Mind’s Eye Travel
Enriching the lives of people who are visually impaired or blind
ALASKA'S DENALI
NATIONAL PARK
Including Anchorage, Whittier & Prince William Sound
June 13-20, 2024
Introduction
INTRO
Prices start at $5990. Two people share one sighted guide.
Add $1700 if you want your own guide.
Add $2200 if you want your own room.
Itinerary
DAY 1, June 13
Arrive in anchorage
Check into Hotel Captain Cook Hotel (or similar).
This evening we will have a Meet & Greet dinner at a neighborhood restaurant—salmon, halibut, reindeer sausage or whatever the locals recommend!
DAY 2, June 14
Red Trolley City Tour & Alaska Native Heritage Center
Hop aboard a Red Trolley in downtown Anchorage for a deluxe city tour focused on Alaskan culture and history. Landmarks include Earthquake Park, Lake Hood Harbor and the Alaska Railroad Depot. We’ll get off the trolley at designated stops to learn more from our local guide. We’ll hear floatplanes land on Lake Hood and maybe even encounter a moose.
At the Alaska Native Heritage Center, our private guided tour will include storytelling, dancing, handcrafts-making and a visit to the simulated life-sized villages representing each of Alaska’s five main indigenous groups. Last but not least, we’ll visit the gift shop for handmade souvenirs.
Day 3, JUNE 15
Glacier Cruise from Whittier to
Prince William Sound
Our narrated drive from Anchorage to Whittier is a spectacular journey along the winding shoreline of Turnagain Arm. We’ll board a very stable catamaran boat that will follow the route of the 1899 Harriman Expedition. Lunch (guests rave about the chowder and cookies) will be served while our captain describes the glacial formations outside our panoramic windows.
Day 4, June 16
Train to Denali
Board our train with glass-topped observation cars this morning for the day-long (71/2 hours) trip to Denali National Park. Breakfast or lunch can be purchased in the dining car or café en route, and the train stops along the way so we can stretch our legs.
Upon arrival, we’ll be shuttled to our hotel, where we’ll check in, relax and have dinner.
day 5, June 17
Tundra Wilderness Adventure & Hike around Horseshoe Lake
This morning we’ll take the shuttle down to the Denali Visitor Center, where we’ll show our Park Service access passes for entry and then enjoy the three-dimensional tactile park map, ranger talks and a film before setting out on Denali National Park and Preserve’s famous narrated Tundra Wilderness Tour. This will be the best opportunity to cross paths with some of Alaska’s spectacular wildlife.
Afterward, we will have time for an easy two-hour hike around Horseshoe Lake. We’ll go at our own pace and there are benches along the trail.
day 6, June 18
Hiking & Optional Activities
Denali Sled Dog Kennel Visit. A park ranger will inform us about the history of sled dogs in Alaska and their importance to this vast region. We’ll be able to pet the dogs and there may even be a litter of puppies on hand too.
Hike the McKinley Station Trail. If you’re up for another walk, this is an easy 3.2-mile (out and back) hike that begins conveniently near the Denali Visitor Center.
Optional Activities:
Back Country Side-by-Side ATV Adventure with a very hearty meal — 3 1/2 hours, $300.
Kick up your adrenaline with this guided adventure in the backcountry of Denali National Park. Hop aboard a Polaris side-by-side all-terrain vehicle, accommodating you and your sighted-guide driver, and rev off along the Alaska Range and Black Diamond Peak. After the ride, enjoy a full-service meal. Save your appetite because they just keep bringing more and more food.
Denali Peak Sightseeing by Plane — 70 minutes, $469.
Get closer to Alaska’s majestic Denali from the comfortable window seat of a small plane. Slip on your provided headset to hear commentary from your guide as you fly over the snow-covered peaks, jagged ridgelines and glacier-carved valleys of Denali National Park, and get within half a mile of the mountain peak.
day 7, June 19
Train Back to Anchorage
This morning we check out of our hotel and board the train to return to Anchorage and transfer to our airport hotel.
day 8, June 20
Transfer to the airport for our flights home.
The Details
Pricing Excluding Optional Activities:
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These prices include 1 sighted guide for 2 passengers.
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Veranda $9990, double occupancy.
Please Note
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8 nights’ accommodations, breakfast each morning, two dinners, one lunch.
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All activities as described except optional activities.
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A $1000 deposit per person is required to hold space; the balance will be due 90 days prior to the trip, after which fees will no longer be refundable.
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Price is for double occupancy and does not include airfare, alcoholic beverages, personal items or any gratuities.
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Mind’s Eye Travel recommends trip insurance.
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Our trips are non-smoking and not combinable with any
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other offer.
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Until further notice Mind's Eye Travel clients and guides must be fully vaccinated.