Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Alaska: Denali and the Kenai Fjords for three generations
8 days from Anchorage for grandparents, parents and children 6 and up: the Alaska Railroad to Denali, a park bus and the sled dogs, Talkeetna, Girdwood and two nights in Seward with a Kenai Fjords cruise.
8 days · Round trip from Anchorage · up to 12 guests
Anchorage and the Chugach Mountains, seen from Airport Park, where the trip starts and ends Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anchorage,_Alaska.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Anchorage
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Easy
Walks of 1 to 3 km a day on paved paths, boardwalks and level trails, with benches or the vehicle never far away; every walk can be cut short. The long seated stretches are the train (about 7.5 hours, with room to move), the Denali park bus (about 5 hours, with toilet stops) and the boat (about 6 hours, with a heated cabin). No leg between stops is much over two and a quarter hours; the two longest road days, days 4 and 5, are about 3 hours each in two legs. The two optional walks, Horseshoe Lake and the start of the Harding Icefield Trail, have steep stretches; anyone can sit them out.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 3 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,250 (estimated price)
- Season
- Mid-June to late August
Highlights
Why this trip
- Ride the Alaska Railroad to Denali under a glass dome, where children can walk the cars and stand on the outdoor platform
- A morning bus along the Denali park road with a naturalist, looking for grizzly bears, caribou, moose and Dall sheep
- Meet the park's working sled dogs at the Denali kennels
- Denali from the Viewpoint South pull-out on a clear day, and a walk round Talkeetna's log-cabin town
- Alaska Native dance, games and village sites at the Heritage Center, then the Alyeska tram above hanging glaciers
- Bears, moose and musk oxen up close at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, then Exit Glacier on an accessible trail
- A six-hour Kenai Fjords cruise to a tidewater glacier, with whales, sea otters and puffins
- Sea lions and puffins at the Alaska SeaLife Center on the last morning
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,250 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Anchorage
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport to your hotel in central Anchorage
- Welcome dinner at about 5:30 pm
- Stay in Anchorage
- Drive about 18 min
Fly into Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC), about 10 km from downtown, and a driver meets your family for the short ride to a central hotel. Plan to land by about 3 pm; the exact time is confirmed with your final itinerary. Anchorage sits between two arms of Cook Inlet with the Chugach Mountains straight behind it, and in summer it stays light until close to midnight, so the first job is blackout curtains or eye masks for the children. If you arrive early, the Anchorage Museum downtown has a hands-on science gallery for children alongside its Alaska Native collections, or walk a flat stretch of the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail along the shore, where moose sometimes graze in the birch woods. At about 5 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the whole group for a short briefing: how the train day works, what to wear on the boat and how luggage travels.
Evening
Then we sit down to an early welcome dinner together, so younger travellers are in bed on time before tomorrow's 7:30 am start for the train.
Included
- Pick-up at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Early welcome dinner
Optional experiences
- Anchorage Museum
Free time: Free until the 5 pm briefing
The Alaska Railroad to Denali
Anchorage to Denali Park by train, via Wasilla, Talkeetna and Broad Pass
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Denali Park
- By train
This is the trip's one early start: our transfer leaves the hotel at about 7:30 am, and the Denali Star leaves the Anchorage depot at about 8:20 am in recent summers. We ride in GoldStar Service, the glass-domed double-deck cars with an outdoor viewing platform, while our driver takes the luggage north by road. A train suits three generations better than a five-hour drive: grandparents sit back under the dome, and children can walk between cars, stand on the platform and watch for moose in the ponds beside the track. Your guide hands each child a Junior Ranger activity book for Denali to work on during the ride. The line runs about 380 km and seven and a half hours, across the lakes of the Mat-Su valley, past Talkeetna and up the Susitna River where no road follows. On clear days Denali shows to the west.
Afternoon
Lunch is in the dining car. We cross Hurricane Gulch on a high steel bridge and reach Denali Park in mid-afternoon (about 3:40 pm).
