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Walking tour in Alaska

Inspired by Wendy, a friend and superb Alaskan guide, we have introduced Alaska into our Walkabout Program. The vast beauty of this region is overwhelming with plenty of fresh and delicious food.

The first two days we stay at Sheep Mountain, which is very close to Wendy's home. From here we walk up to Lion's Head and venture out on Matanuska Glacier where we explore the wonders of this moving glacier. Together with Wendy, who is a certified glacier guide, we strap on our crampons and discover the incredible features of the glacier, including beautiful crevasses and startlingly blue ice. The glacier is constantly changing and moving, so our route is dependent on the conditions of the day. We end our walk with some great photos and a better knowledge of glaciers and how they are formed.

Deep in the Alaskan interior are over six million acres of preserved wilderness, which include massive expanses of forest, glacial lakes, frozen tundra, and towering mountains - including North America's tallest mountain, Denali. The name "Denali" means "The Great One" in the native Athabascan language. At 6,190 m above sea level, it is the highest peak in North America and surrounded by one of the world's most spectacular wildlife sanctuaries. Denali National Park is home to many types of wildlife including caribou, moose, wolves, Dall sheep, bald eagles, and the mighty grizzly bears. We shall learn a lot about wildlife, history and geology of this area on our walk and our wilderness safari, which will take us deep into the National Park.

Our next destination is Seward in the South. Here our highlight is an optional magical cruise on the Kenai Fjords with breathtaking scenery, massive tidewater glaciers and abundant wildlife like the cute otters, sea lions, plenty of whales and a variety of seals. We may even spot some black bears swimming. On our trail at the edge of Exit Glacier we witness how glaciers re-shape a landscape and learn how plant life reclaims the barren rocky land exposed by a glacier's retreat.

Our final 5 days we spend in Homer. It has long been known as the "Halibut Fishing Capital of the World" and described as "where the land ends and the sea begins. It has spectacular views of Kachemak Bay, the Kenai Mountains and several volcanic peaks across Cook Inlet including Mt. Augustine, Mt. Iliamna, and Mt. Redoubt. Our "Lands End" hotel is on the Homer Spit ("spit" is a geological landform), a narrow 7.2 km long gravel bar and the longest road into ocean waters in the world. It accommodates Homer's port facilities along with numerous shops and restaurants. We visit the enchanted artist community of Halibut Cove as well as Seldovia, "across the bay" from Homer.

On your free day you can try your luck and fish for the Kenai River King Salmon or join Eric from Alaska Ultimate Safaris on a bear watching safari. Flying slower than an airplane gives you plenty of time to take photos of the scenic surroundings through the big windows. The chopper experience allows access to remote areas that planes simply can't reach. Eric loves the outdoors and is very knowledgeable. The flight is about 45 minutes each way from Homer, along the way you can see Mt. Redoubt, volcanoes, and gorgeous mountain vistas. Sitting beside the riverbank and watching the bears fish, eat and teaching their cubs is certainly a mesmerising experience, so absolutely peaceful and will be a great finale to your visit of America's last frontier.

Our Hotels and Cuisine

We stay in "the best of both worlds" - the dramatic mountain scenery of Sheep Mountain and Denali NP and the charming coastal towns of Seward and Homer in the south.

		Denali Grizzly Bear Resort » Denali NP, Alaska; Scenic resort on boundary of Denali National Park and Preserve
		Sheep Mountain Lodge » Sutton, Alaska Laid-back country lodge from 1946 set off the scenic Glenn Highway
		Seward Windsong Lodge » Seward, Alaska Sseasonal, secluded lodge on the banks of Resurrection River
		Land's End Resort » Homer, Alaska Set on the tip of the Homer Spit and overlooking Kachemak Bay

		229 Parks Tavern » Denali NP, Alaska; Stylish hideaway quintessentially modern Alaskan cuisine
		The Saltry Restaurant » Halibut Cove, Alaska Spectacular local seafood, service, views and atmosphere.

TBD
Tour	Into the Wilds of Alaska [14 days]
Begins	Anchorage, Alaska, USA
Ends	Anchorage, Alaska, USA
Price	AUD TBD

Trip Notes Booking

Feedback from previous guests

A most enjoyable & well-planned itinerary with a wide range of activities. The destinations were varied & interesting from glaciers to coastal towns. Our guide Wendy was superb - what a fountain of knowledge, experience & enthusiasm! Loved seeing where she lived and gaining a small insight to life in rural Alaska. Highlights of the trip were Halibut Cove, the NW glacier & viewing bears at Brooks Falls. As usual on Graeme's trips the company was very congenial." Ann from Currumbin QLD, Australia [2019]

Our heartfelt thanks to Graeme and Wendy for organising and so ably leading our group on hikes into such stupendously vast and pristine terrains which make up the great State of Alaska. We had enjoyed two previous visits to our northern neighbours, but this gave us an entirely different perspective. Booking: Our NZ friends had recommended this company to us, having done several hikes in the past. Trish in the office took our on-line booking, let us know when deposits and full payment were required, and kept us updated on any changes. The Hike: it was our first ever hike, and although seniors, we are extremely physically fit and active long-distance cyclists/walkers. On reading the 'grading' of hikes in brochure, we felt confident we could manage the at times mountainous, rocky terrain. This proved to be correct. The choice of hikes was varied..." Read more Rae from Nanaimo B.C. Canada [2019]

Alaska was a great destination. Wendy's extensive knowledge, love for the country and her determination that we should have a good time, ensured that we had a wonderful trip. We came away feeling as though we had a taste of not just the physical beauty of Alaska, but also a glimpse of what it was like to live there." Ian & Sue from Chatsworth, QLD, Australia [2018]

This was our 4th Walkabout tour and was very good. Alaska is scenically spectacular and the wildlife is unique and interesting. We were a compatible group of seven in one van and a large part of the success of this trip was our guide Wendy. She is not only very well informed about Alaska, but was professional and diligent at all times. Her local expert knowledge on everything from the glaciers themselves, the localities and the sled dogs etc, complemented her excellent communication skills. Regarding some of the details, the localities and accommodations were all excellent but we expected to do a bit more walking, especially early in the tour. The weather did not always help this as the wet could have made it somewhat muddy. For the planning though, perhaps more walks would be good. We had some good meals, though we also had a couple of very average ones. We felt that we should have been able to have more choice of meals and not fixed menus at most places. Even a choice of 2 or 3 mains would have been helpful at times. So, overall a really good Walkabout tour which we would recommend to our friends." Peter & Helen from Sydney NSW, Australia [2018]

Alaska was great in every respect - I particularly enjoyed the company of our guide, Wendy. Graeme did his usual excellent job. I liked the variety in the tour - walking on the glacier, the dog mushing and the helicopter excursion to see the bears." Dianne from Roseville, NSW Australia [2017]

Wendy with her local knowledge and experience was essential to the success of the walking holiday. Graeme gave great leadership and support to us all. The tour was well planned and gave us a good understanding of Alaska and its inhabitants and wildlife. The accommodation was very good and better than I expected. The food in general was only fair and perhaps twice it could have been called Gourmet. The two highlights were NW fjord tour from Seward and the Bear viewing with Ultimate Safaris from Homer. Lastly, we were fortunate in that all of the people on the tour were interesting and agreeable." Tony from Mosman, NSW Australia [2017]