Exploring Alaska with Gray Line’s Escorted Tours

Planning a trip to a new place can be a daunting task for anyone not familiar with the lay of the land. With Gray Line Alaska’s escorted tours, guests can focus on exploring Alaska’s top destinations without the hassle or worry of coordinating all the details. The following is a description of what Gray Line’s escorted tours have in store for you:

Escorted Alaska

Your eight-day tour starts with one day and night in Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city and hub for a multitude of fun and recreational attractions for visitors of all ages. The next day, hop on a luxury railcar and travel three hours north to Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge in Talkeetna, an intimate and eclectic town and the gathering spot for brave mountaineers preparing for their ascent up the tallest peak in North America. In Talkeetna, choose from sightseeing or guided river tours, a zip line adventure and delicious dining options before heading north to Denali National Park and Preserve for a night of musical comedy with Denali Musical Theater. You will spend the next day viewing the region’s wildlife on the Tundra Wilderness Tour, independently exploring the area and then traveling south to spend the night at the luxurious Alyeska Resort in Girdwood. The excursion will continue the following day with a sightseeing and whale-viewing cruise in the pristine waters of Kenai Fjords National Park surrounded by snow-capped mountains and majestic glaciers. The tour will end in Anchorage with visits to the Alaska Native Heritage Center and the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center.

Escorted Great Land

The eight-day Great Land Escorted Tour starts in the “Golden Heart City” of Fairbanks, a city rich with gold rush history. After a visit to historic Gold Dredge 8 where you can try your hand at mining for gold, you will take a ride on the waters of the Chena and Tanana Rivers aboard the Riverboat Discovery Sternwheeler Cruise. Next, you will travel in one of our Gray Line motorcoaches to Denali National Park and Preserve for an overnight stay near the park. Wake up to the chirping of birds and the Alaska sun shining through your windows before spending the day viewing the region’s wildlife on the Tundra Wilderness Tour, and then enjoying a luxurious evening at the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge in the eclectic town of Talkeetna. Before returning to Anchorage, visit renowned Iditarod musher Martin Buser’s Happy Trails Kennels to learn about the “Last Great Race” and meet the puppies that are training to become canine athletes. Upon returning to the big city, the group will venture to the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center for a fascinating interactive display of Alaska’s Native cultures and a tour of the state’s history through art before heading to the hotel for a night’s rest. Spend the next day on a scenic day cruise in Kenai Fjords National Park with an overnight stay in Seward. On your way back to Anchorage, plan to get up close and personal with some of Alaska’s greatest wildlife like bears, moose and bison, at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Your tour will end in Anchorage with a visit to the Alaska Native Heritage Center, a cultural center and museum that celebrates Alaska Native cultures.

Escorted Alaska National Parks

New in 2014, the nine-day Escorted National Parks Tour takes visitors on a journey through three national parks – Denali, Wrangell-St. Elias, and Kenai Fjords – for a unique Alaska wilderness vacation. The trip starts in Anchorage with a one-night stay and a visit to the Alaska Native Heritage Center where Alaska Native dancers and storytellers offer a fascinating taste of the state’s Native cultures. The next day, head south along Turnagain Arm to Portage Lake, where you will enjoy a cruise to Portage Glacier. The tour continues on one of the most scenic highways in the country as you travel to Cooper Landing on the Kenai Peninsula, and then head north to the Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge where you will take in the stunning views of the Wrangell-St. Elias Mountain Range. Next, the group will travel to Valdez for the Columbia Glacier Cruise in Prince William Sound and then head north to Fairbanks for an adventure on the Riverboat Discovery Sternwheeler and a two-hour drive to Denali National Park and Preserve. Here, the group will spend two nights and have the opportunity to explore the park’s colorful tundra and wildlife on the Tundra Wilderness Tour, before finishing the trip with a train ride back to Anchorage for the last night of the excursion. Act fast and you can now save up to $700 per couple on the Escorted Alaska National Parks Tour! Visit us here for more information.

For those interested in sticking around longer, Gray Line Alaska has a number of tours and excursions that can be added on to the escorted tour for an extended stay in the Great Land.