Seward, AK Ididaride Dog Mushing Tour Chosen as one of Alaska's top 20 attractions, a must do for all Alaska visitors.
Your Seward Dog Sled adventure begins with a two-mile dog sled ride. Feel the power, excitement, and energy of sled dogs as they are harnessed to the comfortable wheeled dog sled. Upon returning to the kennel you'll tour the Seavey's family kennel facilities, laugh as a guest is dressed up as an Iditarod musher, and cuddle adorable husky puppies. Your guides are all Iditarod racers, and offer a delightfully humorous, behind-the-scenes look at the Seavey family's training for the most demanding dog mushing race on earth, the Iditarod.
The Real Alaska Tour
Seward, Alaska
This Seward tour package features all the attractions that truly make Alaska the Greatland. First, your guide shows you the sights of Seward. Learn why Seward was known as "the Gateway to Alaska" and "Mile 0" of the Iditarod Trail. See first-hand the effects of the 1964 Earthquake. Then, head out to Exit Glacier and enjoy a short walk along the nature trail that takes you to the face of the glacial ice. Watch for mountain goats, moose and bears. A hearty lunch will be served before you travel to the Seavey homestead and experience IdidaRide's Sled Dog tour. At the end your driver will return you to your hotel, cruise ship or the Alaska Railroad depot. All local transportation and lunch are included in this package.
Kenai Fjords National Park and Denali National Park 7-Day Alaska Sea Kayaking and Denali Park Adventure
Combine the best Alaska has to offer by land and sea with this special package adventure. This 7-day itinerary is a combination of our 3-Day Denali Park Adventure and with our Bear Glacier Sea Kayaking Adventure Camp. The Denali portion can also be combine with our 7-day kayaking adventure as well for a longer trip. It is also possible to do the Denali portion before or after the sea kayaking.
The sea kayaking segment of our adventure takes you to an incredible glacial lagoon where you'll paddle in a protected sea kayaking paradise with giant icebergs, stretch your legs on naturalist-led hikes, outdoor photography, or try some birding. Bear Glacier is also a great location to just relax and enjoy the scenery from camp while others paddle or hike. Snow-capped mountain peaks loom over the lagoon and rise to dramatic heights. Sweeping views of Alaska's coast, abundant wildlife and towering glaciers combine to make this a spectacular Alaska wilderness experience.
The land segment of our sea kayaking/Denali adventure takes you to Alaska's remote interior Denali National Park for breathtaking views of North America's tallest mountain - Mt. McKinley. Experience Alaska's tundra as it springs to life under the midnight sun.
Our custom-outfitted buses provide a comfortable and informative alternative to the park's school bus tours which offer only limited stops and destinations within the park. Our naturalist guides the way through 95 miles of a land teeming with brown bears, caribou, Dall sheep, moose, small mammals, eagles, interior dwelling birds and tundra vegetation. This experience takes you 25 miles beyond the throngs of visitors who typically end their trips at Eielson Visitor Center. We travel deeper into the wilderness to see spectacular panoramic views of Mt. McKinley and the Alaska Range.
Sea kayaking, whales, glaciers, marine life, bears, caribou, moose, towering mountain peaks, lush scenery, flight seeing, rafting, dog mushing, and a scenic train ride - this trip has it all. If you want to explore the best of Alaska, this is the trip for you.
SUGGESTED 7-DAY ITINERARY Arrival— Fly in to Anchorage International Airport. Plan to arrive at least a day before your kayak trip's departure date. Anchorage offers many fine hotels and bed and breakfast lodging options. We can provide you a list of recommended lodging options or arrange for you to stay at the downtown Anchorage Ramada Inn at a discounted guest rate. Let us know if you would like us to add a hotel stay to your reservation at our discounted rate. The Ramada Inn offers free airport transfers to and from the airport.
Day 1 — Your adventure starts at 6:45 a.m. with a scenic train ride on the Alaska Railroad Costal Classic Train to Seward (included in trip cost). If you choose to stay at the Ramada Inn, they will take you to the Anchorage rail station. Other downtown hotels are within walking distance or are a short cab ride away.
