All travel routes in Alaska. Traveling through Alaska, or “Bear, bear, where is your smile?” Trip to the Arctic Circle

Day 1. Anchorage
Arrival in Anchorage, transfer from the airport, city tour, hotel accommodation.
Most of the group arrives from Seattle on the Alaska flight Airlines No. 91 at 11:30. A group transfer is provided for all arrivals between 11:00 and 12:30. If you arrive at a different time, it is possible private transfer or order a taxi (no more than $15 from the airport to the center). From the airport the group goes for lunch (from approximately 13:00 - 14:00,lunch included ), and immediately after lunch a sightseeing tour (from approximately 14:00 to 18:00).
Anchorage is a modern prosperous city, the main trading, transport and tourist centre Alaska, home to almost half of the state's total population. During sightseeing tour you will get acquainted with the sights of the city and learn about it rich history. Night in Anchorage. Springhill Suites Mariott Hotel with Breakfast
Day 2. Anchorage - (385 km / 239 miles) - Portage: Spencer Lake Tour

Today you will take the train from Anchorage to the town of Portage, from where your unforgettable journey will begin!

Upon arrival in Portage, you will drive to the wildlife center where you will be introduced to Alaska's rich wildlife. It is home to several species of deer and bear, including grizzly bears; elk, coyotes, bald eagle, bison, bison, bobcats and many others.

After this, a 20-minute train ride to Lake Spencer. This lake is extremely beautiful - icebergs float on its surface - fragments of the glacier, which you can touch with your hands while canoeing between them. Lunch is provided during the tour (lunch included )

At the end of the tour you will move to Anchorage.

Night in Anchorage. Springhill Suites Mariott Hotel with Breakfast
Day 3. Anchorage - (362 km / 225 miles) -Denali
On this day you will head north towards Denali National Park. Along the way you will visit:
- The village of Eklutna, where the old Russian Church of St. Nicholas built in 1870 is located (one of the oldest buildings in this part of Alaska), as well as a unique Orthodox cemetery, often called the “ghost cemetery”.
- Headquarters of Alaska's most famous annual sled dog race, the Iditarod ( Iditarod ). During a tour of the headquarters, you will see sled dogs that took part in real races, and you will also be able to pet their young puppies. You will learn a lot of interesting things about this sport, get answers to questions that interest many: why they run, the role and education of the team leader, and many, many others. At the center you can chat with race participants and watch an informative film about both the dogs and the race.
In the evening, check into a hotel in Denali. Grizzly Bear Lodge
Day 4. National Park Denali
Early in the morning, you will go to the treasure trove and main attraction of Alaska - Denali National Park. It's huge biosphere reserve an area of almost 25 thousand square kilometers, where you will have the opportunity to be surrounded by untouched wilderness and see wild animals: moose, deer, bears, wolves and many others. etc. In good visibility you can admire the splendor highest peak North America – Mount McKinley (6194 meters).
IN free time after the tour, we recommend that you go toexcursions park for extra fee, a list of which you will find at the end of the program. Overnight in Denali. Grizzly Bear Lodge
Day 5. Denali - (198 km / 123 miles) - Fairbanks - (100 km / 62 miles) - China

Today, you will get to know Fairbanks. During the tour you will see the main attractions of the city and visit:

University of Alaska Observation Deck.

- The world's largest ice museum "Aurora"(ticket included in price) , where the temperature remains -7°C for all year round. You can drink an alcoholic cocktail (extra charge $17 per person) in the ice bar from an ice glass that you can keep as a souvenir. The only pity is that this “memory” is quickly fading.
The highlight of the day will be a swim in natural hot springs (ticket included in price), known for their healing properties. Overnight in Fairbanks. Regency Fairbanks with breakfast

Day 6. Fairbanks - (400 km / 248 miles) - Glennalen. Cruise along the China and Tanana rivers, "Pioneer Park"

On this day you will go on an exotic walk on paddle steamer gold rush times. Along the way you will see a sled dog school and an Indian fishing camp, and in the village of the Athabaskan tribe you will learn a lot of interesting things about their culture, way of life, see buildings and costumes not only of the Athabaskans, but also of other indigenous peoples of Alaska. After the planned lunch(included in the price) , you will go to the historical themed "Pioneer Park" and continue your acquaintance with the history, culture and traditions of Alaska.

