Last Frontier - Alaska & Yukon 2012

Come and discover the most spectacular places of Alaska & Yukon. Follow in the footsteps of the first miners who travelled these lands during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898, and those of the first Russian, British and Spanish explorers, discovering the marvels with which Mother Nature has blessed these northern regions. Let yourself relax as your expert driver-guide provides interpretation while taking care of all the details and all the driving.

Starting in Whitehorse and ending in Anchorage, some of the highlights include the White Pass Train, Skagway & Haines, Kluane National Park, the historic towns of McCarthy and Kennicott, Valdez, Prince William Sound, Kenai Fjords National Parks and Denali National Park. This active adventure trip is very complete.

Route - 14 days/ 13 nights

Whitehorse (Airport) - Whitehorse (1 night) - Skagway (1 night) - Kluane (1 night) - Tok (1 night) - McCarthy (2 nights) - Valdez (1 night) - Seward (2 nights) - Talkeetna (1 night) - Denali (2 nights) - Anchorage (1 night) - Anchorage (Airport)

Safari Dates 2012

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrival Whitehorse

Welcome to Whitehorse, capital city of the Yukon Territory. Transfer to the hotel downtown where we will meet briefly for introductions and to review the itinerary over a few drinks and snacks. Depending on the time of the flight arrivals, we may have time for a brief tour of the city and surroundings.

Night in Whitehorse.

Day 2 Whitehorse - Skagway

We will visit the infamous Miles Canyon, before heading south towards the historic port of Skagway, Alaska, famous for its stories of gun duels and gold rushers. Just after lunch, you will board the legendary White Pass train which will take you on a scenic trip down the White Pass through the Coast Mountains.

Night in Skagway

Day 3 Skagway - Kluane National Park

Early morning we will cross the Lynn Canal by ferry to arrive in the town of Haines, locked in by peaks and glaciers. We will explore Haines and pass through the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Reserve, where in November, more than 3000 bald eagles unite to feast on the late salmon migration. Once again in the Yukon, the highway follows the western border of Kluane National Park. We'll do a short hike into the park and visit Kathleen Lake.

Night in Kluane area.

Day 4 Kluane National Park - Tok

We continue north on the Alaska Highway, along beautiful Kluane Lake and stop at the Sheep Mountain Visitor Centre from where we will do another short hike and may be able to observe Dall sheep. With views of the stunning Kluane and St. Elias mountain ranges, also home to Mount Logan, which, at 5959 meters, is Canada's highest mountain, we drive to Tok, Alaska, where we spend the night.

Night in Tok.

Day 5 Tok - McCarthy

From Tok we head south towards Wrangell-St.Elias National Park. We will have lots of scenic views along this route that skirts the edge of the national park. We will visit Copper Center, a former mining centre, on the banks of the Copper River. In Chitina we will leave the van and a scenic flight over the nearby glaciers will take us to McCarthy, an abandoned, former mining town of the "wild west" surrounded by towering peaks. (We will pack only a light, overnight-style bag).

Night in McCarthy

Day 6 McCarthy & Kennicott

This morning we will take a guided tour of the fascinating historic Kennicott Copper Mine. This is a place where a panoramic flight over the glaciers of the national park is truly spectacular and far less commercial compared to other places (optional). Other options include a guided hike onto Root Glacier with crampons (optional), or simply walking through the town, letting yourself absorb the history of the place, its gambling, women, and booze, during the time of glorious era of copper mining.

Night in McCarthy

Day 7 McCarthy/Kennicott - Valdez

This morning we will be flown back to Chitina where we'll observe the ingenious fishing "wheels" used by the natives in the many rivers in the area, famous for their Red Salmon. Then we will continue our journey south through the Chugach Mountains, passing the Worthington Glacier and numerous waterfalls along the route. By early afternoon we will reach the town of Valdez, known as the little Switzerland of the North. Locked in by mountains and the sea, the Trans Alaska Pipeline ends here. We will explore the surrounding area and look for spawning salmon in the coastal riverbeds. We may be lucky and spot a bear or two feeding.

