Day 1 Juneau, AK

Our journey begins with our flight from Minneapolis to Juneau. Upon our arrival, a Riley motorcoach will be awaiting. You have the rest of the day to explore the city.

Day 2 Juneau, AK

We will tour Juneau today. Although the city is not located on an island, it is only accessible by air or boat. We’ll see many sights including Mendenhall Glacier.* Then, this afternoon, we’ll board a boat for a whale watching cruise. Juneau is the best place to do a whale watching cruise. The rest of the day is on your own to explore Juneau. (B) *Mendenhall Glacier-These tours are operated under special use permit with the U.S. Forest Service on the Tongass National Forest. This company is an equal opportunity provider.

Day 3 Skagway, AK

This morning we board the Alaska Marine Ferry to Skagway. As we cruise the Lynn Canal, one of the most scenic parts of the Inside Passage. This narrow passage will define the route that the early settlers traveled passing glaciers and icebergs en route Skagway, Alaska. We will arrive in the port city of Skagway, the motorcoach will bring you to an overlook of the town and you will learn about the history of the gold rush of 1890s. Afterwards, a stop will be made at the old cemetery where “Soapy” Smith and Frank Reid are buried. We’ll view the Lower Reid Falls before some free time in town. You can walk the wooden boardwalks and see the restored buildings from the gold rush days. This is a very unique town still using the gold rush days theme. Visit some of the many shops while walking along the old wooden sidewalks. (B)

Day 4 Whitehorse, YT

This morning we will board the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad to ride through the White Mountains following the route that the gold seekers followed from Skagway to Fraser. This will be the highlight for many on this tour. The scenery is awesome! Upon arrival to Fraser, we will board the motorcoach to travel to our overnight destination in Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory of Canada. We will travel along the Chilkoot Pass and the White Pass, the same route used for the miners on their way to Dawson City. Then we head north through British Columbia for a short time then into the Yukon Territory. Upon arrival to Whitehorse, we will tour the sights of this capital city. Things we will see include the world’s longest wooden fish ladder, Old Log Church-one of the oldest buildings in Whitehorse, Log Cabin Skyscrapers and the S.S. Klondike, the largest stern wheeler to forge the mighty Yukon River. Afterwards, we will check into our accommodations and the rest of the evening is on our own. (B)

Day 5 Tok, AK

This morning head back to the U.S. making a comfort stop at Haines Junction Visitor Center before driving the famous Alaska Highway, also know as the “Alcan Highway,” named by the military upon its completion in 1942. The Highway was built during World War II to connect the lower 48 states to Alaska through Canada. Lunch is included then we’ll make a stop at Kluane Lake, the largest lake in the Yukon Territory. We’ll also have a view of the Ruby Range as we pass by. We’ll cross back into Alaska before arriving at our final destination for the evening, Tok, the dog sled capital of the world. (B, L)

Day 6 Fairbanks, AK

Again we will travel along the Alaska Highway making stops along the way at the “final mile” at Delta Junction, where you may have your picture taken with the monument that marks the Alaska Highway or another favorite, the giant mosquito sculptures. We’ll make a stop at the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline, built as a means of transporting crude oil from the oil fields at Prudhoe Bay on Alaska’s North Slope to the marine and northern most ice-free port in Valdez, where it is loaded aboard tankers for the journey to U.S. refineries. Then we will head out to Gold Dredge #8 and strike it rich! We will learn about the gold mining history at Gold Dredge 8. Take a seat aboard a replica of the narrow-gauge Tanana Valley Railroad and hear the conductor tell tales of prospectors who arrived by the thousands during the gold rush. The train ride takes you to Gold Dredge 8 where you will see first-hand how the dredge worked the gold fields, then receive a brief but informative course on gold panning. Once the train arrives at the camp, you will try panning for yourself! Then we’ll head to our hotel to check-in. Tonight, dinner is included at the Alaska Salmon Bake. Your salmon is fire cooked on an open wood grill while the Prime Rib is slow roasted. The Bering Sea Cod is directly from icy Alaskan waters and is beer battered to perfection. Included with the meal is a salad bar, soft drink and a yummy dessert! Tonight's entertainment is the “Golden Heart Review” a lighthearted, comic look at the colorful characters from early and present day Fairbanks. (B, L, D)

Day 7 Denali National Park, AK

Our Alaskan adventure continues when we board the Riverboat Discovery to cruise along the Chena and Tanana Rivers. We’ll experience a real Alaskan Bush Pilot in action as he takes off from the river; see the home and kennels of the late Iditarod Champion, Susan Butcher and see her champion sled dogs in action; learn about the area’s Native cultures and lifestyles and experience frontier living first hand with a guided walking tour of an Athabascan Indian Village. Lunch is included at Steamboat Landing. On the menu is, all you can eat hearty miner’s stew, rustic roasted vegetables, apple pecan salad, sourdough rolls and a brownie. We will trek south to Denali National Park this afternoon. Upon arrival, We will check into our hotel. Then we’ll experience an adventure you will never forget! Mildwater River Rafting down the Nenana River (you may opt out of river rafting and may stay at the hotel if you so choose). You may see moose, sheep, caribou and bear, as you raft downstream 11 miles. Hold on and enjoy this mild water introduction to rafting in Alaska. The most scenic portion of the river gives you a thrilling yet pleasant rafting experience. The rest of the evening will be on your own. (B)

Day 8 Denali National Park, AK

Today will be spent aboard a special bus for the Tundra Wilderness Tour of Denali National Park. We’ll see incredible scenery, learn history of the park road and have some of the best opportunities to view the park’s wildlife on this 6-8 hour tour. Keep an eye out for Dall sheep, moose, caribou, wolves and grizzly bears. We’ll also hope that we can become part of the 30% club’ and get to see “the great one” aka Mount Denali as only 30% of visitors to this area ever get to see it at all because of the almost constant cloud cover. Our entertainment this evening is at the Alaska Cabin Nite Dinner Theater. The show tells the story of Fanny Quigley, a real pioneer in Kantishna back in the gold-rush days of the early 1900s—the same area that is now deep inside Denali National Park. The story is performed in an authentic, log-paneled roadhouse, and the actors and actresses do double-duty as your servers for the all-you-can-eat dinner. (B, D)

Day 9 Anchorage, AK

As we travel South today we will make a stop Veteran’s Memorial for one more chance to see the famous mountain, Denali. Then, we will enjoy lunch on our own in Talkeena. The historic village of Talkeetna is nestled at the base of North America’s tallest peak Denali and is an aviation and supply base for climbing expeditions. We’ll continue on to Anchorage via the Parks Highway. Our afternoon will be spent at Happy Trails Kennels, home of the four-time Iditarod Champion Martin Buser and his family. We’ll see the training facility and kennel along with get the opportunity to meet the athletes, the stars of Happy Trails, the dogs! We will continue to Denali, our home for two nights. Upon arrival to Anchorage, we will check into our hotel accommodations for the next two nights after we do a short tour of Anchorage. We’ll see sights such as Earthquake Park, Lake Hood, the Statehood Monument, Downtown and more. (B)

Day 10 Anchorage, AK

This morning we will travel along Turnagain Arm to do a Glacier Cruise with an included lunch along the Prince William Sound, an unforgettable journey. We’ll get face to face with these towering masses of ice, so close you can “hear” the glaciers move and gaze at their brilliant blue hues. Tonight, enjoy an included dinner at a local restaurant. (B, L, D)

Day 11 Home

Today we say goodbye to our new friends and to this spectacular place. We will never forget the time we enjoyed in “the last frontier.”