We’ve put together a great tour to Alaska that showcases many nature highlights of the state. This itinerary is perfect for first-time visitors to Alaska, but also for returning nature lovers who want to see and learn more about this fascinating place.

Our focus will be birding as well as wildlife watching, with some geology and ecology in the mix. Our opportunities to see birds and mammals will be excellent. We’ll explore several major ecosystems across Alaska, including rugged coastlines, boreal forests, and subalpine parkland. Many bird species breed and nest in the habitats that we’ll visit. And the long hours of sunlight encourage birds and mammals to be active almost around the clock.

Some special birds we’ll be looking for include Horned Puffin, Willow Ptarmigan, Long-tailed Jaeger, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Bluethroat, and Arctic Warbler. Mammalian megafauna that we hope to see are Moose, Grizzly Bear, Dall Sheep, Caribou, Sea Otter, and more.

The tour will start in Fairbanks, and then we’ll visit Denali National Park. We’ll also explore the world-famous Denali Highway. Then we head down to the Kenai Peninsula, where we’ll take a day-long boat ride into beautiful Kenai Fjords National Park.

Next, we fly from Anchorage to Nome, where we’ll venture out on backroads to explore the subarctic tundra ecosystem. We’ll have chances to find new bird species that breed in or migrate through this wild area. We’re also likely to see some great mammals, such as Muskox. This tour will be an exciting, educational adventure all around!

Itinerary at a Glance

Day 1

Welcome to the great state of Alaska! Your Trip Leaders will meet the group at the Fairbanks airport and will drive everyone to our nearby hotel. There will hopefully be time to explore the surroundings a bit before we enjoy our first dinner together.

Day 2

The bulk of today will be spent birding the region around Fairbanks. We'll get familiar with some charismatic birds of Alaska's boreal forest interior.

Day 3

We have a full day to Explore Denali National Park, looking for birds and big mammals across the majestic landscapes of the park.

Day 4

We'll spend much of today birding along the Denali Highway, a remote, unpaved road that is one of the world's best scenic drives.

Day 5

This is mostly a travel day, as we head south to the Kenai Peninsula. We'll make some stops along the way to do some birding and stretch our legs.

Day 6

An exciting, full day in Kenai Fjords National Park on our own chartered boat! We'll be exploring the beautiful, rugged coast to view seabirds, marine mammals, and tidewater glaciers.

Day 7

We head to Anchorage today, where we'll spend the night. We should have time to enjoy the city a bit, as well as do some local birding.

Day 8

This morning we fly to Nome! On our first day in the area we’ll hit local birding and wildlife hotspots outside of town.

Day 9

Today we head out for the first of our two big days in the Alaskan bush north of Nome. We’ll be driving the unpaved Teller Road for the whole day. Great birds and wildlife may be seen anywhere along this route.

Day 10

On our last big day in Alaska we’ll be driving the famed birding route along Council Road, northeast of Nome. We’ll see some beautiful scenery as we search for birds and other animals along the way. In the evening we’ll make a toast to our grand adventure and review our final bird and wildlife lists.

Day 11

After breakfast we’ll head to the airport and say our final goodbyes as we part company.

START DATE: June 10, 2023

DURATION: 11 days

GROUP SIZE: Up to 12

TRIP FOCUS: Birds and Wildlife

WHAT'S INCLUDED

• Double-occupancy lodging
• Ground transportation
• Breakfasts and lunches
• Excursions and park fees
• Guiding services

YOUR GUIDES

David Jaffe has been guiding and teaching since 1991. His childhood interest in nature eventually led him to Evergreen State College, WA where he earned a B.S. in Environmental Studies and Geology. Later, he earned a M.S. in Applied Ecology from the University of Vermont.

David has led backcountry trips in Denali National Park, learned from students in Kentucky, and gained great insights while hitchhiking home from work in Yosemite National Park. He has experience as a naturalist in many of the lower 48 states and Baja California. David worked as a divemaster in Australia, Costa Rica, and India. He assisted with the establishment of a marine protected area off the coast of Madagascar and researched birds in Canada and South America. His understanding, love and enthusiasm about the natural world continues to grow.

Steve Backus is an avid birder and naturalist with a background in the maritime industry hailing from North Carolina. An infinitely curious person by nature, he is drawn to explore the life around him and the environments they occupy. As a mariner, waterbirds are of particular interest to Steve and his time as a ship’s naturalist, a captain of wildlife cruises, a point counter at migration hot-spots, and many other employments and community science efforts has deepened his appreciation of birds.