Sunday, February 26 – Fairbanks, Alaska – Tour Begins
Today you’ll arrive into Fairbanks, the Golden Heart City and one of the best spots on earth to view the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights. Group members will be arriving throughout the day and most flights arrive late at night. This evening you’ll have the opportunity to relax and settle in for a good night sleep before your adventure begins tomorrow morning!
Monday, February 27 – Fairbanks, Alaska
Welcome to your first full day in Alaska! This morning we’ll gather together for an Amazing Journeys Group Welcome and Orientation. After, enjoy a city tour of Fairbanks including a visit to the Museum of the North and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. This afternoon, visit the Morris Thompson Cultural Center. Later, enjoy free time walking around Downtown Fairbanks or relaxing before your night of Aurora viewing. Tonight, enjoy a group dinner before heading out to explore the Alaska Ice Carving Festival where you’ll see the world’s best ice sculptors turn ice into art. Here, you’ll get to see artists at work and enjoy the beautiful sculptors presented in an incredible backdrop of the great Alaskan outdoors, After, board your deluxe motorcoach for a night of Aurora Borealis viewing. A warm nonalcoholic beverage is included tonight. (B, D)
Tuesday, February 28 – Fairbanks, Alaska
Today we’ll have a later start after a night of aurora viewing. We’ll board our motorcoach and travel north to Chena Hot Springs. Here, enjoy winter at its finest as you soak in the 105° F geo-thermal pools at Rock Lake. Afterwards enjoy an Amazing Journeys Martini party as we sip apple martini’s from a hand-carved glass made from ice. We’ll visit the Chena Ice Museum where you’ll see ice sculptures presented in a winter wonderland! We’ll return south to Fairbanks and relax in preparation of another night of Aurora Borealis viewing at one of our favorite locations in the world to capture this magnificent display of lights strewn across the night sky. A warm nonalcoholic beverage is included tonight. (B)
Wednesday, March 1 – Fairbanks – Talkeetna, Alaska
This morning, we’ll travel to the Fairbanks Rail Depot and board the “Aurora Train” headed south to the town of Talkeetna. En route you’ll pass by magical snow covered mountains and have the opportunity to spot wildlife as you travel over tundra. Once in Talkeetna enjoy the rest of the evening exploring the hotel, gazing out at the wilderness or staying warm near their 56-foot tall fireplace. As an added bonus, we have upgraded all of your hotel rooms to a mountain view, overlooking the magnificent Denali Mountain, designated as the tallest in North America. (B)
Thursday, March 2 – Talkeetna – Anchorage, Alaska
This morning enjoy free time to explore the quaint town of Talkeetna. Afterwards we’ll visit the kennel and dogs of five-time Iditarod winner Dallas Seavey. Here we’ll learn what it takes to be professional musher, take a ride on a dog sled and even visit some of the puppies who may become champions in the coming years! Later, continue south to Anchorage where, this evening, experience your first Iditarod activities at the Mushers Banquet where historically, the Iditarod racers starting positions are raffled. We’ll enjoy dinner at the Mushers Banquet and all of the activities that are part of this Iditarod tradition. (B, D)
Friday, March 3 – Anchorage – Seward Highway – Anchorage, Alaska
This morning we’ll visit the Anchorage Museum, a large art, history, ethnography, ecology, and science museum in the heart of downtown Anchorage. Traveling along the Turnagain Arm, we’ll drive south down one of the most beautiful roads in the world, the Seward Highway. We’ll drive alongside the Chugach Mountains to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. This is a non-profit sanctuary that is dedicated to preserving Alaska’s wildlife through conservation and research. The center takes in many of Alaska’s injured wildlife in hopes of rehabilitating them and releasing them into the wild again. You’ll see many indigenous animals to Alaska which may include black bears, eagles, moose, reindeer, arctic fox, coyotes, wood bison, elk, lynx and more. This evening, we’ll join together for Shabbat Services, Alaskan style! (B)
Saturday, March 4 – Anchorage, Alaska
This morning we’ll head to 4th Avenue to get a great spot at the Official Ceremonial Start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Spend time cheering on mushers from all over the world as they depart the starting gate every two minutes. The rest of the afternoon will be free to enjoy other Iditarod festivities including the 87 year old Fur Rondy, representing the pioneering spirit of Alaskans and featuring over 50 events around Anchorage. One of the highlights will include the Running of the Reindeer where, for a small fee that goes to charity, you can be part of a short but hilarious mad dash down the streets of Anchorage in an effort to outrun reindeer. Other Fur Rondy activities include the time-honored Fur Auction, Native Arts Market, street concerts and Carnival. Tonight we’ll join together for an Amazing Journeys Farewell Dinner at local restaurant. (B, D)
Sunday, March 5 – Anchorage – Willow – Anchorage, Alaska
