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Considering taking an active Alaska tour with Get Up and Go! but don't know which one to choose? This page has been designed to help you select the tour that is best for you, depending on your interests.
It's easy, simply decide
WHICH TOUR ITINERARY YOU ARE MOST INTERESTED IN. We offer five distinctive 6 to 10-day Multi-Sport / Hiking tours, several 12 to 28-day combination tours, and a 7-day Family tour. This section provides you with tour itinerary details, tour destination & activity comparison charts, and all the other information you need to decide which itinerary is best for you; or flip a coin: you can't lose!
CAMP OR LODGE? Do you want to camp out (perhaps with the occasional night in a cozy cabin) or stay indoors? We offer inexpensive Camping, 'Camp & Cabin'-based and Lodge-based tours for you to choose from.
WHEN YOU WANT TO TRAVEL. This final section provides information about the different 'seasons within a season' that characterize Alaska summers. We have tours scheduled from late May to early September, but are also available for custom tours earlier or later as well.
Simply select a tour itinerary, Camping, 'Camp & Cabin' or Lodge-based accommodations, and a departure date, and you're set!
"Dave and I recently looked at our photos from Alaska and we definitely rate that trip as one of the best we've ever taken! We consider ourselves so very lucky to have found you!!!! We would love to travel with you again some day, so please do keep us informed of your trips." --Carol Pasternak, Aspen, Colorado
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Alaska is a big place with lots of attractive adventure destinations. Denali, Wrangell-St. Elias, Kenai Fjords, and Gates of the Arctic National Parks; Prince William Sound; the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR); Tangle Lakes; Manley Hot Springs; the Matanuska Valley and Glacier; the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge; and Kachemak Bay State Park are all premier Alaska hiking and adventure destinations, each with their own unique attractions and activities. We have exciting and well-considered itineraries that go to all of them: it's simply a matter of deciding which one you want!
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A VARIETY OF 6 TO 28-DAY ALASKA ITINERARIES: While some might lead you to believe you can see and do it all in a week, we know better! At Get Up and Go! Tours we are firm believers that it is the quality of the experience, rather than the number of places visited, that makes a tour worthwhile and enjoyable. It's your vacation, after all: you probably rush around enough while you are at home.
We are thus pleased to offer five different 6, 7, and 10-day Multi-Sport / Hiking tour itineraries. Each of these highlights a different set of attractive Alaska destinations, hikes and adventure activities (see below). Want to see and do more? It's easy to combine two or more of these shorter trips to form a more wide-ranging 12 to 28-day combination tour. See the descriptions of the shorter tours for details. Different tours are available in either Camping or 'Camp & Cabin' format, and our ten-day Alaska Explorer tour is available as a lodge-based tour as well.
6 & 7-DAY ALASKA TOUR ITINERARIES
If you only have a week, choose from the following 6 and 7-day tours:
KENAI EXPLORER (6 days)
MOUNTAINS & GLACIERS (6 days)
ALASKA RANGER (6 days)
ARCTIC EXPLORER (7 days)
10-DAY ALASKA TOUR ITINERARY
ALASKA EXPLORER: The 10-day Alaska Explorer is our most popular tour, combining much of the best of our 6-day MOUNTAINS & GLACIERS and ALASKA RANGER tours.
12 TO 28-DAY ALASKA TOUR ITINERARIES
HAVE MORE TIME AND WANT TO SEE AND DO MORE? You're coming all this way, you might as well make the most of it! It's easy to combine two or more of the shorter trips to form a more wide-ranging, 12 to 28-day combination tour. Combination tours include one or two nights of free lodging in Anchorage between tour segments. See the descriptions of the 6 to 10-day tours that compose the longer combination tours for all the details, dates and prices.
All four of the shorter six and seven-day tours can be combined (in various combinations) to form a two, three, or four week adventure, without repeating any destinations: KENAI EXPLORER; MOUNTAINS & GLACIERS; ALASKA RANGER; ARCTIC EXPLORER
Our ten-day ALASKA EXPLORER tour can also be combined with our six-day KENAI EXPLORER, and/or the seven-day ARCTIC EXPLORER, to form a 16, 17, or 23+day adventure, without repeating any destinations.
