Price per Person
$2,589.00pp double occupancyDuration
10 daysDates
MARCH 1 - MARCH 10Iditarod Aurora with Glacier Cruise
- Description
- Details
- Cancellation Policy
- Travel Insurance
ITINERARY
Wednesday, March 1
Welcome to Alaska! Fly directly into Anchorage to start your adventures – and meet your Salmon Berry Tours guide at the airport, who will bring you into downtown Anchorage for your overnight stay at one of our favorite lodgings. This boutique-style hotel is located right in downtown Anchorage, within walking distance of the Iditarod Starting Line! You will also have an easy walk to many of our favorite shops and eateries, as well as the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail and Fur Rendezvous Winter Festival.
Today Includes: Welcome to Alaska Airport Transfer, Overnight Anchorage
Thursday, March 2
This morning enjoy a lovely city tour highlighted by stunning city views from atop the Chugach Mountains! Start with a pickup from your hotel. Then it’s off to the historic Port of Anchorage and Ship Creek area where our city was born. Here you’ll learn about Anchorage’s colorful pioneer history, our early tent city, what life was like here before the age of modern conveniences and how Anchorage got it’s name. Next, we’ll travel past Bootleggers Cove, stopping for a visit to Earthquake Park where you’ll learn about the perils of living on the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire” and see places where the ground liquefied and massive landslides occurred during the biggest earthquake in US History and the 2nd largest earthquake ever recorded worldwide. Then we’ll visit Lake Hood, the busiest seaplane base in the world, to see the airplanes take off on the frozen lake, an optional afternoon tour is available if you are interested to take flight to view Denali! The Chugach Mountains are our last and finest stop. Here you’ll experience Anchorage from the place locals go for stunning vistas and beautiful sunsets. Flat Top Scenic Overlook is home to many Alaskan animals including our favorite at Salmon Berry Tours, Alces alces gigas, otherwise known as the Giant or Alaska Moose! A short walk to the overlook provides beautiful views of the city of Anchorage and the Chugach Mountains, where more snow falls than anywhere else in the world.
Following our city tour you will have the rest of the day on your own to enjoy Rondy activities, visit the Anchorage Museum of History & Art or walk along 4th Avenue to some of our favorite shops. This evening we begin the festivities with a private meet & greet with 4-time Iditarod Champion Dallas Seavey! Your Salmon Berry guide will bring you to the Salmon Berry Tours downtown office to meet Dallas, get autographs, ask questions, and collect goodies. Each guest will receive a dog bootie and team bio card, and refreshments will be served. Then we will head out to the 2017 Iditarod Musher’s banquet, where a hearty dinner is enjoyed while watching the Iditarod entrants draw for their starting bib number. This is a fun time to get autographs and free Iditarod pins/posters as well as learn about the families behind the race!
Today Includes: Scenic City Tour with Your Local Salmon Berry Guide, Meet and greet with Iditarod Champion Dallas Seavey, 2017 Musher’s Banquet Dinner, Overnight Anchorage (B,D)
Friday, March 3
This morning we will travel south along the Turnagain Arm with a local guide to the seaside town of Whittier. Here we board the Qayaq Chief to explore Prince William Sound and Blackstone Bay. Weather permitting, we will beach the vessel at Blackstone Bay to explore the beach, taking photographs of the glaciers and possibly see some beautiful icebergs floating! This full day tour includes roundtrip guided transportation, a boxed lunch and a 4hr cruise in Blackstone Bay. We will take scenic photo stops along the Turnagain Arm this afternoon.
Today Includes: Blackstone Glacier Cruise into Prince William Sound, Overnight Anchorage (B,L)
Saturday, March 4
Today is the start of the 2017 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race! You have the day to walk around downtown today to witness the ceremonial start on 4th Avenue. Marvel at the organized chaos, participate in the Running with the Reindeer or take the shuttle out to the Alaska Native Heritage Center (following the race start) to enjoy their annual dancing and drumming demonstration. Stop by our office for hot chocolate and some authentic Alaskan hospitality!
Today Includes: Ceremonial start of the Iditarod, Overnight Anchorage (B)
Sunday, March 5
Now the real competition begins… Head north with Salmon Berry Tours today to the Official Start of the 2017 Iditarod! Your guides will serve fresh baked scones and hot chocolate on the way, telling stories of the race, explaining information/details about the race rules, and giving you Alaskan insight into the Last Great Race, a race of both survival and strategy. Once you arrive at Willow Lake, visit the Salmon Berry Tours tent for good company, hot food served all day, race information and friendly faces. Our private tents and chairs are there just for our group – Warm up with some hula hooping or ask a guide to take you out on snowshoes to get a look further down the race trail. Once all the mushers have gotten on their way, we head back into Anchorage after an exciting day on Willow Lake.
Today Includes: Salmon Berry’s VIP Tour to the Official Start of the Iditarod, Overnight Anchorage (B,L)
Monday, March 6
This morning you will be traveling north to mushing country! Dog Sledding is Alaska’s official sport – we will meet the canine athletes of Dallas’s professional racing kennel on a dog sledding tour! The race teams will be on the trail but these athletes may be running on next year’s teams!! There will be a quick gear demonstration, Q&A with a genuine dog musher, a meet & greet with Iditarod racing dogs, and a chance to ride the runners of a dog sled behind the best team in Alaska! You will learn what it takes to train a team and compete in the “Last Great Race” from a professional racing kennel!
