Cox & Kings
The Soul Train: From Chicago to the Big Easy
12-day tailor-made rail journey from Chicago to New Orleans via Memphis
12 daysfrom $4,227
17% rail
Cox & Kings · Tailor-Made Journey
Best of Alaska by Rail
Discover Alaska from the comfort of the GoldStar Railcar, your carriage the ultimate vantage point for admiring this land of extremes.
Day by day
- Day 1overnight: Anchorage (Hotel Captain Cook)
Arrive Anchorage
Touch down in Anchorage, where rugged highlands rise beyond a mosaic of waterways and urban streets. After a taxi ride to your downtown hotel, the day is yours to spend at your own pace. For a gentle introduction to Alaskan flavours this evening, consider dining on freshly caught seafood at a nearby restaurant.
- Day 2railovernight: Seward (Seward Windsong Lodge)
Arrive Seward
Board the Coastal Classic Train and settle into the GoldStar Railcar with its glass-domed ceilings and open-air viewing platforms. With breakfast included on board, follow the coastline of Cook Inlet before climbing into the glacier-carved valleys of the Chugach Mountains. Arrive in Seward and join an included guided hike to Exit Glacier, where trails wind through alder thickets and rocky slopes to a sweep of ice descending from the Harding Icefield. A naturalist guide offers insight into the region's glacial landscapes and ecology.
- Day 3overnight: Seward (Seward Windsong Lodge)
Seward
Today brings an included full-day cruise into the remote reaches of Kenai Fjords National Park. Travelling deeper than most routes, this expedition ventures to the dramatic Northwestern Fjord, home to three tidewater glaciers. Keep watch for humpback and orca whales, sea otters and colonies of Steller sea lions that gather on rocky outcrops. An included continental breakfast and deli-style lunch are served on board.
- Day 4overnight: Anchorage (Hotel Captain Cook)
Arrive Anchorage
Join an included Seward to Anchorage day tour that begins with a peaceful walk offering a last view of Exit Glacier. Next, en route to Anchorage, stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center for the chance to observe moose, caribou, bears and muskox in spacious, natural enclosures. Lunch is provided, followed by a ride on the aerial tram to the summit of Alyeska Mountain, where views of hanging glaciers and the Chugach peaks await. You arrive in Anchorage by late afternoon.
- Day 5railovernight: Anchorage (Hotel Captain Cook)
Anchorage
Depart Anchorage by coach for the included 26 Glacier Cruise, covering over 140 miles through the fjords of Prince William Sound. Watch for sea otters, harbour seals, kittiwakes, whales, bears and mountain goats as you approach a variety of glaciers, including tidewater, alpine and piedmont. Listen for the crack of calving ice as it breaks away and drops into the sea. Disembark in the city of Whittier, where you reboard the Glacier Discovery train, arriving back in Anchorage by evening.
- Day 6overnight: Anchorage (Hotel Captain Cook)
Anchorage
Today offers an included Bear Viewing Safari allowing you to observe Alaska's bears in their natural surroundings. Depart Anchorage by float plane for a flight southwest to one of several remote bear habitats – selected according to the bears seasonal activity. On arrival, watch black or brown bears as they forage or fish along riverbanks.
- Day 7railovernight: Talkeetna (Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge)
Arrive Talkeetna
Set off early aboard the Denali Star Train, with breakfast included as you follow a scenic route north to Talkeetna, the base camp for climbers bound for Mount Denali. On arrival, you can spend time at leisure. This afternoon, a more high-octane experience awaits – a flightseeing tour providing striking aerial views of river valleys, glaciers and the surrounding Alaskan wilderness.
- Day 8railovernight: Denali National Park (The Grande Denali Lodge)
Arrive Denali National Park
This morning, rejoin the Denali Star Train for the next leg of your rail journey. With lunch included on board, pass through a shifting panorama of rivers, spruce forest and open tundra as you arrive at Denali National Park. The afternoon is free to spend how you choose. Our local expert suggests whitewater rafting on the Nenana River, hiking, or a helicopter flight-seeing tour.
- Day 9overnight: Denali National Park (The Grande Denali Lodge)
Denali National Park
Today brings a remarkable adventure, hailed by National Geographic Traveler as one of the world's great drives. During your included Denali Highway Guided Self Drive Jeep Excursion, you'll traverse a gravel road that stretches for miles through untouched wilderness, where snow-draped summits, glacial valleys and wide-open tundra extend to the horizon. Alternative excursions are also available today.
- Day 10railovernight: Fairbanks (Pike's Waterfront Lodge)
Arrive Fairbanks
This morning is yours to spend as you wish. Perhaps set out on a hike, take to the water for rafting on the Nenana River, or enjoy a helicopter flight. By early afternoon, return to the Denali Star Train for the journey north to the city of Fairbanks – gateway to Alaska's interior. With dinner included on board, settle in and watch the scenery morph from dense forest to wide river flats and the open reaches of Alaska's far north.
- Day 11
Fly home
Today your Alaska adventure comes to a close. Check out of your hotel and take a shuttle to the airport to prepare for your overnight flight home.
Included
- Scheduled international flights
- Standard accommodation
- Alaska Railroad journeys in Goldstar Service with dome car seating
- Exit Glacier Hike from Seward
- Northwestern Fjord Cruise from Seward
- Day Tour from Seward to Anchorage with lunch & inclusions
- Prince William Sound 26 Glacier Cruise from Anchorage
- Bear Viewing Safari from Anchorage
- Denali Flightseeing with Glacier Landing
- Denali Highway Jeep Excursion