Moving to Glennalen.

This crossing will take place along a picturesque route, along the border with the territory of the largest national park in the country, “Wrangel-St. Elijah” ( Wrangell–St. Elias ), which is home to more than 100 glaciers and some of the tallest mountain peaks in North America. Along the way, you'll be treated to stunning views of the sweeping valleys, lakes, and tundra of the Alaska Range. You will also drive along engineering miracle: the legendary Trans-Alaska Pipeline, stretching for 1,300 kilometers.
Overnight in Glennalen. Black Rapids Lodge

Day 7: Glennalen - (571 km / 355 miles) - Girdwood

On your way to Anchorage, you will continue your journey along one of the most scenic routes State of Alaska. You will see the glacier and the Matanushka valley and make a stop in the town of Palmer, where you will visit a deer farm (ticket included in price) . Here you will learn a lot interesting facts about this traditional resident of Alaska, you will be able to feed the deer from your hands and take memorable photographs. The farm will house more than 150 reindeer, 35 moose, 13 horses, as well as other artiodactyls.
According to today's program, a trip to Girdwood is planned for you - a cozy and picturesque town located at the foot of mountain range Chugach surrounded by seven eternal glaciers. Here on the high-speed funicular(ticket included in price) , you will climb one of mountain peaks, from where you will see stunningly beautiful landscapes. And in the gold mining museum “Voroniy Ruchey”, you can feel like a miner and pan for gold(ticket included in price) .

For more things to do in Girdwood, check out our list of additional things to do.

Night Anchorage. The Voyager with breakfast
Day 8. Whittier - (97 km / 60 mi) - Anchorage: 26 Glaciers Cruise

On the way to the town of Whittier, from where the cruise begins, you will pass through a unique tunnel, which is the second longest in all of North America.

Upon arrival, you will transfer to a cruise ship that will be able to sail close to the sliding glaciers. You will see blocks of ice falling into the water with a roar, and you will swim past transparent blue icebergs. You will also see views of lush forests, and in the water - an abundance of marine life - whales, seals, sea otters, birds.

After the end of the tour at 18:00 - group transfer to the airport or hotel in Anchorage. If you are planning to fly out of Anchorage this evening, then your departure should be no earlier than 22:00. Transfers at other times are for an additional fee.

A trip to Alaska may be the most unusual trip your child will take as a child.

Prices for traveling to Alaska

HOW TO GET THERE - you can fly to Anchorage from Moscow for $1,255, Kyiv (from $1,304), Astana (from $2,196), St. Petersburg ($1,528) or with transfers through Thailand, Germany or many US cities.
USA VISA - delivery
AIR TICKETS -
WHEN -
TRANSFER - found
TRANSPORTATION – There is one mode of transport that is ideal for Alaskan conditions - an airplane, since the roads in Alaska are difficult. However, the region's small aviation assets perfectly compensate for this shortcoming. But small aviation is superbly developed. Moreover, between major cities There is a railway connection.
RENT A CAR - ALASKA
GUIDE GUIDES -
WEATHER – The duration of the tourist season in Alaska is 4 months. Wherein average temperature in summer it does not rise above + 15 degrees. Even if you are lucky and have a rain-free holiday, you should stock up on warm, preferably waterproof, clothing for boat excursions to see the whales.
TRAVEL INSURANCE ALASKA -
WHERE TO GO - Anchorage, Katmai and Denali parks, Juneau, Mount Roberts, Skagway, Klondike
EXCURSIONS - throughout the USA
AGE - if you are careful, then in )))
HOUSING – You can easily solve your housing problem by going on a cruise on a ship. In addition to this non-standard solution, you can book houses for tourists in national parks. You can also set up a tent for a symbolic amount of $12-13 per person in the picturesque Katmai Park. Rest assured: your children will truly appreciate this vacation. In addition to the listed accommodation methods, there are standard hotels in all cities of Alaska, costing from $940 for a triple room and above.
HOTELS -

