Casual Hotels*
Accommodations may vary based on departure date. Any difference from what is listed below can be found by clicking on your desired date on the View Scheduled Dates or Private Dates tabs.
Alyeska Resort
Girdwood (1 night)
* Premiere Hotel
This stylish hotel with an aerial tram to the top of Mount Alyeska has earned accolades from Travel + Leisure. (pool, spa)
Seward Windsong Lodge
Seward (2 nights)
Nestled in the woods of the striking Resurrection River Valley.
Land's End Resort
Homer (2 nights)
Commune with eagles, otters and seals where land meets sea on Kachemak Bay. (spa)
This Trip Is Rated Levels 1-3
Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next—and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.
Daily Route Options (drag to see full )
| Daily Route Options |
| 1 |
Biking |
10 |
600 |
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| Biking |
16 |
1100 |
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| 2 |
Walking/Hiking |
4* |
600 |
6 |
800 |
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| Other |
Dogsled Experience Tour (1.5 Hours) |
| 3 |
Walking/Hiking |
2 |
300 |
3 |
1500 |
5 |
2000 |
8 |
3000 |
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| Kids |
Exit Glacier Hike (2 Miles; 300’ elevation gain) |
| Kids |
Visit to Alaska SeaLife Center (2 Hours) |
| 4 |
Walking/Hiking |
4 |
400 |
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| Other |
Kenai River Float Trip (2 Hours) |
| 5 |
Kayaking |
on Kachemak Bay (All Day) |
| 6 |
Biking |
8 |
100 |
24 |
700 |
30 |
1700 |
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Note:
On this Family Trip, our routes follow gentle rolling terrain, except for the rigorous hike to Harding Icefield. Liberal van shuttling is incorporated into the itinerary and mileage is moderate to enable you to spend more time exploring on your own. Operating under Special Use Permit on the Chugach National Forest. Backroads is an Equal Opportunity Provider.
* Includes shuttle.
Learn more about how we determine our activity level and fully support a range of abilities and interests.
Please note that our distance and elevation figures come from Ride with GPS. Other sources may give differing elevation figures due to different GPS and mapping technologies and other external factors.
Meals
All breakfasts, 6 lunches, 4 dinners
Available Bike Options
The key to a stellar day’s ride is a bike that’s perfectly in tune with your cycling style… Backroads has you covered with the best bike fleet in the world! Read on for your available bike options for this trip.
Backroads Titanium Bikes (Included in your trip price)
Our custom-built titanium bikes are specially designed for you—and we offer different models for varied terrain so your bike is ideally suited to the region. Our custom-made bikes are included in your trip price.
Touring Bike (Included)
Custom Kids Bikes (Included in your trip price)
Backroads is the only travel company to manufacture its own line of kid's bikes. While the wheels might be small, the performance is big—it's the perfect choice for kids. On all Backroads Family Trips, you'll find 20" and 24" bicycles for the younger set. They say good things come in small packages; when it comes to bikes for kids of all ages, Backroads is the expert.
Custom Kids Bikes (Included)
Burley Kazoo trailer bike (Included in your trip price)
The Burley Kazoo trailer bike, for children up to 85 pounds, attaches to an adult bike with your child providing some of the pedal power for a real team effort! It's ideal for kids who may be comfortable pedaling around the neighborhood but aren't yet ready for bike touring.
Burley Cub trailer (Included)
Also Included
- Expertise and services of our experienced Trip Leaders
- Snacks and beverages between meals
- Additional guides and experts from the region on many trips
- Van shuttles to support a variety of route options
- Comprehensive Travel Planner with detailed pre-trip information
- Private guided tours at museums, historic sites, wineries and other select attractions as noted in the Travel Planner
- All gratuities at hotels and restaurants
- Special events, including wine tastings and other select attractions as mentioned in the Travel Planner
- On biking and multi-adventure trips, use of fully equipped Backroads titanium bike plus helmet and accessories
- Trailercycles, carriers, and kid-sized helmets for Family Trips
- Equipment and experienced guides for kayaking, rafting, snorkeling, sailing and canoeing as described
- Park and other entry fees
- Fares for trains, ferries and other modes of travel as listed in the Travel Planner
- Select coach transfers
- Baggage transfers and porterage
Get the Straight Talk about This Trip
We want to make sure you're on the right trip and that you have the best experience possible. Every Backroads trip is unique and this one is no exception.
