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Alaska's Scenic National Parks Self-Drive

16 day private tour

From mountain peaks and glaciers to magnificent coastlines and abundant wildlife, this self-drive tour is an ideal mix of unforgettable Alaskan highlights!

Starting in Anchorage journey to Seward and the Kenai Peninsula before heading north to the vast interior of Alaska. View incredible scenery of snow-capped mountains, active volcanoes and magnificent coastlines before heading north into the wilderness of this region. Other highlights include a bush plane flight over the vast wilderness of Wrangell-St Elias National Park, cruise Prince William Sound and Sheep Mountain Lodge.

Your tour highlights

  • Anchorage
  • Seward
  • Girdwood
  • Kenai Peninsula
  • Wrangell-St-Elias National Park
  • Prince William Sound
  • Sheep Mountain Lodge
  • Denali National Park
  • Fairbanks
  • Chitina
  • Valdez

Tour itinerary

Day
1
Anchorage

On arrival in Anchorage, make your way to your hotel for check-in and time at leisure.

 

Day
2
Anchorage - Seward

This morning make your way to the central downtown office to collect your rental car. Travel along the Seward Highway towards Turnagain Arm, keeping an eye out for beluga whales chasing salmon in the bay or Dall sheep along the highway.

 

Day
3
Seward

In Seward, embrace the freedom to select one of five thrilling excursions:

  1. Embark on the Tonsina Point Resurrection Bay Kayaking Adventure
  2. Engage in the Bear Lake Kayak or Canoe Trip
  3. Experience the thrill of a Wilderness Dog Sled Ride Tour
  4. Trek through the captivating landscapes on the Exit Glacier Hike
  5. Discover the wonders of Resurrection Bay on a Wildlife Cruise
Day
4
Seward - Homer

Follow the Sterling Highway, covering miles of spectacular landscape. View snow-capped mountains, active volcanoes, deep ocean bluffs and a magnificent coastline. The area also offers excellent salmon fishing opportunities along the Kenai River.

 

Day
5
Homer

A free day at leisure in the “Halibut Capital of the World”. Optional activities include kayaking, wildlife cruises and Katmai Coast flightseeing tours to observe grizzly bears.

 

Day
6
Homer - Girdwood

On this morning’s drive north, stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Centre, which provides care and rehabilitation for injured and orphaned wildlife. Once in Girdwood, take an aerial tram up Alyeska Mountain for views of Turnagain Arm, “hanging” glaciers and the endless peaks of the Chugach Mountains.

 

Day
7
Girdwood - Talkeetna

Pass through Anchorage and the agricultural region of the Matanuska-Susitna Valley on your way to Talkeetna, a former gold-mining centre that has retained much of its early Alaskan flavour. Today the small, picturesque town serves as a base camp for Mt Denali climbers.

 

Day
8
Talkeetna - Denali National Park

Embark on a captivating Wilderness Adventure Jet Boat tour this morning, revelling in the awe-inspiring views of Denali and the Alaska Range along the Susitna River. This unique Alaskan river adventure blends folklore, artifacts, and a panoramic Denali vista for an unforgettable experience. Following the jet boat tour, drive north on the Parks Highway to Denali National Park, passing through breathtaking forest and mountain landscapes.

 

Day
9
Denali National Park

Experience Denali with the freedom to select one of four exciting excursions:

  1. Explore the rugged Denali Highway on a thrilling Jeep Excursion
  2. Embark on the Tundra Wilderness Tour, immersing yourself in the untamed beauty of the landscape
  3. Opt for an exhilarating Denali Summit Flightseeing adventure aboard a fixed-wing plane (an upgrade fee applies)
  4. Choose the Denali Glacier Landing by Helicopter for an extraordinary experience (an upgrade fee applies)
Day
10
Denali National Park - Fairbanks

This morning drive the Parks Highway north to Fairbanks. Along the way, pass through the communities of Healy and Nenana as well as the old mining camp of Ester. This afternoon, climb aboard the Riverboat Discovery III for an unforgettable 3 hour cruise into the Alaskan Interior, travelling the Chena and Tanana Rivers on the only authentic sternwheeler riverboat operating in Alaska. This narrated tour provides background on the area’s natural history and the Athabascan Indian culture.

 

Day
11
Fairbanks - Chitina - McCarthy

Settle in for a day of driving through some of Alaska’s most diverse and dynamic landscapes. At Chitina board your bush plane flight to McCarthy, located in the vast wilderness of Wrangell-St Elias National Park. Along the way your pilot will describe landforms, point out wildlife and fill you in on a bit of the human history of the area.

 

Day
12
McCarthy

Spend the morning exploring the features of nearby Root Glacier on a guided trail and ice hike. The afternoon is yours to visit the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark and the funky-rustic enclave of McCarthy.