WHICH TOUR ITINERARY DOES WHAT & WHERE? The charts below compare the destinations and included and optional activities of all of our various tour itineraries at a glance. More detailed tour descriptions follow the comparison charts. Still unsure? Give us a call, we're happy to answer your questions and help you decide: 1.888.868.4147 or 1.907.245.0795.
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Use this chart to compare the included & optional activities on our various tour itineraries
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CHART LEGEND:
• X : means this activity is included on this tour
• O : this activity is optionally available (at additional cost, payable locally, credit cards accepted)
• * : this activity is an especially recommended optional activity
• -- : this activity is not available on this tour
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ACTIVITIES |
Alaska Ranger |
Mountains
& Glaciers |
Kenai Explorer |
Alaska Explorer |
Arctic Explorer |
Alaska Family Explorer |
| Exceptional Daily Hiking |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Wildlife Viewing |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
| Sea Kayaking |
-- |
X |
X |
X |
-- |
O |
| Whitewater Rafting |
X |
O |
X |
X |
-- |
O* |
| Glacier Trekking |
X |
X |
-- |
X |
-- |
O* |
| Ice Climbing Course |
O* |
O* |
-- |
O* |
-- |
O |
| Hike to the face of a Glacier |
X |
X |
X |
X |
-- |
X |
| Canoeing |
X |
-- |
-- |
X |
X |
-- |
| Prince William Sound Ferry |
-- |
X |
-- |
X |
-- |
-- |
| Denali Wildlife Shuttle Bus |
X |
-- |
-- |
X |
-- |
X |
| Kenai Fjords NP Wildlife/Glacier
Cruise |
-- |
-- |
O* |
-- |
-- |
O* |
| Kachemak Bay Boat Trip |
-- |
-- |
X |
-- |
-- |
-- |
| Horseback Riding |
O |
-- |
-- |
O |
-- |
O |
| Scenic Flight/Flightseeing |
O |
X |
O |
X |
O* |
O* |
| River and/or Lake Fishing |
O |
-- |
-- |
O |
-- |
-- |
| Salmon or Halibut Fishing Charter |
-- |
O |
O |
O |
-- |
O |
| Helicopter-accessed Dog Mushing |
-- |
-- |
O |
-- |
-- |
O |
| Alaska Railroad Train Trip |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
O |
O* |
DESTINATION COMPARISON CHART
Use this chart to compare the destinations of our various tour itineraries
The number in the boxes beneath the tour names indicates how many nights are spent in each destination for each tour.
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DESTINATIONS |
Alaska
Ranger |
Mountains
& Glaciers |
Kenai Explorer
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Alaska Explorer |
Arctic Explorer |
Alaska Family Explorer |
| Denali National Park |
3 nights |
-- |
-- |
3 nights |
-- |
2 nights |
| Wrangell-St. Elias NP / McCarthy |
-- |
2 nights |
-- |
3 nights |
-- |
-- |
| Kenai Fjords National Park / Seward |
-- |
-- |
2 nights |
-- |
-- |
2 nights |
| Gates of the Arctic National Park / Wiseman |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
2 nights |
-- |
| Prince William Sound / Valdez |
-- |
ferry crossing; kayak day tour |
-- |
ferry crossing; kayak day tour |
-- |
-- |
| Arctic National Wildlife Refuge / Galbraith Lake |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
2 nights |
-- |
| Kenai National Wildlife Refuge |
-- |
-- |
1 night |
-- |
-- |
-- |
| Matanuska Valley |
1 night |
1 night |
-- |
-- |
-- |
2 nights |
| Kachemak Bay State Park |
-- |
-- |
2 nights |
-- |
-- |
-- |
| Tangle Lakes / Alaska Range |
1 night |
-- |
-- |
1 night |
-- |
-- |
| Manley Hot Springs |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
2 nights |
-- |
| Anchorage |
tour starts & ends |
tour starts & ends |
tour starts & ends |
tour starts & ends |
-- |
tour starts & ends |
| Fairbanks |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
tour ends |
-- |
| Prudhoe Bay / Deadhorse |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
tour starts |
-- |
| Valdez |
-- |
2 nights |
-- |
2 nights |
-- |
-- |
| Matanuska Glacier? |
yes |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
yes |
| Worthington Glacier? |
-- |
yes |
-- |
yes |
-- |
-- |
| Exit Glacier? |
-- |
-- |
yes |
-- |
-- |
yes |
| Kennicott/Root Glaciers? |
-- |
yes |
-- |
yes |
-- |
-- |
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Once you've picked a tour itinerary the next step is to decide which style of accommodation you want.
