Alaskan Discovery Tour
From $1699 (was $1949)
Per person, double occupancy, excludes roundtrip airfare
8 Days
This program is currently sold out but new dates are coming soon! Call 877-332-6185 for more details.
Alaska Land Tour Details
From panning for gold in Fairbanks to spotting wildlife in Denali and sailing past glaciers in Kenai Fjords, this is the real Alaska that locals share with visitors to leave them in awe and wanting more. From Fairbanks to Anchorage, see the 49th state's most iconic sights on this 8-day tour.
Discover Alaska and learn why they call it "The Last Frontier!" Begin your journey in beautiful Fairbanks, and visit the machinery and town that were built during the gold rush. From there travel into the Alaskan Interior to Denali National Park. Embark on a Denali Natural History Tour and learn about the history, culture, and natural environment of this 6 million acre park. From Denali, visit the Iditarod Sled Dog Headquarters to learn about the “The Last Great Race”. Afterwards, continue to the city half of Alaskan’s call home, Anchorage!
From Anchorage head further South to see the quaint city of Homer, the “Halibut Capital of the World”. Continue your journey to Seward, and board a catamaran for our Glacier and Wildlife tour. Guided by a Park Ranger you will see glacier calving, whales, sea otters, sea lions, puffins, eagles, and other wildlife, all from the comfort of your ship. Next up, visit Kenai Fjords National Park to see wildlife, witness tidewater glacier calving, and feast on an included Alaskan Salmon and prime rib lunch buffet. But your adventure doesn't have to end there!
EXTEND THIS VACATION WITH A 7-NIGHT INSIDE PASSAGE CRUISE!
You can choose to add a 7 night Inside Passage cruise to your itinerary. Boarding ms Noordam in Whittier, the next stage of your vacation begins! The Inside Passage cruise includes stops in Glacier Bay National Park, Juneau, Ketchikan, Alaska Inside Passage, and Vancouver. Click here to view this extended itinerary option.
Check out our Travel Blog for more tips and ideas for your Alaskan Discovery Tour!
Tour Includes
Sightseeing- Fairbanks
- Denali National Park
- Anchorage
- Seward
- Homer
- Kenai Fjords National Park
- 7 Nights
- Moderate hotels based on twin/double occupancy
- 2 Lunches
- A professionally trained local tour director who is knowledgeable of the area and will provide you with a wealth of information. Their friendly service will make your trip a memorable experience.
- To and from your hotel room throughout your land tour for one piece of Checked Baggage per person.
Activity Level
Click here for full details.
Tour Highlights
- Visit iconic Denali National Park and sail Kenai Fjords National Park, two of Alaska's most majestic natural treasures
- Explore Seward and Homer, two quaint yet distinctively different remote fishing communities, during your combined 3-night stay on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula
- Included visit to Gold Dredge #8 where you'll relive Alaska's gold rush history
- Tour Fairbanks and Anchorage, the two largest cities in the state
*Web prices reflect Instant Rebate pricing. Offers valid for new bookings only and subject to availability. Offer may be cancelled at any time.
Please follow the steps below to price your vacation with YMT Vacations. When you complete all the steps, click “Reserve” next to the date on which you would like to travel.
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| Depart | Base Price | Taxes & Fees | Single Supplement | Triple Reduction | Quad Reduction | Flight Cost | Total Price per person | ||||||
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(Click the map to enlarge)
Alaskan Discovery Tour
Alaskan Discovery Tour
Tours Starts: Fairbanks, Alaska
Tours Ends: Seward, Alaska
Day 1
Arrive in Fairbanks
Today your adventure begins upon arrival in Fairbanks, the largest city in the interior of Alaska. If you purchased your airline tickets from YMT, you will be welcomed by a representative and transferred to your hotel.
SpringHill Suites Fairbanks or similar
Day 2
Gold Dredge #8 Visit
Explore the area’s gold mining history as we visit the restored Gold Dredge #8. The visitor center offers a great perspective with artifacts from the gold rush era, bringing to life the history of Fairbanks. To round off your visit here you can learn to pan for gold and take a picture with the Trans-Alaskan pipeline, an American engineering marvel. In the afternoon, explore Fairbanks on your own.
SpringHill Suites Fairbanks or similar
Day 3
Denali Natural History Tour
Today we travel on the Parks Highway to Denali National Park. Learn about how permafrost presents a challenge here to road construction and maintenance, as you travel through the sparsely populated Alaskan Interior. At 6 million acres, Denali National Park is one of the world's great frontiers for wilderness adventure. Get a deeper look at this amazing park as we embark on a Denali Natural History Tour. With a focus on the rich, cultural history of Denali National Park, the Denali Natural History Tour provides insight into the diverse native and early pioneer influences in and around Denali. Your driver/ naturalist will provide a great introduction to the landscape, geology, and history of Denali National Park. Visit Savage Cabin, the original cook's cabin in the park's first tourist camp, and still a ranger patrol cabin used by the Park Service. The rest of the day is yours to explore at your own pace.
Denali Park Village or similar
OPTION: ALASKA RAILROAD UPGRADE:
Upgrade to a scenic 4-hour train ride
along the famous Alaska Railroad
from Talkeetna to Denali Park. Enjoy
360° views in upper-level seats on
Deluxe Dome Railcars for $189 p/p.
