Tauck Alaska: Call of the Wild (Family Adventure)

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Flightsee over the soaring peaks of Denali National Park

• Gratuities to Tauck Director, drivers, and local guides included
•  Take a cruise along Prince William Sound
•  Go on a geocaching treasure hunt
•  Travel aboard Alaska Railroad along the spectacular shoreline of Turnagain Arm
• Kayaking, river rafting and hiking on the Kenai Peninsula, known as “Alaska’s Playground”
•  Meet sled dogs in training
•  Take a jet boat ride in “bush” Alaska
•  Explore the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
•  Pan for gold at Crow Creek
•  Attend a cultural performance at the Alaska Native Heritage Center
•  Hike around Talkeetna Lake
• Airport transfers on arrival and departure as noted
•  18 meals; service charges, taxes and porterage

Day 1: Welcome to Alaska

Tour begins: 6:00 PM at The Hotel Captain Cook. A transfer is included from Anchorage International Airport to The Hotel Captain Cook. Join us for a welcome dinner tonight.

Day 2: Iditarod Huskies, jet boating and geo-caching in Talkeetna

In Alaska, dog sledding is both a very popular sport and an important mode of transportation to remote places where roads still don’t go. Drive from Anchorage this morning to Big Lake for a visit to a facility where Alaskan huskies train to become sled dogs. Continue on to Talkeetna for a jet boat* ride with a naturalist guide to look for bald eagles, beavers, moose and even bears that live along the river, and a nature walk in the Alaskan bush to see a turn-of-the-century trapper’s cabin. If the weather is good, you’ll have an incredible view of Alaska’s famous Mount Denali en route to your wilderness lodge for a two-night stay. Once there, you and your family can compete in a high-tech treasure-hunting game – known as geocaching – where you’ll use a GPS system to find hidden treasures.

Day 3: A hike at a lake and a wilderness homestead in Trapper Creek

Nature is everywhere on a morning hike* at Talkeetna Lake, with loons and kingfishers above you, and a forest brimming with wildflowers and wildlife surrounding you. As you walk, your local guide shares stories about how the first native peoples survived in this beautiful but wild land, and about life in Talkeetna today – and, of course, about amazing encounters with wildlife. After lunch at your lodge, travel to Trapper Creek to visit the private homestead of Joanne Porterfield, nestled in the Alaska wilderness; her family’s gardens and farm have flourished here in the shadow of Mount Denali for more than four decades. Later, back at your lodge in Talkeetna, enjoy an interpretive experience with storytelling, s’mores and more around an old-fashioned campfire tonight.

Day 4: Flightseeing near Mt. Denali and on to Kenai via Anchorage

Depart your lodge in Talkeetna and soar over the Denali foothills in a small plane (weather permitting) for a breathtaking bird’s-eye view of towering Mt. Denali, the tallest mountain in North America. After your flight, you’ll travel to Anchorage for a visit to the Alaska Native Heritage Center, a renowned cultural center and museum where you’ll come away with a greater understanding of Alaska’s Indigenous people. Following a dance performance, a tour and lunch, continue on to the wildlife-rich Kenai Peninsula and a two-night wilderness lodge stay in Cooper Landing, nestled within Chugach National Forest.

Day 5: Hiking, kayaking or river rafting on the Kenai Peninsula

Today, you can choose how you and your family will experience the wonders of the Kenai Peninsula, as your Alaska family vacation continues at your lodge in this wilderness wonderland between Cook Inlet and the Gulf of Alaska. You can choose to go kayaking*, take a scenic river-rafting trip*, or embark on a hike into the wilderness with a local guide – they’re included with Tauck Bridges! You might also want to take advantage of optional opportunities for fishing or horseback riding that may be available at an additional cost. (Note: Tours of June 12 & 26; July 10 & 24; and August 7, which stay at the Seward Windsong Lodge nights 4 & 5, will visit the Alaska Sealife Center.)

Day 6: Meet special wildlife & pan for gold on Turnagain Arm

Get a close-up glimpse of Alaskan wildlife on a visit to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center on Turnagain Arm, meeting moose, bison, elk and other orphaned or injured animals being rehabilitated by this non-profit organization. Then head to the Crow Creek Mine in Alaska’s historic gold rush country, where you’ll meet a “prospector,” pan for gold and dig into a barbecue lunch. Then it’s on to your resort in Girdwood; your evening includes an entertaining mountaineering demonstration where you’ll learn about the latest gear required for safe mountain climbing.

Day 7: A train, a boat and a glacial wonderland on Prince William Sound

Hop aboard an Alaska Railroad self-propelled rail car for a trip along Turnagain Arm to Whittier; there you’ll board a boat that takes your family on a glacier adventure cruise on Blackstone Bay in Prince William Sound! With an expert wildlife guide aboard, you’ll sail past thundering waterfalls and tidewater glaciers. Keep your ears ready for sounds the glaciers make as they groan and crack – and keep an eye out for eagles, otters and harbor seals along the way. En route back to your hotel, you’ll travel through the Whittier Tunnel, the second longest highway tunnel in North America. Tonight, join us back at the hotel in Girdwood for our farewell dinner, where your family shares memories of your Alaska family vacation with your new-found friends.

Day 8: Journey home

Tour ends: Girdwood, Alaska. Fly home anytime. A transfer from the Hotel Alyeska in Girdwood to Anchorage International Airport (approximately 75 minutes) is included for your flight home. Allow a minimum of two hours at the airport for check-in.

Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge

Romantic Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge overlooks the picturesque Kenai River. Located at Cooper Landing on the Kenai Peninsula, Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge stands near the confluence of the Russian and Kenai Rivers, site of the most fantastic salmon fishing in all of Alaska. The lodge is the base for many wilderness activities and the starting point for the scenic drive to Seward, gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park. Cooper Landing was first settled by the Kenaitze Indians, who set up fish camps along the upper Kenai River. More recently, Cooper Landing was the site of the first gold discovery in Alaska in 1848, the year before the California Gold Rush.

The Hotel Alyeska

A “tower of contemporary luxury” in the center of the city awaits you at the Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo, where you’ll find a stunning panorama surrounding you, no matter where you look. A sense of space, created by expansive glass walls, pervades guest rooms that are among the largest in all of Japan. The hotel’s defining style, reflected in each guest room, is that of futuristic luxury, enhanced with specially made fabrics and textiles that reflect the Japanese reverence for nature.

Please note, prices listed are guide prices only and are based on 2 people sharing and don’t include any additional supplements. Holiday prices are fluid and dynamic and may be changed at a moment’s notice, prior to booking, at which point they are confirmed. Please call the team free on 0800 707 6229 for more departure dates available and a quote.