We’ll depart from our hotel early this morning to begin our adventure north to Willow for the official start of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. Be sure to dress in layers to maximize staying warm as the entire day will be spent outside cheering on your favorite dog teams. En-route, we’ll stop at a local grocery store in Wasilla to pick-up some snack and lunch items for our day outside in nature at this once-in-a-lifetime event. Prepare for a bit of a walk to find the perfect spot along the fence line of the race. Mushers take off across Willow Lake on their 1,049-mile journey by dog sled to Nome. The Willow Community Center is open and offers a break from the cold with vendors selling food and drink as well as local crafts. Don’t miss out on snacks throughout the day! Our Tour Director will have more information on this edible portion of the program! The departure time from Willow will depend on weather conditions and the comfort level of our group. It is our goal to see as many of the Mushers depart as possible while still arriving back into Anchorage by 6:00/6:30pm. Upon return to Anchorage it will be time to say goodbye to your local Tour Director as we are transferred to the Anchorage Airport for your flight home. (B)
Our Itinerary at a Glance:
Night 1-3 Springhill Suites, Fairbanks
Night 4 Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, Talkeetna
Night 5-7 Marriott Anchorage Downtown, Anchorage
Please note:
1) Alternate hotels may be utilized
2) The order of this tour may change
3) Some activities are weather dependent and are subject to change
4) The Aurora Borealis is based on clear skies and high solar activity and is never guaranteed
5) Dog mushing is a very active sport and will require guests to be physically fit
6) Changes due to Covid restrictions may be required
7) The activity level of this trip is a 4 out of 5. Winter in Alaska means snow, ice and cold temperatures. Most venues are outdoors. Uneven and icy surfaces may be underfoot. Some days will require longer walks which may be a distance of 1-2 miles. Dog Sledding is optional but requires some agility.
| Rates* |
Twin |
Single |
|
$3449*
Call for availability |
$3999
Call for availability |
*As of 1/1/23, roommate matching is not offered. If you and a friend would like to share a room, twin occupancy is available.
A deposit of $250 is due with your reservation. Full payment is due on January 5, 2023.
Rates are subject to change based on availability.
These rates are based on an all-inclusive, custom-designed package that differs from offerings seen in public advertising. We are unable to make any of our package components available to anyone who is not part of our Amazing Journeys group.
Pre- and Post-Tour Nights:
For those who want to arrive prior to the start of the tour, or stay after, we offer a limited number of rooms held at our group hotels. Please note – there will be no Amazing Journeys staff present nor will there be programming on these days. We are not able to match roommates for extra night stays.
Fairbanks: (February 25)
The room rates are per person and include taxes and breakfast daily
Twin – $89 per person
Single – $169
Anchorage: (March 5)
The room rates are per person and include taxes
Twin -$99 per person
Single – $199
Items listed on this website are subject to change at any time. By providing payment you agree to the terms and conditions as outlined on this website. All rooms are non-smoking.
Cancellation Policy: From the time of deposit until November 17, 2022, there is a $75 penalty for cancellation. From November 18 – December 19, 2022, the cancellation penalty is the amount of the deposit. From December 20, 2022 – January 24, 2023, the cancellation penalty is 50% of the package price. From January 25, 2023 until the day of travel, the cancellation penalty is 100% of the total package price. Cancellations made on the day of departure and “no-shows” will receive no refund. There is no refund in the event of interruption or cancellation by the passenger after the start of the journey.
Travel Protection: Amazing Journeys recommends you purchase travel protection. Information will be sent with tour confirmation.
Flights and Transfers: Airfare is not included. We will send each guest a confirmation once the trip is reserved which will have flight parameters. You will fly into Fairbanks (FAI) and home from Anchorage (ANC). Transfers are included in our rates for arrival into Fairbanks and departures from Anchorage. From Anchorage, transfers are included for those leaving on the last night of the tour with flights after 9:00 pm. Please don’t purchase your airline ticket until you have received a confirmation letter from Amazing Journeys.
COVID Precautions: Until further notice, we require you to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 at least two weeks before departure, and boosters are recommended to keep you healthy and safe while traveling but at this time, not required. Please send us a copy of your COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card with the CDC logo by email or fax to Amazing Journeys. We do not test for COVID-19 or any other diseases. It is up to each traveler to be aware of any requirements or changes to state and country mandates and airline requirements as they are changing often. Depending upon the situation at the time of this trip and the destination, some tour components may be modified, and masks may be required as determined by the CDC.
Passports & Visas: A passport is necessary for those from outside of the US. Travelers coming from countries outside of the US should check with the US Embassy in their own country for the current visa requirements.
Fuel Surcharges: Should fuel charges be instituted for travel on this itinerary, the fees will be passed along to our travelers.
Taxes & Gratuities: All taxes and gratuities have been included in the cost of the tour package. These include gratuities for baggage handling (two bags per person), tour guide, specialty guides, drivers and meal servers for included meals.
Activity Level: The activity level of this trip is a 4 out of 5. Winter in Alaska means snow, ice and cold temperatures. Most venues are outdoors. Uneven and icy surfaces may be underfoot. Some days will require longer walks which may be a distance of 1-2 miles. Dog Sledding is optional but requires some agility.
We must have a minimum of 15 participants in order to operate this tour.
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