Evening
Our vehicle meets us for the short ride to the hotel near the park entrance, and the evening is free.
Included
- The Alaska Railroad Denali Star from Anchorage to Denali in GoldStar Service
- Lunch in the dining car
- A Junior Ranger activity book for each child
- Transfers to the Anchorage depot and from Denali station to the hotel
Free time: Evening free near the park entrance
Activity: About 7.5 hours on the train, with room to walk between cars and stand on the outdoor platform. Toilets on board.
Into Denali National Park, and the sled dogs
The Denali park road by bus, then the park kennels
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Denali Park
Private cars may drive only the first 15 miles of the park road, so the park's own buses are the way in.
Morning
We take a morning Tundra Wilderness Tour, not the first bus of the dawn, so nobody is woken at 5 am; the departure time is confirmed with your final itinerary. A naturalist drives and stops for whatever shows: grizzly bears, moose, caribou, Dall sheep on the slopes and now and then a wolf. Children are given the window seats when animals appear, and the bus stops for toilet breaks at rest areas along the way. Past Savage River the road turns to gravel over open tundra with the Alaska Range to the south. In 2026 the buses turn at East Fork, about mile 43; how far they go in later summers depends on that season's park road status, which we confirm for your dates.
Afternoon
A packed lunch rides with us. Back by early afternoon, we visit the park's sled dog kennels, where rangers show the working dogs that patrol Denali in winter and children can meet them.
Evening
Then rest at the hotel before an early dinner together.
Included
- Denali National Park entrance fee
- Tundra Wilderness Tour on the park road with a naturalist driver
- Packed lunch on the bus
- Sled dog kennels demonstration with a park ranger
- Early dinner together
Optional experiences
- A scenic float on the Nenana River, with age limits set by the rafting company
Easier option: The sled dog kennels, then a quiet afternoon at the hotel, or the pool if the hotel has one.
More active option: Walk the Horseshoe Lake Trail with your guide to look for beaver lodges: about 3 km round trip, with a steep stretch down to the lake and back up.
Free time: Late afternoon free before dinner
Activity: About 5 hours on the bus on a gravel road, with stops. Bring binoculars, snacks and a warm layer.
Down the Parks Highway to Talkeetna
Denali Park to Talkeetna on the Parks Highway, through Broad Pass and Denali State Park
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Talkeetna
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
A slow breakfast, then we drive south on the Parks Highway, the road side of the corridor the train followed. The day's 245 km and about three hours are cut into two legs: about two hours through Broad Pass, where the country opens into tundra and small lakes, to the Denali Viewpoint South pull-out, which faces the mountain and its glaciers across the Chulitna valley. There are toilets, a paved path and picnic tables, and if Denali is out this is our best look at it. Then about an hour on to Talkeetna, at the end of a short spur road where three rivers meet.
Afternoon
Lunch is in town. Afterwards your guide walks the family through the old centre of log cabins and false-front stores, down a short path to the river viewpoint and past the ranger station where Denali climbers register. The town is small and flat, so children can explore with a parent and grandparents can sit by the river. If the weather is clear, the afternoon suits an optional flightseeing trip over the mountain.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Drive from Denali Park to Talkeetna with your guide
- Denali Viewpoint South
- Lunch in Talkeetna
- Talkeetna town walk with your guide
Optional experiences
- Flightseeing over Denali from Talkeetna, weather permitting, with age and weight rules set by the air operator
Easier option: Stay on the paved path at the viewpoint and sit by the river in Talkeetna after lunch.
More active option: A longer walk with your guide on the riverbank trails beyond the viewpoint.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free after the town walk
Alaska Native cultures and the Alyeska tram
Talkeetna to the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage, then along Turnagain Arm to Girdwood
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Girdwood
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
We leave Talkeetna after breakfast and drive about two and a quarter hours south, with a stop on the way, to the Alaska Native Heritage Center on Anchorage's eastern edge. Inside, Alaska Native hosts share dance, song, games and stories; children are often invited to try a traditional game. Outside, a level path around a small lake leads to full-size village sites, each built by a different group of Alaska's Indigenous cultures, with benches along the way.
