Alaska Summer Family Holiday

Welcome to Anchorage – Alaska’s largest centre and main city. Set on Cook Inlet, this acts as the starting point of your summer family adventure. There isn’t anything planned today until a group welcome meeting at 5 pm, so you are free to arrive at any time today. After this all-important briefing where you’ll meet your group leader and fellow travelling families, keep the introductions going as you head out together for an optional dinner.

Today’s destination is the town of Seward – the gateway of the original Iditarod Trail to interior Alaska – with plenty of scenic stops along the way. Visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center which takes in injured and orphaned animals year-round, providing spacious enclosures and quality animal care. Learn about the important work the centre does and see some of Alaska's iconic animals up close. On arrival in Seward, check into your hotel and have the afternoon and evening at your leisure. Your leader will be able to provide recommendations on what to do and where you could eat, so be sure to ask them.

All aboard for a 6-hour scenic cruise from Seward scaling the edge of the Kenai Fjords National Park. The Kenai Peninsula is perfect to see on the water, and your comfortable catamaran will get you as close as possible to the glaciers and wildlife. The cruise captain will give a full narration today, providing insight into the area’s main sights as well as its ecology, history and geology. Highlights of the day include watching the mighty Holgat Glacier calve as chunks of ice crash into the water, as well as spotting sea otters, Steller sea lions, puffins, eagles, harbour seals and seabirds. Fingers crossed you might even spot a whale or two breaching in the water around you. After disembarking the ship back in Seward, you and the crew are free to relax in and around town tonight.

After a hearty breakfast, lace up your walking shoes for a leisurely walk like no other. Join your leader and head to Exit Glacier, where you’ll enjoy an easy 3-kilometre (2-mile) round-trip hike to the glacier lookout. It’s a spectacular sight to see, especially in the summer months with the sun glistening on the surface. Then you’ll travel to Moose Pass for a kayaking trip on Trail Lake with a local guide who will share tales about local characters like Alaska Nellie, Gold Miner Joe and Mad Sally, the region’s most cantankerous cat. Afterwards, transfer back to your accommodation for a free evening.

It’s an early start for the drive to Talkeetna, stopping off at Girdwood along the way for lunch and a walk along the boardwalk where you might get to see moose tracks alongside the trail. You may like to ride the gondola up Mount Alyeska (own expense) before you hop back in the van for the journey to Talkeetna where you’ll arrive in the late afternoon.

Keep an eye out for caribou and other wildlife as you head north along the Parks Highway to Denali National Park. On arrival at the park, head to the visitor centre to plan your next day’s activities and chat to the rangers about the area’s incredible wildlife, then your evening is free to relax. You might like to have dinner with the group and prepare for your days of exploration ahead.

Get ready for a day of adventure as your expert leader takes you on a family friendly hike in Denali National Park. You might see the tallest mountain on the continent reaching high into the sky, hike along tundra trails that weave through wildflowers and maybe even spot some wildlife living among the landscape. Whichever trail your leader chooses, it’s sure to be a day to remember.

Leaving after breakfast, you’ll farewell the mountains and make your way to Anchorage. Upon arrival in Anchorage, stop at the Alaska Native Heritage Center – an interactive range of exhibitions, educating travellers about the traditional owners and First Nations peoples of this territory and beyond. Walk through six life-sized village sites dotted around the grounds – representing Alaskan territories such as the Athabascan, Inupiaq and Yup’ik/Cup’ik communities – and perhaps head into the Hall of Cultures, which displays works from Alaska Native artists.