Ecotour in Alaska

Upon arrival in Anchorage, you will be met at the airport and escorted to your hotel to freshen up before going out for dinner and the chance to meet your fellow travelers. 

If you arrive early in the day, you will have time to wander around the area or relax by the indoor pool and sauna.

Your guide will be with you for the duration of your trip and will share insights, details, and safety tips to help you enjoy your trip.

Today your adventure begins following breakfast. You will visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and Alaska Native Heritage Center to gain some history on the great natural wilderness and what you might encounter in the coming days. 

After lunch, you will head south along the Seward Highway to Potter’s Marsh. Here you can choose to spend time bird-watching or hike along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, then enjoy a fresh seafood dinner at a local restaurant.

Today you will head into the heartland of Alaska and the true wilderness of this grand state. Along the way, you will stop to see Thunderbird Falls, a 200-foot waterfall that plunges off the old highway. You will also visit the Eklutna Village and nearby lake, one of the oldest Indian settlements in the U.S. The Athabaskan people have lived here at least since the mid-1600s. If the weather cooperates, you will get to view the famous Mt. Denali from the Talkeetna Lodge.

You will arrive at the Denali Visitor Center around lunchtime. After lunch, check out the Denali Visitor Center before heading to the nearby sled dog kennels. Denali is the only U.S. National Park that uses working sled dogs in everyday activities of the park. After playing with the puppies, you will head to the Savage River area for a short, but scenic hike. 

Today you have to make a choice. To truly explore Denali and see the whole park, you have three options: a 13-hour round trip bus to Kantishna, an 11-hour round trip bus to Wonder Lake, or a 2-hour aerial tour of the park. You may choose one of these, or you may opt to stay closer to the lodge, giving you the opportunity to go on one of many ranger-guided activities or tours, hike in the area around the lodge, go whitewater rafting on a nearby river, or just relax and enjoy the view from the Eielson Visitor Center, which is amazing on clear days. Regardless of which activity you choose, keep your camera handy as wildlife is common and unpredictable — caribou, grizzlies, coyotes, moose, eagles, and more! If you go on one of the bus rides, you will want to take lunch and snacks as there is no food in the park.

Enjoy your day!

Today you will have a lot of driving time (about 350 miles) through some amazing wild areas of Alaska, but don’t worry, you’ll make plenty of stops. The Denali Highway passes through incredibly scenic areas. You may want to stock up on snacks and drinks for the journey as towns are frequently distant.

First, you head to Fairbanks to go gold mining! Tour an old mine to see how miners extracted gold from deep beneath the ground. You can even try your hand at panning for gold.

Between Chitina and McCarthy watch for moose! The thick forest growth on both sides of the highway make great hiding spots for them and they appear suddenly. Your bus driver will be driving cautiously through this section to avoid any mishaps and to give you photo ops if moose are spotted.

You are in for a beautiful treat today. McCarthy is the entrance to the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. The town and area is full of history as well as incredible landscapes. This town is off-the-beaten-path for most tourists, so you may have much of the area to yourselves. 

You may choose to board a small plane to see the park from the sky including the massive peaks and glaciers in the Chugach and Wrangell Mountains. Or you may enjoy a ranger-guided tour through the park. The ranger will share legends and history about the areas your visit. 

If you didn’t get enough mining in Fairbanks, you have another opportunity here. The old Kennicott Mine has a fascinating guided tour full of history, facts, and legends. Alternatively, you may take a kayak or raft trip around the Kennicott Glacier Lake.

Your next destination is Valdez. Today’s drive is only half of what the drive to McCarthy was! But, it is still through some beautiful country. 

Upon arrival in Valdez, you will enjoy lunch along the town pier. Following lunch, stretch your legs with a walk along the pier while watching fishermen and boats in their daily routines. Head to the shore area to get an incredible view of the mountains surrounding the town. But, watch for occasional grizzlies! They come here to fish for salmon from the area creeks and salmon farms.

Later in the afternoon, you will visit Worthington Glacier and Bridal Veil Falls. You can opt to cruise to the Columbia Glacier or kayak to the Valdez Glacier if you want to get closer to the glaciers.

