Wild Alaska | Talkeetna and the Kenai Peninsula

Upon arrival in Anchorage, travel on your own to the hotel. (Uber and Lyft pickup upstairs at departures or Taxi's depart from the commercial lanes outside the Alaska Airlines baggage claim #). With most flights arriving late into the evening, your group will meet for orientation the next morning.

This morning at 8am, meet the group at "The Pantry Restaurant" for program orientation and breakfast before the 10am departure to Seward. Stop en route in the town of Girdwood and a favorite local eatery for lunch. Afterwards ascend up the side of Mt. Alyeska on an aerial tram. From the top (weather permitting) take in views of several glaciers and the upper reaches of a temperate rainforest. Next, visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, a 200-acre natural habitat that provides wildlife education and rehabilitation for some of Alaska’s most famous animals. This is Alaska’s only guaranteed wildlife viewing, close enough to observe and photograph some of our favorite land animals like moose, reindeer, bison, wolves, and musk ox. While we cannot guarantee bears due to the size of their habitat, it is common to see both brown and black bears at the Conservation Center. Make sure to take photos of wildlife with an amazing backdrop of the Chugach Mountains and Turnagain Arm. Continue southbound along the Seward Highway,for a stop at the Exit Glacier visitor center for a leisurely nature walk and views of Kenai Fjords National Park's famous Exit Glacier!

10:20am pick up for the 6 hour boat journey into the Kenai National Park to explore the classic Alaskan sights including wildlife, mountain peaks and tidewater glaciers. Keep an eye out for puffins, otters, whales and seals who are thriving in this ecosystem.

Please fill out the kayak waiver before enjoying your kayaking trip today!
Meet your guide in the lobby at at 7:00AM to head to check in for your kayaking tour. The kayaking guides will drive you out to where you will put in, on this 25-minute tour, our van guide will share stories of Seward’s vibrant history, while transporting you through Seward’s harbor and downtown areas. Along the way, we’ll grab a snack and make a short stop at the Lowell Creek Waterfall for a photo opportunity before continuing on beautiful Lowell Point Road to meet your kayaking guides. All of our tours begin with a paddling orientation and safety talk. Your guide provides a personal flotation device (PFD), spray skirt, waterproof boots, pogies (neoprene mitts) and if needed, we also have splash jackets and splash pants to help keep everyone dry. After this brief kayak orientation, paddle along the shoreline of Resurrection Bay and the nearby State of Alaska Recreation Areas. It is common to encounter sea otters, harbor seals, bald eagles and leaping salmon as we kayak. This the perfect trip for those experiencing kayaking for the first time or for those short on time. After kayaking, you will have an included picnic lunch and then head over to the Alaska SeaLife Center for your Wilderness Response tour as well as free time to explore the Alaska SeaLife Center. There will be time to go back to the hotel to freshen up before your included group dinner included in the evening.

After breakfast, embark on a journey from Seward to Talkeetna. Before leaving Seward, visit Exit Glacier, one of the most accessible glaciers in all of Alaska and is the only part of Kenai Fjords National Park that is accessible by road. Enjoy a 2.4 mile hike and learn about the geology and biology of beautiful Resurrection Valley and see how Exit Glacier has receded in the last century. This day tour will include photo stops as well as lunch & dinner.

Transfer to Denali State Park this morning to meet our local guides at Byers Lake. Denali State Park is one hour north of Talkeetna. A box lunch is included in your day adventure; please bring your filled reusable water bottle with you today. Take an easy stroll along pristine and tranquil Byers Lake in Denali State Park. This hike is on a well-maintained trail. This crystal-clear lake is tucked between the Talkeetna Mountains and the Alaska Range, making this a spectacular natural setting. Your professional naturalist guides will share their knowledge of the park and its inhabitants. They can help you spot trumpeter swans, loons, beavers, bears and spawning salmon so keep your eyes open and cameras ready! Look for blueberries and cranberries (when in season). Enjoy wildflowers like wild iris, dogwood, and twin flowers and take home a healing salve made from native plants. Lastly, visit a historic log cabin built when the area was home to trappers, traders and gold miners.

Transfer from Talkeetna to Anchorage today. Lunch is included this afternoon as well as a visit to the Alaska Native Heritage Center. The Alaska Native Heritage Center offers a unique experience for each visitor to learn and explore the traditional and contemporary ways of Alaska's Indigenous cultures. More than a museum, the Heritage Center is a place to engage and interact - to ask questions and discover! Your visit will take you on a journey through 10,000 years of Alaska Native history and culture through art, dance and Native Games demonstrations, exhibits and traditional Native dwellings. Our farewell dinner is this evening.

Enjoy a leisurely morning before your airport transfer in time for your flight home.