Viking Alaskan Cruise Denali Explorer Extension: What You Need to Know

For travelers seeking a deeper connection to Alaska’s vast wilderness and rich cultural heritage, Viking’s Denali Explorer cruise extension offers an unforgettable start to your cruise adventure. (This extension is offered for cruises originating or ending in Seward, so it could be a pre- or post-extension to your cruise.) Designed with comfort, convenience, and enrichment in mind, this five-night land journey takes you through scenic landscapes aboard luxury rail and motorcoaches, with overnight stays in Anchorage (2 nights), near Denali National Park (2 nights), and Talkeetna (1 night). Trained guides lead the way, so you can enjoy a relaxed pace, comfortable accommodations, and enlightening experiences.

My husband and I opted for taking the Denali Explorer as a pre-extension, which had the added benefit of meeting some of your fellow cruisers before boarding the ship. (We really enjoyed meeting extension travelers on board the ship for drinks and dinner from time to time.) Additionally, we chose to experience the activities on the front end of the trip and then relax on the ship afterwards. Thus, we began our cruise in Seward (rather than Vancouver, Canada).

Inevitably, some tour changes occur over time, but this article gives basic logistics and highlights of the extension. Plus, I’ve added our own experiences to help you understand what the extension was really like. For more information on the cruise, head to Viking’s Alaska and the Inside Passage cruise website.

**Denali National Park has several climates as seen by the green grassland in the foreground and the snowy peaks in the distance.** *Source: Travel with Lolly*

Contents

Denali Explorer Overview

The pre-extension was a wonderful way to gain an overall understanding of Alaska, its multiculturalism, its topography, and its history. Also, it helped add context for the ports we were scheduled to visit on the cruise.

Our tour director worked for a company that Viking contracts with (not an official Viking-led tour) and was well-trained and very familiar with the ports and many excursions that would greet us in the future. The tour director and coach driver stayed with the group for the entire extension, although local tour guides provide specific insights, like at the aviation museum, aboard the train, in Denali National Park, and such.

What’s included in the Denali Explorer extension:

Anchorage city tour for an overview of the town via coach bus,
a visit to Anchorage’s Alaska Aviation Museum, a fascinating tour led by a local bush pilot,
an Alaskan dome railway journey from Anchorage to Denali, an almost 8-hour trip in a comfortable train car that served breakfast and lunch,
a historical lecture by a leading academic,
free time to explore each area,
opportunities for optional excursions (e.g., dogsledding demo, plane flight to a glacier, musical theater performance),
a Denali National Park guided bus tour by a naturalist,
a tram ride to the top of Mt. Alyeska (outside Seward,
2 hotel nights in Anchorage, 2 hotel nights in Denali, and 1 hotel night in Talkeetna, and
9 meals: 5 breakfasts (B), 2 lunches (L) & 2 dinners (D). Each destination listing below has these meal abbreviations.

Denali Explorer Itinerary

Day 1 – Anchorage, Alaska

Anchorage, founded in 1914 as a tent‑camp headquarters for the Alaska Railroad and incorporated in 1920, quickly became Alaska’s largest city, spurred on by wartime military buildup in World War II and later oil‐driven economic growth around the Trans‑Alaska Pipeline. Anchorage offers stunning scenery and is an aviation hub for international (mostly cargo) flights.

On Day 1, arrive in Anchorage and settle into the hotel. A Viking tour director was at the hotel and gave a short orientation session in the afternoon, explaining the basic logistics of the tour and the optional excursions available in Denali National Park and Talkeetna. (No meals were included today.)

There were 72 people on our Denali Explorer extension, so we were split into two groups (36 people apiece), each with a tour director and its own coach, who did the same things, though the times differed for each group, which helped make the experience feel more personal.

**The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail in Anchorage** *Source: Travel with Lolly*

Insider Tip

You may want to arrive a day early for your body to adjust to the time difference and to become acquainted with the town. Our flight was expected to arrive in Anchorage after 7:00 pm (later than Viking recommends for beginning the extension experience), so we opted to arrive a day early to adjust to the time difference and get acquainted with the town. (This was Day 0 for us.)

Before we were to meet with the tour director in the afternoon of Day 1, my husband and I walked the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail and visited the Anchorage Museum, filled with artifacts and information about Alaska’s indigenous communities. Both activities were great introductions to Anchorage (with a little exercise thrown in) and were appreciated after a long flight the day before.

