Alaska Excursions

Alaska Excursions

Wide range of glorious day trips throughout Southcentral Alaska.

Iditarod 38

Photos and stories from the last great race.

Anchorage: 24°/39°/Clear

Fairbanks: -8°/25°/Mostly clear

Juneau: 32°/42°/Fog

More weather

Trains in Fairbanks

More on Feature of the day

Ferry times to Alaska

People coming to Alaska often get on the state ferry at Bellingham, Wash., and float north to Haines, where they head up a road to the Alaska Highway. How long is the Bellingham-Haines trip?

Flight time to Anchorage

A flight to Anchorage from Seattle, the most commonly used connection point, takes about 3 hours 30 minutes.

Getting to Alaska

Many of Anchorage's visitors fly into or out of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, west of downtown.

Vacationers have a wide variety of ways to get to Alaska.

Maps of Alaska

Rental cars in Alaska

Having a rental car makes it easy to stop along the highway -- say, to photograph a Dall sheep near the Seward Highway south of Anchorage.

Rental cars, minivans and SUVs vary in make and price, but one thing doesn't change -- travelers should reserve their vehicle early.

Highways: The way to really see Alaska

Getting around in Alaska

Green buses shuttle visitors into Denali

Flightseeing at Denali

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Kenai Fjords National Park

Glacier Bay National Park

Denali campground guide

Bus service to Denali

Limited offer: Drive Denali for free

Tundra wildlife and natural history tours

Rafting the Nenana reveals Denali's wet side

Alaska Railroad to Denali

Reserve campsite, bus ticket early for Denali trip

Denali National Park: McKinley and the bears

Hiking and backcountry camping at Denali

Denali Institute ecosystem courses

Hotels, campgrounds, lodges welcome visitors

Driving Denali in autumn

Denali climate and sunshine

Driving to Denali

Bus service in Fairbanks

Flying to and from Fairbanks

Trains in Fairbanks

Ketchikan, Alaska

Skagway, Alaska

Seward, Alaska

Juneau fishing

Driving around Fairbanks

Juneau basic information

Juneau transportation

Juneau parks

Juneau's climate

Juneau attractions

Juneau -- Alaska's capital

Fairbanks sports

Fairbanks: Info and contacts

Fairbanks lodging

Fairbanks-area fishing

Fairbanks weather

Fairbanks hiking and camping

Winter fun in Fairbanks

Ferry and cruise trips near Anchorage

Driving in Anchorage

Day trips south of Anchorage

Day trips north of Anchorage

A city of parks

Savvy shopping in Anchorage

Finding history

Attractions near downtown

Downtown Anchorage attractions

Kenai Peninsula hiking (10-12-2005)

Sea otters in Alaska

Wolves in Alaska

Loons in Alaska

Alaska Railroad, smaller trains tour Alaska's present and past

By Leon Unruh / Alaska.com

Fairbanks has big and little railroads.

The Denali Star

The Alaska Railroad's Denali Star carries passengers between Fairbanks and Anchorage, with stops at Denali National Park and Talkeetna, a small town from which many flightseeing trips originate.

The 12-hour trip to Anchorage costs $175 per person during the peak time of the summer, which in 2004 runs from June 6 through Sept. 6, which is Labor Day.

People who can travel during the summer season's first three weeks (May 16 through June 5) and the last two weeks (Sept. 7 through 12) get a break, as the fare then costs $140. The Fairbanks-Denali run costs $50 during the peak season and $40 during the "value" season.

The trains have a full-service dining car and souvenir shop. Baggage service available.

Reservations for these trips and add-on excursions may be made through the Alaska Railroad.

Fairbanks / Denali / Talkeetna / Anchorage

 
NorthboundSouthbound 
Anchorage8:15 a.m.Fairbanks8:15 a.m.
Wasilla9:45 a.m.Denali12:01 p.m.
Talkeetna11:25 a.m.Talkeetna4:40 p.m.
Denali3:45 p.m.Wasilla6:05 p.m.
Fairbanks8:15 p.m.Anchorage8:15 p.m.

Fares
Fares per person, one way. Fares for children, 2-11, are 50 percent of the adult fare, rounded up to the nearest dollar.

Fairbanks to Anchorage$175 peak, $140 value
Fairbanks to Denali$100 peak, $80 value
Fairbanks to Talkeetna$100 peak, $80 value

Riding for fun

Narrow-guage railroads provide a little prospector-era flair in Fairbanks.

At Pioneer Park on Airport Way, the Crooked Creek and Whiskey Island Railroad chugs twice around the property for a couple of bucks a ride.

Nine miles north of Fairbanks, on the Elliott Highway (Highway 2) in Fox, the El Dorado Gold Mine includes a narrow-guage train as part of its tour package.