Nature and gold of Alaska

The city of Juneau is the capital of all Alaska, named after gold miner Joseph Juneau, and, perhaps, the only one of the state capitals that does not have roads. You can relax here by visiting the Alaska State Capitol, a small Russian church, climbing the Mount Roberts cable car, or seeing the bull terrier Patsy Ann, a symbol of people’s devotion and love for dogs. However, the most unforgettable sights await you at sea. A boat trip will provide your child with the most vivid emotions at the sight of giant glaciers, fur seals and huge whales.

Day 12-14 – Skagway, Klondike

Real travel in the footsteps of gold miners awaits you very close to the capital of Juneau, in the port city of Skagway, surrounded by beautiful lakes, which was founded during the great Gold Rush. And although the Klondike is located in Canada, the best way to get there is from Alaska. The main value of this city is availability railway to the Yukon. You will also find open-type vestibules, convenient for viewing, from which it is convenient to admire the local landscapes and take photographs. Along 175 kilometers you can admire and photograph local landscapes. This route will be a pleasant end to a trip that promises to be the most unforgettable event in the life of your children and your life!

After, ours July trip trip to Alaska is coming to an end, I’m sure you’re absolutely delighted!

Today we are going on a trip to Alaska, its southeastern part. wild nature, picturesque landscapes.

1. The unofficial name of Southeast Alaska is Alaska Panhandle, Alaska Panhandle. It occurred due to the similarity of the image of Alaska on the map to a ladle (pan) with a handle, where Southeast Alaska is precisely the “handle”. (Photo by Jim Alseth):

2. Do you know that bears are omnivores, and some of them even prefer plant foods? Even polar bears can feed on vegetation during difficult times. And the most famous example of obligate carnivores - those that eat exclusively meat and cannot digest vegetation - are all cats. (Photo by Moelyn Photos):

3. American city Sitka (until 1867 - Novo-Arkhangelsk), located on Baranova Island in the Alexander Archipelago (Alaska). The population is about 9 thousand people. Novo-Arkhangelsk was the capital of Russian America. (Photo by Alla Khananashvili):

4. Humpback whales live here. Of all the whales, this is the most playful and easy-going, always surrounded by cheerful splashes and white foam. (Photo by Paul Souders):

5. The unique blue glacier is called Taku. It is located in Alaska and is considered one of the most inaccessible places in the world. (Photo by Nenad Basic):

6. The most striking representative of birds is the bald eagle. (Photo by Ron Crabtree):

7. The city of Ketchikan in Alaska, USA. With a population of 7,368 in 2007, it is the fifth most populous city in the state. (Photo by Artie Ng):

8. Local residents. (Photo by Becky Bohrer):

9. LeConte Glacier. By the way, modern glaciers cover an area of over 16 million km², or about 11% of the land. They contain more than 25 million km³ of ice - almost two-thirds of the volume fresh water on the planet. (Photo by Edmund Lowe Photography):

10. Bear. (Photo by Rocky Grimes):

11. And again the humpback whale. Humpback whales often beat and slap the surface of the sea with their long pectoral fins and caudal fin, whipping up foam, rolling on their backs, and sticking their muzzles out of the water. They often jump completely out of the water in a vertical position and fall down with a deafening splash. (Photo by Paul Souder):

