7 Day Pride of Alaska Tour

Upon arrival in Anchorage, if you arrive on the day of the tour, contact one of our preferred hotels for a courtesy transfer to one of our two pick-up points. If you have added our pre-night hotel package, our representatives will meet you at your hotel lobby at approximately noon. EKLUTNA NATIVE HISTORY: Begin your Alaskan adventure with additional guests and a meet & greet. AAU will provide a picnic lunch today. Travel across town to the spectacular Native Heritage Center, a renowned cultural center and museum, an exciting place where all people can come to expand their understanding of Alaska's first people. Here we share the rich heritage of Alaska's eleven cultural groups drawing upon the life ways of long ago, the wisdom of our elders, and the traditions that endure. The Welcome House is a celebration of contemporary Alaska Native cultures while the outdoor facilities and sites allow the exploration of ancient tradition and the presentation of stories from the past. The Center provides a unique opportunity to experience Alaska's many diverse Native cultures at one location. In facilitating the transmission of Alaska Native knowledge, heritage and tradition, the Center promotes self-esteem and pride among Alaska Natives. The Alaska Native Heritage Center improves understanding among all Alaskans and encourages appreciation of Alaska Native people and their traditions, history, and contributions to Alaska. Upon leaving the Anchorage area, we will travel north to the Matanuska Valley, the farming belt of Alaska. Along the way, we will visit the native village of Eklutna. Enjoy the Russian Orthodox influenced Chapel and native influenced “spirit houses”, while sharing in their cultural traditions. Continuing north, we will pass the “Palmer Hay Flats”, and the Knik Arm of the Cook Inlet. This tundra-covered lowland is home to wildlife and several species of birds. Upon arrival in Wasilla, dinner will be at one of Wasilla’s finest restaurants offering exceptional dining. Overnight in comfortable chalets** adding a remote feel to your adventure with added luxury

This morning brings one of the most scenic drives in the state. As you head north to Chickaloon, an overlook stop reveals the Knik Glacier, the Matanuska River and the Chugach Mountains in their full glory. The Matanuska River winds its way north beside us, cutting a cavern of beauty through the Matanuska Valley. Next, you will have the option of choosing between two types of river rafting activities, scenic glacier float or thrilling white water. The “Glacier Run”, a scenic glacier float trip is great for relaxed sightseeing and photo opportunities. This easily negotiable class 1-2 water makes it a great way to experience rafting and the great outdoors. This raft excursion lasts 2 ½ hours. The “Lion’s Head” thrilling white water raft trip offers the roar of whitewater. This is an excellent first-timers whitewater trip that is popular with experienced enthusiast as well. The most popular trip for over 28 years, this class 3 & 4 whitewater experience offers you a handon adventure. This raft excursion lasts 3 ½ hours. In the afternoon, it’s off to Sheep Mountain Lodge, for a bite to eat. Sheep Mountain Lodge offers spectacular homemade soups, triple berry pie, and try their glacier cookies drizzled in chocolate syrup!! This area is also a famous viewing area for Dall sheep. So keep your cameras handy. After a stop for a hearty lunch, at around 3:00 pm, discover the true beauty of glaciers up close. Ice cramp-ons and walking sticks are your first step to enjoying your glacier trek adventure. You’ll experience glacier walking as well as the natural history of the Matanuska Glacier. Enjoy the splendor of the "frozen river" as you walk out to a scenic lake hidden under the face of an ice fall. No experience is necessary to join in the fun; however, the terrain presents shale rocks, muddy silt, slippery ice, and small ice fissures. Intermittently placed picnic benches allow guests to choose their own participation level. Great photo ops from all picnic benches. After the days fun, guests are ready to rest this evening, so dinner is provided in Palmer at a local favorite gourmet Pizza House, so you can take it back to your comfy chalet accommodations. Rest up for tomorrow another day of high adventure

