Ultimate Iditarod Winter Wonderland Tour

Tour length: 8 days, 7 nights

Price per person: Starting at $2,165 for double occupancy, $2,756 for single occupancy

Valid: February 25th to March 3rd, 2024

This tour is operated by a local Alaskan tour company.

Day 1 – Sunday, February 25th
Arrive into Fairbanks, the Golden Heart City. Transfer via hotel courtesy shuttle. Overnight Fairbanks.

Meals: N/A

Day 2 – Monday, February 26th
Breakfast will be included this morning. Later, enjoy a city tour of Fairbanks including a visit to the Morris Thompson Cultural Center and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. This afternoon will be at your leisure for optional tours such as dog mushing tours, Arctic Circle Flightseeing, as well as many others to choose from. This evening, board your deluxe motorcoach for a night of Aurora Borealis Viewing. Enjoy a warm nonalcoholic beverage this evening. Overnight Fairbanks.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 3 – Tuesday, February 27th
Breakfast will be included this morning. You will then board your deluxe motorcoach for a scenic transfer south to Denali National Park. En route, enjoy an included visit to the town of Nenana, home of the Nenana Ice Classic! Upon arrival into Denali, enjoy an included visit to the Murie Science and Learning Center which acts as the Denali Visitor’s Center in the wintertime. Enjoy the National Park Film, “Heartbeats of Denali”, hear from a local ranger about the park, and even have a chance to snowshoe! A box lunch is included today. Tonight, you’ll have another chance to view the Aurora Borealis! Overnight Healy.

Meals: Breakfast, Box Lunch

Day 4 – Wednesday, February 28th

Breakfast will be included this morning. You will then be transferred to the Denali Rail Stop where you will board the world-famous Alaska Railroad, (Adventure Class) for your scenic journey south to Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city. Keep an eye out for views of Denali from the north face to south face. Upon arrival in Anchorage you will be transferred to your local hotel. Overnight Anchorage.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 5 – Thursday, February 29th
Breakfast will be included this morning. Today, enjoy a city tour of Anchorage featuring the historic downtown area, Lake Hood where 190+ floatplanes take off and land daily, and Earthquake Park to learn about the 1964 Earthquake. There will be time for lunch on own today. Later, travel along the scenic Seward Highway and enjoy an included visit to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center where you will have a chance to see Alaska’s Wildlife up close and personal. Tonight, enjoy Iditarod festivities and dinner at the Musher’s Banquet. Overnight Anchorage.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 6 – Friday, March 1st

Breakfast will be included this morning. Today travel north to meet four-time Iditarod Champion Martin Buser at his Happy Trails Kennel. Hear personal stories while viewing a glimpse of the grandeur Alaska has to offer along the Iditarod Trail. Later, return to Anchorage with an included stop at the Iditarod Headquarters en route. Overnight Anchorage.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 7 – Saturday, March 2nd

Breakfast will be included this morning. This morning head to 4th Avenue to get a great spot at the Official Ceremonial Start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Spend time cheering on mushers from all over the world. Mushers will depart the starting gate every two minutes. Watch each of them depart or take off early and enjoy other Iditarod festivities in Anchorage. This afternoon, visit the Anchorage Museum, a large art, history, ethnography, ecology, and science museum in the heart of downtown Anchorage. Overnight Anchorage.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 8 – Sunday, March 3rd

Breakfast will be included this morning. This morning, depart from your hotel for the adventure north to Willow for the restart of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. Be sure to dress in layers to maximize staying warm as the entire day will be spent outside cheering on your favorite dog teams. En-route, stop at a local grocery store in Wasilla to pick-up on own snack and lunch items. Prepare for a bit of a walk to find the perfect spot along the fence line of the race. Mushers take off across Willow Lake on their 1,049-mile journey by dog sled to Nome.

The Willow Community Center is open and offers a break from the cold with vendors selling food and drink as well as local crafts. Don’t miss out on snacks throughout the day! Your Tour Director will have more information on this edible portion of the program! The departure time from Willow will depend on weather conditions and guests’ comfort level. It is our goal to see as many of the Mushers depart as possible while still arriving back into Anchorage by 6:00/6:30pm. Upon return to Anchorage it will be time to say goodbye to your local Tour Director as you are transferred to the
Anchorage Airport for your flight.

Meals: Breakfast, Snacks

Alternative Anchorage Day 8 Itinerary: would include a visit to the Alaska Aviation Museum to learn about the huge impact bush
planes and pilots have on the survival of the small villages throughout Alaska, along with meeting a Bush Pilot. Guests will dine in
the atmosphere of warm Alaskan hospitality at a local restaurant for an included lunch and the day will include a stop at the E.
Street Theater where guests will enjoy a 30-minute interactive movie about the Iditarod Sled Dog Race.

TOUR DETAILS
– Guaranteed to go from the first person sold on this unique winter program!
– Hand warmers included to ensure your comfort.
– Aurora Viewing is not guaranteed as it is dependent on weather and solar activity.
– Premier Alaska Tours local Tour Director will be with the group throughout the entire land tour.
– All transfers, luggage handling, all applicable taxes and sightseeing tours as indicated.
– All reserved bookings by 1/1/22, have guaranteed seating at the Mushers’ Banquet.
– Meals are included as indicated each day. No alcohol is included for any meal.
– Hotels and itineraries are finalized at 30 days prior to arrival and based on the following:

Fairbanks – Pike’s Waterfront Lodge or similar
Denali/Healy – Totem Inn Healy or similar
Anchorage – Sheraton Anchorage or similar

– Hotels will be assigned at 30 days prior to departure.
– Tour will operate with a driver guide in a deluxe sprinter van if there are nine or fewer passengers on tour.

**Alaska in the winter is an amazing place to visit. Please keep in mind that winter in Alaska means snow, ice and cold temperatures. Some venues are outdoors, so uneven and icy surfaces may be underfoot. A variety of optional tours from mild to wild may be offered. The local tour director will have details on each available option. **