The train follows the Seward Highway along Turnagain Arm for about 50 miles before heading into the mountains. The Seward Highway has been designated an All-American Road, USDA Forest Service Scenic Byway, and Alaska Scenic Byway. Turnagain Arm has tides with the second greatest fluctuation in North America, varying more than 40 feet. Beluga whales and Dall sheep are frequently seen along this section of Turnagain Arm.
Leaving Turnagain Arm the train heads up into the Kenai Mountains towards Grandview Valley where you'll travel through lush spruce and birch forests. Keep your eyes open for the occasional moose along the railroad and to see the many hanging glaciers. There's Bartlett Glacier, Trail Glacier, and Spencer Glacier, which stands out as one of the most beautiful glaciers along the southern railbelt. You arrive in Seward around noon.
Our guides will meet you in Seward at the rail station and transport you to your Seward hotel. You'll have an opportunity to freshen up before heading out on your own to explore the maritime community of Seward. Activities you may want to consider include a walking tour of Seward to visit the many shops; a harbor and sea wall walk; Ididaride Dog Mushing Tour, the local museum, or maybe a fishing trip. Ask our travel host about making arrangements for these special side excursions. Seward has many coffee houses and restaurants to choose from for lunch (on your own).
You can also visit the Alaska SeaLife Center, admission pass is included in your tour. The Alaska SeaLife Center is a non-profit marine science facility. The center's research facilities and naturalistic exhibits immerse visitors in the dynamic marine ecosystems of Alaska and provide opportunities to watch animals in naturalistic habitats as well as research settings.
Seward is a small community and everything is within walking distance. From your Seward hotel you can easily walk to the small boat harbor, downtown and the SeaLife Center.
Dinner (on your own) at one of the local Seward restaurants. Around 8:00 p.m. one our guides will meet you at the hotel for a pre-trip meeting. Tonight will get you outfitted with rain gear, rubber boots and dry bags to pack your gear. Also, our guide will answer any last-minute trip questions you may have. If you prefer to get an earlier start on packing you may also stop by our office and pick up your dry bags.
Day 2 — Breakfast on your own. Our guides will pick you at the hotel and take you over to the small boat harbor where we will load your gear onto an ocean charter vessel for a short boat ride to our Bear Glacier Camp. When you arrive we'll show you around camp and after a short orientation on how to sea kayak we'll devote the rest of the day paddling around our new glacier environment.
Day 3 — Today we paddle our way to the end of the lagoon to visit Bear Glacier. We'll sea kayak through giant ice bergs and watch for seals playing in front of this active glacier.
Day 4 — A morning to relax and get your gear packed up to meet our charter boat pickup back to Seward. Included on the return is marine wildlife cruise. We'll head over to Cape Res and look for some whales, marine wildlife and birds. Our shuttle driver will meet us at the dock and take you to back to your Seward hotel.
Day 5 — Breakfast on your own. Our shuttle driver will pick you up at 9:45 AM and take you to meet the bus for your trip back to Anchorage. Along the way you will pass through dramatic valleys of the Kenai Mountains and keep a watch out for bald eagles, beluga whales and Dall sheep on this National Scenic Byway. You will arrive in Anchorage around 1:30 PM.
Next is a 1 1/2 hour lunch stop at the Anchorage Museum of History and Fine Art before continuing on to Denali. This trip also includes admission to the Museum.
At Denali Park, there are many option at Denali to choose from. Below is a suggested Denali itinerary package that Backcountry Safaris has put together as a starting point. More information can be found on web site on our 3-Day Denali Tour Package page.
Depart Anchorage at 3:00 p.m. for the scenic bus ride to Denali Park. We'll stop at scenic location along the way for photos. We arrive at Denali around 8:00 p.m., check into your hotel and after dinner you can go on for an evening stroll or go shopping at the park entrance. Remember that you will have plenty of light for evening activities.