Afternoon
We spend about two hours here and then have lunch together in the city. In the afternoon the Seward Highway follows Turnagain Arm for about 45 minutes. We stop at Beluga Point to scan the water for white whales that sometimes follow the tide in and the cliffs for Dall sheep. In Girdwood, a small mountain town in a side valley, we ride the Alyeska Aerial Tram to its upper station at about 700 m for the view over hanging glaciers and the arm.
Evening
Dinner together at about 5:30 pm, then the evening is free.
Included
- Alaska Native Heritage Center, Anchorage
- Lunch in Anchorage
- Beluga Point on Turnagain Arm
- Alyeska Aerial Tram, Girdwood
- Early dinner together
Easier option: Ride the tram up and back, and stay on the viewing deck at the top.
More active option: Walk the short trails around the tram's upper station with your guide, snow and conditions allowing.
Free time: Evening free in Girdwood
Activity: The tram cabin is enclosed and the ride takes a few minutes. Paths at the Heritage Center are level, about 1 km in all.
Rescued wildlife, Exit Glacier and Seward
Girdwood to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center at Portage, Exit Glacier and Seward
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Seward
- Drive about 2.5 h
From Girdwood, a short drive of about 20 minutes takes us to the head of Turnagain Arm and the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, a sanctuary for orphaned and injured animals that cannot return to the wild. We are there near opening time for a quieter visit. A loop road and short paths lead past brown and black bears, moose, musk oxen, caribou and wood bison, so the children who missed a bear in the park get their close look.
Afternoon
We stay about an hour and a half, then drive about one and three quarter hours south through Turnagain Pass and Moose Pass, with a picnic lunch stop on the way. Just before Seward we turn up the valley to Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park. Signs along the approach mark where the ice stood in past years, so children can count how far it has pulled back. Your guide leads the walk on a short accessible trail toward the glacier. We reach Seward, on Resurrection Bay, in the late afternoon.
Evening
Dinner together at a local seafood restaurant at about 5:30 pm.
Included
- Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Portage
- Picnic lunch on the way
- Exit Glacier walk with your guide, Kenai Fjords National Park
- Early dinner together in Seward
Easier option: The Glacier View Loop, a short accessible trail to a view of the glacier.
More active option: For adults and older children, the first section of the Harding Icefield Trail, steep and rocky, with the turnaround set by your guide.
Free time: Evening free in Seward
Activity: Under a kilometre on the accessible loop at Exit Glacier; the loop road at the wildlife center can be walked or driven.
Kenai Fjords National Park by boat
Seward and Resurrection Bay to a Kenai Fjords tidewater glacier
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Seward
- By boat
Morning
The morning is free, so nobody is rushed before a long day on the water: sleep in, walk the flat waterfront path along Resurrection Bay, or let the children run on the shore by the harbour while grandparents have a coffee. Late in the morning we walk to the boat for a six-hour cruise into Kenai Fjords National Park. The boat runs the length of Resurrection Bay, past sea stacks and seabird cliffs, then out past Aialik Cape to the face of one of the tidewater glaciers (Aialik or Holgate, depending on the day), where the captain idles the engines so you can hear the ice crack and fall into the water. Watch for humpback whales, orcas, porpoises, sea otters, sea lions on the rocks and puffins on the cliffs. The boat has a heated indoor cabin with seats for everyone, toilets and open decks for the wildlife moments.
Afternoon
Lunch is served on board. If the sea outside the bay is rough, the captain keeps to sheltered water and the route changes on the day.
Evening
We are back in Seward in the early evening, which is yours.
Included
- Six-hour Kenai Fjords National Park cruise to one of the park's tidewater glaciers
- Lunch on board
Easier option: Stay in the heated cabin and come out on deck when the crew calls wildlife.
