Signature Grand Alaska by Rail (Tour code: 12510)

Coastal Classic Train is ranked by the National Geographic Traveler among their Top Ten Train Rides in North America. A convenient round-trip schedule and picturesque landscapes along the route make the Coastal Classic Train a local favourite.

Coastal Classic Train | Credit: Glenn Aronwits

Glacier Discovery Train only offers the adventure class. These single-level railcars with a shared vista dome have high ceilings, large windows, as well as a truly surprising amount of legroom. Most seats recline and have footrests.

Adventure Class | Credit: Michael W Sullivan

Denali Star Train is Alaska Railroad's flagship train, it features large curved glass windows that run the full length of the car, allowing excellent 360-degree viewing plus a private outdoor viewing deck. The full-service dining room can be found on the lower level.

Alaska Railroad GoldStar Service | Credit: Travel Alaska

Arrive in Anchorage and transfer independently to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to enjoy Alaska’s largest city, set between Cook Inlet and the Chugach Mountains. Stroll the downtown streets, walk part of the coastal trail, visit local galleries or settle in with views of the surrounding mountains as your Alaska rail vacation begins.

Overnight in Anchorage at the Hotel Captain Cook

Anchorage | Credit: Visit Anchorage

Depart Anchorage aboard Alaska Railroad’s Coastal Classic train and travel south on one of the most spectacular rail journeys in North America. From your GoldStar dome seat or private outdoor viewing deck, watch the city give way to the tidal flats of Turnagain Arm, where the Chugach Mountains rise sharply from the water and the railway curves along the coast. Continue past forested valleys, waterfalls, hanging glaciers and the wild backcountry of the Kenai Peninsula before arriving in Seward, a dramatic harbour town set between Resurrection Bay and snow-capped mountains. Breakfast onboard will be served.

This afternoon, personalise your excursion by choosing one of the three Freedom of Choice options below.

Overnight in Seward at the Seward Windsong Lodge

Freedom of Choice Options

• Tonsina Point Resurrection Bay Kayaking Adventure:

  Paddle the protected waters of Resurrection Bay, surrounded by snow capped mountains, forested shoreline and the wild coastal scenery that makes Seward so memorable. This active sea-kayaking adventure offers a close-to-nature way to experience the bay, with opportunities to explore shoreline areas near Tonsina Point.

OR

• Exit Glacier Hike:

  Explore the Resurrection River Valley on a guided hike to Exit Glacier, where blue ice descends from the Harding Icefield. This is one of the most accessible glacier experiences in Alaska and a strong choice for travellers who want to feel close to the landscape.

OR

• Bear Lake Kayak:

  Kayak or canoe on calm Bear Lake, located just outside Seward. With local guides, visit the salmon weir, learn about the salmon life cycle, and watch for eagles, loons and other wildlife in a peaceful mountain setting.

Coastal Classic Train | Credit: Glenn Aronwits

Set out from Seward on a full-day cruise into Kenai Fjords National Park, travelling beyond Resurrection Bay into a world of steep coastal cliffs, alpine ice, tidewater glaciers and rich marine habitat. The Northwestern Fjord route reaches deeper into the park than standard cruises, giving you more time among the remote glacier-carved landscapes that define this part of coastal Alaska. Watch for Steller sea lions, harbour seals, puffins, humpback whales, orcas and sea otters as your vessel follows the rugged shoreline and approaches the ice. A continental breakfast and deli-style lunch will be served onboard.

Overnight stay in Seward at the Seward Windsong Lodge

Kenai Fjords Cruise | Credit: Pursuit

Depart Seward and begin the journey north with a stop for views of Exit Glacier, one of Alaska’s most accessible glacier landscapes. Continue through the Kenai Peninsula and along the mountain-framed Seward Highway toward the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, where injured and orphaned animals are cared for in a spacious natural setting. Look for bears, moose, bison, caribou, musk oxen and other northern wildlife before continuing to Girdwood. Ride the Alyeska Aerial Tram for sweeping views over Turnagain Arm, hanging glaciers and the peaks of the Chugach Mountains, then return to Anchorage in the late afternoon. Lunch is included today.

Overnight in Anchorage at the Hotel Captain Cook

Alyeska Resort Girdwood | Credit: Travel Alaska

Travel from Anchorage toward Whittier, following the scenic Turnagain Arm corridor where mountains, tidal flats and coastal water create one of Southcentral Alaska’s classic journeys. Board the Prince William Sound 26 Glacier Cruise and enter a sheltered marine world of fjords, waterfalls, floating ice and tidewater glaciers. As the vessel travels deeper into the sound, watch for sea otters, seals, whales, seabirds, bears and mountain goats, with glacier faces and icefields rising from the surrounding mountains. After returning to Whittier, board Alaska Railroad’s Glacier Discovery train for the scenic evening rail journey back toward Anchorage. Lunch is included onboard today.

