Alaska: Call of the Wild

Tour begins: 6:00 PM, The Hotel Captain Cook. A transfer is included from Anchorage International Airport to The Hotel Captain Cook. Join us for a welcome dinner tonight. Stay: The Hotel Captain Cook (D)

In Alaska, dog sledding is both a very popular sport and an important mode of transportation to remote places where roads still don't go. Drive from Anchorage this morning to Big Lake for a visit to a facility where Alaskan huskies train to become sled dogs.

Continue on to Talkeetna for a jet boat* ride with a naturalist guide to look for bald eagles, beavers, moose and even bears that live along the river, and a nature walk in the Alaskan bush to see a turn-of-the-century trapper's cabin. If the weather is good, you'll have an incredible view of Alaska's famous Denali en route to your wilderness lodge for a two-night stay. Once there, you and your family can compete in a high-tech treasure-hunting game – known as geocaching – where you'll use a GPS system to find hidden treasures. Stay Two Nights: Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge (B/L/D)

Nature is everywhere on a morning hike* at Talkeetna Lake, with loons and kingfishers above you, and a forest brimming with wildflowers and wildlife surrounding you. As you walk, your local guide shares stories about how the first native peoples survived in this beautiful but wild land, and about life in Talkeetna today – and, of course, about amazing encounters with wildlife.

After lunch at your lodge, travel to Trapper Creek to visit the private homestead of Joanne Porterfield, nestled in the Alaska wilderness; her family's gardens and farm have flourished here in the shadow of Denali for more than four decades. Later, back at your lodge in Talkeetna, enjoy an interpretive experience with storytelling, s'mores and more around an old-fashioned campfire tonight. (B/L)

Depart your lodge in Talkeetna and soar over the Denali foothills in a small plane (weather permitting) for a breathtaking bird's-eye view of towering Denali, the tallest mountain in North America. After your flight, you'll travel to Anchorage for a visit to the Alaska Native Heritage Center, a renowned cultural center and museum where you'll come away with a greater understanding of Alaska's indigenous people.

Following a tour and lunch, continue on to the wildlife-rich Kenai Peninsula and a two-night wilderness lodge in Seward on the Kenai Peninsula. The peninsula is a gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park, where glaciers flow from an icefield into coastal fjords. Dinner is at leisure at your lodge. Stay Three Nights: Seward Windsong Lodge (B/L/D)

Seward and the Kenai Peninsula provide the perfect setting for your choice of outdoor activity. They include a guided hike to Exit Glacier, sea kayaking* in Resurrection Bay or a float trip on the Kenai River; fishing may also be available, if booked in advance (at an additional cost).

Late this afternoon, visit the Alaska Sealife Center, where marine mammals are rehabilitated; then dine at a local restaurant in Seward this evening. (B/L/D)

First up this morning, a full day fjord cruise on Resurrection Bay with an onboard naturalist. You'll have an opportunity to see a tidewater glacier and local wildlife such as seabirds taking flight from their cliffside nests – or perhaps sea lions and harbor seals sunning on rocks or whales glide gracefully below the water's surface. Return to Seward mid-afternoon where you and your family will spend the remainder of the day as you please. (B/L)

Get a close-up glimpse of Alaskan wildlife on a visit to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center on Turnagain Arm, meeting moose, bison, elk and other orphaned or injured animals being rehabilitated by this non-profit organization. Next, head to the Crow Creek Mine in Alaska's historic gold rush country, where you'll meet a "prospector," pan for gold and dig into a barbecue lunch. Drive to Anchorage this afternoon and join us for a farewell reception and dinner. Stay: The Hotel Captain Cook (B/L/D)

Tour ends: Anchorage, Alaska. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from The Hotel Captain Cook to Anchorage International Airport for your flight home. Allow a minimum of two hours at the airport for check-in. (B)