Accommodations & Service Standards
Alaska is a land of rustic and rugged beauty, and while Backroads has selected the best properties in the places we visit, simplicity and comfort outweigh elegance and luxury in this great state. Generally speaking, service in Alaska can seem slow and casual when compared with the high standards of service found on other Backroads trips. Patience, a sense of humor and appreciation for the cultural differences that abound in this population-sparse setting will help you make the most of your experience.
Traffic
While Backroads strives to find routes that are quiet and off the beaten track, some routes on this trip follow heavily trafficked roads. Of course, you're always welcome to jump in the shuttle to avoid the busier roads.
Why Travel with Backroads in Alaska
A Second Van When You Need It
Backroads is the only active travel company providing two support vans in Alaska—because we know it's essential to ensure a truly great travel experience. It doubles our ability to be there when you need us to offer hydration, lighten your load or give you a lift if it's time to take a break. Read more on why two vans make all the difference.
The Best Leaders in Alaska
Backroads has the best-qualified people to lead your trip in Alaska, and our guests back that up, rating our Trip Leaders an average of 9.75 out of 10 for all-around quality of performance. Get the facts (and no fluff) on how we recruit and develop the very best people for your trip.
Like You, We're Family Experts
At Backroads we've honed our expertise in active family travel over many years and a lot of trips. We host at least 20 times more family guests than any other active company, so we're constantly gaining new insights that make our trips even better. Detailed planning, behind-the scenes logistics, unrivaled support from three Trip Leaders—all backed by a team that proudly creates the kind of experiences we'd want to share with our own families.
Everyone at Their Own Pace
We design and support our Alaska trips to suit mixed abilities and varied interests—so you can set your own pace, then change things up as the day unfolds. And all guests are free to do the same, traveling together or apart, with no one cramping anyone else's style. Which sounds easy in theory, but it's hard to pull off. Here's more on how we do it.
Get the Most Out of Each Day
Coordinating multiple activities throughout a single day can be tricky, but with Backroads you'll never know it. When you explore Alaska with us, you switch activities seamlessly without missing a beat. We invented the multi-adventure concept, and we're constantly adding new dimensions and fine-tuning the experience to make it even more enjoyable.
More Leaders to Support You
On our Alaska trips we have an extra leader supporting you along the road and trail—for a total of three, compared to the industry standard two. So we can be in more places at once, giving personal attention to guests traveling at their own pace. Here's more on our Trip Leaders.
Our Superb Bikes Included
A great bike is obviously critical for a great multi-adventure trip; you don't want to gamble on one that's been sourced locally to trim costs. This trip features our acclaimed Backroads Custom Titanium bikes, expertly tuned and fitted, and included in your trip price. Learn why our titanium bikes are ideal for most riders.
Your Trip Will Run. Period.
Under our Book with Confidence policy, your Backroads trip will run even for a single family of three or four people, subject to a nominal extra fee. Or transfer to another trip, and we'll give you a credit. It's all part of our trademark commitment to treating guests with integrity, transparency and total accountability. Read all the details.
A Great Trip for Teens
This Family Adventure, with its blend of challenging activities and cool places to explore, is ready to erase the doubtful looks of the toughest travel critics around: teenagers. We're not saying there won't be a single eye-rolling response (or the odd WhatsApp exchange with the gang back home), but this trip has plenty to keep teens in the moment and part of the family.
The Value of Casual Hotels
In addition to the ideal balance of comfort and hospitality in our choice of lodgings, this trip featuring Casual Hotels includes nearly all of your meals, plus everything from cocktail receptions to the best snacks along the road. So there's rarely a need to reach for your wallet – we've got you covered.
Signature Backroads Picnics
Guests rave about our picnic spreads. Enjoy a welcome break in a scenic spot, or a quick refuel stop if you don't want to lose momentum. And because we have two vans, one can host lunch while the other is out providing support along the route.
Quality You Can Measure
Since 1979, Backroads Founder and President Tom Hale has shown that staying #1 means constantly evaluating our performance using the best possible source of information: our guests. As we systematically analyze your feedback on our trip consultants, leaders, hotels, meals and on-trip activities, we never stop working to make a great company even better.
