Travel across Alaska by campers
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14 days
6 campers for 4 people in every
August 07 - 20, 2024
completed
DESCRIPTION
We have been to Alaska many times already and are looking forward to our next expedition. This is the most northern and wild state of the USA, where Mother Nature dominates, which is carefully guarded and guarded. The kingdom of snow-capped mountains, coniferous forests, glaciers, fjords, crystal clear lakes, bears and whales! Alaska, with its magnificent pristine nature and harsh climate, is like a beautiful woman with a wild character: she attracts and frightens at the same time.
An amazingly clean and virgin world that we will go to in August 2024.
We will spend this trip in our favorite format - a motor home! Alaska is just perfect for this: no restrictions on hotels, no borders other than roads, maximum mobility and independence. We take everything we have with us — a comfortable bed, a refrigerator, a stove for cooking, a good mood and homeliness. We load this "happiness" into a hefty motorhome and set off on a journey to explore the most interesting US state - Alaska!
We will visit the famous Denali National Park, where we will spend a couple of days and do some trekking; we will wash gold in the places where the famous “Gold Rush” took place; we will see with our own eyes the places described by Jack London. We will visit the town of the North Pole and visit the residence of Santa Claus; putting crampons on boots, we will explore local glaciers; we will go out on boats to the legendary fjords described by Cook himself to see how icebergs are born and whales feed!
Uhhhh! We have a very beautiful, eventful, full of discoveries and adventures journey :) Let us start preparing for it in advance, right now!
IN THE COST OF EXPEDITIONIT INCLUDES:
● rental of comfortable 30-foot campers with the necessary equipment, utensils and linens;
● car insurance;
● accommodation in a 3-star hotel in Anchorage (first night of the trip);
● fuel;
● gas for the kitchen;
● parking in campsites and RV parks;
● entrance permits to national parks;
● entrance tickets to the Museum of the North;
● entrance tickets for the tour to the gold diggers;
● entrance tickets to the Alaska SeaLife Center;
● entrance tickets to the Ice Museum;
● visiting Chena Hot Springs;
● visiting the residence of Santa Claus on the North Pole;
● places for motorhomes in camp grounds in the wild;
● full day cruise through the fjords to the glaciers in Valdiz;
● Bus tour with a ranger in the Denali National Park (full day);
● guided tour to the Matanuska Glacier;
● services of local guides and rangers;
● Paganel Studio team guide services;
EXPEDITION COST DOES NOT INCLUDE:
● Airfare from your home to Anchorage and back
● transfers from the airport and back;
● visa;
● food;
● activities and excursions not included in the program.
ADDITIONALLY:
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international driving license (minimum 2 licenses per car),
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Availability of US visa
IMPORTANT!
Due to the fact that our expeditions do not include international flights to the starting point of the program, we cannot be held responsible for changes in flight conditions by airlines or airport requirements. Since our travelers fly from many different countries and cities, we never participate in the purchase of air travel and limit ourselves exclusively to advisory services in the selection of flights. Air agents or airlines from which tickets were purchased are responsible for the purchase and technical support.
ITINERARY
Day 1
07.08.2024
Arrival in Anchorage. Self-transfer to a cozy hotel located in the central part of the city. Introduction to the guide. Resettlement. Free time. Purchase of local SIM cards. Rest.
Day 2
08.08.2024
We wake up. We have breakfast on our own in a nearby cafe. We check out at the hotel. In the middle of the day, we load things into a special transport and go to get our hefty 30-foot mobile homes.
Reception of cars, briefing, acquaintance with the device of campers. Crews receive points for today's route from guides. We are leaving.
The first stop is one of the nearby Safeway supermarkets. There is a large selection of fresh seafood, meat and vegetables. We stock our refrigerators for the next three days. We buy everything we need and move on. We don't have much to go today. Only 190 km. We get used to the dimensions of the cars and the speed of acceleration and deceleration. We follow the speed limits on the road, we are not in a hurry. We drive for pleasure, paying attention to road signs.