More active option: A morning walk with your guide along the Seward waterfront path to the edge of town.
Free time: Morning and evening free in Seward
Activity: About 6 hours on the boat. Bring warm hats, gloves, snacks for children and seasickness tablets if you need them.
The SeaLife Center and home
Seward to the Alaska SeaLife Center, then along Turnagain Arm to Anchorage airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
We walk to the Alaska SeaLife Center on the Seward waterfront for its opening in the morning: an aquarium and research centre where children watch Steller sea lions, harbour seals and puffins above and below the water, touch tide-pool animals and hear about the centre's work rescuing stranded marine mammals. We stay about an hour and a half, so it suits a nine-year-old's attention and a grandparent's feet, with benches throughout. Then we drive north on the Seward Highway, about 205 km and two and three quarter hours, broken with a stop at Turnagain Pass or beside the arm for a last look for belugas. We reach Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport at about 2 pm. Book a flight leaving after about 4 pm; if your family is staying on, we drop you downtown instead. Your guide sees you to the airport and checks your flights before saying goodbye.
Included
- Alaska SeaLife Center, Seward
- Drop-off at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) or downtown Anchorage
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 4 pm.
- Anchorage1 night
- Denali Park2 nights
- Talkeetna1 night
- Girdwood1 night
- Seward2 nights
- Anchorageend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Summer days are usually about 10 to 20 °C with rain possible any day, and it is colder on the water by the glaciers. June has the longest light and the most mosquitoes; salmon run in July and August, the warmest weeks. The mountain is often hidden in cloud, and wildlife on the park road and from the boat is likely but never certain, which is why the Wildlife Conservation Center is in the plan.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Grandparents, parents and children aged 6 and up travelling together
- Families who want the train, the park bus, the cruise and the entries planned and paid up front
- Grandparents who walk well on the flat but do not want long climbs
- Children who love animals, trains and boats
- Single parents or grandparents travelling with one grandchild who want a fair room price
Not for you if you want
- Families with children under 6
- Keen hikers who want long trail days: the walks here are short
- Anyone who needs a guaranteed view of Denali: cloud hides the mountain on many days
- Families who would rather never change hotels after one night: two stops here are one night each
- Travellers prone to bad seasickness who would rather skip a six-hour boat day
Minimum age: 6
Most guests are 6 to 80
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Anchorage1 night
- Denali Park2 nights
- Talkeetna1 night
- Girdwood1 night
- Seward2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights: 1 in Anchorage, 2 near the entrance to Denali National Park, 1 in Talkeetna, 1 in Girdwood and 2 in Seward
- Central hotels and lodges of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Family or connecting rooms requested for each family; rooms of your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)
- The Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Denali in GoldStar Service
- Our own vehicle and driver for the group, with seat belts, spare seats and child boosters where required, carrying your luggage on the train day
- The Tundra Wilderness Tour bus in Denali National Park
- A six-hour Kenai Fjords National Park cruise from Seward
- The Alyeska Aerial Tram in Girdwood
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from day 1 to day 8, including on the train and the boat
- A naturalist driver on the Denali park bus, park rangers at the sled dog kennels, the boat's captain and crew, and Alaska Native hosts at the Heritage Center
Activities
- Denali National Park entrance fee
- Tundra Wilderness Tour on the Denali park road
- The park's sled dog kennels demonstration, Denali
- A Junior Ranger activity book for each child
- Denali Viewpoint South and the Talkeetna town walk
- Alaska Native Heritage Center, Anchorage
- Beluga Point on Turnagain Arm
- Alyeska Aerial Tram, Girdwood
- Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Portage
- Exit Glacier walk, Kenai Fjords National Park
- Kenai Fjords National Park cruise, Seward
- Alaska SeaLife Center, Seward
Meals
- 7 breakfasts
- 6 lunches: on the train, on the Denali park bus, in Talkeetna, in Anchorage, a picnic on the way to Seward and on the boat
- 4 early dinners at about 5:30 pm: in Anchorage, Denali, Girdwood and Seward
Not included
- International flights to and from Anchorage
- US visa or ESTA where needed
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed, including dinners on day 2 in Denali, in Talkeetna and on day 7 in Seward
- Drinks and snacks
- Tips for your guide, driver and boat crew
- Optional activities, such as flightseeing from Talkeetna and a float on the Nenana River
- Anchorage Museum entry on arrival day
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,250 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
The price includes seven nights in central hotels, 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 4 early dinners, airport transfers, our own vehicle and driver, your See Sight Tours guide, the Alaska Railroad to Denali in GoldStar Service, Denali entry and the park bus, the Kenai Fjords cruise, the Alyeska tram, the Heritage Center, the Wildlife Conservation Center and the SeaLife Center.