Alaska Railroad upgrade must be
prebooked. Please add this option at
time of booking.
OPTION: TUNDRA WILDERNESS TOUR:
Upgrade to the 7-8 hour Tundra
Wilderness Tour for a more in-depth
Denali National Park experience for
only $95 p/p. By traveling 53 miles
into the park where opportunities for
wildlife viewing increase. Please
note that the park road is unpaved
and riding on the elementary park bus for a longer
duration may be strenuous for some. Please add this
option at time of booking.
Day 4
Iditarod Sled Dog Headquarters and Anchorage City Tour
We leave Denali this morning to continue our journey south, traveling through Matanuska- Susitna Valley, one of the most important agricultural areas in Alaska. En route, we will visit the Iditarod Sled Dog Headquarters near Wasilla where you will have the opportunity to learn about “The Last Great Race.” Afterwards, continue to Anchorage for an included lunch stop and a city tour of downtown. (L)
Crowne Plaza Anchorage or similar
Day 5
Anchorage to Homer
This morning, we continue by motor coach and travel across the Kenai Peninsula to Homer, the Halibut Fishing Capital of the World. Upon arrival in Homer, your Tour Director will take you to the Homer Spit, which features the longest road into ocean waters in the entire world! Enjoy a guided walk along the Homer Docks and see the infamous Salty Dawg Saloon, which is constructed out of several of the city's historic buildings. Originally one of the first cabins built in Homer in 1987, the landmark has served as a post office, railroad station, grocery store, and school house throughout the years. You may recognize the Saloon with its distinctive lighthouse tower from the Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch . Be sure to bring a dollar bill to sign and leave on the wall alongside the thousands of other bills that line the bar!
Best Western Bidarka or similar
Day 6
Homer Leisure Day
Enjoy this day at leisure in the quaint town of Homer. Your Tour Director will be happy to help you plan your day to make the most of your time in this versatile destination; whether you decide to head out on an optional tour or take the ferry to the remote town of Seldovia, perhaps Alaska’s best kept secret, you are sure to enjoy the breathtaking scenery!
Best Western Bidarka or similar
Day 7
Kenai Fjords National Park Glacier & Wildlife Cruise
Today, board a catamaran for another highlight on your Alaskan Discovery: enjoy a 6-hour cruise through Kenai Fjords National Park to see marine wildlife, witness tidewater glacier calving, and feast on an included Alaskan Salmon and prime rib lunch buffet. The remainder of the day is free for you to explore Seward. (L)
Breeze Inn or similar
Day 8
Depart for Home
Today, bid farewell to Alaska. Transfers to Anchorage’s airport are included.
Please note that this is a proposed itinerary; the actual itinerary may vary due to season, special events, or weather. Hotels may differ depending on date. Because our tour arrangements are often made a year or more in advance, YMT Vacations reserves the right to alter the itinerary. Itinerary changes are made to improve your vacation experience, as well as respond to any unforeseen circumstances that mandate alterations. By their nature, all tour vacations involve a certain level of physical activity. While YMT tours have been designed with our guests in mind and are not physically demanding, this tour does include walking and periods of standing during the sightseeing visits. You will also encounter steps and some uneven ground along the way, particularly at older, historical sights. Please ask your Travel Consultant for more information.
YMT Vacations itineraries may contain suggestions for activities for your leisure time; these suggestions do not constitute a recommendation nor an endorsement of any specific service provider and the decision to participate in any such activities should be made independently.
FAQ
Don't see what you are looking for? Check out our general FAQ page here.
For 2021 departures, you can move travel dates easily and without incurring cancellation fees or penalties. You can change your land tour date anytime up to 45 days prior to departure and your cruise tour up to 95 days prior to departure. See our 2021 Peace of Mind Program for more details.
A worry-free experience for our guests is very important to us. With guest's help and the implementation of a few changes and new protocols such as increased sanitization, responsible social distancing, and enhanced tour director training, you can continue to enjoy peace-of-mind while traveling. Additionally, prior to joining a tour, we require that each guest show proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 test results performed 72 hours prior to travel or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 within 90 days. Our Tour Directors and motor coach suppliers will also meet these requirements. For more information on our new safety protocols, please see our Travel Safe Program.
No, guests will not need to bring adapters or converters as the U.S. uses standard 110V plugs.
U.S. guests do not need a passport or visa for this tour. Starting October 1, 2021, guests are required to have a REAL ID-compliant identification which includes REAL ID-compliant driver's licenses, US passports, US passport cards, US military IDs, and federally recognized tribal-issues photo IDs.
A full list can be found here: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification
Before this date, any government-issued ID, including any state driver's license and any federal ID, will suffice.
Several weeks prior to your departure date, you will receive notification via email that Optional Tours are available for booking at an additional cost. These Optional Tours are also available for purchase online by logging into your YMT account. Optional Tour information will also be mailed to you along with your travel documents.
For more information about the different types of optional tours, read this article.
The weather in Alaska will be fairly cooler with average temperatures between 62°F and 48°F during the months of May through September.
You can find more on the weather in Alaska here.
For more information, check out our How To Pack for Your Alaskan Vacation article.
You will need U.S. dollars.
