Call Of The Wild

7 night tour - Starting in Anchorage, Alaska - ending in Girdwood or Anchorage, Alaska.

2016 Early Booking Offer - Book before the 28th Feb 2016 and enjoy a free pre or post nights stay on us! making this an 8 night tour.

A Tauck BBC Earth Journey & Tauck Bridges Family Discovery tour.

Created by Tauck with BBC Earth

Celebrating 90 years in the travel touring business, Tauck offer the ultimate in luxury touring. Throughout the years, ingenuity and innovation, plus a focus on customer servce and authentic experiences, have grown Tauck into one of the world's leading travel touring companies. On your tour you can expect an itinerary carefully designed to create an unforgetable experience, ensuring the finest hotels, luxury motorcoaches and highly experienced tour directors.

Family Travel at its best - Travel can be life changing. It is transformational, eye-opening, exciting, wondrous and engaging for travelers of every age... Our family vacations are designed to spark a passion, inspire a sense of wonder or enrich understanding – and when these experiences are shared with loved ones, they bring you closer together. We take care of every detail of your vacation... so you can do, see and be together as a family on the adventures of a lifetime.

Designed With Families In Mind - Every Tauck Bridges adventure is expertly choreographed for families so that everyone has a great time, from children to parents to grandparents Travel with knowledgeable, professional Tauck Directors who engage and inspire the whole family
Tauck Bridges trips are designed to immerse families in the places they visit with hands-on activities that connect everyone with the heart and soul of the destination Exclusive Access - Tauck brings 90+ years of destination expertise – exclusive access for enriching family experiences
Hotels are handpicked with families in mind, and dining features regional cuisine Authentic cultural experiences and exclusive events you can’t get if traveling on your own.

Travel With Other Families - Travel with like-minded grandparents, parents and children, rather than on your own Traveling with other families makes the trip more fun when you share the excitement of discovery with new friends Families that bond on tour often continue their friendships long after the excitement of the trip is over; Tauck Bridges trips often lead to lifelong friendships for everyone.

An Alaskan family journey of a lifetime! Your family experiences the natural treasures of America's 49th state in a new way on our Tauck Bridges family adventure. Travel by land, sea and air on this incredible Alaska tour that is designed for every member of your family – enhanced by access to a cameraman's gadgets, such as specialized microphones and camera traps. Your family's travels begin with one night in Anchorage, then it’s off to the northern interior for a jet boat ride, a wilderness hike, a GEO-caching treasure hunt and two nights at a wilderness lodge. Meet Alaskan huskies at a dog sled training facility and soar above the foothills of Mt. McKinley on a flightseeing adventure. Travel to Alaska’s alpine playground in Kenai for a two-night wilderness lodge stay and a choice of activities including kayaking, river rafting and a guided wilderness hike in the Kenai River region. Cruise the Kenai Fjords with a naturalist who points out wildlife along the way. During your final two-night stay in Girdwood, visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center to meet animals being rehabilitated (from moose to to grizzly bears), and pan for gold at the Crow Creek Mine.


2016 Guaranteed departure dates:
June 11th, 15th & 22nd
July 02nd 13th, 16th, 23rd & 27th
August 06th & 13th 

TO BOOK THIS TOUR: CALL US ON FREEPHONE 0800 0336 335 OR EMAIL US RESERVATIONS@PURELYTRAVELGROUP.CO.UK
View Itinerary Details

Day 1: Welcome to Anchorage and awesome Alaska

Tour begins: 6:00 PM at The Hotel Captain Cook.  A transfer is included from Anchorage International Airport to The Hotel Captain Cook. Meet the new friends who will share this memorable Alaska tour with you and your family at our welcome dinner tonight.

