Most meals included – (B,L,D) denotes Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 1 (Travel Day) (D)
Arrive in Fairbanks, Alaska, in time for an orientation meeting and welcome dinner. During autumn and winter departure dates, we’ll spend the evening following our orientation photographing the Northern Lights!
Day 2 (B, L, D)
We’ll begin our quest by heading south on Parks Highway towards Denali National Park where we’ll board a Denali Bus wildlife excursion that will position us for outstanding wildlife encounters. Our trigger fingers might start to hurt following photo opportunities with bears, moose, caribou, and maybe even wolves!
Day 3 (B, L, D)
We’re on the move again today, this time headed towards the iconic and historic village of Talkeetna, nestled at the base of North America’s tallest peak, Denali. Talkeetna, quintessential Alaska, has outstanding panoramic views of the Alaska Range that can be enjoyed and photographed from several locations. Our day will conclude with a sunset shot with Denali as our central subject.
Day 4 (B, L, D)
One of our more adventurous days is highlighted by a “flight-seeing” trip, in a real Alaskan bush plane. We’ll fly around Denali, touching down on an actual glacier! The adventure is bound only by your imagination here. Enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime moment.
Day 5 (B, L, D)
Sunrise will focus on a carefully selected scene along the banks of the Susitna River near Talkeetna with Denali standing tall as if watching from above. Following breakfast, we’ll drive to the Palmer area where we’ll explore Matanuska Glacier. Flowing about one foot per day, Matanuska Glacier is 27 miles long by 4 miles wide and is the largest glacier accessible by car in the United States. Epic mountain scenery and glaciers are the name of the game for us on this day!
Day 6 (B, L, D)
Mountains upon mountains upon mountains might just be the unofficial theme as our trip continues on day six. We’ll move on towards Valdez today. Valdez is located on a wedge of flat land on the north shore of Port Valdez, a deepwater fjord. Its location in Prince William Sound makes it an outdoor paradise, all around are glaciers galore, stunning mountain scenery, an abundance of marine wildlife, and opportunities for outdoor adventure.
Day 7 (B, L, D)
Today we’ll revel in the breathtaking scenery of fjords, glaciers, waterfalls, and bays as we cruise through the calm waters of Prince William Sound on a boat tour specifically designed for marine wildlife photography. That's right, all that beauty just described is just an "added extra" as we search the icy waters for critters ranging from whale, seal, sea lion, eagle, and even land-dwellers like bear and deer. In the evening, for sunset, we’ll switch gears again back to landscapes as we point towards stunningly beautiful Valdez.
Day 8 (B, L, D)
Heading north on the Richardson Highway, we’ll be traveling in the direction of Fairbanks. Incredible images of the Wrangell Mountains and the Alaska range will be available to us along the way. The Wrangell Mountains are almost entirely volcanic in origin, and they include the second and third highest volcanoes in the United States, Mount Blackburn, and Mount Sanford. We’ll find cozy Alaskan accommodations here, and in autumn and winter when the Northern Lights are available, we’ll certainly take advantage!
Day 9 (B, L)
Our final morning together will have us situated for the soft light of sunrise in front of the glorious Alaska Range. What better way to say ‘good-bye’ to Alaska than with this scene? Following our shoot, we’ll get packed up and headed back towards Fairbanks for lunch prior to saying good-bye. You can either fly home this evening or if you extended your stay by booking our Alaska Northern Lights Extension, you’ll be headed off to begin that adventure*
*Northern Lights Extensions begin immediately following fall & winter trips.