Day 7: Valdez | Worthington Glacier | Bridal Veil Falls

Your next destination is Valdez. Today’s drive is only half of what the drive to McCarthy was! But, it is still through some beautiful country. 

Upon arrival in Valdez, you will enjoy lunch along the town pier. Following lunch, stretch your legs with a walk along the pier while watching fishermen and boats in their daily routines. Head to the shore area to get an incredible view of the mountains surrounding the town. But, watch for occasional grizzlies! They come here to fish for salmon from the area creeks and salmon farms.

Later in the afternoon, you will visit Worthington Glacier and Bridal Veil Falls. You can opt to cruise to the Columbia Glacier or kayak to the Valdez Glacier if you want to get closer to the glaciers.

Day 8: Whittier | Kenai Peninsula

This morning you will board a ferry to cross the Prince William Sound to the small town of Whittier. While onboard, you can take in the iconic Alaskan scenery surrounding the sound. Pass by more glaciers, watch birds looking for prey, and maybe even site a few whales or orcas — the sound is one of their favorite feeding areas!

Day 9: Homer | Seward

Today you will enjoy the small town of Homer. Walk to the tip of the peninsula pass small houses, coffee shops, and restaurants to an area called Homer Spit for some fantastic views of the Kachemak Bay and mountains. If you are a fisherman, join a crew to go fishing for halibut in the icy waters!

In the afternoon you will drive to Seward.

Day 10: Kenai Fjords National Park | Anchorage

Today’s treat is a visit to the Kenai Fjords National Park. The park is famous for the huge Harding Ice Field, a conglomeration of about 40 glaciers. You will drive up Exit Glacier to see the glacier up close and hike the Glacier Overlook Trail.

You will have several hours to explore and enjoy the park before heading to Anchorage for the evening.

There are several ranger-guided tours you can participate in while here. Or you may board one of the boat tours of Kenai Fjords and Resurrection Bay to spot wildlife, including sea lions, whales, and seals.  You can kayak the bay as well, but changing ice conditions due to global warming has made this dangerous unless you are very experienced. 

Day 11: Departure Home

We hope you have enjoyed exploring the highlights of this huge, incredibly beautiful and wild state. Today you will be escorted to the airport to begin your return trip home. 

Trip Blurb:

No matter when you visit, Alaska is sure to inspire you with its incredible mountains, icy cold waters, and abundant wildlife. Summer is the most popular time to visit Alaska, but visiting in the shoulder season will allow you to see and experience things you can’t in the summer. This includes the Northern Lights, most common in the off-season (not summer) times. Alaska is a great state to explore for an eco adventure you will never forget.

This morning you will board a ferry to cross the Prince William Sound to the small town of Whittier. While onboard, you can take in the iconic Alaskan scenery surrounding the sound. Pass by more glaciers, watch birds looking for prey, and maybe even site a few whales or orcas — the sound is one of their favorite feeding areas!

Today you will enjoy the small town of Homer. Walk to the tip of the peninsula pass small houses, coffee shops, and restaurants to an area called Homer Spit for some fantastic views of the Kachemak Bay and mountains. If you are a fisherman, join a crew to go fishing for halibut in the icy waters!

In the afternoon you will drive to Seward.

Today’s treat is a visit to the Kenai Fjords National Park. The park is famous for the huge Harding Ice Field, a conglomeration of about 40 glaciers. You will drive up Exit Glacier to see the glacier up close and hike the Glacier Overlook Trail.

You will have several hours to explore and enjoy the park before heading to Anchorage for the evening.

There are several ranger-guided tours you can participate in while here. Or you may board one of the boat tours of Kenai Fjords and Resurrection Bay to spot wildlife, including sea lions, whales, and seals.  You can kayak the bay as well, but changing ice conditions due to global warming has made this dangerous unless you are very experienced. 

We hope you have enjoyed exploring the highlights of this huge, incredibly beautiful and wild state. Today you will be escorted to the airport to begin your return trip home.