Lodging: Hotel Captain Cook

Dinner

Day 2: Iditarod Huskies, jet boating and geo-caching in Talkeetna

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, where you'll meet the mighty dogs that respond to the cry of "Mush!" by racing off into the wild and pulling heavy sleds over the snow – Alaskan Huskies – on a visit to a facility where Alaskan huskies in training to run next year’s world-famous Iditarod Race learn how to be sled dogs, sure to be a highlight of your family's Alaska tour. 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 an authentic, turn-of-the-century trapper's cabin. If the weather is good, you'll have an incredible view of Alaska's famous Mount McKinley – which the Athabascan Indians called Denali, meaning "the Great One" – 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... for Tauck Bridges guests only!

Lodging Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: A hike at a lake and a wilderness homestead

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 in the shadow of Denali, 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 Mount McKinley 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.

Lodging: Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge

Breakfast, lunch

Day 4: Flightseeing near Denali (Mt. McKinley) and on to Kenai via Anchorage

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 (a.k.a. Mount McKinley), 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 dance performance, a tour and lunch, continue on to the wildlife-rich Kenai Peninsula and a two-night wilderness lodge stay in Cooper Landing, nestled within Chugach National Forest. 

Lodging: Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge

Breakfast, Lunch. Dinner

Day 5: Hiking, kayaking or river rafting on the Kenai Peninsula

Today, you can choose how you and your family will experience the wonders of the Kenai Peninsula, as your Alaska tour continues at your lodge in this wilderness wonderland between Cook Inlet and the Gulf of Alaska. You can choose to go kayaking*, take a scenic river-rafting trip*, or embark on a hike into the wilderness with a local guide – they're included with Tauck Bridges! You might also want to take advantage of optional opportunities for fishing that may be available at an additional cost. Tonight, the prickly porcupine is the subject of a special wildlife presentation after dinner.

Lodging: Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6: Meet special wildlife and pan for gold on Turnagain Arm

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. Then 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. Then it's on to your resort in Girdwood; your evening includes an entertaining mountaineering demonstration where you'll learn about the latest gear required for safe mountain climbing. 

Lodging: Hotel Alyeska

Breakfast, Lunch

Day 7: Railroading to Whittier and cruising past glaciers in Prince William Sound

Hop aboard an Alaska Railroad self-propelled rail car for a trip along Turnagain Arm to Whittier; there you'll board a boat that takes your family on a glacier adventure cruise on Blackstone Bay in Prince William Sound! With an expert wildlife guide aboard, you'll sail past thundering waterfalls and tidewater glaciers. Tonight, join us back at the hotel in Girdwood for our farewell dinner, where your family shares memories of your Alaska tour with your new-found friends.

Lodging: Hotel Alyeska

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8: Homeward bound or extend your stay

Tour ends: Girdwood, Alaska. As your Alaska tour comes to an end, fly home anytime. A transfer from the Hotel Alyeska in Girdwood to Anchorage International Airport (approximately 75 minutes) is included for your flight home. Allow a minimum of two hours at the airport for check-in.

Breakfast

 

Your Tauck Tour Highlights

Note: For activities marked with an asterisk (*) in day-by-day descriptions, participation is at your own risk; a signed liability waiver will be required.

Access to a cameraman's gadgets, such as specialized microphones and camera traps

Exclusive on-tour films produced by deepen your safari experience
Gratuities to Tauck Director, drivers and local guides included
Travel the spectacular shoreline of Turnagain Arm on the Alaska Railroad
Jet boat ride in “bush” Alaska, hike around Talkeetna Lake and go on a geocaching treasure hunt
Meet sled dogs in training & flightsee over the soaring peaks of Denali National Park
Lunch and a dance performance at the Alaska Native Heritage Center
Kayak, river raft and hike on the Kenai Peninsula, known as “Alaska’s Playground”
Visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, pan for gold at Crow Creek
Cruise past glaciers on Prince William Sound
Airport transfers on arrival and departure as noted
18 meals (7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 5 dinners); service charges, taxes & porterage

Your Hotels....

Note: Tours of July 13 and 27 will stay at the Seward Windsong Lodge nights 4 and 5 and visit the Alaska Sealife Center on Day 5 instead of the porcupine presentation. 