Today Includes: Dallas Seavey’s Signature Iditarod Program, Overnight Anchorage (B,L)
Tuesday, March 7
This morning you will begin your journey with a historic train ride to the north. Pass through unique rail towns like Wasilla, Houston, Willow, Talkeetna, and Denali, until you reach the Golden Heart City of Fairbanks. This rail tour is a full day, and an absolutely beautiful way to spend the day! Enjoy a delicious dinner in the dining car. Along the route there will be a rail guide on board pointing out interesting features of the towns and landscape. Keep an eye out for moose, caribou, eagles and other animals that can be spotted along the tracks! Once you arrive in Fairbanks, the hotel shuttle will bring you to your hotel to settle in for the evening.
Today Includes: Alaska Railroad- Aurora Winter Train, Overnight Fairbanks (B,D)
Wednesday, March 8
Today choose to explore Fairbanks on your own, or relax before your evening adventures. This evening, search for your favorite ice carvings at 2017 BP World Championship Ice Art on display at Ice Park. Your local guide in Fairbanks will pick you up from your hotel to bring you out to the Ice Park for a VIP experience. On this VIP experience, enjoy an ice carving demonstration, a tour through the ice carvings, time on your own at the Ice Park, and complimentary warm beverages. We are just getting started tonight as we go from the Ice Part to a local Aurora Lodge for an evening of aurora viewing at a remote location outside the city of Fairbanks to marvel at the beauty of the Aurora Borealis. The northern lights can be seen (conditions permitting) from the coziness of the comfortable lodge, or step outside to search for the aurora to photograph!
Today Includes: Enjoy VIP Access to the 2017 BP World Championships of Ice Art, Aurora Lodge Tour, Overnight Fairbanks (B)
Thursday, March 9
Your day is yours! Visit the local attractions like the Museum of the North, the leep in late today because it will be another late night of aurora viewing at the Chena Hot Springs Resort. We will host a group dinner at the Chena Hot Springs Resort, have a private tour of the ice museum, then relax in the hot springs keeping an eye on teh sky for the chance to view aurora! Aurora viewing opportunities available from the various pools, a short steep hike to an aurora viewing cabin or from the Chena Resort grounds near the Activities Center. If you plan to have a nice soak (you need to try it!!), don’t forget your swimsuit, towel, and sandals!
Today Includes: Chena Hot Springs Aurora Shuttle, Private Ice Museum Tour, Group Dinner at the Resort, Overnight Fairbanks (B,D)
Friday, March 10
Farewell from Alaska today! Unfortunately, it is time to say goodbye to Alaska, your local guides and your traveling companions. Your Fairbanks hotel shuttle will take you to the airport for your departure flight from Fairbanks today (flight not included). Thank you for visiting the Alaska with us at Salmon Berry Tours – we hope you enjoyed the 2017 Iditarod and the Interior region of Alaska!
Today Includes: Courtesy Hotel Shuttle to the Fairbanks International Airport (B)
This 2017 Iditarod Aurora Tour includes the following
- 6 nights downtown Anchorage with breakfast daily
- 3 nights downtown Fairbanks with breakfast daily
- Anchorage City Tour
- Meet & Greet with 4-time Iditarod Champion, Dallas Seavey
- 2017 Iditarod Mushers Banquet, includes dinner
- Blackstone Glacier Cruise into Prince William Sound, includes lunch
- 2017 Iditarod Official Starting Line Event at Willow Lake
- Dog Sledding with Dallas Seavey Racing, includes lunch
- Alaska Railroad: Aurora Train from Anchorage to Fairbanks, includes dinner onboard
- 2017 BP Ice Art Championship VIP Evening Tour
- Aurora Lodge Tour from Fairbanks
- Chena Hot Springs Aurora Shuttle from Fairbanks with Ice Museum visit & dinner
- Airport & Rail Transfers
Multi-Day Itinerary Cancellation Policy: A 50% deposit is required to start the booking process. Remainder is due 60 days prior to travel. Cancellations must be made in writing (email, fax, or mail). Processing fee of $100 per guest applies for cancellations more than 60 days before travel, or 50% of total if received less than 60 days from travel. No refund applies if cancellation is received less than 30 days prior to travel.
Salmon Berry Travel & Tours recommends travel insurance provided by TravelSafe Insurance. Our recommendation is based on positive guest feedback. In particular, the experience of one Salmon Berry guest is instructive:
- Our guest had booked the vacation of a lifetime and the ultimate Alaska package. She had to cancel the trip a week before it began due to unfortunate circumstances.
- She later told us that within ten minutes of phone time her claim was processed in full. She was very pleased with TravelSafe Insurance’s immediate and empathetic response. Getting a refund for her trip was the last thing she wanted to think about, and TravelSafe Insurance took care of her needs and concerns immediately.