Iditarod Aurora

Welcome to Alaska! Fly directly into Anchorage to start your adventures and take a taxi/uber to downtown Anchorage for your stay at the Copper Whale Inn. This hotel is located in downtown Anchorage, within walking distance of the Iditarod Starting Line! You will also have an easy walk to many of our favorite shops and eateries and the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail and Fur Rendezvous Winter Festival. Enjoy a welcome dinner to meet your fellow travelers, your local guide and preview the itinerary! (Dinner Included)

Enjoy a city tour of Anchorage highlighting the Charlotte Jensen Native Arts Market & the 2027 Iditarod Musher’s Banquet. This annual market features Alaska Native artisans selling and demonstrating their air-basket weaving, dolls, beading, carving, and more. This is a rare opportunity to meet and greet the artists and watch them create one-of-a-kind items. Upon returning to downtown Anchorage, you will have tickets to the Musher’s Gala, the premier fundraising event for the 2027 Iditarod, this week. Enjoy dinner, a presentation by Iditarod Trail Committee, and see veteran mushers. Enjoy a hearty dinner and chat with fellow travelers about their favorite teams on the trail. (Breakfast & Dinner Included)

Take the drive along the Turnagain Arm along the Seward Highway and through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, the longest highway tunnel in North America, to enjoy a 3.5 hour cruise into Prince William Sound’s Blackstone Bay! During our adventure we’ll step ashore for a beach walk to experience the natural geology and thick rainforest. (Breakfast & Lunch Included)

Today is the start of the 2027 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race! You will be on your own to walk downtown today to witness the ceremonial start on 4th Avenue. Marvel at the organized chaos; please participate in the Running with the Reindeer (following the race) or one of the other Fur Rondy Activities taking place today! Please stop by our office (2 blocks from the start!) for hot chocolate and some authentic Alaskan hospitality. (Breakfast Included)

Now the real competition begins… Head north with Salmon Berry Tours today to the Official Start of the 2027 Iditarod! Your guides will serve fresh baked scones and hot chocolate on the way, telling stories of the race, information/details about the race rules and giving you Alaskan insight into the Last Great Race, a race of both survival and strategy. Once you arrive at Willow Lake, visit the Salmon Berry Tours tent for good company, hot food served all day, race information and friendly faces. Our private tents are there just for our group – warm up with some hula hooping or ask a guide to take you out snowshoes to get a look further down the race trail. Once all the mushers have gotten on their way, we head to Talkeetna for our cabin stay after an exciting day on Willow Lake. (Breakfast, 2nd Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included)

Journey north to the charming town of Talkeetna, enjoying scenic views and local stories along the way. Spend time at the kennel of five-time Iditarod champion Dallas Seavey for an unforgettable dog mushing experience, where you'll meet champion Alaskan huskies and learn firsthand about the sport and lifestyle of mushing. Cap off the day with a spectacular flightseeing adventure around Denali, soaring past towering peaks, massive glaciers, and the breathtaking Don Sheldon Amphitheater for an up-close look at North America's tallest mountain. 

Enjoy an evening in Talkeetna featuring a delicious dinner and time to relax in a welcoming Alaska setting. Later, gather for an engaging presentation on the Alaska night sky and the Northern Lights before continuing your search for the aurora beneath the stars.  (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included)

Your Alaska Railroad experience will begin onboard the historic Adventure Class railcars. These single story railcars offer assigned seating in comfortable chairs with large windows in each row. Open-air vestibules between railcars provide an opportunity for fresh air! 

Your guide will meet you at the Fairbanks Rail Depot upon the train arrival. Check into your local accommodations before setting off on an evening of aurora viewing your first night in Fairbanks!

A fully-guided small group tour will take you to a private aurora viewing cabin outside Fairbanks. Your local Alaska guide will share the science behind the lights. If you are up for it, enjoy a snowshoe walk with our hosts and their canine companions tonight. This excursion includes round-trip transportation to our aurora viewing location, a heated indoor rest area, snacks, and hot drinks to enjoy. Our approximate arrival back into Fairbanks is 2:00 a.m. the following morning.  (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included)

Join your local Salmon Berry guide for your chance to warm up at the famous Chena Hot Springs before chasing the northern lights! This small group tour begins in Fairbanks and makes the wintery drive to Chena Hot Springs Resort. Your local Alaska guide will be there to direct you through each of the following activities included in your evening tour: Chena Hot Springs soak/swim admission, dinner and aurora viewing.

Upon arrival at Chena Hot Springs Resort, enjoy a soak in the healing waters of Chena Hot Springs' mineral water rock pool. This outside geothermal hot spring is for ages 18 and older, but all ages may take advantage of the indoor pool and hot tubs that have chlorinated geothermal water. (Breakfast & Dinner Included)

Explore Fairbanks with your local guide today on this Fairbanks City Tour. This day will include round-trip transportation from your Fairbanks Hotel as well as admission to the Museum of the North, a visit to the Great Alaskan Bowl Company, and time at the World Ice Art Championships. Each year, the finest sculptors from around the world compete in the most challenging prestigious ice sculpting competition. (Breakfast & Dinner Included)

Farewell from Alaska today! Take the hotel courtesy shuttle to the Fairbanks International Airport in time for your departure flight home. (Breakfast Included)