Tundra Wilderness Tour

[betmust]

Hi all,

 

I only recently found out about this. I am booked on the Natural History Tour with Princess and of course I want to change it. Princess said their buses for the Tundra tour are full.

Does anyone know much about the Aramack shuttle that does the Tundra tour? This is an option I can do but I was just wondering what other peoples experience with them was like. Are they reputable?

 

Thanks for any input...

 

Bette

[littlegap]

Hi all,

 

I only recently found out about this. I am booked on the Natural History Tour with Princess and of course I want to change it. Princess said their buses for the Tundra tour are full.

Does anyone know much about the Aramack shuttle that does the Tundra tour? This is an option I can do but I was just wondering what other peoples experience with them was like. Are they reputable?

 

Thanks for any input...

 

Bette

 

 

Hello,

 

Yes, try to change it as you won't see much on the Nat. History tour. Aramark is the company that runs all the tours into Denali. This is what our guide on the TWT told us... so they are reputable. We were there last week and it was a great tour!

[GMoney]

Aramark runs all of the transportation in the park, so whether you book thru them or Princess, everyone's going on Aramark's tours.

 

http://www.reservedenali.com

[thinfool]

In your shoes I would:

 

Book a shuttle into the park. They are usually more available than the TWT at this late date.

 

Take the Aramark phone number with you as you sail SE Alaska.

 

Call Aramark when you are in Juneau and ask if they have any cancellations on the date that you want to do the TWT.

 

If you get seats on the TWT, call and cancel the shuttle.

 

We did this exact thing last August. I remembered to call while my wife was shopping in Juneau. Whipped out my cell phone and the number that I had brought with me. Aramark had 6 seats open on the 6:40 am TWT. We took two then cancelled our Shuttle seats. Had a fabulous time! Returned in time to catch our Princess bus to our next night's stay at the McKinley Princess Lodge.

 

Aramark does not make TWT cancellations available until 6 or 8 days (cannot remember the exact number) prior to the tour date.

 

Finally, if you decide to ditch the Nat. History Tour, be sure to let your Princess host/hostess know. We didn't and the poor woman thought we were lost somewhere in the wilderness!!

 

disclaimer: this worked for us, ymmv, you should call Aramark and verify that the above details are still current.

[betmust]

In your shoes I would:

 

Book a shuttle into the park. They are usually more available than the TWT at this late date.

 

Take the Aramark phone number with you as you sail SE Alaska.

 

Call Aramark when you are in Juneau and ask if they have any cancellations on the date that you want to do the TWT.

 

If you get seats on the TWT, call and cancel the shuttle.

 

We did this exact thing last August. I remembered to call while my wife was shopping in Juneau. Whipped out my cell phone and the number that I had brought with me. Aramark had 6 seats open on the 6:40 am TWT. We took two then cancelled our Shuttle seats. Had a fabulous time! Returned in time to catch our Princess bus to our next night's stay at the McKinley Princess Lodge.

 

Aramark does not make TWT cancellations available until 6 or 8 days (cannot remember the exact number) prior to the tour date.

 

Finally, if you decide to ditch the Nat. History Tour, be sure to let your Princess host/hostess know. We didn't and the poor woman thought we were lost somewhere in the wilderness!!

 

disclaimer: this worked for us, ymmv, you should call Aramark and verify that the above details are still current.

 

Hi,

 

I'm not sure I understand this. Book what shuttle?

 

I can get Aramark now, but not Princess. I'll probably end up cancelling the Natural history and just going with TWT with Aramack.

 

Thanks

[Springchicken]

We were in Denali last week and took the park school bus shuttle, least expensive, to the Eielsen Center. Our driver was Dale Ebben and he was fantastic. He's a computer whiz by winter and lives and works in the park by summer. We left at 10:30 and saw plenty of wildlife on our 8-hour tour. He stopped many times and shut off the engine to the bus so we could just watch - like a mama grizzly teaching her 2 cubs to cross a creek. Didn't see the yellow tundra busses stopping but maybe they did. Dale narrated and also visited informally the entire trip.

 

Everyone has different expectations, but for us, the value for price was perfect. You can roll down the windows in the bus for those zoom photo op's, too, but they don't allow you to get off the bus when around animals, only during rest breaks.

 

Hope this helps!

[catkoe1]

Are Cars Allowed To Go Through Denali Or Only The Shuttles And Tour Buses?

[catkoe1]

If we are staying five nights in Denali do we need to book the shuttle ahead or are you able to just get a reservation from the lodges concierge? Thanks in advance for any information you can give me on this.

[frac]

Hi - We were told the Princess Tundra tours were full and I went directly to the Aramark web site "aramark.com' and was able to book an afternoon tour (1:30) for my wife, myself and our grand daughter for July 23rd. The total was about $255. Approximately $100 each for us and $55 for the 13 year old grand daugnter. Once confirmed I called our travel agent and she canceled the natural history tour. They gave us a credit but I don't know how much at this point. Hope this helps.

[agabbymama]

Hi - We were told the Princess Tundra tours were full and I went directly to the Aramark web site "aramark.com' and was able to book an afternoon tour (1:30) for my wife, myself and our grand daughter for July 23rd. The total was about $255. Approximately $100 each for us and $55 for the 13 year old grand daugnter. Once confirmed I called our travel agent and she canceled the natural history tour. They gave us a credit but I don't know how much at this point. Hope this helps.

 

Just a word of caution. Be prepared, we were scheduled for a 2:30 TWT and didn't get on the road until 3:00, then had a full 8 hour tour. We got back to the lodge at 11:00, then shuttle to our cabin in bed at 11:30. We did see lots of wildlife and Mt. McKinley even peaked through the rain clouds, but it was a very long tiring day.

[GMoney]

Are Cars Allowed To Go Through Denali Or Only The Shuttles And Tour Buses?

 

Cars are only allowed to Mile 15 / Savage River. The park road is about 90 miles long.

[GMoney]

If we are staying five nights in Denali do we need to book the shuttle ahead or are you able to just get a reservation from the lodges concierge? Thanks in advance for any information you can give me on this.

 

Depending on exactly when you are going, I recommend making shuttle reservations in advance. Tix can go fast, especially for premium early am tour times, and especially if you have multiple people in your party. I forget if they hold shuttle bus tix back or not; I don't think so - not sure.

 

If you know you're going, why not just get the tix now? They can be changed for a small fee. http://www.reservedenali.com

 

Five nights in Denali is a long time. I just did 4 and I was ready to go. Make sure you have a good plan on how to spend those days, and that you really need all 5.

[Pssunshinegal]

Five nights in Denali is a long time. I just did 4 and I was ready to go. Make sure you have a good plan on how to spend those days, and that you really need all 5.

 

I don't know Patrick, I always spend at least four to five weeks (except this year) and I never seem to get tired of being there. ;) Some year I am going to get a job working there just so that I can stay all summer.

 

Janice

[GMoney]

I don't know Patrick, I always spend at least four to five weeks (except this year) and I never seem to get tired of being there. ;) Some year I am going to get a job working there just so that I can stay all summer.

 

Janice

 

We can be shuttle bus drivers. :D

[Pssunshinegal]

We can be shuttle bus drivers. :D

 

Sounds good to me, although I am not sure I could get the Class C license. How about a private tour company, "the Denali area no one sees - the road less traveled."

 

Janice

[GMoney]

Sounds good to me, although I am not sure I could get the Class C license. How about a private tour company, "the Denali area no one sees - the road less traveled."

 

Janice

 

I like that!

[Nan1052]

Are Cars Allowed To Go Through Denali Or Only The Shuttles And Tour Buses?

 

No cars.