Recognizing that different people have different concepts of just exactly what living large in the Great Outdoors entails, we offer both 'Camp & Cabin' and Lodge-based tour formats. Camp & Cabin or Lodge-based, the only difference between the tours is the form of accommodation. For more details, read on, or click on any of the underlined links.
ALASKA CAMPING AND 'CAMP & CABIN'-BASED TOURS: Even if you've never camped before, be assured that it's easier and more comfortable than you might think (and considerably cheaper than staying in lodges or hotels, as well). The beautiful natural settings of our campgrounds, the long hours of Alaska summer daylight, our helpful guides, quality gear, and the tremendous camp food we serve up all make camping in Alaska a pleasurable and unforgettable experience! Sleeping bags and pads are the only gear you need to bring (or rent them from us if you prefer), and showers are available at least every other day. 'Camp & Cabin'-based tours also feature 1 to 3 nights (depending on which itinerary you select) of comfortable, indoor lodging in remotely located, charming, and cozy cabins, some of which also include access to wood-burning saunas! Camp & Cabin-based trips are our most popular tours.
ALASKA LODGE-BASED TOURS: If you love being active in the Great Outdoors but are just not a camping kind of person, a lodge-based tour is the way to go! Lodge-based tours offer the same great hiking and adventure activities as our other trips: the only real difference is the end-of-the-day accommodations. Our lodges, cabins, and B&B's are all friendly, welcoming places chosen for their scenic locations, proximity to places of interest, charm, and value. Depending on their location, most are quite comfortable and feature private baths and showers, while a few are more rustic, with shared facilities.
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"Hey folks, Truly outstanding and unforgettable experience! I just wanted to thank you and (the) guides for a wonderful 10-day journey. They were the consummate professionals and always saw to the comfort and well being and experience of all participants. Am looking forward to my next trip with you folks. Thanks again."
--Reginald M. Hsu, San Francisco. Alaska Explorer Lodge
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6 days, starts and ends in Anchorage
2008 TOUR PRICES & DATES
CAMP & CABIN-BASED MULTI-SPORT / HIKING TOURS:
$1,295
June 2-7, June 30-July 5, July 28-Aug 2, Aug 25-30
Note: Click on any of the underlined links to download a detailed Tour Description Sheet for this tour.
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TOUR DESCRIPTION & HIGHLIGHTS: It won't take long for you to see how this action-packed tour got its name. Ranging from the glacier-carved Matanuska Valley to the remote Wrangell-St. Elias National Park-North America's premier mountain and glacier wilderness- to the heavily glaciated coast and wildlife-rich seas of Prince William Sound, Mountains & Glaciers will get you up and going in some of the most ruggedly beautiful country anywhere.
We'll kick off the tour with a great alpine hike up to some glacial tarns and waterfalls near Hatcher Pass in the Talkeetna Mountains (or perhaps across the valley in the equally compelling Chugach Mountains). After over-nighting near the Matanuska River it's on to little known Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, where the Wrangell, St. Elias, Alaska and Chugach mountain ranges converge to form the most heavily glaciated non-polar region on earth. A scenic small plane flight transports us into the park, up the Chitina River valley and past several glaciated volcanoes (including 16,390' Mt. Blackburn, the fifth tallest peak in the US), giving you an awe-inspiring hint of the immensity of this dramatic mountain and glacier wilderness.