12. Totem poles in Alaska. (Photo by Lindsay Miles-Pickup):

13. Johns Hopkins Glacier. (Photo by Suraark):

14. Wildflowers. (Photo by Dagny Willis):

15. Family of otters. (Photo by M. Cornelius):

16. In addition to the mainland, Southeast Alaska includes huge number islands - large, medium, small and very tiny. (Photo by Greg and Jan Ritchie):

17. White Pass Railways. This is the most beautiful narrow gauge railway in Alaska with a length of 175 km. The link to it will be below. (Photo by Royce Bair):

18. The most beautiful ice cave. (Photo by Saraporn):

19. Another one local residents- two moose. (Photo by M. Cornelius):

20. Morning in the forest near Ketchikan. By the way, the economy of this city is based on tourism and fishing, and the city is known as " World capital salmon." (Photo by Carlos Rojas):

21. The duration of immersion under water for humpback whales depends on the time of year. In summer they rarely dive for more than 5 minutes, and dives lasting more than 10 minutes are rare. In winter, dives last 10-15 minutes. (Photo by Paul Souders):

22. Glacier Bay is a national park on the southeast coast of Alaska, west of the city Juneau. The national park is under UNESCO protection. The nature of the Glacier Bay coast includes glaciers, snow-capped mountain ranges covered with forests, deep fjords, rivers and lakes. (Photo by Ramunas Bruzas):

23. Lituya Bay. Known for the natural disaster that occurred here on July 9, 1958. As a result of an earthquake of magnitude 8.3, a powerful landslide came down from the mountains. About 30 million cubic meters of rocks and ice fell into the waters of the bay. This led to the formation of a giant wave tsunami over 500 meters high. This is the most high wave tsunami known to mankind. (Photo by M. Cornelius):

24. Seal rest. (Photo by Russ Heinl):

25. Magic forest. (Photo by Joe Benning):

26. This is what it is like, southeastern Alaska. (Photo by Richard Seeley):

Alaska has glaciers, mountains, a gold rush, delicious salmon, bears and whales...and also Seattle, Vancouver and even Amsterdam. The main thing is to choose the right flight with good layovers along the way.

Well, a huge twelve-deck cruise liner, I will talk about the nuances and pitfalls (although there are almost none) both from the passenger’s point of view, and I will show a little insider, I will talk about the life of the crew, who are at sea for 6-8 months.

Go...

I probably spent almost two days searching for a flight at the best price, and with interesting layovers along the way. After all, every stop is another big Adventure. This time the choice fell on the American Delta. Kyiv-Amsterdam-Seattle-Vancouver - this was the route I took on the way there.

And back: Anchorage-Minneapolis-Amsterdam-Kyiv.
At the same time, the connection in Minneapolis was 45 minutes, I was mentally ready to see Minneapolis, but not only I, but also my luggage managed to make the transfer :)

There is an opinion that American airlines are the worst, and I myself try to choose them last for transatlantic flights. But the experience of flying with Delta was wonderful! A brand new A330 to Europe, a new but nice Boeing 757 inside, an excellent crew. Delicious varied diet and even free alcohol, including hard liquor, on transatlantic segments! In general, you need to move away from stereotypes and try different airlines. I’ll definitely tell you more about Delta and United, which I once flew to New York from Munich.

Early departure by KLM from Kyiv, departure from Amsterdam at 10 am, ten-hour flight and... voila, at the same 11 am I am in Seattle :) And full daylight in this stunning city. This is my third time here and, knowing that it’s difficult without a car in America, I take a small Hyundai for $35 a day and hit the road.

First of all, the aviation museum, which is located near Boeing Field, where we met in October last year.

One of the British Airways Concordes:

Then Snoqualmie Falls from the movie Twin Peaks. I saw it, and now I saw it in the sunny summer. Very strong and a nice place. And in general, the nature of Washington state is amazing! This is worth coming to America for!

Driving past the Boeing plant in Everett, I caught a Dreamlifter in the frame:

And then he also drove about fifty meters from me along the taxiways:

Therefore, lunch with delicious Alaskan salmon at the Ivars restaurant in Mukilteo. I already wrote about it, I highly recommend it!

