Your rail and road adventure begins with a classic Alaskan experience aboard the Denali Star, traveling in the panoramic GoldStar Railcar toward Denali National Park. Enjoy time to explore the region with a choice of guided adventures, from the Denali Highway Jeep Excursion and Tundra Wilderness Tour to upgraded flightseeing and glacier‑landing experiences, before continuing north to Fairbanks through breathtaking mountain scenery.
From Fairbanks, journey south by road along diverse landscapes toward Valdez, where you’ll embark on a memorable cruise through Prince William Sound to the mighty Columbia Glacier.
Continue your scenic journey by road to Sheep Mountain Lodge, surrounded by sweeping views and miles of trails, offering the perfect base for relaxation or outdoor exploration.
The holiday concludes on the Kenai Peninsula in Seward, where dramatic fjords, rich wildlife and glacier‑filled landscapes set the stage for a wide range of activities. Enjoy cruises, guided hikes, kayaking, dogsled experiences or helicopter adventures before returning to Anchorage.
Itinerary
Set out early this morning aboard the Denali Star, the Alaska Railroad’s flagship train, travelling in the GoldStar Railcar toward Denali National Park. Enjoy sweeping views of Denali and keep watch for wildlife along the way. You’ll arrive mid‑afternoon, with the remainder of the day free to relax or join an optional activity. Breakfast and lunch are served onboard.
Today, tailor your Denali experience with one of four excursions. Choose the Denali Highway Jeep Excursion, a guided self‑drive 4×4 journey along one of National Geographic Traveler’s top “Drives of a Lifetime,” offering expansive views of Denali, the Alaska Range, and remote wilderness. Or opt for the Tundra Wilderness Tour, a narrated coach trip showcasing classic park highlights such as Cathedral Mountain, Sable Pass and the East Fork River. For an upgrade enjoy either a Denali Summit Flightseeing Tour, flying over snow‑covered peaks and glacier‑carved valleys or take a Helicopter Glacier Landing, soaring above tundra and rugged mountain terrain while watching for wildlife before touching down on the vast Yanert Glacier
Spend the morning at leisure, with time to choose from optional activities such as whitewater rafting on the Nenana River, a helicopter flightseeing tour over the park, a glacier landing, or a guided hike. By early afternoon, board the Alaska Railroad’s Denali Star in the GoldStar Railcar for your journey north to Fairbanks. Take in the beautiful late‑afternoon scenery as you travel. Dinner is served onboard.
Settle in for a scenic day of driving through some of Alaska’s most diverse and dramatic landscapes. Follow the Richardson Highway along the Tanana River to Delta Junction, home to the Delta Bison Sanctuary. Continue south as the road rises into the Chugach Mountains, which frame the coastline around Prince William Sound. At Thompson Pass, consider stopping at one of the pullouts for sweeping views and a glimpse of Worthington Glacier before beginning the descent into Valdez.
Experience the beauty of coastal Alaska on a 7‑hour Columbia Glacier cruise from Valdez. Your local captain and crew will guide you past the Trans Alaska Pipeline Terminal and through Columbia Bay before reaching Columbia Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in South‑Central Alaska. Along the way, keep an eye out for wildlife, porpoises, puffins, sea lions and sea otters are often spotted in these waters.
Today you’ll drive north along the Richardson Highway, enjoying sweeping views of the Wrangell Mountains as you return to Glennallen, weather permitting. From here, continue along the Glenn Highway toward Palmer and Anchorage until you arrive at Sheep Mountain Lodge. The rest of the day is yours to relax, take in the mountain scenery or enjoy the area’s outdoor activities. With more than 20 km (12 miles) of nearby trails, it’s an ideal place to explore. Wildflowers and birdlife are abundant and each cabin includes maps for self‑guided hikes.
Drive the Glenn Highway south toward Anchorage, with highlights including a stop at Independence Mine in beautiful Hatcher Pass and the charming communities of the Mat‑Su Valley. This fertile valley is known for its impressive growing season and offers striking views of the Chugach Range. Continue through Anchorage and follow the Seward Highway along scenic Turnagain Arm, home to some of the world’s highest tides that over 9 metres. Watch for beluga whales chasing salmon in the inlet or Dall sheep perched along the cliffs.
Today you can personalise your day with an incredible range of adventure options, from cruising among whales, seals, puffins, and towering tidewater glaciers in Kenai Fjords National Park to kayaking in Resurrection Bay or the calm waters of Bear Lake, where wildlife is often close at hand. Explore Exit Glacier on a guided hike, enjoy a fun summer dogsled ride with Iditarod athletes, or take a wildlife cruise to Fox Island for stunning scenery and a hearty lunch. For an upgraded experience, choose from salmon fishing, iceberg kayaking at Bear Glacier, or breathtaking helicopter tours that showcase crevasses, remote beaches and calving glaciers.
Begin your day with a short drive to Exit Glacier for an easy walk that brings you right beside this impressive wall of ice. Continue to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Centre, where injured and orphaned animals receive care and rehabilitation, and where you can safely view and photograph moose, bison, elk, caribou, bears, and muskox. If time allows, ride the aerial tram up Alyeska Mountain for sweeping views of Turnagain Arm, seven hanging glaciers, and the endless peaks of the Chugach Range before making the short drive from Girdwood back to Anchorage.
Prices & departures
What's Included
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8 nights accommodation in rooms with private bathroom (standard or superior)
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Alaska Railroad as per itinerary including Goldstar Service
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Midsize car hire including unlimited mileage and loss damage waiver
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Choice of excursions in Denali
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Prince William Sound Columbia Glacier Cruise with lunch
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Choice of excursions in Seward
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Admission to Alaska Wildlife Conservation Centre
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24 hour emergency assistance from our team during your holiday
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Full financial protection
From £4133 Excluding Flights
8 Nights
May-Sep
Your Holiday Pricing
Prices are per person based on two people sharing and are subject to availability. Your Travel Specialist will provide a final price tailored to your specific dates and requirements.
What’s Included:
Items listed and all known compulsory taxes and charges.
What’s Not Included:
One way car rental fees, currently US$200, payable locally and subject to change. We will confirm these fees in your personalised quote.
Our holiday prices also exclude flights. Flight prices and offers change daily, so we’ll provide a bespoke quote based on your preferred airport at the best price available.
Make this trip yours
Every trip you see here can be adapted to suit you using inside-out knowledge to create one-off experiences created just for you.

Lauren
Polar bear encountered in Spitsbergen
Mama turtle laying eggs in Tortuguero viewed
We create holidays that are as individual as you are. And we’ve been doing it for 40 years, crafting each and every holiday using our in-depth knowledge and enthusiasm for our destinations. Whatever your brief, we’ll create an amazing trip for you to get excited about. That might mean adapting one of our existing itineraries or we’ll build you one from scratch.





