 

Day
13
McCarthy - Chitina - Valdez

Enjoy great views of the Wrangell Mountains on your bush plane flight back to Chitina. Continue your drive south where you enter the Chugach Mountains that ring the coast of Alaska from Prince William Sound. Admire the views of Worthington Glacier before beginning the descent into Valdez.

 

Day
14
Prince William Sound

Discover the magic of Alaska on a cruise of Prince William Sound, with lunch included. A local captain and crew will guide you through the Trans Alaska Pipeline Terminal and Columbia Bay before arriving at Columbia Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in South Central Alaska. Look out for wildlife along the way; if you’re lucky you could spot porpoises, puffins, sea lions and sea otters.

 

Day
15
Valdez - Sheep Mountain Lodge

Drive to Sheep Mountain Lodge, located along the scenic Glenn Highway between the towns of Palmer and Glenallen. The rest of the day is at leisure to enjoy the area. There are over 20 kms of trails near the lodge perfect for exploring. Birds and wildflowers abound, and maps are provided in each cabin for self-guided hiking.

 

Day
16
Sheep Mountain Lodge - Anchorage

Take in the beautiful views of the Chugach Range on your drive back to Anchorage, where your self-drive journey ends.

 

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Tour pricing:

from $13,305

Twin-share
2025 solo pricing from $23,170

To secure your place now:

Phone: 03 364 3400 or 0800 747 737
Email: [email protected]

Contact Us for details

Tour Inclusions:

  • Tailor-made self-drive journey
  • 15-nights’ accommodation
  • 1 lunch
  • 16-day full-size vehicle rental with unlimited kilometres and loss damage waiver (based on 24-hour periods)
  • Shared fixed-wing flights Chitina > McCarthy > Chitina
  • Your choice of shared sightseeing in Denali, Seward and Talkeetna
  • Admission to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
  • Shared Alyeska scenic tram ride
  • Shared sternwheeler riverboat discovery cruise
  • Shared Kennecott mill town tour
  • Shared Root Glacier hike
  • Shared Prince William Sound Columbia Glacier cruise

Not included:

Road and tunnel tolls GPS, paid locally

Conditions:

Accommodations outside the major tourist centres in Canada are best available. Please enquire about pricing for children (10 and under), triple, and/or quad share, and/or cross-season. Accommodations outside the major tourist centres in Alaska are best available.
Just a quick note to thank you very much for your assistance with our recent trip to New York.  We had a great time and everything went extremely well.
USA, Michael & Tonia
We arrived back this morning from a fantastic time away, there were so many pinch yourself moments that we need to rely on our photographs to remember them all. Thank you for your input, everything went smoothly, as usual your itinerary, flights and accommodation was great. Everything you had arranged for us was great.  The Dylan at SFO worked out really well as was very close the BART rail. That was a great recommendation.
USA & Canada, John & Pam
Thank you for organising our USA holiday, it was fantastic. The holiday has been even better than we all imagined.  Thank you for all your help.
USA, Nicki
We had a lovely time on both the cruise and the bus tour but the Bears of course were the highlight. The cruise was great and thankfully we had beautiful sunny weather when we needed it most in Glacier Bay and College Fjord. They were absolutely spectacular. Everything on the cruise was good and we really enjoyed the talks from the Naturalist on board. The Bus Tour was also good and I think they did a good job in changing the itinerary at short notice with the Jasper Fires. The driver and Tour Director were both great.
Alaska & Rockies, Imelda
We got back from hol on Saturday and just want to say a massive thank you for all your correspondence with us and bookings that you did. We had an absolute ball and it was an adventure of a lifetime for us. A real dream come true! Loved the US and we are already planning of going back! The RHCP concert was out of this world! Here we are back in cold rainy Chch and it's not really where I want to be right now. Haha. The Beresfords Arms was perfect for our fam and the bonus of breakfast and wine and cheese in the arvo, was amazing! Car hire ran smoothly and the pickup location to hotel was fantastic! The drop off was also awesome! Hope to email you again soon with another dream!
USA, Bree
We arrived back safely on the “Wings Of The Nation” yesterday morning. Your invaluable advice and meticulously planned  itinerary, worked flawlessly!  Unbelievably, we did not have a late flight, a missed connection, or lost bag the whole time away! The cruise itself was everything we had hoped for, and more, a trip of a life time! Thank you for putting together this option. One of the things that made all the difference on the cruise, was that the weather was brilliant, the whole time! The crew couldn’t believe our luck, mind you, and neither could we! Overall the whole trip was a wonderful experience. Thank you again for putting together a very successful itinerary.
Alaska, Ian