Day 6 — Early 6:30 AM departure for a Denali wildlife bus tour all the way to the very end of the restricted Denali Park Road. This 6-hour private bus tour is your best opportunity to see Denali's famed wildlife, including grizzly bears, moose, sheep and caribou. Your guide will narrate the drive with detailed behavior of different animals, natural history and geology of the park, and recount adventures of early explorers. We stop for photo opportunities when Mother Nature presents them. We will also stop at rest areas for refreshments (Snacks and beverage included) and to enjoy the sweeping vistas. After arriving at the lodge in the old gold mining district of Kantishna enjoy a lunch at the lodge.
After lunch a short shuttle to Kantishna air strip for a spectacular Mt. McKinley flight seeing adventure and a drop off back at the park entrance.
Day 7 — Eat an early breakfast and the a morning whitewater or scenic raft trip or maybe take a Jeff King's dog mushing kennel tour. Meet champion sled dogs, visit with the puppies and see summer training in action, see the arctic survival gear, dog sleds and racing gear. Learn about Jeff's state of the art dog training program.
Hotel drop off at the Denali train depot to catch the train back to Anchorage.
OPTIONS — Additional nights can be added.
2008 Tour Dates And Rates
TRIP COST
There are many option and the above is a suggested itinerary. If you have interest in combining one of our sea kayaking adventures with a visit to Denali Park we would love to give you at no cost a proposal on a custom design sea kayaking and Denali park vacation.
CLICK HERE and in the comments area on the form tell us your specific dates you like to visit your prefer Denali transportation options, lodging, and activities you might like to do. We will replay back with a written itinerary and cost.
Transportation To And From Denali National Park
•
Denali Bus– Daily Coach Service To And From Denali National Park.
•
Denali Star Train– Runs between Anchorage and Fairbanks with stops at Talkeetna and Denali National Park, home to Mt. McKinley, North America’s highest peak. Alaska Railroad scenic rail tours are designed for the fully independent traveler.
•
The Roundtrip Package Deal– Backcountry Safaris offers a roundtrip discount package. Denali Bus one-way and the Denali Star Train one-way. Our Denali transportation package offers you a little variety for your roundtrip travel to Denali National Park.
Denali Park Lodging - There are many options, listed here is 2 of them for more options email or call us at 907-222-1632
•
Denali Cabins– Charm of an Alaskan cabin with the comfort of a hotel room. You get all the amenities-private bath, TV, phone and comfortable beds. Plus you get your own cedar cabin nestled conveniently by the highway in the boreal forest next to Denali National Park.
•
Denali Backcountry Lodge– An exclusive lodge located in the enclave of Kantishna, an oasis of private land deep inside the boundaries of Denali National Park. Located at the end of the restricted-access Denali Park Road, every trip is an Alaskan wildlife adventure waiting to happen.
Denali Park Adventures
•
Denali Rafting Adventures– The Nenana River offers two sections, a class II scenic mild-water raft trip or a class III/IV whitewater raft trip. We offer both paddle rafting and oar rafting options in a spectacular Alaska mountain setting and the best whitewater rafting at Denali National Park.
•
Jeff King's Dog Mushing Husky Homestead Tours– An exclusive lodge located in the enclave of Kantishna, an oasis of private land deep inside the boundaries of Denali National Park. Located at the end of the restricted-access Denali Park Road, every trip is an Alaskan wildlife adventure waiting to happen.
•
Denali Flightseeing – Add a Denali (Mt. McKinley) flightseeing option to your Denali Park Bus tour or your Denali Lodge package. Denali flighseeing trips from Kantishna at the end of the Denali National Park road.
WHEN YOU'RE READY TO GO!Fill out the secure on-line reservation form or call our office at (907) 222-1632 or toll-free (877) 812-2159. Reservation requires a 50% deposit. We accept payment by VISA/MasterCard. You will receive a pre-trip packet detailing the itinerary of the tour you have chosen and an equipment list.
Last minute reservations may be available so don't hesitate to contact us. If a trip has space, we can get you on it.
