Alaska Wildlife Safari

The Alaska Wildlife Safari is 7 days, 6 nights.

While wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed, we choose locations and tour timing to maximize viewing opportunities.

July is the peak month for viewing Grizzlies in Katmai National Park which is why we selected these tour dates. Massive numbers of sockeye salmon run up Brooks Falls, drawing the highest concentration of bears to the area.

On the Kenai Fjords tour, we will watch for whales, seals, sea otters, and puffins.

Other wildlife sightings vary, but may include bald eagles, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, and black bears.

For the Katmai flightseeing, we will depart at around 8 am (weather permitting) and it will take us around 2.5 hours to fly to Katmai. We will then have 4-5 hours at the park viewing bears. There are elevated wooden boardwalks to allow for safe viewing of the bears at the falls. We will enjoy a boxed lunch in Katmai, and fly back to Anchorage mid-afternoon, arriving around 6:30 p.m.

We will fly in a few different sized aircraft to Katmai. Largest planes seat 10, medium planes seat 6, and smallest planes seat 4. To ensure a safe and balanced flight, our guides will determine the seat assignment based on party size and body weights.

Our Alaskan Safari requires a moderate level of mobility and activity.

Guests should be able to:

• Manage stairs, and climb in and out of motorcoaches independently.

• Walk unassisted on uneven ground or muddy ground, including on ramps to board the jet boat.

• Step onto narrow floats, duck, and step into tight cabin seats for the float plane flight to Katmai National Park.

• Stand for periods of time for wildlife viewing.

• Walk at a leisurely pace for around 2 km during the visit to Brooks Falls.

Washrooms will be available at regular intervals, including on the motorcoach. This may include well-maintained outhouses for some of the more remote parts of the tour.

Some of the optional add-on activities in Denali National Park may require a higher level of activity (ex. guided hikes).

If you have mobility limitations or concerns, please contact us at info@goldstarcanada.com prior to booking to discuss suitability.

Flights to and from Anchorage, Alaska are not included in your expedition.

You are welcome to book yourself or with your own travel agent or if you’d like assistance with booking flights, please contact our travel agent (who is also familiar with our itinerary):

Joelle Kolb
TierOne Travel
403.968.5652
joelle.kolb@tieronetravel.com

We recommend flying into and out of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC). Direct flights are typically available from Vancouver (YVR) and Calgary (YYC), with convenient connections through these airports or Seattle (SEA) for guests travelling from other departure cities.

A member of our tour team will be waiting to pick you up at the baggage claim at Anchorage Airport to take you to the hotel. Transfers are arranged for every guest.

The accommodations will be as follows:

• Anchorage – Marriott or similar

• Denali – Denali Park Village or similar

The accommodations are subject to change based on availability, but we will provide accommodations of a similar standard if a change is required.

We will send a full packing list with your Expedition Package 30 days prior to departure.

The trip can accommodate up to 43 guests, and tours typically sell-out every year.

For the Katmai Bear Viewing, we are limited to a group of 22 guests per day, so if our group is larger than that, we will split the group in two, and the second group will cruise the Kenai Fjords National Park on Day 2 and visit Katmai National Park on Day 3.

Reserve your spot on the Alaskan Wildlife Safari with a $500 deposit per person. During the booking process, after selecting Single or Double Occupancy, you’ll have the option to Pay Amount Due or Pay in Full.

If you select Pay Amount Due, you’ll pay the initial $500 deposit to reserve your seat. The remaining balance will be split into two payments, due January 15 and April 15. The payment amounts and due dates will be included in your booking confirmation email after you complete your reservation.

Select meals are included in your expedition, including six breakfasts, two lunches and three dinners. The rest of the meals will be on your own, with time provided in the itinerary and suggestions from your Tour Director on where to eat.

One dinner in Denali National Park will be a Cabin Nite Dinner Theatre show, a fun-filled show that tells the story of Fannie Quigley, a real pioneer in the Gold Rush days in Alaska in the early 1900s.

When you book your expedition, you will be able to select your meal type. We will do our best to accommodate all dietary needs with advance notice.

All activities listed in the itinerary are included in your expedition. You will have some free time in Denali National Park where you can opt to purchase additional activities through your Tour Director upon arrival in Alaska, such as guided walks, helicopter tours, or fixed-wing flightseeing.

During the tour, our group will primarily travel by motorcoach. The motorcoach offers comfortable seating, charging outlets, large windows, and an onboard washroom for your convenience.

Gratuities are included for naturalists, guides, and pilots on the included excursions.

Gratuities for your local Alaskan Tour Director and motorcoach driver are not included. The suggested gratuities are $11 USD per day for the Tour Director, and $10 USD for the motorcoach driver.

Yes, you will need travel insurance. Gold Star Canadian Tours does not provide travel insurance with the purchase of your Expedition. Before purchasing trip cancellation, interruption insurance or additional medical insurance, we suggest you check your current insurance providers, as many include coverage as part of current policy, or for a small additional fee.

Please email us at info@goldstarcanada.com and we will respond as quickly as possible. Or feel free to call us toll free at 1-855-665-4924.