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Deep in the heart of the national park the mountain hamlet of McCarthy will cast its spell on you with its friendliness and genuine Alaskan character. We'll spend two nights here, giving us a full day to go glacier trekking (or ice climbing), learn about the area's fascinating history and explore. We'll strap on crampons and go trekking on the fascinating and otherworldly local glacier. For an additional $60 you can upgrade and try your hand at an introductory ice climbing course, an experience you won't soon forget!
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A guided historical tour of the Kennecott Mill and other mining buildings, at one time the richest copper mine on earth, but now a National Historic Site, managed and being restored by the National Park Service is an interesting option, as is a flightseeing trip over the sprawling mountain and glacier wilderness of this magnificent national park.
We spend two nights in spectacularly situated cabins near the Kennicott Glacier, in the authentic Alaska mountain village of McCarthy, everyone's favorite Alaska ghost town! You're not going to want to leave McCarthy!
But leave we must, and the trip across the Chugach Mountains to Valdez is another highlight, as is the hike up the lateral moraine of the Worthington Glacier to its source ice field, near Thompson Pass. In Valdez we will take one of the most spectacular day sea kayaking trips available anywhere, past the waterfalls and the black-legged kittiwake rookery (home of nearly 20,000 nesting birds!) to the face of the beautiful Shoup Glacier, on Prince William Sound. No previous experience is necessary for this easy yet breathtaking trip, which is an included highlight of the tour. If you don't want to kayak, there's you can alternately enjoy a scenic day cruise to the massive Meares or Columbia Glaciers, or try a salmon or halibut fishing charter (additional fee required)
Finally, the trip is climaxed by a scenic ferry crossing of Prince William Sound, from Valdez to Whittier, and following a short hike, a short drive back to Anchorage. The ferry trip features stunning scenery, wildlife (sea otters, sea lions, bald eagles, salmon, and if we're lucky, orcas or humpback whales), as well as views of tidewater glaciers and floating icebergs.
As the Mountains & Glaciers itinerary takes you not only through the mountains, but also down to the coast and across Prince William Sound, it arguably offers the best variety of scenery-mountain, valley, and coastal-as well as the most (and most spectacular) glaciers, of any of our shorter itineraries. It also has good wildlife viewing possibilities (and a good variety of birds and animals, with interior and coastal habitats), and truly great hiking and included multi-sport adventure activities. Please join us!
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6 days, starts and ends in Anchorage
2008 PRICES & DATES
CAMP & CABIN-BASED MULTI-SPORT / HIKING TOURS:
$1,150
May 25-30, June 15-20 (sold out); July 13-18 (sold out); August 10-15
Note: Click on the underlined link to download a detailed Tour Description Sheet for this tour.
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KENAI EXPLORER: The beautiful Kenai Peninsula, projecting into the Gulf of Alaska between Prince William Sound and the Cook Inlet, is Alaska in microcosm. Featuring dramatic mountains and glaciers, rugged coast line, lush forests, tens of thousands of lakes, bountiful bird and wildlife and superb hiking and multi-sport adventure possibilities, the Kenai is an outdoor lovers paradise. It's only natural then that the Kenai Explorer has a tremendous amount to offer, highlighted by visits to dramatic Kenai Fjords National Park, to the lake-studded Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, and to little-known Kachemak Bay State Park, across the bay from the fishing village/artist colony of Homer (with stunning views of glaciers and Aleutian Island volcanoes).
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At Kenai Fjords National Park we can hike up alongside the very blue Exit Glacier to the immense Harding Ice Field, the 800-square mile sea of ice that is the source of the area's many glaciers. This memorable hike is an Alaskan classic, offering great wildlife viewing possibilities (bears, moose, mountain goats, porcupines, and marmots) as well as the spectacular glacial scenery.
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ALASKA RANGER takes you into the Alaskan Interior, a largely pristine region of immense mountains, huge, glacier-scoured valleys, endless, rolling tundra, and almost no towns or inhabitants at all. The trip is highlighted by a 3-night stop at Alaska's first and most popular national park: Denali, in the heart of the Alaska Range. With its ages-old food chain still intact from bottom to top, this huge park teems with readily viewable wildlife like no other region of the North American continent. Grizzlies, wolves, moose, caribou, and Dall mountain sheep, along with many smaller mammals, as well as more than 200 species of birds are all abundant. And above this Vermont-sized wilderness park towers mighty Denali itself (Mt. McKinley), the continent's largest (20,320') and most spectacular massif.
