Call of the North

Arrive in Fairbanks, the gateway to Alaska’s vast interior, and settle into the northern landscapes that will define the journey ahead. Surrounded by broad river valleys, boreal forest and distant mountain ranges, Fairbanks offers a fitting introduction to the scale and remoteness of the Last Frontier. Take the remainder of the day to settle in before the journey turns south towards Denali National Park and, eventually, the glacier-carved coastline around Girdwood. Excursionist lists Fairbanks, Denali National Park and Girdwood as the three destinations of this six-day itinerary.

Leave Fairbanks and travel into the immense landscapes surrounding Denali National Park, where boreal forest gradually gives way to open tundra and the peaks of the Alaska Range dominate the horizon. The journey introduces a markedly wilder side of Alaska, culminating in the surroundings of Denali itself. Settle into your mountain base and enjoy your first opportunity to experience the tranquillity of the park region before tomorrow’s deeper exploration of its alpine wilderness. Excursionist specifically centres this journey on Denali alongside Fairbanks and Girdwood.

Immerse yourself in the immense scale of Denali, combining exploration on foot with one of Alaska’s most exhilarating aerial experiences. Follow alpine trails beneath the Alaska Range, surrounded by tundra, river valleys and mountain scenery, before taking to the skies for a flightseeing adventure. Weather permitting, touch down on a remote glacier and step onto the ice amid a seemingly endless world of snow-covered peaks. Glacier landings and alpine hiking in the shadow of Denali are among the defining experiences Excursionist highlights for this itinerary.

Leave the vast interior behind and continue towards Girdwood, where the Chugach Mountains rise dramatically above the waterways of Southcentral Alaska. The changing scenery is part of the experience, moving from open tundra and mountain valleys into increasingly lush forest and glacier-carved coastal terrain. Arrive in this small mountain community and settle into your surroundings, with hanging glaciers, alpine slopes and the waters of Turnagain Arm creating a dramatically different backdrop from Denali.

Venture onto the waters of coastal Alaska for one of the journey’s signature experiences. Cruise through a landscape of steep-sided fjords, forested shorelines and immense glaciers, keeping watch for the wildlife that inhabits these rich northern waters. The perspective from the water reveals another dimension of Alaska, where mountains descend directly towards the sea and ancient ice continues to shape the coastline. Excursionist specifically identifies coastal cruising alongside glacier landings and Denali hiking as a defining element of Call of the North.

Enjoy a final morning surrounded by Girdwood’s forests and glacier-carved peaks before beginning your onward journey. The adventure concludes after connecting three distinctly different expressions of Alaska: the expansive northern interior around Fairbanks, the tundra and towering mountains of Denali National Park, and the fjords, glaciers and coastal wilderness of the Chugach region. It is a compact journey built around the dramatic landscapes that define the state, from alpine trails and glacier landings to exploration on the water.