With the festivities being just steps away from the hotel, we’ll easily enjoy Rondy’s fun and crazy events, browse the shops, and explore Anchorage’s museums. For those seeking unique adventures, two optional excursions are available. The first is a thrilling ninety-minute glacier and wildlife flightseeing tour and the other is a compelling introduction to the art of snowshoeing. Lunch is on our own before a highlight tour of Anchorage. We’ll learn about Captain’s Cook’s 1778 exploration voyage, hear accounts of the devastating 1964 earthquake at Earthquake Park, visit the seaplane base at Lake Hood, and more. Then we’re off to explore the GCI Snow Sculpture Competition in which artists compete for snow dominance and the chance to represent Alaska at the US Nationals. The display of carvings made from eight-foot blocks of compressed snow is impressive! At the Ulu Knife Factory, we will learn about one of Alaska’s top souvenirs dating back 5,000 years and how it played an important role in the survival of the Inuit people. This afternoon includes a visit to the Alaska Native Heritage Center to explore Alaska’s eleven major Native cultures and their traditions. The center features permanent collections as well as traditional Native dwellings that circle Lake Tiulana. Dinner this evening will be at a local restaurant.

 (Breakfast and dinner included) 

We will feel the pulse of excitement in the air as Alaskans and visitors alike witness the ceremonial start of the Iditarod. This morning the Iditarod teams will be lined up on 4th Avenue awaiting their turn to start their eleven-mile journey through the city via streets and trails. Be sure to cheer on your favorites after breakfast! The Iditarod, nicknamed “The Last Great Race on Earth,” is the premier event in dog sled racing. The competition is almost as fierce as the forces of nature that are faced in this battle from Anchorage to Nome. Today is the perfect opportunity to meet mushers, gather autographs, and take photographs of them with their dog sled teams. These four-legged athletes receive superior care and nutrition before and during the Iditarod. Browse souvenirs from street vendors and then have lunch at one of the many restaurants or enjoy a tasty reindeer sausage from a food stand. This evening we will witness a festival highlight, the “Running of the Reindeer”. Similar to Spain's "Running of the Bulls," "Running of the Reindeer" is exactly that, but this wacky event features many runners dressed in hilarious costumes. Don’t forget your camera! A delicious dinner will cap off our incredible day.

(Breakfast and dinner included) 

Today we say goodbye to Anchorage and travel to Whittier via a 2.5-mile tunnel, the longest combined rail and highway tunnel in North America. Upon arrival we’ll board the Voyager and cruise Blackstone Bay, traveling to the face of the Beloit and Blackstone tidewater glaciers and past numerous frozen waterfalls and hanging glaciers. Once back on land, we will head to Girdwood, learning along the way about the fascinating science of the aurora borealis in preparation for evenings to come. The trip south is one of the most scenic in Alaska, with the waters of Turnagain Arm on one side and the Chugach Mountains on the other. Our hotel is the gem of Alaska, the Alyeska Resort in the Chugach Mountains. This luxurious resort offers beautiful guest rooms and amazing views. Settle in and then join the group for an aerial tram ride to the top of Mt. Alyeska to take in the spectacular vistas. At an elevation of 2,300 feet, the views include Turnagain Arm, seven hanging glaciers, and endless peaks of the Chugach Mountain Range. This evening will be our first opportunity to witness the amazing wonder and awe of the northern lights! Auroral intensity varies from night to night and hour by hour, so a northern light wake-up call is a great option.

(Breakfast and box lunch included)

Our day’s adventure begins with a visit to The Musk Ox Farm for an educational walking tour that will teach us about these animals with a two-layered coat well-adapted to the frigid climate. Qiviut is the soft underwool used to create beautiful garments softer than cashmere and eight times warmer than wool. Time will be available to shop for unique qiviut items before we venture to Talkeetna with lunch on our own en route. Historic Talkeetna was established as a mining town and trading post, and it is here where we will stop in to see Aurora Dora to hear aurora hunting tales and browse her breathtaking photography. Our accommodations this evening will be at the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge with its majestic views of the Alaska Range and Denali. Following dinner as a group, consider sitting near the crackling fire to await the amazing aurora borealis that beautifully highlights Denali, the tallest peak in North America. Sign up for an aurora wake-up call tonight if you would like. 

(Breakfast and dinner included)

The fun continues as we board the renowned Alaska Railroad for an exciting afternoon soaking in some of the Last Frontier’s most spectacular scenery along the rails from Talkeetna to Denali. Founded in 1914, the railroad has a mainline over 656 miles long! From Denali we will take the motorcoach to Fairbanks to settle into the Springhill Suites in the heart of downtown and freshen up for dinner. The excitement will continue tonight as we venture to the Ice Alaska World Ice Art Championship to view over one hundred competition sculptures and exhibition pieces. Each year the finest sculptors from around the globe converge on Fairbanks to compete in the world’s most challenging and prestigious ice sculpting competition. The incredible, illuminated sculptures can be viewed on a leisurely stroll along a winding forest path. You won’t believe your eyes as you marvel at the skill and incredible detail of these masterpieces! Later this evening, you may choose an optional ice fishing and aurora viewing excursion. This 3.5-hour tour includes everything you need to ice fish in a heated cabin while also hunting the aurora. 

(Breakfast and dinner included)

Today is a day for dreams to come true and experiences to touch your soul, and it all begins with an exhilarating dog sled ride! Sit back and relax as a skilled musher leads their dog sled team on a trip of a lifetime. We’ll glide along a snow-covered trail into a magical winter wonderland where the only sounds to hear are the musher’s commands and those of our heart as it pumps with excitement. Afterward we will return to Fairbanks for some time to explore the quaint shops filled with Alaskan treasures and enjoy lunch on our own. Consider visiting the Yukon Quest Visitor Center which tells the story of the famous, 1,000-mile Yukon Quest international dog sled race. Then it’s time to check in to Chena Hot Springs Resort, world-renowned as one of the best places on Earth to see the aurora borealis. A guided tour of the Aurora Ice Museum awaits us here. The museum was built from over 1,000 tons of ice and snow and boasts a number of iconic ice sculptures! Next up is a geothermal renewable energy tour highlighting the resort’s power plant and greenhouses. The geothermal system is fed by water that has been circulating deep underground for thousands of years. A lovely dinner is included followed by plenty of time to enjoy the resort’s natural hot springs rock lake. As you soak in these soothing mineral waters, enjoy every moment while awaiting the northern lights that will dance above your head. It makes for a thrilling evening!

(Breakfast and dinner included)

This morning’s touring will take us to the town of North Pole! If you’d like one more authentic Alaska excursion, be sure to consider the optional snowmobile guided tour to explore a winter paradise of spruce forests, wide open spaces, and wildlife. The rest of the group will make a photo stop at the North Pole. This pole is one of two poles made during a campaign to properly mark the top of the Earth. On December 11, 1951, its twin was pushed out of an aircraft to mark the geographic north pole. A stop at the North Pole wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Santa Claus House. Time will be available to shop for holiday treasures and even have letters from Santa sent to friends and family. We will then head back to Fairbanks for lunch together followed by one last stop at the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Viewpoint for photos before we head to the airport. This impressive pipeline carries oil 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean to the pipeline terminus at Port Valdez. A short flight back to Anchorage will be followed by a farewell dinner. Then it’s back to the Anchorage airport for our overnight flight home.  

(Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included)

We will arrive home late this afternoon.