A full day will be spent riding into the park on the wildlife viewing/access shuttle (private cars aren't allowed in the wilderness park, keeping the animals nearby and at ease), with opportunities for hiking as well.
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More great hiking (or a second wildlife viewing shuttle bus trip) and an included whitewater raft trip on the Nenana River will keep us happily occupied during the rest of our visit to this justly famous park. There is also an option to go horseback riding on the tundra, or on a scenic "flightseeing" trip to "The Mountain," Mt. McKinley/Denali, an unforgettable experience in clear weather.
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Denali is not the only highlight of the trip, however, as you'll quickly realize when we head east on the so-called Denali Highway, a gravel road which parallels the south side of the Alaska Range and traverses some of the wildest and most scenic road-accessible terrain anywhere. Referred to by locals as "Denali without the crowds," this region offers great hiking, huge views, and good wildlife viewing possibilities. As the road travels mostly above tree line, the views across the tundra are expansive, and hiking possibilities are virtually unlimited. We'll spend the night at little known Tangle Lakes near the end of this one time Denali National Park access road.
During our visit here we'll get out and hike the rolling hills and canoe on one of the many lakes, on the lookout for wildlife. The lakes are indeed "tangled," and there is amazing bird watching to be had, along with the wildlife viewing chances. There are also arctic grayling and trout in the lakes if you want to try a little fishing (bring your own pole).
Next we'll head toward the tremendous Matanuska Glacier, between the Talkeetna and Chugach mountain ranges. Here we'll spend the final night of the tour in rooms or cabins at a spectacularly situated local lodge. During our time here we'll strap on crampons and go on a guided hike across the glacier to a lake and a glacial icefall, a beautiful trek into another world. If you want a little more adventure, you can alternatively test your grit on a 6+ hour introductory ice climbing course on the glacier (requires a supplemental payment).
The Alaska Ranger traverses the wildest and least developed terrain of any of our tours, and especially at Denali and Tangle Lakes, offers the best wildlife viewing possibilities. The hiking is excellent, and the rafting, canoeing, and glacier trekking (or optional) ice climbing make for exciting included multi-sport adventure activities.
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12 TO 19+ DAY COMBINATION TOURS: As each of these 6 and 7-day itineraries runs Sunday through Friday or Saturday (starting and ending in Anchorage), you can easily link two or three of them together to make a more wide-ranging 12 to 19+ day adventure. Don't have that much time? Well, check out our 10-day Alaska Explorer trip, our most popular, or maybe you'll just have to come back again next year! Alaska Explorer can also be linked to the 6-day Kenai Explorer tour to make a 16+ day adventure.
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Our Most Popular Tour!
10 days, starts and ends in Anchorage
2008 PRICES & DATES
'CAMP & CABIN'-BASED MULTI-SPORT / HIKING TOURS:
$1,950
June 4-13, June 13-22, June 22-July 1, June 26-July 5: (sold out), July 3-12 (sold out), July 12-21 (sold out), July 16-25, July 19-28 (sold out), July 24-Aug 2, July 31-Aug 9, Aug 6-15, Aug 11-20, Aug 16-25 (sold out), Aug 18-27 (sold out), Aug 25-Sep 3 (sold out)
LODGE-BASED MULTI-SPORT / HIKING TOURS:
$2,675. Single Supplement: $675
June 23-July 2, June 26-July 5: Just Added, July 14-23, July 28-Aug 6: Just Added, August 4-13, August 22-31: Sold Out; August 30-Sep 8; (Fall Colors & Northern Lights!): Just Added
Click here to download a detailed tour description sheet of this tour
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ALASKA EXPLORER: For those with more than 7, but less than 14 days, the 10-day Alaska Explorer--our most popular tour--makes a nice compromise. This tour features aspects of both our Mountains & Glaciers and Alaska Ranger itineraries, including visits to two of the world's largest and most spectacular national parks: Denali and Wrangell-St. Elias. We'll spend 3 nights at each of these mountain refuges, as well as traversing the Alaska Range on the spectacular Denali Highway, and drop down to the heavily glaciated coast of Prince William Sound at Valdez for 2 nights. There is a day here for a spectacular (and included)sea kayaking trip to Shoup Glacier. On the last day we'll take a scenic ferry trip across the Sound, before continuing back to Anchorage. Glacier trekking, whitewater rafting and canoeing are additional included multi-sport activities, and sensational day hiking is also a highlight of the tour.