**Indigenous artifacts in the Anchorage Museum** *Source: Travel with Lolly*

Day 2 – Anchorage, Alaska (B, D)

Our group was driven to the Alaska Aviation Museum, housing vintage aircraft, for a tour led by a bush pilot. We learned about the significance and history of several of the planes while learning about the state’s aviation history. To this day, aviation in all its forms plays a key role in Alaska’s economy as well as culture. This experience was valuable because you can gaine an understanding about how remote some Alaskan communities are – over 80% of Alaskan communities do not have road or rail access still today – and the important role bush pilots play in connecting residents to health care, shopping, and even entertainment venues.

**A Stearman plane from the 1920s** *Source: Travel with Lolly*

After that, we visited Earthquake Park, the site of the devastating 9.2 magnitude earthquake on March 27, 1964, when a landslide resulted in an entire neighborhood’s homes sliding into Cook Inlet. Mt. Denali is visible from this point on clear days. Finally, we were driven around the town to see highlights and suggested restaurants for lunch. The rest of the day was free before joining the group for dinner.

**View of Anchorage from Earthquake Park** *Source: Travel with Lolly*

Day 3 – Denali, Alaska (B, L)

Denali and Healy are adjoining areas. Healy, a small community just outside Denali National Park, grew up around coal mining and railroad construction in the early 20th century. Today, it mostly serves as a gateway community to the Denali National Park. (I mention both because you’ll probably find that your smartphone’s camera may list Healy as the location of some of your shots.)

The Denali National Park road is 92 miles long. Cars are prohibited in the park beyond about Mile 15; thus, buses take visitors through the park.

Leaving Anchorage, heading to Denali

Day 3 had an early start to get on the domed railcar to take the group to Denali National Park. Passengers sit on the second level with comfortable seats and panoramic views. Breakfast and lunch are served below on the first level. There are two legs of the train ride, totaling about 8 hours: Anchorage to Talkeetna and Talkeetna to Denali. Passengers stay on the train for the entire ride (no switching cars in Talkeetna).

**Aboard the domed rail car ride from Anchorage to Denali** *Source: Travel with Lolly*

Breakfast and lunch were served aboard the train. Since there were ample servings of both meals, we didn’t need a big meal once we arrived at our hotel. We stayed at Denali Park Village, a rustic hotel situated along the Nenana River, a gorgeous setting with trails, a deck overlooking the river, a full restaurant, bar, and gift shop.

After checking in, my husband and I (along with two other couples from our group) opted to take a scenic, relaxing hike along the Oxbow Loop Trail, whose trailhead is close to the hotel. Some others in the group chose optional excursions provided by the Denali Explorer extension, but we preferred a low-key, relaxed activity after being with the group for most of the day.

**View along the Oxbow Loop Trail, near our Denali hotel** *Source: Travel with Lolly*

Day 4 – Denali, Alaska (B, L, D)

Denali hasn’t been the only name for the mountain. The name “Denali” is derived from the Koyukon Athabascan word “Deenaalee,” meaning “the high one” or “the great one.” Then, in the late 19th century, gold prospectors who came through the state proposed the Mt. McKinley name in honor of 1896 presidential candidate William McKinley because they were pleased that he strongly supported the idea of the U.S. following the gold standard (equating the U.S. dollar with gold). This was an obvious benefit for those gold prospectors. Over the years, many Alaskans and indigenous communities suggested a return to the name’s original form; thus, it was returned to Mt. Denali by President Barack Obama’s administration in 2015. Ten years later, President Donald Trump thought the name should return to Mt. McKinley.

Visiting Denali National Park

Today we took a 5+ hour tour on a bus into Denali National Park with a naturalist who narrated the entire experience and provided interesting insights and shared local lore. We stopped a few times to take photos, and we all worked to spot and alert the driver to wildlife (including a grizzly bear, caribou, moose, and Dal sheep), so we could slow down and peer out the bus windows. Since we were fortunate enough to be there on a clear day, the mountain was “out” and fully visible. Thus, we were able to see its two peaks: the South Summit is 20,320 feet/6,194 meters tall, while the North Summit stands at 19,470 feet/5,934 meters.

**View of Mt. Denali from about 50 miles away in Denali National Park** *Source: Travel with Lolly*

We had a few hours of free time after the Denali National Park tour. Then, we gathered for a group dinner at a restaurant, followed by a 45-minute talk by another naturalist at a nature center.

Day 4 was a very educational experience that helped explain how wildlife and plants can survive in such harsh conditions. For example, we learned about adaptations that proved valuable to their survival, like how the black spruce trees spread their roots horizontally (and not deep underground) because there is such a narrow depth of topsoil for it to grow. Underneath, there’s glacial silt that does not allow roots to flourish.

