Booking Your Alaska Denali Tour Package

Located between the Talkeetna Mountains and the Alaska Range, Denali National Park is 325,240 acres of spectacular beauty. The park sits approximately 100 air miles north of Anchorage and is home to the highest peak in Alaska, Denali – which was formerly known as Mt. McKinley. Since the park was established in 1970, it has been a bucket list destination for thousands of visitors each year, all of whom are eager to take advantage of Denali National Park tours in Alaska!

Start Your Alaska Adventure In Anchorage

The largest city in Alaska’s South Central Region is Anchorage, which is a perfect jumping-off point for an adventure in Denali National Park. Anchorage is also easily accessible to travelers, so flying in and establishing a base camp in the city is a great way to begin your trip to Denali National Park. But what is the best way to get to this outdoor mecca? For maximum flexibility, rent a car in Anchorage. The drive to Denali should take approximately five hours. By renting a car, you’ll be able to travel at your own pace and stop to sightsee wherever you’d like!  However, if you want to leave the logistics to someone else, you can take a train or bus from Anchorage directly to the park’s entrance.

Planning The Perfect Two-Day Getaway

Denali is huge – it’s almost one-half the size of Rhode Island. The park offers visitors the perfect opportunity to explore Alaska’s wide range of outdoor activities, from camping to kayaking to hiking and wildlife viewing. However, if you only have two days to spend at Denali, you’re going to have to know how to make the most of it! Keep reading to learn how to plan the perfect two-day Alaska Denali tour package.

• Day 1 – start your vacation in Anchorage, where you’ll grab your rental car – or hop the bus or train to Denali. Enjoy the incredible Alaska scenery along the way, no matter how you are traveling. It is approximately a five-hour drive to Denali, or six hours by bus and eight hours by train. If you arrive with time to spare, head to the park’s visitor center to get acquainted with the park before your adventure begins.
• Day 2 – Spend the day exploring the park. Although private vehicles are not allowed beyond mile 15 of the Park’s main road, you can travel the length of it by bus. The National Park Service offers guided tours along the 92-mile Park Road, with insider commentary on the landscape and wildlife that you see along the way. Or you can take the park’s transit bus line, which allows you to hop off and explore the park’s wilderness, then hop back on another bus for the trip back to the park’s entrance. One of the most popular alternatives to this bus route, however, is to bike the Park Road. You can bike directly from the park entrance, or catch a shuttle bus and hop on and off as many times as you like during the day, stopping to see the sights that catch your attention.
• Day 3 – before you finish your Denali Park tour in Alaska, make the most of your last day in the park by squeezing in some outdoor adventure. Some of the most popular tourist activities include white water rafting in the Nenana River; going on a flightseeing tour over the Alaska Range; or taking a guided hike across the park’s vast tundra. If you’re short on time but want to see more of Denali before you leave, consider taking a short hike near the park’s entrance. You won’t have to board a bus or carry a heavy backpack to enjoy the wilderness views – plenty of developed trails near the entrance allow you to enjoy some solitude and spend a little bit of time with the native wildlife.

From Denali National Park to Kenai Fjords

Alaska is home to an incredible eight national parks, and you can find two in the south-central region! If you didn’t get your fill of nature at Denali National Park, you can opt for a trip to Kenai Fjords National Park, near Seward. For a tour of both parks, it is recommended to return to Anchorage from Denali, and then head south along the Seward Highway. Once you reach Kenai Fjords, you can enjoy 600,000 acres of Alaska’s incredible glacially carved landscapes.

Why should you visit Kenai Fjords National Park? It is home to some of the most magnificent glaciers in Alaska. The Harding Icefield covers more than 700 square miles in Kenai Fjords National Park and is the source of over 35 named glaciers. Several different types of glaciers can be found in the park, including tidewater, piedmont, hanging, and cirque glaciers, most of which can be seen up close during a narrated boat tour or cruise. You can also visit Exit Glacier, which is one of the most visited glaciers in the State and is the only part of the Kenai Fjords National Park that is accessible by road. The area around the glacier is great for a hike, and for taking memorable photos of the park’s incredible vistas!

Top Three Things To Do At Kenai Fjords National Park

If you’ve traveled all the way from Denali National Park to Kenai Fjords National Park, you are probably wondering what to do. Have no fear – the park offers visitors an incredible experience. Here are three of the top activities to consider when visiting Kenai Fjords.

• Hike the Harding Icefield Trail – although it’s only 8.2 miles in distance, the steep inclines on this trail are not for the faint of heart. But if you are up for it, the trek is worth it. The trail starts near the Exit Glacier Nature Center on a valley floor, then winds through cottonwood forest up through heather meadows, and then crests the treeline, where you will discover the breathtaking view of the icefield below.
• Flightseeing over the fjords – for a unique view of the park, take a tour above the park in a helicopter or fixed-wing plane. Seeing the park from above will allow you to appreciate the vast expanse of the park, and is also a great way to spot wildlife!
• Go whale watching – if you enjoy seeing wildlife in their natural habitat, you will enjoy going on a whale watching tour! The most common whales to see in Kenai Fjords National Park are humpback whales and orcas.

A Final Farewell in Seward

After a lightning tour of Denali and Kenai Fjords National Parks, spend an afternoon unwinding in Seward. This charming coastal town is a cruise ship destination and a haven for tourists. Explore the shops and pick up a few souvenirs before returning home, but make sure you leave enough time for a visit to the Alaska SeaLife Center, where you can get an up-close view of stellar sea lions, harbor seals, and puffins