Tundra Wilderness Vs Natural History Tour

[Poodlesnoot]

Hi...I am sure this is an old subject and I've read alot on it, but missed a few things. I've asked my TA to change Us (my wife and I and my 79 & 81 year old parents) from the Natural history tour to the Tundra Wilderness Tour.

 

She said I can but booking it will be $94 through the Forest agency and Princess will refund us $34.99, AND it will be on a school bus (as if the implication is the Natural history Tour they have through Princess is on a more luxurious coach or something).

 

Can someone clue me in? Same busses? Are they school buses? The link I found here on Denali Park Service shows a $26.50 difference and the Wilderness tour being $84.

 

Thanks for the insights!

[jrask]

You are right that you don't want the Natural History. They are the same buses - and yes they are like school buses ... brown or green (whether you take Tundra Wilderness, shuttle, or Natural History). Don't be disuaded by that non-issue.

 

Princess itself doesn't run any of these tours. They are all through the Park Concessionair, which then contracts some of the tours out to be sold by Denali Park Resorts (which is where Princess gets its allotment). No difference in the tour/bus/driver with the exception that they start/stop at the area hotels that are used by the cruisetours rather than at the park visitor center ... and they charge a service fee, which is $10 I think. That's probably where your difference between $84 and $94 comes from. You could buy it direct from the park (phone number is on the Denali NP website) but you will have to (1) get to the visitor center (before it closes) the day before your tour to pick up your tickets and (2) get there to take the actual tour. There is a free shuttle that goes between the Princess Lodge and the visitor center, but I don't know how regularly. Check with your TA that the bus would depart from the Lodge and that this is where you pick up your tickets as well. I'm not sure $10 is worth the back and forth if you don't have your own car (especially with an early morning tour and some older members in your group).

 

I can't speak to whether Princess is offering you a percentage or full refund on the price of NH tour.

[Budget Queen]

The buses are heavy duty suspension SAME buses on all driving in Denali Park. IF Princess will REFUND the Natural History tour- BOOK YOUR OWN SHUTTLE bus and forget even considering the tour buses.

 

For clairfication- The Natural History tour is $47.50 Tundra Wilderness tour is $74- both with included entrance fee. http://www.nps.gov/dena/home/visitorinfo/bus/bustour.html

 

The $10 is the National Park Service Entrance Fee which EVERYONE has to pay and is added on to purchased tickets. You DO NOT have to pick up early Shuttle tickets- the bus drivers have them. I would book the SHUTTLE bus to Fish Creek for $33.75pp. (I'm sure your TA doesn't even know about it??) So I would speculate your agent is adding a service fee too, since the Park service doesn't give commissions? :) Bottom recommendation from me- book this yourself. :) Be sure everyone has a pair of binoculars, necessary.

[jrask]

For clairfication- The Natural History tour is $47.50 Tundra Wilderness tour is $74- both with included entrance fee. http://www.nps.gov/dena/home/visitorinfo/bus/bustour.html

.

 

There seems to be an inconsistency on the Denali web site. If you go to the main page http://www.nps.gov/dena/ and click the link to make reservations for the tours, you are forwarded to the park concessionaire's web site. Here, they give you prices that are $10 more expensive than the prices in BQ's link. The entrance fee is $10, so I think the lower priced one is actually wrong and that the entrance fee isn't included in the $74. And then on top of that, tours booked with Denali Park Resorts tacks on an extra amount.

[cowtec]

We paid an additional $39 per person to upgrade to the Tundra Wilderness Tour through Princess when we booked with our TA.

[Budget Queen]

We paid an additional $39 per person to upgrade to the Tundra Wilderness Tour through Princess when we booked with our TA.

 

 

Hardly seems worth it when the Fish Creek Shuttle is $33.75 (if you don't get a refund, I would suspect they wouldn't charge you again the $10 park fee?)