As mentioned above, Denali preserves what is perhaps the continent's richest wildlife habitat: the north side of the mighty Alaska range in the vicinity of Mt. McKinley, North America's tallest and most spectacular peak. With it's ages-old food chain still intact from bottom to top, Denali is the home to a huge variety of wildlife, including hundreds of grizzly bears, 14 wolf packs, thousands of caribou, Dall sheep, moose, and numerous smaller mammals, as well as over 200 species of birds. You'll spend a day traveling through the park and observing this wildlife on the park shuttle bus, with chances for hiking. The following day will be spent hiking (or you can take a second wildlife-viewing shuttle trip in the park). On the morning of Day 4 we'll enjoy an included whitewater rafting trip on the Nenana River before carrying on. "Flight-seeing" over the park to Denali/Mt. McKinley is another option, as is a guided horseback ride across the tundra.
Next, we'll traverse the gravel Denali Highway, paralleling the south side of the mighty Alaska Range and bisecting some of the wildest road-accessible country on earth, on our way to Tangle Lakes. Here we can hike across the rolling tundra, canoe and fish on the lakes (bring your own pole), and marvel at the mountain scenery, wildflowers, and varied bird and wildlife. This is a beautiful, remote and little-known spot rich with wildlife that you will long remember.
From Tangle we'll drive to the ghost town of Chitina, where a few small planes will meet us for an amazingly scenic flight across the volcanic and glacier-clad Wrangell Mountains into immense Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Our destination? The copper rush village of McCarthy (pop. ~25), everyone's favorite Alaskan ghost town! We'll spend three nights at the historic and charming McCarthy Lodge on Lodge-based tours, or in shared cabins at a beautifully set lodge with spectacular glacier view and wood sauna on 'Camp & Cabin'-based tours.
Here we will venture out onto the ice with local mountaineering guide and crampons to explore the blue crevasses, moulins, and the rest of the fascinating glacial geography. For a $55 supplemental fee you can upgrade to an introductory ice-climbing course on the glacier. A guided tour of the historic Kennicott mine, now a National Historic Landmark undergoing Park Service renovation, is another option.
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On the next day we can hike up to the abandoned Bonanza Mine for a spectacular view of the 26-mile long Kennicott Glacier, 16,390' Mt. Blackburn, and many other Wrangell Mountain peaks. This vigorous hike is one of our favorites anywhere. Less strenuously, you can walk along the glacial moraine or out to the toe of the huge glacier, and watch it as it actually moves, as it deposits the boulders and debris it's carried from the mountains into the terminal lake that it has formed (headwaters of the Kennicott River). You won't want to leave McCarthy.
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Dropping down out of the mountains to the picturesquely set town of Valdez, we'll get our first taste of magnificent coastal Alaska. The young and geologically very active Chugach range rises up literally out of the sea, ringing the super-scenic Prince William Sound. Glaciers are all about, some of them spilling their loads of pre-historic ice directly into the sea. You can try your hand at sea kayaking to the face of an active glacier here, to the face of the dramatic Shoup Glacier. No previous experience is required for this easy but breathtaking trip which is an included highlight of the tour. Alternatively you can enjoy a spectacular day cruise to Columbia Glacier with great marine wildlife viewing opportunities. Fishing charters for salmon or halibut are optional alternative activities.