After 50 km of movement, we stop at one interesting place - the old Russian Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas. As you know, Alaska was Russian for a very long time, and since then there have been quite a few settlements left here, churches belonging to the Russian Old Believer community. The most unusual place here is the cemetery, where the graves are built in the form of houses and entire castles.
Then we move to the North for another 140 km to the small village of Talkitna. We stop at a special campsite for campers. We put the cars in the places allotted and pre-booked by us. Once again, we receive instructions from the guides on how to connect the cars to electricity and water. We put forward all sliding blocks and panels from the machines.
We settle down, prepare a delicious dinner (each crew is in their car).
After dinner, we get together and hold a traditional evening of acquaintances, presentation of expedition personalized t-shirts and badges.
Rest.
Day 3
09.08.2024
Getting the campers ready to go. Turn off the electricity; push all the retractable blocks back, pour water. Drivers receive new instructions for that day, put dots on the maps. We leave together. First, we go to the gas station and replenish our fuel reserves. Then we have to drive 250 km with stops.
The road is very beautiful. We visit various interesting places. When Denali appears in all its glory, we try not to miss all the sights. We take the first hundred beautiful photos.
In the middle of the day, we get to the first goal of our trip. The famous Denali National Park, where we will spend the next 2 nights.
We drive into the park, put the cars in the parking lot and go on a small trekking for 2.5 km in the surroundings. We walk, stretch our legs. There are warning signs on the trail that you can meet moose, deer, bears here. However, from experience we can say that most often here come across local hares.
Guides at this time are engaged in tickets for tomorrow, pay entrance permits.
After walking, we go to Denali RV Park, where we will spend the night with a beautiful view of the forest and mountains.
We put cars. We put forward everything that is put forward in campers; we connect to electricity and water. Dinner. Exchange of impressions. Rest.
Day 4
10.08.2024
Today is a busy day and we need to get everything done. Early rise, breakfast. We collect campers. We leave for the park, where we put the cars in a special parking lot, and we ourselves will grab the sandwiches prepared in the evening, water, cameras, we sit in a special bus that will take us deep into the National Park. You can enter there only on such special buses, accompanied by a ranger driver.
We will spend about 5-6 hours in the park, traveling by bus and stopping if we see something interesting, as well as at special viewing platforms. The first ones you can most likely meet here are moose and deer.
The road is very scenic. If we are lucky with the weather, then a thousand first-class photos are taken.
Along the way, we have a high chance of meeting bears. Take interesting pictures. We hope for good luck and look around.
Having reached the final point, we go for a walk around the neighborhood, not forgetting to look out for bears. We admire the local beauty and views. And they are amazing here. Denali is visible in all its glory. Many people compare these views with the views of Roerich's paintings of Tibet.
Having eaten prepared sandwiches, we get on the bus and drive back to the entrance to the park from where we started in the morning. By the evening, having reached our own mobile homes, which have already become family, we return to Denali RV Park, where we will spend the night again. Dinner. Evening walks and gatherings. Rest.
Day 5
11.08.2024
We do not get up very early today. You can sleep in, have a leisurely breakfast and drink a cup of coffee. We stop at a special RV dump station, where we drain the tanks with toilet and kitchen water, fill up with fresh drinking water. Further refueling with gasoline and now, we are already rushing north towards the city of Fairbanks, where we will spend the next 2 nights. Moving 220 km. If time permits, then we drop by in the city to a cafe to drink coffee. If time is running out, then we immediately head to the village of former gold miners. We have some exciting fun today. We will “wash” gold in the same way as the first gold miners did, who were looking for “yellow metal” here during the “Klondike Gold Rush” described by Jack London.
Having reached the village, we transfer to an old train, exactly the same that carried gold prospectors more than a hundred years ago, and with songs and stories we go to a special place where we will “wash gold”.
Upon arrival, we are all given a bag of “gold-bearing ore”, as well as a special plate, and the details of the process are explained. After 15-20 minutes, everyone will already see golden grains on their plate, which we can take away as a keepsake.
Returning to the cars, we drive to the city. We stop at the Safeway supermarket to replenish food supplies. Having bought everything we need, we go to our RV campsite by the river. We put cars on hold. Dinner. Exchange of impressions, rest.
