World Wildlife Fund

Hidden Alaska

$7,795 per person, based on double occupancy. Single supplement: $1,495.

Trip Overview

While superlatives strive to convey the grandeur of Alaska, they never quite manage to capture the reality. This “Hidden Alaska” trip does, though. Go far afield from the heavily touristed routes to get you up close to the real Alaska: To the inner heart of Denali. Alongside the face of a calving glacier. At river’s edge, watching giant brown bears fish for salmon. This is Alaska “less discovered”: bigger, wilder, more amazing than you’ve imagined. You’ve got to see it for yourself.

Trip Itinerary

Please note that the dates below do not include travel time to and from the destination. We suggest consulting our tour operator, Natural Habitat Adventures, to discuss the best flight options for your travels.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011: Fairbanks
Meet in Fairbanks, a modern city that retains its frontier flavor with pioneer saloons, paddle wheelers and outlying mining camps. Hotel TBA (D)

Thursday – Saturday, July 7 – 9: Denali National Park
Denali National Park – larger than the state of Massachusetts – is one of the world’s great wilderness preserves. Mt. McKinley, the highest peak in North America, towers over the tundra and taiga below, habitat for wolves, grizzlies, moose and caribou. From a base 92 miles inside the park, have time and space to encounter the wilderness. Hiking, nature walks, biking, fishing and optional flightseeing are available. Early morning and evening offer excellent opportunities to see wildlife in the lodge environs. Kantishna Roadhouse (B,L,D daily)

Sunday & Monday, July 10 & 11: Denali / Girdwood
Depart Denali by train on a journey through Alaska’s rugged interior, over Broad Pass and along the Susitna River to Wasilla. From here we drive south to Alyeska Resort, Alaska’s premier ski area that is replete with summer activities, too. Set in a lush glacial valley in the Chugach Range near the coast, Alyeska offers nature and luxury in tandem. Streamside trails lined with wildflowers beckon at the base, or board the tram to the summit, where you may choose to dine at Seven Glaciers, a five-star restaurant with vistas of the ice-bound peaks and Turnagain Arm far below.  Visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center for up close and personal encounters with Alaska's wild residents. Saturday: Overnight on train (B,L,D); Sunday: Alyeska Resort (B,L)

Tuesday, July 12: Fox Island
Fox Island, a private island bordering the Kenai Fjords, reveals the pristine side of Alaska most visitors miss, providing accommodations for just 18 guests in comfortable beachfront cabins. The region is famed for sea kayaking, and an easy paddling trip may unveil some of the area’s prolific marine life. Kenai Wilderness Lodge (B,L,D)

Wednesday, July 13: Kenai Fjords National Park
Cruise through a land where the ice age still lingers. A small yacht allows us to approach wildlife more intimately, and Kenai Fjords National Park provides unparalleled opportunities for viewing humpback and orca whales, porpoises, sea otters and a large colony of puffins. Here, glaciers pour into the sea, and you may observe icebergs calving with a crash. Spend the night at a small hotel in Seward on Resurrection Bay. Hotel TBA (B,L,D)

Thursday, July 14: Kenai Peninsula / Anchorage
The mountain ranges of the Kenai Peninsula rise one after another on our drive to Anchorage. Time permitting, stop at Exit Glacier for a close-up look at this active river of ice. Spend the night in Anchorage. Hotel TBA (B,L)

Friday & Saturday, July 15 & 16: Katmai National Park
Katmai National Park is home to the world’s largest population of brown bears. Fly by small plane to King Salmon, then travel by floatplane to world-renowned Brooks Falls, one of the best places to view brown bears in their natural habitat. From the safety of platforms built over the falls, observe this classic spectacle up close, as the bears fish vigorously for salmon swimming upstream to spawn. Brooks Lodge (B,L,D daily)

Sunday, July 17: Katmai / Anchorage
After morning activities in Katmai, return to Anchorage. Hotel TBA (B,L,D)

Monday, July 18: Depart
Transfer to the airport for flights home. (B)