Finally, the Alaska Explorer is climaxed by a scenic ferry crossing of Prince William Sound. The ferry trip features amazing scenery, wildlife (sea otters, sea lions, bald eagles, salmon, and if we're lucky, orcas or humpback whales), and a view of the icebergs to Columbia Glacier, at 400 square miles, one of the largest tidewater glaciers in the state.
With Denali NP, Wrangell-St. Elias NP and Prince William Sound all included, Alaska Explorer combines three of Alaska's top highlights. Spectacular scenic beauty, unparalleled wildlife viewing opportunities, superb hiking, and exciting adventure multi-sport opportunities make this most popular trip hard to beat. If you wish to extend the adventure into new territory, Alaska Explorer can also be combined with our 6-day Kenai Explorer to make a more comprehensive 16+ day tour.
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ARCTIC EXPLORER
7 days, starts in Prudhoe Bay and ends in Fairbanks
2008 PRICES & DATES
CAMPING-BASED Alaska Hiking, Canoeing & Wildlife Viewing Tour Extraordinaire!
$850
June 22-28, July 20-26, August 17-23
Click here to download a detailed tour description sheet
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Get Up and Go! in an extraordinary region of Alaska rarely seen by travelers of any stripe, and home to more grizzly bears, caribou, musk oxen, foxes, and migratory birds than humans! Arctic Explorer provides you the unique opportunity of traveling north to south through the vast, ultra-remote and otherworldly Alaskan Arctic and Interior regions, from the surreal community of Deadhorse, on the Arctic Ocean, to Fairbanks, Alaska's second city and unofficial capitol of the sprawling Alaskan Interior.
After an initiatory dip in the Arctic Ocean (or perhaps just a photo!), we'll travel southward through the pristine wildlife habitat of the Arctic Coastal Plain and up the Arctic North Slope to the Brooks Range, the planet's northernmost mountain range,
forming an 800-mile arc across the top of the continent. Here we'll enjoy fantastic tundra hiking, first in the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), and then in Gates of the Arctic National Park.
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Exotic nesting birds and wildlife are bountiful, trees
are nowhere to be seen, and the Midnight Sun shines 24 hours a day, never setting, as it completes one glorious summer
revolution after another of the boundless Arctic sky, illuminating the incredible Arctic mountain, river, and tundra landscape.
Continuing south from the Brooks Range and across the Arctic Circle, we'll enter into the equally vast, but heavily forested,
and-except for a handful of tiny pioneer communities and native villages-virtually uninhabited watershed of the ~2,000-
mile long Yukon River and the Alaskan Interior.
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Our final destination, the remote and friendly community of Manley Hot Springs (a relative metropolis with a population of ~100), with its greenhouse-encased thermal baths, great canoeing, lively Manley Roadhouse, and fascinating frontier subsistence lifestyle, is a welcoming oasis. We ultimately return to civilization in Fairbanks: at ~80,000, the largest city in the world at such a northerly latitude, and home to Alaska's largest and best university.
A super scenic wilderness train ride from Fairbanks back to Anchorage is an optional means of extending your trip another day.
ARCTIC EXPLORER features not only sensational wilderness hiking, canoeing and unrivalled wildlife viewing opportunities,
but also a unique and intimate perspective into life on the extreme edges of the Last Frontier. With visits to the infamous
oilfield complex that guards access to the Arctic Ocean and spits out its 800-mile long Alaska Pipeline; to a friendly trapper's
cabin in the long-abandoned gold rush community of Wiseman, on the Koyukuk River, made famous by the conservationist
icon Robert Marshall in his 1933 non-fiction book Arctic Village; to a riverside hot spring village that was once a thriving,
steamboat-accessed resort; and even a tour of the famous Reddington family's dog sled racing kennel and homestead; you will leave Alaska feeling you know not only its extraordinary land, wildlife, and nature, but also its pioneer culture. Please join us!
