As Alaska enjoys its 60th year of statehood in 2019, travel advisors have an abundance of exciting Alaska trips and itineraries to share with their clients. Here are our favorites.
Cruising Alaska’s Remote Waters
For a memorable at-sea experience, Lazy Otter Charters’ 2019 tours on Prince William Sound will take place onboard The Voyager, the company’s new 30-passenger catamaran. The sailing between Whittier and Valdez takes about 3 ½ hours; clients can add a glacier visit for a six-hour excursion.
Meanwhile, Allen Marine Tours’ Sitka Wildlife Quest is now offering the Fin Island add-on tour for 2019. Guests will cruise the remote waters near Sitka and have the opportunity to view wildlife such as sea otters, whales, bears and more. Clients will enjoy a meal of Alaska king crab, wild salmon and prime rib during a lunch stop at Fin Island Lodge.
www.allenmarinetours.com
www.lazyottercharters.com
Nature-Immersive Touring
More travelers than ever are flocking to Alaska to watch the aurora borealis. The new Aurora Pointe Activity Center, located on 280-plus acres of private land and just 15 minutes from downtown Fairbanks, is a great way for them to see the night sky. The center was completed last summer and offers guided aurora-viewing tours. In addition to these tours, guests can also enjoy on-site dog-mushing with operator Paws for Adventure.
Over at The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC), clients can have an up-close wildlife encounter experience with Dirus, a resident wolf.
After the initial introduction, visitors are invited to attend a 30-minute Q&A seminar about AWCC’s wolf pack and learn about wild Alaskan wolves.
For a more hands-on experience, operator Alaska Wildland Adventures recently introduced The Wild Alaska Explorer, a six-day tour that includes a rainforest hike, panning for gold, dog sledding, rafting and fishing on the Kenai Peninsula. Additionally, Leaf Out Nature Guides in Fairbanks is offering several new, custom snowshoe tours and nature hikes through boreal forests that showcase the region’s medicinal and herbal plants and local wildlife.
Lifetime Adventures is now operating the Government Peak Chalet at Hatcher Pass for winter rentals of bikes, snowshoes and Nordic skis. Travelers booking Lifetime Adventures tours will have access to the Gold Cord Mine and other sights in the Hatcher Pass area, which is one of the Wasilla region’s most scenic locations.
www.alaskawildland.com
www.alaskawildlife.org
www.aurorapointe.net
www.leafoutak.com
www.lifetimeadventure.net
Meet wolves at The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.
Credit: 2019 Getty ImagesSip and Savor the State’s Best Beverages
Food- and beverage-themed travel is all the rage, and foodie clients have plenty to choose from when booking culinary activities in Alaska.
Arctic Harvest — a family-owned and -operated farm and distillery in North Pole, Alaska — prides itself on its authentic farm-to-bottle operation, and its spirits are created from ingredients grown right on the property.
The company offers tours and cocktails year-round, as well as access to ski trails in winter and bird-watching and walking trails in summer.
Clients can continue on their tasty exploration of the state by sampling Alaska’s craft-beverage industry through Big Swig Tours.
Tasting stops may include Girdwood Brewing Co., Anchorage Distillery and Double Shovel Cider Co., among other hot spots, in addition to activities such as a tram ride or lunch at Alyeska Resort.
www.akgrownspirits.com
www.bigswigtours.com
Stay in a Dome at Borealis Basecamp
Borealis Basecamp, located 25 miles from Fairbanks, features a dining yurt and an expanded lounge space that allows its customers access to a common space for relaxing with friends or other guests.
Accommodations are walk-in, fiberglass, igloo-shaped dome structures with clear ceilings for aurora-watching from chairs or beds. The rooms feature 12-foot ceilings and are also equipped with a kitchenette and a bathroom with a shower and a vanity sink.
John Halls Alaska Cruises and Tours has partnered with Borealis Basecamp. John Halls’ Alaska Winter Wonders and Iditarod & Aurora Adventure itineraries now include two days and overnight accommodations at the property.
www.borealisbasecamp.net
www.kissalaska.com