What age do children need to be, and is there a child price?
Children need to be 6 or older, and the indicative price is the same for every age, per person sharing. The days suit 6 to 12-year-olds: a train to move around on, sled dogs, rescued bears, a glacier and whales. Some train, park bus and cruise fares are lower for children, so we tell you whether a child price applies when we confirm your dates.
How big is the group, and will we be with other families?
The group is 7 to 12 guests, counting children, so usually two to four families travelling together. Our vehicle has seat belts and spare seats, and everyone fits around one table at meals. A single family, or any party under 7, books the private version, from CAD 12,500 per person, on a date you choose.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the airport on day 1 to the airport on day 8, including on the train and the boat. A naturalist drives the park bus, park rangers show the sled dogs, the boat has its own crew, and Alaska Native hosts lead the Heritage Center visit.
How much walking is there, and can we bring a walking aid or stroller?
Not much: walks are 1 to 3 km a day on paved paths and level trails, and walking sticks and folding walkers travel in our vehicle. The train, park bus and boat have steps to board, and a grandparent who tires can stay seated under the train dome or in the boat's heated cabin. With children 6 and up, most families leave strollers at home.
Do we get family or connecting rooms, and will the hotels have a pool?
We request family or connecting rooms for each family at every hotel and name each hotel when we confirm your dates. A pool is not promised: we ask for one where the town has a hotel with one, which is not every stop. Tell us your ages and room needs when you request to book.
I am a grandparent travelling with one grandchild. What is the single supplement?
If you share a room with your grandchild, there is no supplement: you each pay the per person price. A room of your own costs from CAD 1,250 more for the trip. Tell us your party when you request to book and we ask the hotels for family or connecting rooms.
When is the best time to visit Alaska with children?
Mid-June to late August, when school is out and the train to Denali, the park buses and the Kenai Fjords cruises all run. June has the longest light and the most mosquitoes; July and August are the warmest weeks and bring salmon to the rivers. Expect some rain on any summer trip.
Will we see bears and whales?
Likely but never promised: the park road often shows grizzly bears, caribou, moose or Dall sheep, and the cruise often finds whales, sea otters and puffins. That is why the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is in the plan, where children see bears and moose up close whatever the park road brings.
Will the children get seasick on the Kenai Fjords cruise?
Most people do not: Resurrection Bay and the fjords beyond it are largely sheltered, though the boat can meet open swell near the cape between them. Children prone to motion sickness should take a children's remedy before boarding and sit low and near the middle of the boat. In rough weather the captain keeps to calmer water.
How does booking work, and can our family travel on our own dates?
Send your preferred dates as an enquiry. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. For your own dates, the trip also comes as a private trip for your family only. If you would rather travel independently, ask us for a quote and we book the same train, cruise and hotels for you.
Do children need passports or visas for Alaska?
Alaska is a US state, so US entry rules apply to every age. Canadian children need their own valid passport and no visa. Most other visitors, children included, need a US visa or an approved ESTA. A child travelling without both parents should carry a signed consent letter from the absent parent.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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