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Our ALASKA FAMILY EXPLORER tour is for families with children ages 10 and above. This 7-day tour features a kid and family-friendly itinerary that features visits to both Denali and Kenai Fjords National Parks and a two night stay at a beautifully situated lodge near the Matanuska Glacier. The tour provides a variety of scenery, glaciers and great wildlife viewing opportunities. They also feature a daytrip on the Denali National Park wildlife-viewing shuttle bus (see grizzlies, caribou, moose, and more), and as much hiking and activity as you're interested in. River rafting, glacier trekking (a favorite for all ages), a glacier and wildlife-viewing cruise in Kenai Fjords National Park and other activities are enticing optional activities you'll want to take advantage of.
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ALASKAN SUMMERS ARE NICE! Ever since Secretary of State Seward shrewdly negotiated the purchase of Alaska by the US from Russia in 1867, there have been a lot of misconceptions about this remote northern land. Perhaps the greatest of these concerns the Alaskan climate and weather. While it's certainly true that the northern winters are long, dark, and cold, summers are just the opposite. While occasional rain showers are to be expected, the long days are truly beautiful, with warm, mostly mild temperatures, lush greenery, and a dramatic explosion of life. Wildlife is active, and the wildflowers, especially in July, are spectacular. Finally, the quality of northern summer light is a thing that one must experience for him or herself to believe.
There's an old joke that Alaska enjoys four seasons: June, July, August, and Winter! It is true that given the short and intense sub-arctic summers, each month is noticeably different from the next. But there is exaggeration as well: May and September are being shortchanged! Basically, any time from early May to mid-September is a good time for a trip to Alaska (the winter is good too, if you like snow sports). Read on for a comparison of the different 'seasons within a season.'
BUGS? First, a word about bugs: the voracity of the Alaskan mosquito is over-rated! They are around, mostly from mid-June till mid-July, but most places we visit really aren't so bad (and not a single mosquito-borne disease or illness has ever been reported in Alaska). A little deet-based mosquito repellent goes a long way, and with long sleeves and pants and a hat, you'll be fine. Don't let an exaggerated fear of mosquitoes keep you from experiencing the natural wonder that is Alaska!
'SEASONS WITHIN A SEASON'Generally speaking, May through mid-June offers spring and early summer conditions, with the clearest, sunniest, driest weather, the famous Midnight Sun (virtually perpetual daylight), the fewest tourists, active wildlife, the first budding wildflowers, beautiful snow-capped mountains. Days are cool to warm (mostly 50-70 F / 10-21 C), and evenings, especially in the mountains, can be a little chilly (down to the low 40's F / 5-9 C), although it's nothing a decent 3-season sleeping bag can't handle.
The second half of June through mid-August is the main travel season, with the warmest, most "summery" weather (55-85 F, 12-29 C, and nighttime temperatures- generally in the 50's F / 12-14 C-are especially pleasant), the most greenery, and the most impressive wildflower displays (you'll be amazed, especially in July). The Midnight Sun continues to reign, although by August the days are getting noticeably shorter (sunset at 11:45 pm in Denali!).
The second half of August through mid-September brings the first signs of autumn, and is especially beautiful. The tundra, aspens, birches, and cottonwoods are turning red, yellow and golden, the wild berries are ripening everywhere, and, as the days grow shorter and actual darkness/night returns, viewing the Northern Lights / Aurora Borealis becomes a very real and exciting possibility. The wildlife is active, getting ready for the fall ruts and for winter, the bugs are mostly dead, and for some inexplicable reason almost all of the tourists are gone. The days are still warm (50-70 F, 10-22 C), but nights are noticeably chillier. We call our last week of August and September departures "Fall Colors" tours, and if you travel with us then you'll see that New England has nothing on Alaska!
Early, middle, or late season, there's always something special to experience in Alaska.
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If you are still unsure or have questions, please click on an itinerary or trip type that sounds good and learn a little more about it. Better yet, give us a call and let us help you decide which trip is best for you. We're here to help!
Whichever tour you decide on, we're confident that you're going to be happy with it, and that your Alaska experience with Get Up and Go! Tours is going to be something that you remember forever!
CALL US TOLL FREE 1.888.868.4147 or, outside of the US and Canada, call 1.907.245.0795. You can also email us at: alaska@getupandgotours.com. If you're ready to book a tour, we can of course help you with that, too. See you in Alaska!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN
GET UP AND GO! TOURS
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