Day 5 – Talkeetna, Alaska (B)

Talkeetna, located at the confluence of the Susitna, Chulitna, and Talkeetna Rivers, began as a Tanaina village and then a gold‑rush trading post around 1896; it boomed briefly during Alaska Railroad construction around 1915. A recent claim to fame: the popular 1990s Northern Exposure TV series was filmed here. Today, Talkeetna is a quirky, inviting little town that’s a staging base for climbers and tourists drawn to Mt. Denali and the park.

Leaving Denali, heading to Talkeetna

After breakfast at Denali Park Village, we had time at Denali National Park’s visitor center to explore the exhibits, listen to guided talks, watch a movie, or take a walk along one of the trails just outside the building. The group had the option to add on a short trip to a nearby outdoor shopping plaza for shopping and lunch. Some of the group chose to spend the entire time at the visitor center.

Later, we boarded the coach bus for about a three-hour drive to Talkeetna and settled into the hotel, the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge.

An Optional Talkeetna Experience

My husband and I chose an optional excursion: a flight in a 10-passenger plane into Denali National Park, passing directly by Mt. Denali and landing on a nearby glacier. We were able to get out onto the glacier and walk around. We marveled at the peacefulness and the snowy surroundings. The pilot narrated the flight. It was a fascinating experience (even for me, a nervous flyer).

**A flightseeing plane (from Talkeetna) after landing on a glacier in Denali National Park** *Source: Travel with Lolly*

Since there was still daylight after we landed, we went into tiny Talkeetna for a drink at The Fairview Inn, an establishment built in 1923 to serve travelers on the Alaska Railroad. Its claim to fame is that President Warren G. Harding visited the inn in 1923 as part of his Western tour … before dying in a hotel room in California a few days later. There’s memorabilia on the walls of this place that evokes an inviting back-in-time feel.

Because the kitchen had just closed when we ordered our drinks at the Fairview Inn, we later went next door to the Denali Brewery for a late dinner and a drink enjoyed around a roaring outdoor fire.

Note that we were able to enjoy Talkeetna after the plane ride because we had been told that we had time to do so before meeting at a spot for the last van ride (which traveled back and forth from the lodge to the town).

Day 6 – Seward, Alaska

After an early breakfast, we boarded the coach for about a 2+ hour drive back to Anchorage. We had 90 minutes there on our own (time for lunch!) before reboarding the bus for about two hours to Girdwood for a tram ride up to Mt. Alyeska. There are wonderful views from the summit, along with a restaurant and bar.

**Mt. Alyeska tram with clouds covering the mountain tops in the distance** *Source: Travel with Lolly*

The last leg of our extension was the ride from Girdwood to Seward to board the ship. We arrived around 3:00 pm and began our exciting cruise south along Alaska’s beautiful coastline.

More Denali Explorer Excursion Information

All luggage on this land tour extension is handled by Viking and the hotels.
Viking recommends drinking lots of water because of the dry air.
The coach bus will make restroom stops, but it does have a bathroom, if needed.
Guests can bring snacks and beverages (including alcoholic) on the coach for the longer rides.
Viking recommends tipping the tour director $10 per person per day, the coach driver $9 per person per day, and $2 per person for each rail leg (Anchorage to Denali).

Trip Planning

Alaskan Cruises

Viking Cruises

Final Thoughts

My husband and I so enjoyed the Denali Explorer land extension. Those days were filled with fascinating new information about the state, its history, people, and culture. Alaska is a special world of its own, being isolated from the lower 48 contiguous states.

Even with all its development over the years, it still earns its moniker of “The Last Frontier” because so much of it is still uninhabited, and its people are dispersed in cities and relatively small communities. As mentioned, this was an excellent introduction to Alaska and really helped us appreciate the ports our ship would visit in the days ahead.

If you’re taking this as a post-cruise extension, keep in mind that the itinerary will be in a different order—you’ll start in Seward, where our pre-cruise extension ended, and finish in Anchorage. Also, some tour activities may change slightly over time. That said, this five-night experience was truly meaningful and enjoyable from start to finish!

Please let me know if you have any questions about this cruise extension. I’d be happy to help you!

Comments?

If you’ve been on Viking’s Denali Extension, please share your experiences as well as suggestions for fellow travelers. Thanks! 🙂

Viking Alaskan Cruise Denali Explorer Extension: What You Need to Know

Denali Explorer Overview