Compare Alaska: The Great Exploration by Discover Corps vs Alaskan Highlights Lodging Adventure Tour ACHNLA10 by Bindlestiff Tours

Day 1: Arrive in Anchorage

Meals: Dinner

Our Alaskan adventure begins in its charming city of Anchorage. Arrive into Ted Stevens International Airport (ANC) and meet your local Alaskan guide. We’ll get a brief introduction to the area before settling into our accommodations at a boutique inn in downtown Anchorage. Dine alongside locals at a brewhouse and get to know one another as we gear up for the week ahead.

Day 2: Learn about Alaska's History and Meet a Member of the Beluga Whale Alliance

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today's adventure takes us to the Alaska Native Heritage Center. As Alaska’s largest living cultural center, we’ll get the unique opportunity to explore a village of authentic and traditional structures from Alaska’s many native cultures. We’ll also be treated to a range of performances including native dancing led by a community dance group, or athletes demonstrating World Eskimo-Indian Olympic Games skills. In the afternoon, enjoy a picnic lunch and guided hike into the snow capped mountains of the Chugach State Park. Stop along the way to discuss the stunning geography of the area while learning about Alaska history as you gaze over aerial views of Anchorage.

Before dinner, we’ll get a visit from a member of the Beluga Whale Alliance to discuss the declining Beluga Whale population of nearby Cook Inlet and their effort to sustain the species by volunteer driven data collection. Enjoy dinner with a view overlooking the Cook Inlet, named after Captain James Cook during his search for the Northwest Passage.

This hike is all abilities level and will be based on group pace with 3 different routes to choose between.

Day 3: Ride a Glass-Top Train to Seward & Explore Kenai Fjords National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Rise early for an adventure down the Alaskan coast. Hop aboard the Coastal Classic train and venture from Anchorage to Seward in style. Often ranked as the top ten train rides in North America, you’ll wind along Turnagain Arm, where the steep mountains of the Chugach Range plunge directly to the sea before entering into the backcountry wilderness. Take in the panoramic vistas of Alaska’s beauty under the glass dome ceiling railcars. This 4.5 hour scenic ride will offer plenty of photo opportunities of wildflowers, rivers, and possible wildlife sightings so be sure to keep your camera handy! Arrive into the quaint, fishing town of Seward where you’ll go from train to boat for an afternoon of wildlife and glacier viewing in the remarkable Kenai Fjords National Park. Keep an eye out for whales, porpoises, puffins, sea otters, the stellar sea lion, and more as we cruise through Aialik Bay towards the mighty Holgate Glacier, an actively calving tidewater glacier. We will spend time in front of the glacier to watch for calving, where giant chunks of glacial ice break off and crash into the water. The tour is fully narrated by a National Park Ranger

Day 4: Join the Alaska Sealife Center for a Puffin Experience before a Dog Sled Tour Through the Wilderness

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Wake to the sounds of fishing boats departing for the day and views of towering Mt. Marathon and Mt. Alice outside your window. Today we will head to Alaska’s only marine rescue and research facility, The Alaska Sealife Center. You’ll have the opportunity to learn about how the center is protecting marine wildlife through rescue and rehabilitation. Go behind the scenes with researchers and learn about a range of animals from stellar sea lions, ringed & spotted seals as well as the giant pacific octopus. Join staff in a privately led deep dive into the characteristics and traits of a puffin. Learn first hand why their bright orange beaks change colors during the year and how they’ve earned their nickname, clowns of the sea!

In the afternoon, visit a local homestead kennel for a look into Alaska’s Iditarod dog sledding family, The Seaveys. Get to know their beloved team of huskies, a tether-free environment, and how mushing runs deep within the family line and their way of life. Your adventure begins with a 2-mile dog sled ride. Feel the power, excitement, and energy of these amazing sled dogs as they are harnessed to comfortable wheeled sleds on this hour and a half dog sled tour. Mush through the Seward Alaska wilderness to the base of Resurrection Mountain and along Box Canyon Creek.

Day 5: Head to Homer & Meet with the Alaska Center for Coastal Studies for "Belly Biology"

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

After breakfast, we will hit the road and head to the other side of the Kenai Peninsula stopping along the way in the old gold mining town of Cooper Landing. We’ll arrive in Homer and visit the Wynn Nature Center at the Alaska Center for Coastal Studies, whose mission is to protect the unique marine and coastal ecosystems of Kachemak Bay through science-based environmental education and stewardship. Get to know the 150 acre wildlife corridor with a habitat that includes spruce, black cottonwood, and alder trees and is the epicenter for a range of birds from the Black-capped Chickadee to the Orange-crowned warbler. The preserve is located on top of a bluff 1200 feet above Kachemak Bay. After touring the grounds, head down to the Homer Marina with a trained naturalist guide as you explore marine invertebrate life living on & around the Homer Harbor Docks in an activity called, belly biology.

Day 6: Visit a Local Oyster Farm

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Rise for a delicious breakfast followed by some free time to explore the small shops & cafes on the boardwalk along the Homer Spit. In the afternoon, we will board a boat for yet another engaging ocean experience. This time we will explore Kachemak Bay stopping at a local oyster farm to enjoy a tasting! Learn about ocean research by participating in a plankton tow, viewing them under a microscope and using an underwater remote operating vehicle to explore the ocean bed and all the creatures that call this place home! We’ll stop at the secluded Peterson Bay Field Station & visit Intertidal Creature Touch Tanks. Later in the evening, we’ll come together for a memorable Farewell Dinner to cap off our great Alaskan adventure!