Day 6
12.08.2024
Early rise. We collect cars. We leave after breakfast. Today we will drive about 220 km.
Our path lies again to the North in Chena Hot Springs. The transfer goes along a picturesque and beautiful road with a lot of forests, lakes and streams.
We need to arrive at the place by 11 o'clock to get on an excursion to the Ice Museum. This is a very unusual and beautiful place where we will take many original photographs.
After visiting the Ice Museum, we swim for a couple of hours in natural hot springs, and then drive 100 km back to Fairbanks. On the way, we stop for beautiful photos.
Having stopped at Fairbanks, we are on our way to the wonderful Museum of the North, which is located on the territory of the University of Alaska. The museum has many interesting exhibits on the history of local aboriginal peoples, Russian colonization, and the Gold Rush period. There is also a very good souvenir shop with a large selection of original products.
After the Museum of the North, we will go to Pioneer Park, also a very interesting place dedicated to the development of Alaska. A whole town with old houses, steamboats and steam locomotives has been assembled here. It is quite interesting to wander here to feel the spirit of the first Pioneer explorers and gold prospectors of the US North.
In the evening, we return to our RV Park. We prepare dinner and rest.
Day 7
13.08.2024
Today is not an easy and long day. We have the biggest move of this trip. We have to drive through 425 km.
We try to sit not too long at breakfast. We turn off electricity and water. We leave to the south towards the small town "North Pole". This place is famous for being the residence of Santa Claus.
Of course, we will stop by here, get an audience with Santa, make New Year's wishes and buy many Christmas gifts, because the residence of Santa Claus is located on the territory of a huge New Year's gift shop, which has nothing to offer.
No one comes out of here empty-handed.
For the rest of the day we drive south on a very beautiful road with incredible views of Denali and the Alaska Range.
We make the second thousand photo masterpieces. We stop at different viewing points and just by the road, where traffic allows. It will be one of the most beautiful days of your life, the main thing is that the weather does not let us down!
For lunch, we choose a prettier place where we can become our entire squad, cook a quick snack, admire the local beauties and rush on. On the way we make stops for gas stations, toilets, stretch our legs.
Late in the evening, we arrive at a campsite on the banks of the Klutina River. We settle down for the night. Cooking dinner, relaxing.
Day 8
14.08.2024
We get enough sleep and have a calm breakfast, watching the dawn in an amazing place, next to the bubbling descendant of a mountain river, drink morning coffee and set off. Today we have to drive not much at all, only 170 km. The end of our day with you is the wonderful and beautiful seaside town of Valdez.
The road to Valdiz is very beautiful. We stop for photos. On the way, we will make a stop for a trek to the Worthington Glacier. Upon arrival at the parking lot, we put on trekking shoes and go on a 2-hour track to see the beautiful Worthington Glacier from a very close distance. Enjoy incredible views.
In the afternoon, we reach the campsite. We go to the local supermarket, buy more fresh products. We put the cars in the campsite, and we ourselves go for a walk on the embankment of the city.
Day 9
15.08.2024
Early rising. We leave the cars at the campsite. A special transport arrives for us and takes us to the pier, where we board a small ship.
Today we will have a beautiful day where we will swim in the fjords, approach glaciers, observe colonies of sea lions - sea lions, photograph the famous Alaskan sea otters, look for whales.
There are many impressions and beauties that you will bring with you from this ninth day of your trip to Alaska.
The trip will take all day. We will return to Valdez in the late afternoon and for fishing enthusiasts, there will be an opportunity to fish from the shore, because salmon pass here in large numbers near the campsite. We need your gear, and we will issue a license.
Day 10
16.08.2024
We sleep well and have a quiet breakfast. We fill cars with fuel and gas.
We have to drive about 334 km today.
The final point for today will be the famous Matanuska Glacier, the longest glacier in North America.
We get to the glacier by 16:00 to have time to put on crampons and, together with a local guide, go to the track for a couple of hours.
In the evening, we drive up the road and camp from our campers in the wild. On an equipped site, but without water and electricity. More precisely, in order to get electricity in cars, we turn on autonomous generators, and we collected water supplies ahead of time back in Valdiz and we will have enough for a couple of days.