Night in Valdez

Day 8 Valdez - Seward

We will board the ferry early this morning and cruise across the upper reaches of Prince William Sound, past impressive glaciers and peaks, to the port of Whittier. Plenty of opportunity to observe marine life from the vessel. From Whittier, we will continue through the famous Anderson Tunnel which alternates vehicle & rail traffic. On the other side, in Portage, we'll visit the Glacier Interpretation Center, before continuing south through the Chugach National Forest to Seward.

Night in Seward.

Day 9 Seward & Kenai Fjords

Today we'll start the day with a visit to the Alaska Sea Life Center (included) to gain some appreciation of the multitude of life that teems in these waters. Just before noon, we will board a vessel for a guided tour of Kenai Fjords National Park, where the highlight will most likely be the up-close views of the fjords and the immense glaciers as they crash into the ocean, although the observation of other sea life, including whales, orcas, porpoises, sea lions, bald eagles, and puffins is equally exciting for most! Lunch included.

Night in Seward.

Day 10 Seward - Talkeetna

Today we will travel through the Kenai Peninsula towards Anchorage and Talkeetna. From Portage we follow the beautiful Turnagain Arm, a long bay known for extreme tides. Depending on the tides, we will have the chance to spot Beluga whales feeding in the bay at high tide, or observe the bore wave approach as the tide comes in drastically in this elongated bay. After a short stop in Anchorage we will continue through the fertile Matanuska Valley to Talkeetna where we spend the night.

Night in Talkeetna.

Day 11 Talkeetna - Denali National Park

In the morning we will explore Talkeetna, an adorable, artistic town which serves also as a base for expeditions up Mount McKinley. It is often referred to as the flight seeing capital of the world, with various companies offering flights up and around "the big one", some landing on the glaciers themselves. In the afternoon we will continue north towards Denali National Park.

Night in Denali area.

Day 12 Denali National Park

This morning we will embark on an excursion with the official bus of the national park, the only way to access the park by vehicle. With a little luck, we will spot a variety of wildlife, including bears, elk, caribou, and wolves....If the weather co-operates, we will get up-close breath-taking views of Mount McKinley (also known as Denali), the tallest mountain in North America. Truly awesome! This afternoon for those looking for some more excitement, consider a rafting trip on the Nenana River.

Night in Denali area.

Day 13 Denali National Park - Anchorage

From Denali we make our way south towards Anchorage while enjoying views of the impressive Alaska Range. On our way we will enjoy a stop at a large kennel for sled dogs. The owner, Martin Buser, has won the famous Iditarod dog-sledding race nine times! Dog-sledding in the past was simply a means of travel over the snow and ice-covered ground, but the Iditarod has become one of the toughest races on the planet with a very unique culture of its own.

Night in Anchorage.

Day 14 Anchorage - Anchorage Airport

Anchorage is the economic centre of Alaska. Depending on flight times, we will have time to visit the down town core and also Lake Hood, the American float plane capital, seeing around 1,000 take-offs and landings per day. Transfer to the airport. Good-byes and until next time!

Includes

• 13 nights of lodging in hotels, historic lodges, cabins & B&Bs
• 3 breakfasts (Skagway, Kluane & Anchorage)
• Private transportation in modern tour van
• Services of local, qualified driver-guide
• Meet & greet at Whitehorse airport
• Welcome reception in Whitehorse
• White Pass Train excursion, Skagway
• Ferry from Skagway to Haines
• Scenic flights between Chitina and McCarthy (return)
• Visit to Kennicott Copper Mine
• Ferry from Valdez to Whittier
• Kenai Fjords Cruise from Seward (6 hrs with lunch)
• Alaska Sea Life Center, Seward
• Tour into Denali National Park on official parks bus
• Guided visit to sled dog kennel in Wasilla
• National park and state park fees
• Alaskan and Canadian taxes

Optional

• Panoramic flightseeing (Talkeetna, McCarthy, Kluane)
• Guided Glacier Hike (Kennicott)
• Rafting (Denali)