Day 1: Arrive Anchorage
Arrive in Anchorage. Welcome meeting with your Intrepid leader at 6 PM. Evening walk along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail for sunset views of Cook Inlet, Mount Susitna (the ‘Sleeping Lady’), and, on clear evenings, Denali glowing pink in alpenglow 130 miles away. Welcome dinner. Overnight Anchorage.
Day 2: Matanuska Glacier Ice Trek — Walk on a River of Ice
Morning drive along the Glenn Highway to the Matanuska Glacier — at 27 miles long and 4 miles wide, Alaska’s largest road-accessible glacier. Gear up with crampons, helmet, and ice axe for a guided ice trek. Step onto the glacier’s surface — a frozen river sculpted into an alien landscape of deep blue crevasses, towering ice seracs, moulins (vertical shafts carrying meltwater), and frozen waves. Your guide explains the glacier’s anatomy and its 10,000-year history. The 3-4 hour trek covers 3-5 miles on the ice, with frequent stops to peer into crevasses and marvel at the otherworldly blue light filtering through ancient ice. Afternoon: continue to the mountain town of Talkeetna. Evening free — visit the historic Roadhouse or toast the day at Denali Brewing Company. Overnight Talkeetna.
Day 3: Denali National Park — Triple Lakes Trail
Morning drive to Denali National Park. Today’s hike: the Triple Lakes Trail — Denali’s longest established trail at 9 miles point-to-point (can be done partially as out-and-back). The trail winds through spruce and birch forest, crosses the Riley Creek suspension bridge, passes three alpine lakes, and offers excellent wildlife viewing — moose browsing in the willows, beavers at their dams, and ptarmigan on the tundra. Afternoon: board the Denali Park shuttle for a wildlife-viewing journey along the park road. Peer through binoculars for grizzly bears, caribou, Dall sheep, and if fortune truly smiles, a wolf. Overnight Denali Park area.
Day 4: Talkeetna to Seward — Scenic Drive
Morning drive back through Talkeetna and south along the Seward Highway — one of America’s 10 most scenic drives. Stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center to see musk ox, wood bison, brown bears, and moose. Continue to Girdwood for lunch and optional ride on the Alyeska Tram. Afternoon: continue to Seward, gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park. Evening: seafood dinner in Seward’s harbor district. Overnight Seward.
Day 5: Kenai Fjords Sea Kayaking — Resurrection Bay
Full day of sea kayaking in Resurrection Bay. After a safety briefing and paddling instruction, launch into the calm, protected waters of the bay. Paddle along the rugged coastline past spruce-topped cliffs, beneath seabird rookeries (puffins, cormorants, murres), and past sea otter rafts. Steller sea lions haul out on rocky outcrops, and harbor seals curiously pop their heads up near your kayak. The backdrop is Alaska at its most dramatic — snow-capped peaks, cascading waterfalls, and the occasional thunder of glacier ice calving in the distance. Lunch on a secluded beach. No prior kayaking experience needed; stable double sea kayaks provide a safe and accessible platform for all ability levels. Overnight Seward.
Day 6: Coastal Bike & Exit Glacier Hike
Morning: bike ride along the Seward coastal trail and to Exit Glacier Road — ride past the scenic harbor, along the Resurrection River, and through coastal rainforest. Distance: 15-20 miles on paved and gravel roads with rolling terrain (e-bike upgrade available). Afternoon: hike to Exit Glacier — walk the nature trail to the glacier’s toe and feel the ice-cold wind. The dramatic retreat markers are sobering — the glacier has receded over 1.5 miles in the last 200 years. For ambitious hikers, the ascent on the Harding Icefield Trail offers jaw-dropping views. Evening: farewell dinner celebrating a week of Alaskan adventures. Overnight Seward.
Day 7: Departure
Scenic drive back to Anchorage along Turnagain Arm. Transfer to Anchorage Airport. Depart with ice on your boots, salt on your skin, and Alaska’s wild vastness in your soul.
