10-Days | Iditarod & Northern Lights

Join our Winter Adventure Tour: View the Aurora Borealis at Chena Hot Springs Resort near Fairbanks, take the Alaska Railroad Snow Train to Anchorage and observe the Iditarod Sled Dog Race activities. The tour includes the Iditarod Race Start on Anchorage's 4th Avenue, the Iditarod Race Restart in Willow, a city sightseeing tour of Anchorage and the Mushers Banquet. The banquet is taking place in the evening where you can meet the Iditarod Mushers personally and get some pictures taken. Join us on a cruise tour of Prince William Sound (Whittier), ski for a day at the Alyeska Resort  - Alaska's largest ski area, or choose from various fly-out options to remote Iditarod race checkpoints around famous Rainy Pass within the Alaska Range foothills.

Arrive in Fairbanks. Complimentary transfer to your **** Resort Hotel on the banks of the beautiful Chena River near Pikes Landing. Relax during your first evening in Fairbanks and get ready for a few days of winter fun and adventure in Alaska. You can watch the Aurora Borealis at night dancing on the northern sky and/or enjoy a dinner at the scenic Pikes Landing Restaurant. Fairbanks is synonymous with winter from late October through March with some of the best Northern Lights viewing in the world made possible by the right weather and clear skies. Beautiful and mysterious curtains, the colors range from green to red to purple, with the brightest and most common color, a yellow-green. Fairbanks sits under what is called the "Auroral Oval", a ring-shaped region around the North Pole. The location offers a great balance of occurrence, frequency and activity. Intensity varies from night to night, with the best viewing from late evening through the wee hours of the morning. Overnight: Fairbanks

Morning on your own: explore the city and check out the winter activities around the All American Championship Sled Dog Race, Ice Carving Sculpture Championship or visit the famous Alaska University Museum with the States largest collection of gold, gold mining history and Alaskan heritage. The Geophysical Institute is recognized as the best in the world for Aurora research. Afternoon transfer from your hotel to Chena Hot Springs - a prime Northern Lights viewing area in the hills about 60 road miles northeast of Fairbanks – far away from any city lights. Enjoy spectacular 360-degree Aurora displays through large picture windows from the comfort of a heated cabin above the resort or outside. Overnight: Chena Hot Springs Resort

Relax in the large heated mineral indoor pool, the outdoor rock lake and in numerous hot tubs – which are providing a great opportunity to soak or swim until the Northern Lights are appearing in the evening again. Guided 1-hour Aurora Ice Museum tour. Afternoon at leisure or optional sled dog kennel tour, snowmobiling, x-country skiing. Dinner (optional) at the rustic log lodge restaurant and than take a short hike to a heated cabin for another night of outstanding Northern Lights viewing opportunities. The 440-acre resort is also known for its healthy outdoor opportunities in the pristine wilderness of Alaska´s great Interior - first discovered by gold prospectors at the turn of the century. In 1912 - the 40 sq mile geothermal area was the premier place to soak - for residents of the booming town Fairbanks. Overnight: Chena Hot Springs Resort

After breakfast time to enjoy the Chena Hot Springs Resort facilities. Recover from the exciting Aurora viewing during the past night and relax in the natural hot springs. During the afternoon minibus return transfer to Fairbanks. Rest of the day available for your own activities or alternative local sightseeing tours (optional). Please inquire. Your last evening in Fairbanks provides another chance for breathtaking Northern Lights viewing pleasures and a dinner in a nice restaurant along the frozen Chena River. Overnight: Fairbanks

Transfer to the Fairbanks rail station and departure at 8:30 AM for a very scenic full-day rail tour to Anchorage. All seats within the comfortable train compartments are pre-reserved and the staff takes care of your entire luggage. Enjoy the ride ! You'll get fantastic and breathtaking views of the snow covered Alaska Mountain Range with it's towering 20.320 feet high Mt. Denali. Short stopovers are at Denali National Park and Talkeetna before arriving in Anchorage in the evening around 8:00 PM. Check into your downtown hotel. Overnight: Anchorage

Enjoy your free morning in and around Anchorage. At 4:00 PM doors open for the Musher Meet & Greet at the Dena'ina Center. The program and Mushers banquet dinner begins at 6:00 PM. Main part of the exciting evening entertainment is the annual banquet fundraiser and drawing for the official start order. The banquet celebrates the mushers who are about to take part in the “Last Great Race on Earth” – the nearly 1,000-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Attendees can help raise funds for the Iditarod via a robust live and silent auction while enjoying a 3-course meal and watching the mushers take the stage to draw for their official start order. This is a must for anyone interested to observe "The Last Great Race on Earth" for the first time. Participants have plenty of photo opportunities, good chances to meet and talk with the Iditarod Musher personally, collect autographs and participate in the auction. 

Explore the sights of Anchorage today during this guided city sightseeing tour (3 hrs). Begin your historical tour at the Port of Anchorage at Ship Creek, where Alaska's metropolitan was born as a tent city. This is also the location of the Anchorage rail terminal for the historic Alaska Railroad. Check out this year’s snow sculptures and vote for your favorite. Next we’ll travel through Bootleggers Cove, stopping for a walk in Earthquake Park where you’ll see signs of the 1964 earthquake. Then, we’ll take a drive around Lake Hood, home to the world's busiest seaplane airport and base! Following this stop, you'll visit the incomparable Turnagain Arm and Beluga Point. Take in the majestic scenery and scout for Beluga whales and Dall sheep. Your journey continues to Potter Marsh, the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge, a visit to Chugach State Park and - road conditions permitting - Flattop Mountain. Get a bird's eye view of Anchorage as well as views of the "Sleeping Lady", Mount Denali and the Alaska Range.

The legendary Iditarod race starts at 10:00 AM on 4th Avenue in Alaska's largest city. Get up early and observe the start preparations, take close up pictures from about 50 Mushers, over 1000 Sled Dogs and enjoy the bustling and exciting race atmosphere before the teams are leaving from the starting line for the "1050 mile race to Nome". Anchorage parks and green belts are providing also a great alternative to observe the race activities. The Balto Statue marks the ceremonial starting point of the Iditarod. Balto was the final lead sled dog in a relay of dogsleds that brought vaccine from Anchorage to Nome just in time to stop a diphtheria epidemic that was threatening to devastate Nome's population in the winter of 1925.

After breakfast board the motorcoach for a guided tour to the official Iditarod Race Start in Willow. Leave at 9:30 AM and enjoy the drive along the scenic Glenn Highway with a brief stopover in Wasilla. Continue to Willow where the Iditarod restart ceremony begins at 2:00 PM. Enjoy the busy and bustling Iditarod race atmosphere and the musher's final preparation. For mushers, thousands of cheering fans at the official race restart -- following Saturday's ceremonial start in Anchorage -- now give way to remote Alaska wilderness and the promise of a finish line in Nome some 1,000 miles away, but not before crossing a trail that may prove perilous for both mushers and dogs. Return to Anchorage approximately 7:00 PM.

Morning at leisure in/around Anchorage. Time for your last shopping activities, visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center or have a nice seafood lunch with delicious Alaska Salmon or King Crabs in one of Anchorage's top restaurants. Transfer from the hotel to the airport. Please note: Individual program extensions are available. Extend your stay and fly to Rainy Pass Lodge or Nikolai Checkpoints.