What's to do in Denali while on Princess Cruise Tour

[ldtc2]

We are doing a Princess land and cruise tour July 4, 2006. I REALLY DISLIKE ship tours but it seemed like the "cheapest" and easiest way to get there and back to the ship. So we booked the Denali/Fairbanks tour portion.

 

"Supposedly", we are due to arrive Anchorage - Denali at 3:35 PM the first day ( via rail) .... the rest of the day is on our own.

and return from our "Tundra" excursion the following day at 2 PM....... then we have more time to do something

THe third day, prior to leaving for Fairbanks, we don't leave until 3:45 PM. So, I have a morning to fill up.

 

Has anyone done this trip, and filled it with NON PRINCESS excursions. If so, what did you do to fill your time? Thanks for any help offered. Can we just "wing it" and see what there is to do once we get there?

Sincerely,

Bette ldtc2@aol.com

[spongerob]

If what is described is the 17-mile bus trip into Denali, try to find something else. There are other excursions offered at the lodges. In all honesty, if I had to do it over again, I'd have stayed at the lodge enjoying Alaska Amber rather than bumping along in an old school bus with people who screamed and demanded a photo stop at each bunny rabbit sighting while the driver recited the "Cremation of Sam McGee" for the umpteenth time.

 

As you can tell, it wasn't my favorite day!:)

[phillipahain]

If it was me i would simply not bother with the whole Denali experience

 

Bumping about on a VERY OLD School bus truly sums up all there is to do in Denali

 

The only sight worth seeing is a glimpse of Mt Mc Kinley enroute to Denali

 

We did the trip independantly and it was the biggest waste of 2 days and a lot of cash

[Nancyquilts]

I hope you've posted this on the Alaska board, as there is a lot of good advice there. Nancy

[Budget Queen]

There are plenty of activies and I am one that always sees Denali Park touring as a highlight. :)

 

http://www.nps.gov/dena http://www.denalichamber.com/directory/activitiesandtours/index.html

[JohnL1935]

We were on the reverse trip and on departure left for Anchorage around 1:30. My morning was spent white river rafting on the river directly below the Princess lodge. It was a fun experience and my only discomfort was that my feet got wet and I was very cold for most of the trip. This was in August and the water was still ice cold. If I did it again I would have plastic bags over my socks to prevent them from getting wet. They put you into a protective suit and your shoes are removed and booties are placed over your stocking feet. The raft is not watertight but has holes all around the base so that water that gets in can escape. The day before we took the school bus into the park but we didn't see much of animal life and what we did see was off in the distance. We enjoyed our outdoor lunch at the lodge looking out into the park.

 

John L.

[virgenia]

Three years ago one of the Princess sponsored tours from Denali was one put on by a local where she took you in her van out to watch the dog sledders run their dogs. We then went to his kennel and he told us what it is like to do the Iditarod--he and his wife alternated doing them on a year by year basis. It was a teriffic tour with lots of local insight. I think the tour was not offered until you were on the train.

[cactusrose]

Oh my goodness. I can't believe someone didn't love Denali. Obviously not nature lovers. Denali is spectacular. It sounds like you will be doing the longer Tundra Wilderness Tour (not the short 17 mile History Tour). Yes you are in old school buses as they do not allow any other type of vehicle into the park (well maybe the rangers can get in in a car). It is a long ride, but worth every minute for the beauty and wildlife you see. Plenty of convenience stops and they give you a little snack box with enough food to keep you from getting hungry. You can also buy a boxed lunch at the lodge before you go to take with you. Go and enjoy.

[edste]

We took the train from Anchorage to Denali Park on our own and then booked whatever tours we wanted at the lodge. We had a wonderful time wandering around on our own. The bus ride through the park was worth doing once but I wouldn't do it againl We didn't see enough to want to repeat it. We also spent a few days in Anchorage and loved it. You can have as much fun as you want wandering around anywhere. Enjoy it

Edna

[Andee]

We really enjoyed the all day school bus tour--saw lots of wildlife, and the narration was excellent.

 

We also went hiking from the National Park building, and to the dog sled ehibition. The timing wasn't right to do the ranger led walks, which sounded very interesting.