Alaska's Backroads & Scenic Highways - 183

Arrive in Fairbanks. Spend the next two nights in a riverside hotel.

Discover the storied history of the Fairbanks area on two tours, one through the Gold Dredge 8 mining district and the other aboard a sternwheeler on the Chena River. Overnight Fairbanks.

Drive south on the Park Highway to the entrance of Denali National Park where you’ll take a midday raft trip on the Nenana River. Spend the afternoon exploring the Denali Park area. Overnight Denali.

Take a full-day wildlife bus tour deep into Denali Park. Enjoy lunch at the Kantishna Roadhouse, a historic backcountry lodge. Overnight Denali.

Continue the adventure south to Valdez along some of Alaska’s most beautiful byways. If you’re up for taking the path less traveled, go by way of the gravel Denali Highway between Cantwell and Paxson. See vast mountain ranges, glaciers, and salmon-rich rivers along the way. Overnight Valdez.

Spend the day on the water exploring Prince William Sound and Columbia Glacier on a catamaran cruise. Overnight Valdez.

Hit the road again, making your way over mountain passes and through glacially carved valleys to the small ski town of Girdwood. Overnight Girdwood.

Start the morning with a tram ride 2,000 vertical feet up the north face of the Alyeska ski resort. Take in a panoramic view of glaciers, mountains, and the Turnagain Arm. This afternoon drive to Seward via the Seward Highway, a National Scenic Byway. Overnight Seward.

Embark on a daylong excursion into Seward’s picturesque Resurrection Bay. Spend the morning kayaking along the rugged coastline, then enjoy a salmon and prime rib lunch buffet on Fox Island before heading back to Seward via wildlife cruise. Overnight Seward.

Return north along the Seward Highway. The trip concludes with a final night in Anchorage.