Rise & Shine, as we depart at 9:00 am, enjoy your breakfast, and then it's off to visit the home of Mt. McKinley. Today will present one of many highlights of your adventure. Talkeetna is a local town sporting the most photographed scenes in our state, the towering peaks of Mt. McKinley & the Alaska mountain range. Only 1 ½ hours north, this town is a hub of international mountain climbers. Here you will have time to enjoy lunch on your own. Next, based on your type of package, Deluxe or Quality, you will be able to choose one of the following adventures to enjoy in Talkeetna. ACTIVITY ONE: Denali Flightseeing & Glacier Landing: This magnificent flight takes you within six miles of Mt. McKinley's summit. As your flight departs Talkeetna, you begin to see how the last ice age has shaped the land. Moments later you enter a world of rugged high mountain peaks and wide glacier filled valleys. Listen as your pilot describes the natural wonders of Denali National Park. See the Sheldon Amphitheater, beautiful Ruth Glacier, and the Great Gorge (the world's deepest - almost 2 miles from top to bottom). "No visit is complete without this experience!" Land on the Sheldon Amphitheatre glacier beneath Mt. McKinley, The aircraft is equipped with skis, floats, and voice activated headphones. Passengers, each with comfortable window seats, enjoy narration by an experienced pilot-guide highlighting points of interest including geology, wildlife, and history. Flight time is 1.5 hrs and includes a glacier landing.

Everything about Denali National Park is big: the scenery, the mountains, the incredible beauty, and the animals. Early this morning, you will embark on the Denali Park Shuttle Tour, an excellent way to spot the wildlife for which Alaska is so famous: moose, bear, wolves, caribou, dall sheep. The bus stops every 1 hr 10 min. for restrooms and whenever wildlife is sighted as you travel. Opened in June 2008 the completely reconstructed Eielson Visitor Center was built as sustainable construction and features informative interpretive exhibits. This is the turnaround point, allowing 30 minutes to explore the visitor center or the surrounding area with a short hike. This shuttle time is 8 hours roundtrip, including all stops. AAU arranges for and includes boxed lunch and beverage for the trip. So bring your camera and binoculars. Mount McKinley National Park was established in 1917 to protect its large mammals, not because of majestic Mt. McKinley. In 1980, the boundary was expanded to include both the Denali caribou herds wintering and calving ground and the entire Mt. McKinley massif. This more than tripled the size of the park and was renamed Denali National Park and Preserve. It was also designated an International Biosphere Reserve significant for the potential for sub-arctic ecosystem research. Denali is an Athabascan word meaning The High One. The mountain is officially named Mt. McKinley but is also referred to as Denali. Mt. McKinley is the highest peak in North America at 20,320 feet. It creates its own weather system and is often covered in clouds. Mt. McKinley is only visible about 1/3 of the time, so visitors to the park only have about a 30% chance of viewing Mt. McKinley. Denali is one of the greatest wildlife viewing areas in the world. Visitors have a chance of seeing grizzly bears, caribou, moose, Dall sheep, foxes, and wolves. Many smaller animals also inhabit the park such as arctic ground squirrels, hoary marmots, pikas, snowshoe hares, and beavers. For those interested in bird watching, there are a variety of birds that migrate to the park for the summer. The list includes arctic tern, American golden plover, long tailed jaeger, the surfbird, arctic warbler, the wheatear, willow ptarmigan, golden eagles, and ravens. Approximately 150 species live in and around the Denali area during the summer months. This evening, dinner is at a local hot spot featuring th

Today is at your leisure in the Grand Denali National Park. Many guests love the Visitor’s Center and all it has to offer. From Alaskan movies, guided ranger hikes, ranger talks, dog sled demonstrations, to shopping. Get out there and enjoy the great trail system in the park, starting at the Visitors Center. Discover the Muir Science Center and the great geology and wildlife of the park. A café is available right next to the Park Visitor Center as well as theater, bookstore and more. These are all included in your tour. Or choose to add one of the optional adventures listed below: ATV 4-Wheeler Adventure: $125.00 Per Person Single Covered Unit $225.00 Double Covered Unit (2 people) / $Triple Covered Unit (3 People) $325.00 Get ready for some adventure! Whether a novice or expert ATVer, this tour will be a memorable ride in the scenic Alaskan wilderness on your own Single or Side by Side ATV. Ride on several terrain types - coal mining tails, rocky creek beds, hill climbing, water and mud crossings. Total tour covers about 10 miles, with approx. 1 ½ hours on the trails. Midnight Sun Golf: $115.00 Per Person Tee Times 7 AM - Sunset Black Diamond is a Challenging Course with Alaskan Hazards, such as a tundra marsh or the occasional moose hoof print. It's a relatively short course which makes it accessible and fun for any style of play and the course design makes for a quick es for a quick round, which can fit into almost any travel schedule. See you on the greens!

