Denali????

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dogladyjw

Guest
I was thinking of coming in a day early and taking the Mckinley Explorer train up to Denali and taking the 6 hour bus tour and then returning on the train to Anchorage. Is this possible? Do you need to book the train in advance or the bus tour in advance? Any idea what the costs are? I know I'm asking a lot, but please help. I do not want to do a cruise tour just one day or at most two days extra. And I read somewhere that you have to pick up your 6 hour tour tickets the night before???
 
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Dale

Guest
To do Denali, you'll need more than a day or two. It's about a 3 to 4 hour trip from ANC. The trip into the park is an all day affair (well worth it, but if you are still suffering from jet lag, you'll be very tired). And then you need to travel to Seward (or possibly Whittier if on Carnival or Princess). That's about 6 hours. If you only have one or two days, go to Seward early and to the Kenai National Park day cruise.
 
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Alaskaborn

Guest
Train from Anchorage to Denali leaves 8:30 AM and gets to Denali at 4 PM. You have to overnite, and take a morning tour into the park. That is 8 hrs. Then train home. Even driving is 5 hours. There is construction this year near Willow, so that will slow it down more. Plus they are putting in a new overpass at the intersection of Palmer & Wasilla, so that will be slower going.

But if you have two days, you can do Talkeetna by rental car. It is actually closer, (as the crow flys) to Mt. McKinley, and offers ALL that most folks are looking for. GREAT flightseeing over Mt. McKinley. River adventures, both rafting and riverboat on the Talkeetna & Susuitna rivers, as well as fishing. You can also horseback ride there, and hike. The bears are usually out at night on the river - if you do an evening run. Here is a local company if you want free advise:
http://www.1anchorsaway.com/alaska/alaska.htm

Your going to see lots of marine life and glaciers on your big cruise, so consider something different for your days in advance. Seward is just more of what you will see on your cruise.
 
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