Day 7: Explore the Homer Spit before Returning Home or Continuing to Denali

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Enjoy a relaxing final morning in Homer. Head into town for souvenir shopping or beach combing along the oceanfront. In the afternoon, we’ll drive back to Anchorage for evening flights out. Those who opt for the Denali Extension will bid the rest of the group farewell and take a domestic flight from Homer to Anchorage then onwards to Denali National Park.

DAY 1 – ANCHORAGE
Anchorage is Alaska’s most populated area yet it’s shared with the likes of bears, moose, and wolves. After your flight into this urban wilderness, make your way to our accommodations for the 6 pm pre-departure meeting followed by a group meal. Take this evening to get to know your fellow travelers and guides.
Included: Hotel
Meals Included: Group Dinner
DAY 2 – SEWARD
This morning you will board the famous Alaskan Railroad eating breakfast while taking you on a scenic ride down along the Turnagain Arm and through the Chugach Mountains. As a Goldstar Dome passenger, you enjoy a reserved seat in the upper-level dome, as well as priority seating in the lower-level dining room with all-inclusive breakfast. After the train ride, we will pick you up at the Seward train station and take you out to Exit Glacier for a short hike. In the late afternoon, enjoy a sled dog tour with 3-time Iditarod winner, Mitch Seavey – the famous Iditarod trail once started its way up to Nome from Seward – learn more about this important Alaskan history.
Included: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Optional Activities: Fishing
DAY 3 – SEWARD
Today we will experience the Kenai Fjords National Park by boat, cruising among the glaciers and wildlife. After hopefully spotting as much wildlife as possible we will be seeing two tidewater glaciers hopefully calving and crashing into the water below! The cruise will take you
out searching for humpback whales, orcas, seals, sea lions, otters and many birds among them the famous and colorful puffins. The boat will stop in front of two calving glaciers: Listen to the sounds of cracking ice and enjoy a drink on the rocks! In the evening venture out to explore
Seward on your own and have dinner at the restaurant of your choice.
Included: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, ***Alaskan Salmon & Prime Rib Buffet Included***
DAY 4 – HOMER
Located on the western side of the Kenai Peninsula and Kachemak Bay, Homer is the launching point for bear viewing flights or the boat-kayak-flight day on the bay. But, don’t overlook this artist inspired town with its many galleries along the spit. On the way to Homer, there will be enough time for some scenic photo stops and short walks. Depending on the time of the year we will stop to watch the Salmon Running up Russian River or visit one of the Russian orthodox churches overlooking the Ring of Fire volcanoes on the other side of the bay.
Included: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 5 – HOMER
Today you have a free day for optional activities to choose from: Fly out across the Cook Inlet to view some of Alaska’s largest brown bears, volcanoes, and glaciers. You will be accompanied by your experienced bush pilot/bear guide. En-route view active volcanoes, scenic wilderness, and majestic glaciers. Your plane lands on a remote beach. Just a short walk away, you will view the main attraction: brown bears in their natural habitat. Many times you can see them lying in the grass, digging for clams along the shore, finding a mate or chasing the salmon. If you decide for the “Day on the Bay” you’ll hop on a local water taxi across Kachemak Bay. From here you will venture out on a half-day kayak trip. Paddle around hidden coves and have a salmon-sandwich picnic on a remote beach. Local transport will take you to the small village of Seldovia. At the “Local Airport”, you’ll hop a scenic flight back to Homer. If you decide to stay behind, Homer offers a relaxing atmosphere right on the water of Kachemak Bay: check out the quaint little artist shops, have a coffee right on the waterfront, walk on the beach or check out the local natural history museum.
Included: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Optional Activities: Bear Viewing, Flightseeing & Kayaking
DAY 6 – GIRDWOOD
Today we are making our way back north staying close at Alaska’s premier ski resort. We will hop on the Alyeska Aerial Tram which takes you to sensational viewing experiences overlooking the Turnagain Arm and viewing of 7 hanging glaciers in the heart of the Chugach Mountains. The evening will finish off with a dinner at the AAA-rated Seven Glaciers restaurant.
Included: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 7 – TALKEETNA
It’s a short drive to Talkeetna. Talkeetna is home to the convergence of three major glacial rivers, which makes for great excursions. There are several great trails in the area to explore on your own. Just outside of town, visitors can walk to the waterfront and marvel at the mighty Susitna River. On a clear day, enjoy views of the Alaskan Range and Denali as the backdrop. Also be sure to walk around downtown Talkeetna where you will find several quaint shops, local breweries, restaurants and more. No trip would be complete without adding the optional activity of flying over Denali National Park and around Mt. Denali (20,320 ft/6194 m.)
Included: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 8 – DENALI NATIONAL PARK
After a casual morning we drive north hoping to get(another) glimpse of Mount Denali or maybe find moose along the scenic drive up to Denali National Park. We will check out Denali Visitor Center and explore some of the well-maintained hiking trails in the front-country of the famous park. One of the popular trails takes you down tow Horseshoe Lake where you have a good chance to spot beavers and moose! Accommodation: Hotel Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Activities: Denali Visitor Center/Hike the front-country of Denali National Park, Rafting
DAY 9 – DENALI NATIONAL PARK
Today we take the opportunity for a bus ride through the national park along its only road and hopefully spot bears, moose, caribou, or wolves. Denali offers 6 million acres of pure wilderness. We will take the bus out to Eielson Visitor Center where, on clear days, you will have a fantastic view of Mount Denali. There will be time for shorter hikes to explore the unique flora and fauna on foot as well.
Included: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 10 – ANCHORAGE
This is another day where you have a chance to see Mount Denali or spot a moose along the road. We will return to Anchorage for a late lunch.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Optional Activities: Extend your stay in Anchorage