Excursions from Denali NP

We are taking a tour with one of the cruise ships and want to take the Tundra Wilderness Tour from the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge starting at 5-6pm so that we can get back to the lodge in time at 1 pm to continue the tour. I see that all tours start later and give a 2 hour window for the starting time. Any suggested tour companies that start early and will get back to the DPWL promptly in time before 1 pm? Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

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There's only one company that is authorized to take people into the park. Instead of their expensive Tundra Wilderness Tour, take a look at the shuttle bus. Same road, same views, much cheaper. And you can get off as you like, or hop off and grab a bus going the other direction. https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/shuttles.htm

In the transit schedule, https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/upload/2017-transit-shuttle-schedule.pdf, it shows that buses start at 7am and from the WAC. But I need to be back at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge at 1 pm to continue with the Princess Land Tour to McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge. Starting at 7 am to go till Toklat will be too late to come back at 1.30pm. Also since the Princess Wilderness Lodge at Denali is about 2 miles from the WAC, I was wanting to take an early tour that picks up and drops me back to the Lodge before 1 am. Otherwise I risk not reaching back in time.

I have already replied to you, and the only option for you to get INTO the park, and that is for you to get yourself to the WAC and book yourself on the 5am Toklat shuttle bus=- assuming it is still available on your single day there? Details are all on Trip Advisor.

In the transit schedule, https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/upload/2017-transit-shuttle-schedule.pdf, it shows that buses start at 7am and from the WAC. But I need to be back at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge at 1 pm to continue with the Princess Land Tour to McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge. Starting at 7 am to go till Toklat will be too late to come back at 1.30pm. Also since the Princess Wilderness Lodge at Denali is about 2 miles from the WAC, I was wanting to take an early tour that picks up and drops me back to the Lodge before 1 am. Otherwise I risk not reaching back in time.

When are you in Denali? Are you looking at the right page of the schedule for that date? The first couple of pages are for early in the season and the bus does start at 7 AM then. June 8 through Aug 2 there is a 5:15 AM bus (page 3 and 4). After that the 1st bus gets later as the season progresses.

If I'm reading the schedule correctly even with the 5:15 AM bus you can't go as far as Eielson Visitor center. You'd have to get off at Tolkat Lake where you would have 20 minutes to wait for the 1st bus back (assuming everything is right on schedule) or if that is too tight a margin get off at a stop before that - seems to tight to me given what they say about the bus schedule being approximate. Only the 1st bus back arrives before 1 PM. At Polychrome pass, you would have around an hour and 20 min between the buses' scheduled times.

Overall, it seems like it could be kind of nerve-wracking and rushed especially if you don't have a plan for what to do if something goes wrong and you don't get back in time for the transfer.

My information is wrong. in the Trip Advisor post, The only option that would work is taking the Toklat shuttle The DAY of arrival at 5 pm. (pm and am were mixed up by me). Same issue with arranging transportation back to the Princess lodge, but, can be walked. Still will be light out at 11pm mid July. Or arrange the taxi pick up.

new_cruiser, I did look at that 5.15 am bus but the return will not be possible by 1 pm. The first return bus is a camper bus only for campers and we cannot get on them. The reservation agent said that the first bus back which can pick us up reaches WAC at the earliest at 2pm. I think the only alternative is to go with the natural history tour offered by princess :(

BudgetQueen, we arrive at 6.30pm the previous day so taking a shuttle at that time is not an alternative.

Any tour recommendations from the McKinley Princess Lodge on the 14th, other than the flight tours? I wanted to take the shuttle to Talkeetna and spend some time there. Any other suggestions?

We will be in Anchorage the whole day of July 15th with our flight back home at midnight. After a cruise thru inside passage, glacier bay national park and denali NP, is there any tours that you would recommend at Anchorage, that offers something different than the attractions that we have already seen?

We will be in Anchorage the whole day of July 15th with our flight back home at midnight. After a cruise thru inside passage, glacier bay national park and denali NP, is there any tours that you would recommend at Anchorage, that offers something different than the attractions that we have already seen?

Would you be interested in hiking on a glacier? https://micaguides.com/

Would you be interested in hiking on a glacier? https://micaguides.com/

That looks interesting but have already done that elsewhere in the Canadian Rockies. Is it worth going to Kenai Fjords NP from Anchorage for a day trip? After seeing glacier bay np on the cruise and seeing the glaciers, is Kenai Fjords still advisable? Is it feasible to rent a car and drive via the Seward highway turnagain arm drive and then take a cruise of Kenai Fjords NP and drive back to Anchorage in a day?

Also any private tour operator reviews for Misty Fjord boat cruise will be greatly appreciated. If it is cloudy and raining then it is still worthwhile spending the $200 dollars to see Misty Fjord? Will we be able to see anything if the weather is not sunny? I do see clouds and rain in the forecast for Ketchikan for the 7th of July.

That looks interesting but have already done that elsewhere in the Canadian Rockies. Is it worth going to Kenai Fjords NP from Anchorage for a day trip? After seeing glacier bay np on the cruise and seeing the glaciers, is Kenai Fjords still advisable? Is it feasible to rent a car and drive via the Seward highway turnagain arm drive and then take a cruise of Kenai Fjords NP and drive back to Anchorage in a day?

Google Maps says it is about a 2 and a half hour drive between Seward and Anchorage so it is feasible. The 7.5 hour cruise on Major Marine leaves at 10 AM and the 6 hour leaves at 11:30 so you could make one of those without leaving at a crazy early hour. I think Kenai Fjords Tours has similar times. Alaska Railroad also has a 15.5 hour day trip from Anchorage to Seward that includes a Kenai Fjords boat tour (probably the 6 hour Kenai Fjords Tour because that is advertised as connecting with the trains to and from Seward). Renting a car would probably be significantly cheaper than the train.

We haven't been yet, but I asked a similar question about whether it was worth it when our cruise will visit Glacier Bay and Hubbard. The answers were all that it is a very different experience. You are close to the glaciers and wildlife and of course the boat has more leeway to stop and observe where something gets interesting.

Once you are asking questions about Misty Fjord and Kenai Fjords tours, you might get more answers by posting them in a thread with a relevant title rather than one with Denali for the subject.

Google Maps says it is about a 2 and a half hour drive between Seward and Anchorage so it is feasible. The 7.5 hour cruise on Major Marine leaves at 10 AM and the 6 hour leaves at 11:30 so you could make one of those without leaving at a crazy early hour. I think Kenai Fjords Tours has similar times. Alaska Railroad also has a 15.5 hour day trip from Anchorage to Seward that includes a Kenai Fjords boat tour (probably the 6 hour Kenai Fjords Tour because that is advertised as connecting with the trains to and from Seward). Renting a car would probably be significantly cheaper than the train.

 

We haven't been yet, but I asked a similar question about whether it was worth it when our cruise will visit Glacier Bay and Hubbard. The answers were all that it is a very different experience. You are close to the glaciers and wildlife and of course the boat has more leeway to stop and observe where something gets interesting.

 

Once you are asking questions about Misty Fjord and Kenai Fjords tours, you might get more answers by posting them in a thread with a relevant title rather than one with Denali for the subject.

Thanks new_cruiser, will post it as a separate thread. Thanks for your inputs.