Rise & Shine, as the midnight sun never sets! Breakfasts will be available in your private room as you begin your day. Today experience spectacular views of Hatcher’s Pass and the Independence Gold Mine, built in the early 1900’s. Here you have your choice of taking a walk on paved trails or hiking back into the mountains for a real adventure. Those who love photography will have a real photo safari here with the arctic flora and fauna. Or if learning about the history of the area is your choice, a park naturalist is here to share the history of the mine, as well as the lifestyle of the engineers to the flunkies who worked tirelessly on the mine. A lunch stop will be provided at a local area restaurant. PALMER: This afternoon’s adventure will take you aboard an airboat ride to Lake George, the base of Knik Glacier. Lake George, an ice dammed lake was once responsible for floods of cataclysmic proportions. Knik Glacier, 28 miles long, 6 miles wide and over 1000 feet thick, is one of Alaska's grandest natural attractions. Knik Glacier, born in the Pleistocene Glaciation period (the beginning of the Ice Age) 600,000 years ago, covered the Anchorage bowl and the entire Cook Inlet. While it remains active, with motion imperceptible to the naked eye, this glacier is in a constant state of change. Participants should be able to step in and out of a Jet Boat or Air Boat window, which requires some agility. Participants should also be able to navigate a loose gravel trail with a slight incline. Participants must have the ability to walk unassisted. After traveling all over the state of Alaska, the Knik Glacier always turns out to be a trip highlight. We consider ourselves very fortunate to live in such a magnificent landscape. It will be our pleasure to share it with you.

Today, based on your package (MODERATE OR DELUXE), .....if you booked the DELUXE package, you will board your First Class Gold Star glass-domed train. .....if you booked the QUALITY package, you will board your vintage Adventure Class rail cars. Adventure class moderate package passengers are seated on the first level of the train. They have access to a vista dome car, but there is no assigned seating in that dome. Passengers may visit the vista dome car for about 20 minutes at a time, to allow other passengers to sit in the dome. Adventure class passengers may walk through all of the Adventure cars, but may not enter the GoldStar dome. Guests that have Adventure Class Rail will have already enjoyed breakfast provided by your hotel before boarding. Passengers that purchase the GoldStar deluxe package receive priority check-in at select depots and are seated on the second level of our two-story fully-domed car. GoldStar passengers will ride in the newest and most luxurious, double-decked dome cars on the train. These cars are positioned near the front of the train with the best views from the upper level outdoor viewing platform. This is the only railcar ever built with an upper level outdoor deck. GoldStar passengers receive breakfast on board the dining car, as well as complimentary non-alcoholic beverages throughout the trip, and may purchase beer, wine and spirits at the private bar located on the upper level of the GoldStar car. GoldStar passengers also have access to an open air, glassroofed, viewing deck on the upper level to the rear of the car, and have priority seating in the dining car which is located directly below them on the first level. GoldStar passengers may walk through all of the Alaska Railroad cars and have access to the Adventure class dining area. Here all will experience a unique and scenic area of Alaska, the Kenai Peninsula! Ride the famous Alaska Railroad, LISTED AMONG THE MOST SPECTACULAR RAIL TRIPS IN THE WORLD, as you travel through mountain passes full of wonder, south to the port city of Seward. The train winds along the magnificent Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet, over gorges, and within a mile of three majestic glaciers - Spencer, Bartlett and Trail. RESURRECTION BAY: Today’s all-inclusive adventure begins with a cruise through Kenai Fjords National Park, "Alaska's # 1 Wildlife and Glacier Cruise". These custom vessels have walk around viewing decks and inside seating with large picture windows for great viewing of the close-up glacier experience. Wildlife and marine life is abundant throughout. Listen to narration provided by our experienced Captains and Crew. Kenai Fjords Tours’ wildlife and glacier cruises take you deep into the heart of Kenai Fjords National Park and an incredible abundance of marine and land-based wildlife –whales, porpoise, Steller sea lion, along with more than 80 different species of birds make Kenai Fjords National Park their home. Enjoy a diverse array of sights, from rugged coastline to emerging rainforests and calving glaciers. Lunch is included with your tour. Upon disembarking this evening, relax as you return to Anchorage via the Alaska railroad for one last view of the scenic country side. Upon arrival in Anchorage, your tour ends here. You can choose to fly home this evening or add a