The Great Alaskan Outdoors

Day 1: Omaha (or your home gateway) / Anchorage
Fly from Omaha, NE with airfare included, or ask us about flying from your home airport. Arrive in Anchorage and transfer to your hotel.

Day 2: Anchorage / Prince William Sound / Anchorage
Begin with a bang! Experience Alaska’s pristine beauty on an unforgettable glacier cruise of Prince William Sound. Explore the serenity of Esther Passage and view the majestic alpine and tidewater glaciers in College Fjord and Blackstone Bay. Travel in luxurious comfort on this full day adventure filled with pristine landscapes, seascapes, and glacier views. This cruise also offers a great opportunity to spot whales, seals, otters, mountain goats, and more in their natural habitat. (B, L)

Day 3: Anchorage / Palmer / Wasilla
Experience the sights unique to Anchorage this morning and enjoy free time for lunch in “The Ci ty of Lights and Flowers” before hopping on our private open-air trolley for a ride throughout downtown. Listen as our local guide points out important and interesting sights from this fun vantage point. During your city tour, see the largest Float Plane Airport in the world, the Iditarod Sled Dog Race “starting point” and many other historic sites. After the tour we continue on to the Mat-Su Valley and Palmer in particular, known as the farming center of Alaska, where growing conditions are ideal. Vegetables adapted to cool temperatures thrive, the glacial soils provide organic matter to keep nutrients in the root zone, many insect pests, diseases, and weeds that are common in the lower 48 are not common in Alaska, and there is plenty of sunlight in the summer to help plants grow. In June, Palmer gets 19 hours of daylight, so crops can keep growing until midnight. The sunlight also makes the crops sweeter. Visit an actual working farm and see irrigated crops watered with a center pivot irrigation system. Potatoes are their primary crop, but they also produce lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, and carrots. All produce is packaged on-site and distributed in-state to several chain and independent grocery stores. Look for the “Alaska Grown” logo on all of their produce ! Discuss farming with the owner and have a chance to ask questions about agricul tural life this far north. Enjoy a variety of Alaskan goodies, step into their large greenhouse and peruse a display of locally-sourced products and vegetables that highlight Alaska’s fertility. We are treated to an Alaskan Din­ner on the farm - This visit is always a crowd favorite! We are a short drive from Wasilla, where our hotel is located on Lake Lucille, only a few steps away from the home of former Governor, Sarah Palin. Everyone loves the lake view from our hotel’s large deck - a great place to relax and get better acquainted with your travel mates. (B, D)

Day 4: Wasilla / Houston / Talkeetna
This morning we make our way up the scenic Hatcher Pass to experience Alaska’s breathtaking scenery. Take a step back in time as you walk along the former Independence Gold Mine. Learn a little about the history of gold mining in Alaska, as we explore this mine that has been at a standstill since the 1940s. Next we travel through the wilderness to a typical Alaskan town, Houston, AK. With just a whisper over 2,000 inhabitants, it’s a great representation of small-town Alaska. We journey onward to Talkeetna, the closest opportunity to view Denali (aka Mt. McKinley), the highest peak in North America, topping out at 20,320 feet. This rugged mountain stands in the heart of Denali National Park and is so large it actually creates its own weather. We arrive midafternoon to Talkeetna, a charming little Alaskan village with quaint shops and a few restaurants - a town that really depicts Alaska. Check into our hotel and have the remainder of the afternoon and evening to explore the village on foot. While in Talkeetna be sure to visit the Ranger’s Station, the very place where all the mountain climbers must stop to check in before climbing Mt. McKinley. If you always wanted to take a helicopter or plane ride over a glacier or Mt. McKinley, this is the place to do it! Ask your tour manager about a flight tour that will land on one of the glaciers of Mt. McKinley. Tonight try an Alaskan meal at one of Talkeetna’s favorite restaurants, The West Rib or The Roadhouse. Or maybe Mountain High Pizza Pie is on your mind? Tonight, the choice is yours. (B, L)

Day 5: Talkeetna / Denali
This morning you may wish to get up early and have a nice walk in the fresh Alaskan air or have a late and leisurely breakfast. Late morning it’s “All Aboard” as we travel to Denali via the Alaska Dome Rail Train. You’ll have a spectacular viewpoint, seated behind huge wrap-around windows in our own comfortable glass-domed train car viewing Denali (aka Mount McKinley) and the Alaskan wilderness as we journey across some of the most breathtaking scenery in the country! Alaska is one-fifth the size of the entire lower 48 states, yet 17 of the 20 highest mountain peaks in the U.S. are located within its territory. Along with this luxurious ride, you’ll enjoy lunch and included alcoholic and non-alco­holic drinks onboard. This fun and scenic ride will surely get you in the Alaskan mood. Disembark the train in Denali National Park where we overnight. (B, L, D)

Day 6: Denali National Park / Fairbanks
Rise and shine as this will be your only early morning departure. Embark on an extended Denali Wilderness Tour, traveling deep into the six million-acre Denali Park for our best opportunity to see wildlife. Our experienced Alaska naturalist will spend nearly eight hours discuss­ing the wildlife in the lush taiga forests and across the rolling tundra. This afternoon travel north to Fairbanks, where you have the balance of the day to rest, explore, or sample some of Fairbanks’ favorite steaks and pub food at Brewster’s Restaurant, only a handful of blocks from our hotel. (Sack Breakfast, Sack Lunch)

Day 7: Fairbanks / Arrive Home on Day Eight
Your adventure begins with a ride on a replica of the Tanana Valley Railroad near some of the original rail routes. Once aboard the narrow gauge railroad, enjoy a short narrated journey to the Gold Dredge 8. Your first stop is the world-famous Trans-Alaska Pipeline System that runs 800 miles from the Arctic Ocean to the Gulf of Alaska at Valdez. This largest oil field in North America had more than 70,000 workers at various times, and the first oil reached Valdez on July 28, 1977. Accounting for 15% of USA’s domestic oil production, the pipe is 48 inches in diameter and the oil inside comes out of the ground at temperatures as high as 145 degrees Fahrenheit and is sent through the pipe hot. Next is the floating workhorse - Gold Dredge 8, which extracted millions of ounces of gold from the frozen Alaskan ground. Today, Gold Dredge 8 National Historic District serves as a monument to the hardworking miners who built Fairbanks. The train will stop beside the dredge and miners will give a sluice box demonstration and talk about mining in Alaska. Learn from the miners how to pan for gold before giving it a try your­self. Nothing beats the thrill of taking home real Alaskan gold! Next we enjoy lunch and a leisurely cruise down the Tanana and Chena rivers aboard an authentic sternwheeler, the Riverboat Discovery. Our journey takes us to an Athabascan Indian village, where we learn about their culture and customs. We’re also scheduled to see the home of four-time Iditarod winner Susan Butcher. Susan’s legacy continues through her trainer, telling us about the dogs and showing us how an Alaskan musher controls the animals. An Alaskan bush pilot demon­strates short field take offs and landings with his Piper Super-Cub. Later in the afternoon bask in Alaska’s nostalgia at Pioneer Park. Walk the streets of an old Alaskan village, see gold mining equipment, vintage airplanes, a museum, and a collection of the area’s log cabins. Best of all enjoy an authentic Alaskan Salmon Bake for your farewell dinner. Following dinner, transfer to the airport for your return flight home, arriv­ing on day eight. Bring home memories to treasure for a lifetime! (B, L, D)

Rupiper Tours reserves the right to make minor adjustments to the itinerary if necessary.