Day 11
17.08.2024
We are heading west and south. The total mileage for today is 370 km. First, on a very beautiful mountain road, we reach Anchorage, from where we started 10 days ago, drop into the nearest Safeway supermarket, where we replenish food and drink, and after that we drive, due South to the cute town of Seward.
Upon arrival in Seward, we do not relax, but rush to a cool aquarium called the Alaska SeaLife Center. Here we observe the life of fur seals, incredibly funny puffin birds, local sea lions, seals; we admire the variety of marine northern underwater life.
In the evening we get to our cozy RV camping, which is located right on the seashore. Opposite there are the snow-capped mountains in the fog. There are mountains and forest around.
Day 12
18.08.2024
Our active program begins in the first half of the day. We get behind the wheel of our campers and drive to the mountains. According to our plan, we have trekking for 2-4 hours (at your request) to the beautiful Exit glacier.
After the hike, we refuel campers and move to the city of Homer, the journey will take 3.5 hours (270 km). Do not forget to visit the dump station. Replenish water supplies.
We settle in a campsite with a view of the mountains, right on the shore. Dinner. Rest. Communication.
Day 13
19.08.2024
This day is free. You can spend it as you want. However, we strongly recommend that you, if possible, go on a day trip by plane (cost $900-950) to the famous Alaskan grizzlies in Katmai National Park. Trust me, friends, it is worth it!
The park is located in the southern part of the state, opposite Kodiak Island, and includes part of the Aleutian Range, a group of lakes and about eighteen volcanoes.
And, of course, its heart is a huge active volcano of the same name. It rises to 2047 meters above sea level and has a small lake in its crater, formed because of a powerful eruption in 1912.
You can get to the park only on private planes of several small companies, the reservations for which are often closed long before the start. During the flight, you will be able to view the beauty of mountain ranges, volcanoes and lakes from a bird's eye view. And when you arrive on the island, you will go to watch brown bears and cubs, which are more than 2,000 individuals on this island! So close and with no guardrails, you can hardly get anywhere else. You will be accompanied by real Alaskan rangers who will tell you a lot of interesting things about these amazing animals and how to behave in this unique mini-journey.
Someone might want to go sea fishing for the famous Alaskan halibud (halibut in our opinion) or salmon. We will help you organize everything.
You might want to go to the fjords and go boating among sea otters, puffins and seals.
Or maybe you want to lie in bed until 12 noon, and then go to the town, to the center, to go shopping, buy souvenirs.
That is why it is a free day, so that you do whatever you want and relax. Enjoyed the last days of our trip to Alaska.
After all the activities, in the evening we gather in our beautiful campsite. We exchange impressions and photos. Dinner. Rest
Day 14
20.04.2024
Early rising, departure at 5:30. We have already packed our bags and suitcases since the evening. We have one last move to Anchorage. The total mileage is just over 350 km. The road is very beautiful, but we will not stare at the observation decks for a long time - remember that we need to arrive in Anchorage on time.
In the middle of the day we are already in the city, we are going to rent our campers. Before that, we fill them with fuel and replenish the gas in the cylinders. After handing over the cars, a special transfer takes us to the airport. Hugs. Tears farewell to my friends the Paganels and beautiful Alaska.
The expedition is over.
Flight home.
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We are unique
For many years, we have been traveling the world to our small planet's most remote and unusual places. We do not use the services of domestic travel agencies. The trips we invent and carry out are always unique and have their unique zest, charm, and adventurous spirit.
WHY WITH PAGANEL?
Creation
The first thing that interests us is creativity in everything. During the expeditions, we shoot a lot of videos, take pictures, write stories, draw pictures. If you are interested in a creative approach to life and travel, then WELCOME... we are very happy to meet you!
Interest
By joining our team, you join a kind of club-family, which already consists of several hundred people who are interested in discovering the world with us.
Since most of the expenses for the organization of the trip are air tickets and travel documents for other types of transport, accommodation, excursions, services of local companies and guides, etc. are not refundable in case of your cancellation of the trip. We simply have no way to return it.
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