trip specifics

price

2013

Experience Denali National Park in style from a wilderness lodge located 90 miles inside the park. Enjoy naturalist guided hikes and walks, wildlife viewing, scenic views of Mt. McKinley, fishing, gold panning, dog sled demonstrations and more with three full days inside Denali National Park. Your up-close exploration is enhanced by a trip aboard the historic Alaska railroad, two nights in Anchorage and an optional scenic flight over Mt McKinley.

Our Denali Backcountry Explorer is an independent exploration of Anchorage and Denali that includes all transfers, hotels and activities. This trip can be customized to depart any day or crafted with custom hotels and lodges to suit any travel style. This Denali lodge based trip is perfect for small groups, couples or family travel.

Day 1 - Arrive Anchorage

Arrive independently at the Anchorage airport. A transfer to your downtown Anchorage hotel is included. The remainder of the day is yours to explore this cosmopolitan city on your own.

Accommodations: Clarion Suites or similar
Included Meals: n/a

Day 2 - Denali National Park Wildlife Safari

Enjoy a scenic, narrated drive along the Parks Highway from Anchorage to Denali. Arrive at the Denali National Park train depot midday before you catch the naturalist-guided wildlife safari bus for a tour through North America’s premier wilderness. Wildlife viewing opportunities are excellent as you travel overland deep into Denali National Park. Look for grizzly bear, moose, caribou and possibly even wolves on this 95-mile, 5-hour trip with frequent stops for viewing and photographing wildlife. Our preferred wilderness lodge, the Kantishna Roadhouse, serves as your base for exploring the region.

Accommodations: Kantishna Roadhouse, Denali Backcountry Lodge or upgrade to Camp Denali
Included Meals: breakfast and dinner

Days 3-4 - Denali National Park

Two days are spent exploring the heart of Alaska's premier wilderness. A naturalist guide from Kantishna leads you through alpine and tundra environments along rivers, lakes or ridge-top trails with magnificent panoramic views of the Alaska Range. The beautiful scenery of Denali National Park is also habitat for grizzly bear, black bear, caribou, Dall sheep, wolves, Arctic fox and moose. Activities offered in Kantishna include sled dog demonstrations, mountain biking, fishing, gold panning and evening presentations in the library.

Accommodations: Kantishna Roadhouse, Denali Backcountry Lodge or upgrade to Camp Denali
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 5 - Alaska Railroad to Anchorage

Rise early for another chance to view wildlife on the return trip to the park entrance. You may instead choose to return to the park entrance by plane, enjoying a scenic flight over North America’s tallest mountain, Mt McKinley (additional cost). Upon arrival at the park entrance board the historic railroad for the return trip to Anchorage, crossing over Alaska's highest bridge at Hurricane Gulch. Skirt past the Matanuska Valley, the most fertile farming area in Alaska, which produces bushel basket sized cabbages along with other huge vegetables due to long hours of sunlight. Your conductor will keep you posted on points of interest along the way. Meals are available for purchase on board. Arriving at the Anchorage Rail Depot around 8:00pm, a transfer is included to your downtown Anchorage hotel.

Accommodations: Clarion Suites or similar
Included Meals: breakfast

Day 6 - Depart or Begin Trip Extension

A return transfer to the airport is included or begin your Alaska adventure cruise or trip extension.

Accommodations: n/a
Included Meals: breakfast



Extend Your Trip: Call AdventureSmith Explorations about the possibilities of combining Denali with an Adventure Cruise.

Itinerary Notes: We may occasionally alter itineraries slightly for safety, or to take advantage of weather, wildlife, and unplanned discoveries. Our ability to be spontaneous makes our style of travel unique.

Included: Airport hotel transfer, coach transportation to Denali, Alaska Railroad transportation from Denali, accommodations, local guides, entrance fees and meals as specified in itinerary.

Exclusions: Airfare to Alaska; airport taxes, excess baggage charges; any additional hotel nights in Anchorage; optional flight from Kantishna back to Denali entrance; items of a personal nature such as alcoholic beverages; and insurance of any kind.

The remote wilderness lodges in Denali National park will only allow guests to bring 1 piece of luggage per person. Additionally, guest are allowed 1 small backpack that they may take with them on the bus journey into the park. Each additional piece of luggage will incur a cost of $50. Prior to boarding the bus trip into the national park, excess luggage can be stored at the baggage storage facility across from the Denali train station for a fee.

Arrival & Departure: Your Denali Backcountry Explorer adventure begins and ends in Anchorage, Alaska. Arrivals may be at anytime on Day 1 and departures may be at anytime on Day 6. Transfers will be provided both upon arrival on Day 1 from Anchorage International Airport (ANC) and on Day 6 for your return flight home.

Payment & Cancellation: Deposits required for each traveler are $600. Inquiries and cabins held for Camp Denali and North Face Lodge will require a $100 per person non-refundable fee. A Reservation Form, which includes a release of liability, must be completed and signed by all travelers. The balance of the trip price is due 90 days before the departure date. Guests who must cancel their trip for any reason must do so in writing. Cancellations are subject to the following fees, based on number of days prior to departure:
Up to 91 days - 50% of deposit
90 to 31 days - 50% of total trip cost
30 to 0 days - 100% of total trip cost

Terms & Conditions: This trip is subject to AdventureSmith Explorations Terms and Conditions. Please read this information carefully and call us if you have any questions. A packing list and extensive pre-departure and travel insurance information is sent upon confirmation.

Travel Insurance: We highly recommend our travelers protect their investment with travel insurance. Please note that you must purchase your travel insurance policy within 14 days of booking your trip for it to cover pre-existing medical conditions. Click the link below for a selection of policies from our partners at Travelex.



Qualifications: Denali Backcountry Explorer will be enjoyed by anyone with a love for nature and the outdoors.


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