Overnight in Anchorage at the Hotel Captain Cook

Prince William Sound | Credit: Travel Alaska / Chris McLennan

Today, fly from Anchorage by floatplane into one of Alaska’s remote bear viewing regions. Depending on season, weather and bear activity, your destination may be Redoubt Bay, Katmai National Park, Lake Clark or Chinitna Bay. From the air, Alaska opens into a vast landscape of coastline, rivers, mountains, wetlands and wilderness valleys. After landing, join professional guides for a bear-viewing experience in natural habitat, with opportunities to watch brown or black bears fishing, foraging or moving through the landscape. Lunch is included today.

Overnight in Anchorage at the Hotel Captain Cook

Black Bear near Redoubt Bay | Credit: Travel Alaska | Chris McLennan

Depart Anchorage aboard Alaska Railroad’s Denali Star and travel north into the broad, open landscapes of Southcentral Alaska. From your GoldStar dome seat or private outdoor viewing deck, the city quickly gives way to forest, wetlands, braided rivers and mountain horizons. The route follows the Knik Arm area before crossing river country near the Eklutna, Knik and Matanuska rivers, with the Chugach Mountains behind you and the Talkeetna Mountains rising to the north. Continue through the Matanuska Susitna Valley, where open sky, distant ridgelines and long stretches of wilderness create a powerful sense of Alaska’s scale. On clear days, watch for Mt. Susitna, known locally as Sleeping Lady, and possible views of Denali as the train approaches Talkeetna and the Susitna River. Breakfast is included onboard the train today.

Arrive in Talkeetna, a characterful Alaska rail town with a frontier feel and a long history as a gateway for Denali climbers. This afternoon, take to the air on an included Denali Flightseeing experience with a glacier landing, weather permitting. Fly toward the Alaska Range, where rivers and forest give way to immense glaciers, granite walls, snow-covered peaks and ice-carved valleys. Land on a glacier and step out into one of Alaska’s most dramatic mountain landscapes before returning to Talkeetna for the evening.

Overnight in Talkeetna at the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge

Mount Denali

Rejoin Alaska Railroad’s Denali Star and continue north from Talkeetna toward Denali National Park Entrance. This is a wilder, more remote stretch of the rail journey, where the line moves beyond the main highway corridor into backcountry landscapes of river valleys, forest, mountain views and open northern sky. Watch for views toward the Alaska Range as the train travels through country shaped by rivers, glaciers and long Alaska winters. The route includes some of the railroad’s most memorable scenery, with clear-day chances to see Denali and the surrounding peaks before arriving near the entrance to Denali National Park. The rest of the day is free to enjoy the mountain setting. Lunch is included onboard the train today.

Overnight in Denali at the Grande Denali Lodge

Alaska Railroad | Credit: Glenn Aronwits

Time to explore the city! Personalise your day by choosing one of the two Freedom of Choice options below.

Overnight in Denali at the Grande Denali Lodge

Freedom of Choice Options

• Denali Highway Jeep Excursion:

  Ranked #2 in Drives of a Lifetime by National Geographic Traveler magazine, experience the natural wonders of Alaska’s Denali Highway — this time by Jeep! This 4-hour guided excursion travels along a 135 mi (217 km) gravel road & takes you off the beaten path in a 4 x 4 to enjoy scenic views of Denali, the Alaska Range, glaciers and wildlife.

OR

• Tundra Wilderness Tour:

  Travel into Denali National Park on a narrated coach tour along the park road, where the landscape opens into tundra, braided rivers, mountain valleys and wildlife habitat. Watch for moose, caribou, Dall sheep, bears and other wildlife while learning about the park’s geology, ecology and wilderness character.

Denali Highway | Credit: State of Alaska | Michael DeYoung

Enjoy a relaxed morning near Denali before boarding Alaska Railroad’s Denali Star in GoldStar Service for the final rail journey north to Fairbanks. The scenery changes again as the train leaves the mountains around Denali and travels into Interior Alaska, where broad river valleys, boreal forest, open sky and northern light give the landscape a quieter, more expansive feel. Settle into the dome car, step onto the outdoor viewing deck and watch the route unfold through river country, small communities and remote forest before arriving in Fairbanks this evening, where your Alaska rail journey comes to an end. Dinner is included onboard the train today.