Alaska Tours (alaskatours.com) · Rail package

Alaska by Rail Tour

Ten-day rail tour covering the entire Alaska Railroad network

Alaska by Rail Tour, a rail journey with Alaska Tours (alaskatours.com)

Alaska Tours runs this ten-day, nine-night Alaska by Rail Tour, covering the length of the Alaska Railroad system from Anchorage to Seward, Talkeetna, Denali National Park, and Fairbanks, with a flight back to Anchorage on day 9. The operator describes the trip as moving at a relaxed pace, with free time built into most afternoons for optional extras. Included touring covers a 6-hour Kenai Fjords National Park cruise past glaciers with lunch on board, a jet boat trip on a wilderness river near Talkeetna, a narrated Denali National Park bus tour watching for bears, caribou, and moose, and a Fairbanks sightseeing tour that ends with a sternwheeler cruise on the Chena River. Several transfers, including your arrival in Anchorage and the trip to the rail depot, are left for you to manage yourself. This suits travelers who want to see the whole Alaska Railroad network in one trip and don't mind arranging some of their own transfers along the way.

What to know before you look closer

  • Several transfers, including your arrival in Anchorage, the trip to the rail depot, and the final departure, are on your own rather than arranged by the operator.
  • Meals, gratuities, transfers in Anchorage, and optional excursions (such as the Denali Flightseeing Experience, the Cabin Nite Dinner Theater, and the Anchorage & Cook Inlet Sunset Photo Safari) are not included.
  • The Fairbanks to Anchorage leg on day 9 is a scheduled flight, not a train ride, so one segment of this rail tour is by air.
  • The evidence does not name the hotels used, their star rating, or current departure dates; confirm these directly with the operator.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Anchorage

    Anchorage Arrival

    Arrive in Anchorage and transfer to your hotel on own. Anchorage is Alaska's largest city, nestled between the Chugach Mountains and Cook Inlet.

  2. Day 2railovernight: Seward

    Anchorage to Seward

    Very early this morning, transfer on your own to the Anchorage rail depot to board the Alaska Railroad to Seward (departure 6:45am), traveling along Cook Inlet into the glacier-filled Kenai Mountains. Rest of the day at leisure in Seward.

  3. Day 3railovernight: Anchorage

    Seward to Anchorage

    Depart on a 6-hour cruise of Kenai Fjords National Park (lunch served on-board), watching for sea lions, seals, puffins, eagles and whales, cruising to either the Holgate or Aialik Glacier. Return to Anchorage by Alaska Railroad, arriving approximately 10:15pm.

  4. Day 4railovernight: Talkeetna

    Anchorage to Talkeetna

    Transfer to the rail station to board the Alaska Railroad bound for Talkeetna. This afternoon, embark on a 2-hour jet boat adventure aboard the Talkeetna Queen to a wilderness site with a nature walk to an authentic trapper's cabin.

  5. Day 5railovernight: Near the Denali park entrance

    Talkeetna to Denali National Park

    Relax or take an optional excursion this morning. At 11:20am, depart Talkeetna aboard the Alaska Railroad to Denali National Park. Afternoon free for optional tours such as river rafting and hiking.

  6. Day 6overnight: Near the Denali park entrance

    Denali National Park

    Depart on a narrated bus tour into Denali National Park (approx. 4-6 hours, 30-43 miles into the park depending on weather/road conditions), looking for bears, caribou and moose. Rest of the day free for optional tours.

  7. Day 7railovernight: Fairbanks

    Denali National Park to Fairbanks

    Time this morning for optional tours. In the afternoon, depart Denali on the Alaska Railroad for Fairbanks, arriving approximately 8:00pm.

  8. Day 8overnight: Fairbanks

    Fairbanks

    Narrated sightseeing tour of Fairbanks highlights: the Morris Thompson Cultural Center, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline viewpoint, the University of Alaska Museum of the North (or Antique Auto Museum when closed), and the Santa Claus House in North Pole. Also includes a sternwheeler cruise on the Chena River.

  9. Day 9overnight: Anchorage

    Fairbanks to Anchorage

    Transfer via hotel courtesy shuttle to the Fairbanks Airport for a scheduled flight to Anchorage (approximately 55 minutes flight time, typically afternoon/early evening). Transfer in Anchorage on own or via courtesy shuttle.

  10. Day 10

    Anchorage Departure

    Free time for souvenir shopping or additional excursions such as a guided hike in Chugach State Park, depending on departure flight. Transfer to the airport on your own.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2The Alaska Railroad departs Anchorage at 6:45am for Seward, traveling along Cook Inlet into the glacier-filled Kenai Mountains.
  • Day 3A 6-hour Kenai Fjords National Park cruise, with lunch served on board, watching for sea lions, seals, puffins, eagles, and whales while cruising to either the Holgate or Aialik Glacier.
  • Day 4A 2-hour jet boat adventure aboard the Talkeetna Queen to a wilderness site, with a nature walk to an authentic trapper's cabin.
  • Day 6A narrated Denali National Park bus tour of 4 to 6 hours, traveling 30 to 43 miles into the park in search of bears, caribou, and moose.
  • Day 8Fairbanks sightseeing includes the Morris Thompson Cultural Center, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline viewpoint, and a sternwheeler cruise on the Chena River.

Included

  • 9 nights of hotel accommodation
  • Train from Anchorage to Seward (round trip), Anchorage to Talkeetna, Talkeetna to Denali, and Denali to Fairbanks
  • Scheduled flight from Fairbanks to Anchorage
  • 6-hour Kenai Fjords National Park cruise with lunch
  • 2-hour wilderness jetboat tour in Talkeetna
  • 4-6 hour bus tour into Denali National Park (depending on weather and road conditions)
  • Half-day sightseeing tour of Fairbanks
  • 3-hour Sternwheeler riverboat tour
  • All taxes and fees

Not included

  • Transfers in Anchorage
  • Meals
  • Optional excursions
  • Gratuities

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included?
Yes. The package includes Alaska Railroad travel from Anchorage to Seward (round trip), Anchorage to Talkeetna, Talkeetna to Denali, and Denali to Fairbanks, plus a scheduled flight back from Fairbanks to Anchorage.
Is it guided or independent?
It is a mix. Tours such as the Kenai Fjords cruise, the Denali bus tour, and the Fairbanks sightseeing tour are guided, but several transfers, including your arrival in Anchorage and the trip to the rail depot, are on your own.
Which trains are used?
The Alaska Railroad, in standard/adventure class rail car seating with reserved seats; Deluxe dome car seating is available as a paid upgrade on selected routes.
What is not included?
Meals, gratuities, transfers in Anchorage, and optional excursions such as the Denali Flightseeing Experience, the Cabin Nite Dinner Theater, and the Anchorage & Cook Inlet Sunset Photo Safari.
How much walking is involved?
The included touring is mostly seated (rail, bus, and boat), with a short guided nature walk to a trapper's cabin during the Talkeetna jet boat tour; a more strenuous guided hike in Chugach State Park is available only as an optional extra on the last day.
What will I see along the way?
Highlights include a Kenai Fjords National Park cruise to an active glacier with wildlife viewing (sea lions, seals, puffins, eagles, whales), a jet boat trip to a wilderness trapper's cabin near Talkeetna, a Denali National Park bus tour looking for bears, caribou, and moose, and a Fairbanks sightseeing tour with a Chena River sternwheeler cruise.

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