And in the evening to downtown Seattle and sunset from the observation deck of the famous Space Needle. After Sleepless in Seattle with Tom Hanks, this US city was and remains the most romantic for me. And you can’t live without romance when traveling!

At 23.00 departure to Vancouver, flight only 1 hour on the turboprop Bombardier of Alaskan Airlines.

Vancouver... what a stunningly beautiful and photogenic city it is! Mountains covered in snow all around, the sea, fjords, lighthouses, a huge forest park right in the center of downtown! Impressions and sensations are simply in full swing. We decided not to go to Whistler in the mountains, leaving it for a separate trip, but simply walked around the city and enjoyed such an amazing symbiosis of nature and skyscrapers:

Everyone here wears their own color at pedestrian crossings :)

But the main thing is the morning flight on a Harbor Air seaplane over the city:

and around:

On the right in this photo, the Celebrity Millenium cruise ship is already waiting at the port, boarding on which will begin a few hours later:

An Alaska cruise is the cheapest way to get here. You don’t need to think about logistics and travel (and this is mostly just a plane), you don’t need to think about hotels (which are very expensive here), and finally, you don’t need to unpack your things in each city!

Delicious multi-course meals in numerous restaurants, entertainment. But this is not even the main thing; the main thing will be discussed below. In general, I will definitely tell and show you all about it.

At the same time, the cost is from $650 per person with fees and taxes. And this does not take into account all sorts of promotions and sales that periodically come to my inbox.

Here is the Celebrity Alaska Cruises page: http://www.celebritycruises.com/destinations/alaska
They have 11 ships in their fleet, two of which operate non-stop in Alaska from June to September.

In general, now I’m thinking about a cruise in Norway, because this is one of the most budget-friendly ways to see the fjords from the inside.

I will show you the ceremonial life on a cruise:

and the reverse side - the theater backstage, costume room, engine control center, deck where the crew lives, kitchen and captain's bridge:

I talked with our crew guys, they told me a lot of interesting things about cruise life from the staff’s point of view.

Captain's bridge:

We sailed along this linear route:

Ketchikan, the first port in Alaska. No need to listen to stories about pop tourist places. Of course, the first street near the port is filled with useless shops with all sorts of tinsel, but if you move just one block from the center, you find yourself in a very cozy America:

Here we kayaked and looked out for bears on the shore. There were no bears, but we met a sea lion cub right a few meters from the kayak.

In Alaska, probably every second person has a seaplane. The airport is on the island, around the mountain, and from the airport to your plane and to the village.

Mendenhall Glacier. To say that it is beautiful is to say nothing. It is impossible to take your eyes off this icy infinity...

Alaska's fauna is the subject of numerous tours. Many of them are unreasonably expensive, so you should be very careful when choosing a tour. We swam to watch whales... we saw only one, I didn’t have time to take it off, I opened my mouth in amazement at the huge tail above the surface of the water and forgot about the camera. But we saw whales several times from a cruise ship :)

Killer whales, they are closer to dolphins:

Of course, the photo here means nothing; sailing parallel to a flock on a small speedboat when surrounded by the incredible beauty of the fjords is amazing!

Sea lion rookery:

The Gold Rush is a very interesting historical phenomenon in the history of the USA and Canada,

The town of Skagway - the gateway to the Klondike:

100 thousand people went looking for gold... only 4000 of them found anything.

White Pass train is one of the strongest impressions I have. With my love for narrow gauge railways and landscaped roads - this is in this moment the most interesting area. And here we finally saw a bear cub :)

See small train on the left in the photo?! Each next turn is even more impressive than the previous one!

Hubbard Glacier. There is no port; a huge mass of ice goes straight into the fjord. The cruise ship approaches the glacier at dawn and rotates through the ice for an hour. This is my most beautiful morning!

