Day 1: Arrive Anchorage
Arrive Anchorage. Meet your G Adventures CEO (Chief Experience Officer) and fellow hikers (max 13). Orientation walk through downtown Anchorage. Welcome dinner. Gear check for the week’s hikes. Overnight Anchorage.
Day 2: Chugach Mountains — Alpine Ridge Hike
Morning: drive to Alyeska Resort in the Chugach Mountains. Today’s hike takes you into alpine terrain with panoramic views of Turnagain Arm and the surrounding peaks. The route follows ridgelines through tundra wildflowers (July: fireweed, lupine, monkshood) with opportunities to spot Dall sheep on distant cliffs and ptarmigan (Alaska’s state bird) transitioning between seasons. Distance: 5-6 miles, elevation gain ~1,500 feet. Optional: after the hike, walk the Winner Creek Trail to the hand-tram crossing over the rushing gorge — pull yourself across the canyon on a cable tram. Afternoon: scenic drive along Turnagain Arm to Seward. Overnight Seward.
Day 3: Kenai Fjords — Exit Glacier & Harding Icefield
Full hiking day at Kenai Fjords National Park. Morning: hike the Exit Glacier trail to the glacier’s toe — a relatively easy 2-mile round trip through cottonwood forest and alder thickets. Feel the cold wind spilling off the ice. For ambitious hikers, continue on the Harding Icefield Trail — one of Alaska’s most spectacular day hikes — ascending through forest, past marmot colonies, above treeline into an alpine world of snow, ice, and sweeping views across the 700-square-mile Harding Icefield. The full trail is 8.2 miles round trip with 3,000 feet of elevation gain; partial ascents are equally rewarding. Keep eyes out for black bears on the lower slopes and mountain goats on the upper cliffs. Afternoon: explore Seward’s harbor. Overnight Seward.
Day 4: Seward to Talkeetna — Mountaineering Spirit
Morning drive north through the Kenai Peninsula and into the Susitna Valley. Arrive in Talkeetna — the historic climbing base camp for Denali expeditions. Explore the village: the Talkeetna Historical Society Museum, Nagley’s General Store, and the riverbank with clear-day views of Denali. Afternoon: optional Denali flightseeing tour (highly recommended, $300-400) — fly over the Alaska Range, past the Wickersham Wall (a 14,000-foot sheer face), and land on a glacier. Evening: dinner at a Talkeetna restaurant and gear preparation for the next days in Denali. Overnight Talkeetna.
Day 5: Denali National Park — Mount Healy Overlook
Enter Denali National Park — 6 million acres of subarctic wilderness. Morning hike: Mount Healy Overlook Trail — a steep but rewarding 4.5-mile round trip with 1,700 feet of elevation gain. The trail climbs through spruce forest into alpine tundra, emerging at a rocky overlook with panoramic views of the Nenana River Valley and, on clear days, the Alaska Range and Denali itself. Look for Arctic ground squirrels (the ‘park’s alarm clocks’), hoary marmots, and golden eagles riding the thermals. Afternoon: board the park shuttle into the park interior for wildlife viewing — the 15-mile public road section offers solid chances for moose, caribou, and grizzly bears. Visit the Denali Visitor Center and the sled dog kennels. Overnight Denali Park area.
Day 6: Triple Lakes Trail & Savage River
Full hiking day. Morning: Triple Lakes Trail — a 9-mile point-to-point (can be done as a partial out-and-back) that is Denali’s longest established trail, offering diverse terrain through boreal forest, past beaver ponds, and alongside three picturesque lakes with potential moose and beaver sightings. If the full trail is ambitious, choose the Savage River Loop — a more accessible 2-mile trail along the Savage River Canyon with excellent Dall sheep viewing on the cliffs above. Afternoon: celebrate completing your Alaskan hiking adventure with a group dinner in the park area. Optional: evening presentation by a park ranger on Denali’s wildlife and mountaineering history. Overnight Denali Park area.
Day 7: Departure
Scenic drive back to Anchorage. Lunch stop along the way (the famous Talkeetna Roadhouse if timing allows). Transfer to Anchorage Airport. Depart with Denali in your heart and Alaska’s wild trails under your boots.
