| Day |
Itinerary |
| 01 |
Anchorage - Arrival Day
Hotel Transfer - Rest of the day on your own. TIP: Visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center with its interactive displays, shows, and five separate culture galleries about the different native groups that used to live in Alaska. Don't miss a seafood dinner at Anchorage's famous restaurant "Crow's Nest Restaurant". |
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| 02 |
Anchorage - 10:00 am Iditarod Start
Morning: The tour guide will meet the group in the lobby for an introduction. The iditarod race starts at 10:00 am on 4th. Avenue in Alaska's largest city. Observe the start preparations, take close up pictures from and with the mushers and the dog teams and enjoy the bustling atmosphere. More than 60 mushers and 800 dogs are leaving from the start line for the "1050 mile race to Nome". Evening: Welcome dinner at 7:00 pm at one of Anchorage’s reknown Seafood Restaurants. |
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| 03 |
Anchorage - Skwentna Checkpoint - Wilderness Lodge
Transfer from the hotel to Lake Hood. Fly-out with ski-planes to Skwentna Station with a possible stopover at Yentna Station, the first checkpoint. Time to observe the lively activities of the mushers and their sled dogs. Lunch included. Our flight continues along the Iditarod Trail to our remote lodge near the Skwentna River. After a delicious dinner at the lodge we gather around the campfire at Skwentna, right next to the Iditarod trail. During the evening mushers and their dog teams will stop and enjoy a cup of tea before heading to their checkpoint. Watch tonight the Northern Lights dancing across the sky. |
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| 04 |
Wilderness Lodge - Flight to Finger Lakes Checkpoint* - Wilderness Lodge
After a hearty breakfast we fly out to Finger Lakes area on the eastern fringe of the Alaska Range. Lunch included. Observe various mushing activities and watch the mushers gearing up for the difficult trip across famous Rainy Pass. You are in the heart of the snow country and it is not uncommon to have 10 ft. of snow on the ground. Late afternoon, return flight to our Wilderness Lodge. |
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| 05 |
Wilderness Lodge - Flight to Rainy Pass or Rohn Roadhouse Checkpoints* - Anchorage
Morning ski-plane flight to famous Rainy Pass/Rohn within the Alaska Range. The gateway to the interior offers the most spectacular scenery of the entire Iditarod race. Many mushers take their mandatory 24 h. layover here before venturing via the treacherous Farewell Burn area into the flatlands of the interior. We spend the whole day in the wilderness along the trail and observe the mushing activities. Lunch packs included. Return flight to Anchorage in the late afternoon. Transfer to your hotel. Optional: Mt. McKinley flightseeing tour. |
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| 06 |
Anchorage - Seward - Cooper Landing
Morning van transfer along scenic Turnagain Arm to Seward. 3 h. gray whale watching cruise. Visit to the Sealife Center - the first cold water marine research institute in the world. Short drive to Cooper Landing surrounded by the magnificent Kenai Mountains. Overnight at a deluxe resort with restaurant, bar, outdoor hot tubs, recreational areas and mountain view. Deluxe rooms with divided living/bedroom area, fireplace, deck, bath, TV, phone. |
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| 07 |
Cooper Landing - Alyeska Resort
Morning departure to Alaska's largest ski area - Alyeska Resort. Rest of the day on your own. Use your tram tickets for a trip to the top of Mount Alyeska (included) for a breathtaking view of the surrounding seven glaciers and Turnagain Arm. TIP: Rent a pair of downhill/x-country ski and try out the slopes. For more adventurous natures the resort also offer deep powder Heli-Skiing. Other activities: dog sledding, air balloon tours and ice-skating. Evening farewell dinner at a local restaurant (included) |
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| 08 |
Alyeska - Anchorage
Morning departure to Anchorage. A last glimpse of the beauty of Alaska’s winter wonderland as we return. Arrival approximately at 11:00 am. Transfer to the airport or program extension. |
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