The silence is interrupted only by the deafening crack of an ice wall collapsing into the ocean:

The final point was Seward, a two-hour drive along the most beautiful highway in Alyaka, but it was raining and I saved the picture only in my memory. In Anchorage, near the airport, there is a very nice small and cozy aviation museum:

And the flight Anchorage-Minneapolis-Amsterdam-Kyiv:

In Amsterdam between flights I had a layover of 7 hours. I've been to Amsterdam many times, but whenever possible I try to visit the city between flights, since the airport is only 15 minutes by train.

It's a very pleasant town for a glass of beer by the canals on a summer's day. I also recommend the photo exhibition in the city archive (until September 15) and the photography museum.

Schiphol has a wonderful terrace for aviation enthusiasts with a children's playground, bar, restaurant and even a real Fokker!

Well, Amsterdam in the palm of your hand from the porthole on the way to Kyiv:

There will be separate reports about all this with all the appearances and passwords.
But there is something on a cruise that other methods of travel do not have - this is the view from the window or from the deck!
Always different, always the sea, sunsets and sunrises, white nights of Alaska or the full moon of the equator. No fuss or rush.
The time when the world around will wait.

And this is priceless!

Such sweet infinity... this was probably my first trip without haste, time pressure and tight timing, while I managed to see and manage to do so much!

All infinity in a martini glass:

Phew... even for the announcement there were more than 50 pictures...
Stay tuned, to be continued!

Celebrity Cruises is part of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Official Royal Caribbean Facebook page:

Our big trip to Alaska in 2008 began in the city of Juneau. As we approached, thoughts appeared in my head: “Where have we arrived? Why is everything so gloomy? It’s always cold here!))” and so on and so forth...

But everything turned out to be not entirely true.

We flew on a very interesting Alaska Airlines plane with an image of Aleut's face.

The airport turned out to be no less interesting. In Alaska they love to hang the heads of killed animals on the wall.

We came to Alaska under the Work and Travel USA cultural exchange program when we were students. For registration certain documents, we needed to visit the city of Juneau before heading to the main location in the city of Sitka.

Having issued Required documents we went for a walk around Juneau. The city of Juneau is the capital of Alaska, although it is not the largest. The population here is just over 30,000 people. Most Big city Alaska with a population of about 300,000 people is Anchorage.

We took the funicular to one of the tops of the city. There is a beautiful view from here. Check it out)

One of the biggest sources of income for coastal cities in Alaska is tourism. A large number of American pensioners and many other tourists disembark daily from Cruise ships and buy souvenirs in special stores. shops that are at every step, on the streets near the shore.

Well, we took such a cool photo in the mountains. Hello to the Central Bank!)

8 hours later we are in Sitka! When Alaska was Russian, this city was called Novo-Arkhangelsk and was the Russian capital of Alaska. The town is not big at all with a population of about 9 thousand people. It is located on an island Baranov.

This summer we worked at a fish factory. The plant is engaged in catching and processing of fresh fish, packaging of fresh frozen fish, production of fillet and production of salmon caviar. We processed such types of fish as: all types of salmon (pink salmon, chum salmon, trout, etc.), halibut (a type of flounder), cod, stingrays and others (not so large quantities that I don't even remember the name). Our plant is called .

We lived in a dormitory for workers. Two steps from the factory.

Our biggest meal was breakfast. Here is one of the options for our morning meal.

This also happened. This is dinner on "Mexican Food" day. Looks like it was on Thursdays)

And this is food from a picnic. Well, you understand, traditionally American.

The next few shots are from our fish factory. You can tell from the signage that quality and hygiene are the top priority.

And this is Halibut. 208 pounds is approximately 90 kg. The fish belongs to the flounder species.

In the evenings and on weekends we walked around the city. We went to the library (there is free internet there))

The most American cars)

And this is a bridge connecting two islands. One of ours (Fr. Baranov) and small island where the Sitka airport is located. And a mountain that looks like a volcano.