Overview
Journey to the Last Frontier! There’s no better way to inspire lifelong learning than with our ultimate Alaska student tour. This immersive adventure will leave a lasting impression on your students as they view breathtaking landscapes and learn about habitat conservation. Meet sled dogs, walk the tundra, hike to a glacier, and explore two spectacular national parks—keeping watch for incredible wildlife along the way.
Excursions & Highlights
Your program at a glance, including guided tours, independent visits, photo stops, and immersive activities.
Itinerary
Day 1
Travel to Anchorage, AK
Meet your WorldStrides representative, participate, and begin your once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Orientation Tour of Anchorage
Weather and time permitting.
Potter Marsh visit
Just outside Anchorage along the Seward Highway, you’ll visit the southern-most point of the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge. Stroll along a 1,500-foot boardwalk extending into the marsh, offering easy access to observe a variety of birds including Canadian geese, canvasback ducks, northern pintails, and even eagles nesting at the base of the bluffs.
Dinner and hotel check-in
Day 2
Breakfast and hotel check-out
Transfer to the Anchorage Rail Depot
Transfer to the Anchorage Rail Depot to board a train for your journey north to Wasilla.
Happy Trails Kennels
Meet a local musher and Iditarod sled dogs, including those that have competed in the Last Great Race and future contenders. Learn about what is required for the dogs and their handlers to train for and complete this long-distance sled race.
Lunch
Travel to Denali National Park
Stop along the route to enjoy picturesque landscapes and incredible opportunities for wildlife viewing.
Denali Presentation
Learn about the allure of this incredible mountain through firsthand stories from a local expert. Explore the engineering challenges climbers face and gain a deeper appreciation for their journey.
Dinner and hotel check-in
Day 3
Breakfast
Denali National Park guided sightseeing tour
Carved by Ice Age glaciers, the beautiful Denali National Park now contains abundant crystalline freshwater lakes and ponds that refresh a bounty of natural wildlife. From the iconic grizzly bear to the caribou, wolves, sheep and moose that call this National Park home, your guided park tour will allow you to take in impressive sights in this immersive learning experience.
Lunch
Denali Mountain
You’ll stop to see Denali Mountain (weather permitting), the tallest peak in North America. Towering at 20,310 feet, Denali is always majestic, daunting, and unforgettable.
Dinner
Day 4
Breakfast and hotel check-out
Travel from Denali to Anchorage
Lunch
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
Visit this incredible facility dedicated to preserving Alaska’s wildlife by taking in injured and orphaned animals. Watch animals display their natural behaviors in the center’s spacious enclosures.
Anchorage to Seward
Dinner and hotel check-in
Day 5
Breakfast
Hike to Exit Glacier
Take a hike to the tongue of Exit Glacier and see where the Harding Icefield meets the Resurrection River while considering glaciology, erosion, and the impact of katabatic winds.
Kenai Fjords National Park
Explore Kenai Fjords National Park by boat, where you'll encounter orcas, humpback whales, Steller sea lions, puffins, sea otters, and brown bears on your way to a tidewater glacier. Learn from an onboard naturalist as you explore stunning glaciers and surrounding landscape. Gain a deeper understanding—and appreciation—of the impact of glacier erosion and the effects of a warming climate.
Lunch
Dinner
Day 6
Breakfast and hotel check-out
Depart for Anchorage
Alaska Sealife Center
Built with funds from the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, this world-class marine research and rehabilitation center is the only cold-water research facility in North America. Learn from scientists about the rich ecosystem of the Bering Sea, the efforts to protect endangered sea lions, and the secrets of the harbor seals that call Resurrection Bay home.
Begich, Boggs Visitor Center
Built on the terminal moraine left by the Portage Glacier, this center offers exhibits about the Chugach National Forest, the second-largest national forest in the United States. (time permitting)
Lunch and Downtown Anchorage
Time permitting.
Depart Anchorage
Already Included
Transportation to & from your destination
Hotel accommodations
Admissions to top attractions (details in itinerary)
Meals (unless otherwise noted on your itinerary)
WorldStrides Course Leader - a dynamic destination expert who brings learning to life by leading your group's activities and discussions
WorldAssist staff members available 24/7/365 should your group need extra help
Free high school credit for students who choose to complete WorldStrides free online coursework post-program
Professional development credits (CEUs) for educators
Field Research Guide (Discovery Journal)
Scenes from Alaska
Health & Safety
Additional health and safety measures may be available within your respective destination. Refer to your program-specific materials for complete details.
Financial Assistance
Financial Assistance
WorldStrides provides over $2.5 million in financial assistance each year to thousands of families. Families with annual adjusted gross incomes of less than $85,000 may qualify. One simple call to Customer Service and you’ll know how much may be available for your trip even before signing up. Please note: financial assistance is given on a first-come, first-served basis.
Payment Plans
Advantage Payment Plan
At program sign-up you can opt to pay in full, or break up the cost of your trip with the Advantage Payment Plan. This plan allows you to pay a small initial deposit, then have your remaining payments spread out into affordable monthly amounts.
EZPay
We offer an EZPay option, which is a simple way to pay for your WorldStrides program by scheduling hassle-free, automatic drafts from your checking account. With EZPay, you'll never be late or miss an installment.
Fundraising Tools
Our easy-to-use tools put students in the driver's seat of their own fundraising efforts. Students can send e-cards, share links on social media, and even send out printed letters through WorldStrides' Gift of Education program. In one click friends and family members can make a direct donation to the trip - with 100% of the money raised going to offset their trip price. Thousands of students pay for their entire trip each year through the Gift of Education.
Also, WorldStrides makes program-specific scholarships available as well as other scholarship resources. Ask your Account Manager for more information about scholarships and fundraising tools.