This was my first time to interior Alaska and boy did I learn a lot! The #1 thing I learned you must travel on the Connoisseur packages with Princess. Not only are the meals included but you are looked after by an expert tour director your entire stay. From the time we landed in Fairbanks we were treated like royalty. Princess has these tours so organized and well planned. You never have to stand in line at a hotel to check in. Once you land you are handed a packet with your room key and room # listed, your meal vouchers and tour vouchers and your bag tags and itinerary. Our guide told us what to expect on the bus and we got to our room at the Fairbanks Riverside lodge which is 5 minutes from the airport. Such an easy process. We were here 1 night and had our set time to have our suitcase outside ready with the proper bag tag to head to Denali Wilderness Lodge the next day. Very organized!!
The Fairbanks Riverside lodge sits on the Chena River and offers beautiful trails and gardens. You feel like you are deep in the wilderness. Highlight tour here which was on day two was the Sternwheeler cruise down the Chena. Again, so organized and everything runs smoothly. The Sternwheeler tour was educational about the History of Alaska and very entertaining.
Day 2…. from the Sternwheeler to a bus to Denali Wilderness lodge. This lodge by far was my favorite. Be sure you are on a tour that is here at least 2 or 3 nights. It is set up like a little village. Shops, bars and restaurants. Very cute AND be sure to try and ask for the Caribou lodge sections building A or B. These are the brand-new rooms that are very spacious and are set apart from the main lodge. It is a 5-minute walk but worth it.
The next morning was our Tundra tour, bus driver was very knowledgeable and you learned all about the park. After hours of riding in the bus we came across caribou, a couple of moose and the highlight was a grizzly walking down the road. Make sure you are on a Tundra tour and not the Natural History tour. The Tundra tour you are deep into Denali and the Natural History tour is just a taste of Denali. Fun fact about the Princess Lodges on August 25th they celebrate Christmas so on the 24th the entire lodges are decorated and they celebrate. This has been a tradition for years.
Your dinner meal voucher can be used at the any of the restaurants onsite. We dined at the King Salmon and had the best crab legs we have ever had! The staff is much like a cruise ship and are from all over the world. Two nights at this lodge was fun and entertaining. An evening stroll with fire pits and lights and fast-moving Nenana River and mountain back drop make it a beautiful setting
Highlight next was the train down to Talkeetna. We were told the Princess tours get the dome car others do not. Our 4-hour train turned into 6 but this is expected and we didn’t care we got to see Denali!! It was 62 degrees and full sun on our train ride. 30% of guests get to see Denali and only 10% get to see it with no clouds at all. I am one of the 10%. It was truly an amazing site to see and the whole rail staff was excited. They have only seen it a hand full of times. After the train we got to see Talkeetna a cute small town with amazing views of the peak of Denali. This day was our highlight! Another note be sure to bring lots of tip $, bus drivers, tour guides.
Our last night once we got on the bus from Talkeetna was at the McKinley Wilderness Lodge. This lodge was remote, it felt like camping. Buildings all far apart from one another and more rustic. This room was a lodge feel, dark and honestly felt like I was at camp. There was a moose and her babies in the yard. They have campfires going and a little cabin that is a bar. The main lodge has the dining and the newest attraction is a tree house they built that offered view of Denali. It was a hike to get up there but worth it.
The next morning the bus either took you to the airport or to the Captain Cook hotel in Anchorage. We went to the airport and grabbed our car rental and drove to the Captain Cook for our final 2-night stay. The Captain Cook is a great location and again Princess is on hand in the lobby very organized. Anchorage is a good spot to explore near by attractions. The hotel offers dining options and is stop for most tours/cruises lots of guests at all hours.
This was a delightful experience and I would be happy to assist you with your next Alaska adventure!
