Day 2: Anchorage to Fairbanks: At 8:30 am you will rail to Fairbanks aboard the Alaska Railroad. Traveling on the Alaska Railroad in the winter offers one of a kind serene experience like you have never seen before. The snow covered wilderness reveals spectacular, pristine scenery. Enjoy a pleasant dinner in the dinning car viewing scenery along this route that is about as breathtaking as it gets. You will arrive in Fairbanks at around 7:30 pm. Your guide will pick you up at the Fairbanks train depot and take you to a lodge overlooking the Chena River. The resort features spacious rooms with river view, steam room and sauna and a lobby filled with original Alaskan art, slate floor and a two story fireplace.

Day 3: Fairbanks: After breakfast, we will board our private van to take a city tour of Fairbanks. We will visit the University of Alaska Fairbanks Museum. Situated on a ridge overlooking Fairbanks and the Alaska Range, UAF has the best view in town! Here you will marvel at the natural and cultural history of Alaska, the science behind the Northern Lights, view a 36,000 year old Steppe bison mummy, see the state’s largest gold display, and also learn about the trans-Alaska pipeline. Other stops along our tour include University of Alaska large animal research station, Alaska oil pipeline viewing station, and the Alaska Native Art Gallery. Later, we depart Fairbanks and travel to the town of North Pole where you will visit the world famous Santa Claus House where you can meet Kris Kringle and his reindeer. This afternoon, we will travel to view the ice sculptures of the World Ice Art Championship, which is held in Fairbanks every year. While there are other ice sculpting competitions in the northern hemisphere, none are like the World Ice Art Championships. International ice sculptors carve blocks of ice and with the mixture of pure water and cold temperatures, the ice forms quickly and densely, giving it a glacial blue tint. It is so clear that a person can read a newspaper through a four foot block of ice. The sculptors have pronounced Fairbanks’ ice as the best in the world for sculpting. At night, the carvings glow with colored theatrical lights, enticing visitors to come back at 8 or 9 pm to view the carvings a second time. The pass allows re-entry. After viewing the ice sculptures, you will have a free day to enjoy local activities and shopping around Fairbanks.

Day 4: Fairbanks to Chena Hot Springs: After breakfast, we will board our private van and travel approximately 90 minutes outside Fairbanks to Chena Hot Springs Resort. This resort offers a first rate Alaskan winter experience and the healing waters of Chena Hot Springs has been compared to mineral waters found in hot springs famous all over Europe. Chena Hot Springs Resort is world renown for being one of the best places on Earth to see the Northern Lights. It is located under the most active band of Northern Lights and away from the light pollution of the city. The skies over Chena are often clearer than those over Fairbanks, just 60 miles away. Viewing the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis has been listed as one of the “top 100 things to do before you die” by the Travel Channel and in a survey of Japanese, it was listed as one of the top ten things they want to do before they die (second only to viewing the Pyramids). Locals will tell you that one of the best experiences one can have is sitting in the tranquil environment of the Rock Lake at Chena Hot Springs Resort watching the lights dance above your head while you soak, relax and revitalize your spirit in the soothing mineral water! Enjoy many outdoor activities such as snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, dog sledding, horse drawn sleigh rides, snowmobile rides, or a splash in the thermal pool and outside hot tub. At night, you will board a snow cat, a large track vehicle that will take you to the top of a remote ridge to get unobstructed views of the Northern Lights. There is a heated yurt for your comfort and we will serve you hot drinks such as tea, cider and hot chocolate.

Day 5: Chena Hot Springs: This morning you will have breakfast at the Lodge. Afterwards, you will have a day to enjoy the many outdoor activities available for you at Chena Hot Springs. You will learn what it takes to have a dog team in Alaska. Enjoy a 4 hour dog mushing tour and learn how to “mush” your own team of dogs on the trail, or you may choose to take a guided snowmobile ride, where you will find pristine trails and beautiful scenery. Later, immerse yourself in the beauty of Chena Hot Springs’ winter wonderland. You will take a 30 minute excursion aboard a horse-drawn wagon. The sleigh ride moves quietly across the snow covered trails; human sounds are diminished as nature takes center stage. Other activities available for you at Chena Hot Springs are cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating, horseback rides and flight seeing. Tonight, enjoy the solitude of this area or take a short walk from the Chena Lodge to the Aurorarium, a warm lookout building with large plate-glass windows where you scan the northern sky for the Northern Lights, or simply relax at the comfortable Lodge.

Day 6 & 7: Barrow & The Arctic: Travel to the northern-most point in North America. Take flight for “the top of the world.” Barrow is the northernmost point on the continent, 330 miles north of the Arctic Circle, and Alaska's largest Eskimo village. Here, knowledge of the environment and animal behavior continues to be essential for day-to-day survival. You'll learn the ceremonies and traditions of the 4,000 year-old native culture as you tour the new Inupiat Heritage Center, take part in native dances, and see a demonstration of the traditional blanket toss. Stand in a whale bone arch and inside the skeletal jaws of a bowhead whale on the shore of the Arctic Ocean. Overnight at the Top of the World Hotel. Your tour includes a chance to see the tundra up close, view the Arctic Ocean, and take a walk on the beach as far north as you're ever likely to go! Tonight, say goodbye to Barrow as you board your plane departing for Fairbanks.

Day 8: Fairbanks to Talkeetna: At 7 a.m. we will board our comfortable van, and travel south to Talkeetna, a classic Alaskan small town with lots of history and tales about mountaineers and bush pilots. You will arrive this afternoon at your private cabin which features complete bathroom and shower facilities, kitchenette, dining area and living area. There is also a roomy loft. All cabins have great views of the Alaska Range, including the highest mountain in North America, Mount McKinley. From your beautiful cabin, you can gaze at the sunset or enjoy an evening coffee. Head into town to visit this historical town and its local shops, snowshoe, cross-country ski or sit back and relax for the rest of the afternoon. The sunsets from your private cabin are always spectacular. At the end of our day, we will nestle back into our cozy cabin overlooking the Alaska Range. Tonight, go outside and scan the sky for the Northern Lights.

Day 9: Talkeetna to Anchorage: After breakfast, you will take a scenic flight over Mount McKinley. This is considered to be the greatest flight on Earth! You’ll talk about this flight forever! This magnificent flight takes you around Mt. McKinley, the Shelton Amphitheater, and the Great Gorge. Listen as your pilot describes the natural wonders of Denali National Park. This is an unsurpassed photo opportunity, so make sure you bring plenty of film for your camera. This afternoon, we leave Talkeetna behind and head towards Anchorage. We Arrive in Anchorage this afternoon where you will have the rest of the day do last minute shopping. After dinner, we bid farewell to our trip leader and fellow travelers as we head our separate ways for the journey back home. You will overnight at an Anchorage Hotel.

Tour Dates

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Tour Cost: $3,895 per person