Night 1 : Hotel Captain Cook - Anchorage, Alaska

The Hotel Captain Cook is indisputably one of the very finest hotels in Anchorage, offering superior service and amenities. In tribute to Captain James Cook, who first sailed into Anchorage in 1778, the decor and ambiance have a nautical flavor. The comfortable guest rooms offer inspiring views of either Cook Inlet or the Chugach Mountains and feature luxury linens and bedding, full-length robes, irons and ironing boards. The Athletic Club offers an indoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi, workout, aerobics and circuit training rooms and a racquetball court. The Whale’s Tail, a gourmet coffee and wine bar, serves over 30 different wines by the glass as well as popular cocktails and lattes, mochas and cappuccinos.

Nights 2 - 3 : Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge - Talkeetna, Alaska

From the moment you arrive at the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge just outside the town of Talkeetna on the south side of Mt. McKinley, you’ll know why this hotel says “Denali is our backyard” because… there it is, right before your eyes! Awesome views of North America’s tallest mountain and other Alaska Range peaks are all around you. If you look carefully at the pillars at the lodge’s entrance, see if you can find the bunny, bear paw, sea turtle and starfish created by one of construction workers who was from Hawaii. When you see the Great Room, you can’t help but notice the 46-foot-tall rock fireplace... Comfortable guest rooms have a hair dryer, coffee maker, refrigerator and satellite TV. Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge has been honored to receive Wine Spectator's "Award of Excellence," and its culinary creations have also been featured on the Food Network. Enjoy a fine dining experience and amazing views of the mountains at the Foraker Dining Room or head to the Base Camp Bistro, offering down-home favorites, a family-friendly atmosphere and, of course, great views.

Nights 4 - 5 : Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge - Cooper Landing, Alaska

Located in Alaska’s famous Kenai River valley, the Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge is a gem in the wilderness. Take a walk with your family along the scenic, self-guided nature trail that winds through the forest and along the bluff. Refresh yourself in one of the indoor or outdoor hot tubs or relax in your comfortable, bungalow-style room after a busy day of exploration.

Nights 6 - 7 : Hotel Alyeska - Girdwood, Alaska

Set amidst the beauty of pristine Alaskan wilderness, the chateau-style Hotel Alyeska offers all the facilities and amenities that one would expect of a fine resort. There are a wealth of enjoyable optional activities and adventures available for your enjoyment.

Tour Only Cost: All prices quoted below are per adult person, per tour in British Pounds (GBP)

Departure Dates

Single Twin/Double Triple Quad
All departures in 2016 £3425 £2797 £2603 £2555
 
2016 Early Booking Offer - Tauck's most popular tours fill very quickly. Don't be disappointed, book before the 28th February 2016 and enjoy a free pre or post nights stay on us!.
 
Special Solo Traveller Savings – save up to £130 off the single room price on select departure dates – Please call us for more details. 
 
Children - may qualify for a discount when sharing a room with 2 adults - Please call us for details. 
 
Not included in your tour cost:
Flights – we can package your tour with flights at very competitive airfares using our airline partners. Please call us to discuss the best airline for your itinerary.
Pre or post accommodation - If you want to extend your stay at the start or the end of your escorted tour or add another destination to your booking please call us and we will be happy to provide a quote.
Meals, other than those listed in the itinerary.
The customary gratuities for the Tour Director and local drivers are not included.
 
FAQs:
There are many questions and considerations you might have when planning an escorted tour with Tauck Tours. For more information please click here.
 

TO BOOK YOUR TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS:

Please call us on FREEPHONE 0800 0336 335 or EMAIL us reservations@purelytravelgroup.co.uk we are open 7 days a week.

We will be happy to answer any questions, check the availability of your tour, offer a quote for flights and any pre or post nights you would like to add.

When you are ready to go ahead with the booking, a non-refundable deposit of 10% will be due at time of booking or the full balance if you are due to travel within 8 weeks.