the Yukon and Alaska for over 30 years. They are a Yukon-based wilderness tour operator providing an unmatched experience and a genuine love of the North in every trip they lead.
Ruby Range’s guides are qualified to lead guests into the deepest wilderness and knowledgeable enough to explain the rich history of the communities that dot the landscape.
They recognize that their livelihood is based on the environment, so they work to protect the balance between man and nature by limiting group size and choosing eco-conscious excursions.
Learn MoreMap of The Great Alaska Adventure
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Stephan is a trusted adventurer and a longtime guide with Ruby Range Adventure.
His love of the North and nature is what brought him into guiding over 25 years ago.
You can meet him on one of their canoe expeditions, on a sightseeing adventure or on a hiking trip- he does it all!
- Q: What is the best part of guiding tourists in your region?
- A: Reconnecting guests with nature so they can recharge for their busy life back home. Making them aware of the environmental sensitivity of the North so they can understand the importance of protecting Yukon's wilderness and wildlife for future generations.
- Q: What are guests most surprised about when visiting your region?
- A: The pristine wilderness of the Yukon, its rich living history, its vibrant culture, stunningly unique geography, epic scenery, and wildlife. Also, the fact that the Yukon is almost twice the size of Germany, but moose still outnumber humans by far.
- Q: What is one local dish or drink that visitors absolutely have to try?
- A: Homemade Pemmican, it's Canada's oldest power bar made from dried meat or fish, dried wild berries, and tallow.
- Q: What do guests say about the tours you lead?
- A: Guests value my experience and vast local knowledge about Yukon and indigenous history and about the wildlife. They appreciate my professionalism and kindness and how I ensure every guest has a memorable trip experience.