Big trips to Alaska and Canada

Ultimate wildlife experiences, stupendous landscapes, adventure and much more in Alaska and Canada

Feel a real sense of adventure on these seriously big trips to Alaska and Canada, part of Artisan Travel’s impressive North America Collection. Designed to provide the very best immersive experiences in this wild and historical part of the world, choose either to travel on the famous Alaskan Railroad or to self-drive through Alaska’s spectacular landscapes or, in neighbouring Canada, to canoe down the Yukon, past ghost town settlements from the Gold Rush boom years, or maybe to seek out polar bears and beluga whales in Manitoba.

Alaskan Railroad tour:  This is a meandering train journey across Alaska, travelling through regions untouched by tourism, starting and finishing in Anchorage, and staying in a range of accommodation from historical inns to modern hotels. Learn about indigenous ways of life at a native Athabascan village and experience a Sternwheeler Riverboat Tour, as well as ticking off the Kenai Fjords National Park – the gateway to Mount McKinley – plus Talkeetna and the wildlife-rich Denali National Park. Tailor-made additional activities, such as a helicopter flight over Mount McKinley, can also be arranged.

Price from £2,045 pp (two sharing), including internal flights and transfers, nine nights’ accommodation, some meals, Alaska Railroad standard class travel, boat tour of Kenai Fjords National Park, Jetboat tour in Talkeetna, bus excursion to Denali National Park, sightseeing in Fairbanks, and a 1950s Sternwheeler riverboat tour, plus fully qualified guides. Departures May-September 2016.

Photo: Denali NP – Frank Flavin

Wild Alaska self-drive:  Take things at your own pace, soak up incredible scenery, and spot bald eagles, whales, moose and bear, whilst driving through mountain passes, along jagged coastlines and past pristine lakes, staying in high-standard accommodation in beautiful locations. Visit the unmissable greats – the Kenai Fjords National Park, Talkeetna and Denali National Park – and drive along the Seward Highway, one of North America’s most jaw-dropping routes, before unwinding in the serene mountain village of Girdwood, enveloped in lush forest. Tailor-made additional activities, such as a scenic float-plane ride over Denali National Park, or dog sledding on Godwin Glacier, can also be arranged.

Price from £2,050 pp (two sharing), including ten nights’ accommodation, nine days’ car hire, Kenai Fjords National Park boat tour, and bus tour of Denali National Park. Departures May-September 2016

Canoeing the Yukon in Canada:  This is a trip for lovers of the outdoors and for both beginners and experienced canoeists, covering 320km of the mighty Yukon River. Along this important and historic travel route, used by everyone from nomadic aboriginal people (for fishing) to Klondike gold prospectors, you’ll encounter dam-building beavers, spot eagles gliding silently overhead, bears prowling the ridge lines, and watch out for moose and caribou. Paddle past abandoned trading stations such as Hootaling, plus Royal Canadian Mounted Police outposts, and set up camp each night on the riverbank.

Price from £925 pp (two sharing), including airport transfers, six nights’ camping, three nights’ hotel accommodation in Whitehorse, all meals while camping, overland transportation, canoe and camping equipment, and expert guidance. Departures in May, June, July and August 2016
Ultimate Wildlife Adventure in Canada’s Manitoba:  This is wildlife central – from black bears, lynx and wolves, to bison, beluga whales and polar bears, Manitoba offers some of nature’s best. Spend time in Churchill, where each year thousands of beluga whales head to Hudson Bay’s Churchill River; kayak alongside these sociable mammals, or even swim with them. Then take a flight to the Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge, home for four nights, from where daily trekking tours along the coastline should bring you close to polar bears. Top and tail this ultimate wildlife holiday with an exploration of colourful Winnipeg, a melting pot of Aboriginal, French Canadian and Manitoban cultures.

Price from £6,195 pp (two sharing), including domestic flights and transfers, ten nights’ accommodation, seven breakfasts, lunches and dinners, kayaking with belugas, optional swim, local tours, and daily trips from the Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. Departures only on 12 and 16 August 2016

 For more information, or to speak to an expert, please visit www.artisantravel.co.uk, or call 01670 785 085.