We highly recommend that you purchase travel insurance. Travel insurance coverage can help with expenses for the unforeseeable such as lost baggage, trip delays, emergency evacuation, and cancellation due to illness. Also “cancel for any reason options” are available. Travel Insurance is available through Backcountry Safaris / TravelSafe Vacation.
**Tour Itineraries:
Backcountry Safaris and other tour operators that we work with strive to give you a high quality Alaska experience. The tour itinerary shown on our web page is an example tour itinerary. The actual tour itinerary may vary some due to weather, safety, guest abilities and other conditions. Backcountry Safaris and other independent tour contractors reserve the right to change the tour itinerary and/or make substitutions at any time and without prior notice or to cancel all or part of any tour in its reasonable discretion, for the safety of its participants or due to insufficient number of participants signing up for a tour, because of weather, for the comfort and well being of our guests, for any other conditions that might affect the quality of tour, or as deemed necessary by the tour operator or trip leader.
Limitations of liability:
Although every precaution is taken to safeguard you and your belongings, our adventure trips involve inherent risks and dangers which are beyond our control and Backcountry Safaris shall assume no responsibility for personal injuries or deaths and loss of personal property. Due to the nature of the activities, a condition of your participation is that you will read and sign the acknowledgment and Release of Liability before the tour begins. A copy of the text is available on request.
We use independent contractors to supply Backcountry Safaris with various services on many of our adventures. Some trips require us to use independent tour guides, drivers, lodges and hotels, air and water taxis, and other suppliers. Because we do not own, operate, manage, control, or supervise these suppliers, we cannot be liable for any acts or omissions on their part, including any negligence, gross negligence, or reckless or willful acts. Backcountry Safaris assumes no responsibility for any injury, loss, damage, delay, or death to person or property arising from the negligent or willful act or failure to act of any person who is to or does provide goods or services for this trip or for the action or inaction of any other third party. Without limitation, Backcountry Safaris is not responsible for acts of God, equipment failures, vehicle or vessel accidents, illness from food or otherwise, annoyance, delays, failure of any means of conveyance to arrive or depart as scheduled, and changes in transit or hotel and lodge services over which it has no control.
Three national parks, Denali, Katmai and Kenai Fjords. Brown bears, whales, wildlife, calving tidewater glaciers, Mt. McKinley, fall colors, hot springs and much more. (more…)
Alaska- just the name conjures up visions of the wild, wonderful creatures of the North Country, brown bears… wolves… Dall sheep… caribou… moose… (more…)
Winter Adventure It's all about fun!
Drive your own snowmobile
Alaska Snowmobiling Snowmobile in the best possible place. The Chugach Mountains will surround you as you navigate your own snowmachine through trails, open fields of powder, beaver ponds, frozen waterfalls.
Denali
Cabins
The views are expressive, the rooms are comfortable and there are activities in and around Denali Park for everyone!
Denali Cabins front desk will provide you with all the information about local activities, helicopter tours, flight seeing, rafting, hiking and shuttle schedules for Denali Park. Relax in one of our two outdoor hot tubs.
Conveniently located just two miles south of the park boundary (eight miles south of park entrance) on the Parks Highway at mile 229. Denali Cabins is where Alaskans stay. Independent travelers make us the base for their Denali adventures.
If you arrive by train, we will meet you at train station and if you depart by train we will bring you back. Denali Cabins shuttles run frequently to the McKinley Village (at the park boundary) to connect with park area shuttle.
The sea kayaking segment of our adventure takes you to an incredible glacial lagoon where you'll paddle in a protected sea kayaking paradise with giant icebergs, stretch your legs on naturalist-led hikes, outdoor photography, or try some birding. Bear Glacier is also a great location to just relax and enjoy the scenery from camp while others paddle or hike. Snow-capped mountain peaks loom over the lagoon and rise to dramatic heights. Sweeping views of Alaska's coast, abundant wildlife and towering glaciers combine to make this a spectacular Alaska wilderness experience.
