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.
Land's End Resort
Homer (2 nights)
Commune with eagles, otters and seals where land meets sea on Kachemak Bay. (spa)
Seward Windsong Lodge
Seward (2 nights)
Nestled in the woods of the striking Resurrection River Valley.
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)
This Trip Is Rated Levels 2-4
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 |
2 |
100 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 4 |
200 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2 |
|
|
5 |
500 |
7 |
600 |
8 |
900 |
|
|
| 3 |
|
|
3 |
400 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 4 |
|
|
3 |
1500 |
4 |
2000 |
8 |
3000 |
|
|
| 5 |
|
|
4 |
700 |
5 |
1200 |
6 |
2100 |
|
|
| 6 |
3 |
300 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 5 |
500 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Note:
The terrain on this trip includes meadow and forest paths and alpine trails, ranging from lightly rolling to hilly with several steeper climbs. The hike to Harding Icefield is especially rigorous due to its steep rocky terrain and the possibility of encountering snow. Operating under Special Use Permit in the Chugach National Forest. Backroads is an Equal Opportunity Provider.
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 (such as Map My Ride and Garmin devices) may give differing elevation figures due to different GPS and mapping technologies. Readings from a Garmin or a smart phone are influenced by other factors such as air pressure.
Meals
All breakfasts, 6 lunches, 4 dinners
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. While Backroads has selected the best possible lodging available in the places we visit, simplicity and comfort often outweigh elegance and luxury in this great state. Generally speaking, customer service in Alaska can seem slow and casual when compared with the high standards of hospitality found on other Backroads trips. Patience, a sense of humor and an appreciation for the cultural differences that abound in this population-sparse setting will help to make the most of your experience.
Why Travel with Backroads in Alaska
Who Else Gets You to Homer?
While many active travel companies include scenic Seward in their itineraries, with Backroads you start by leaving the crowds behind and exploring Homer, fondly known as "the end of the road." This seldom-visited fishing town, beautifully set beneath snowcapped peaks on the Kenai Peninsula, is your home base for wildlife-spotting adventures out on Kachemak Bay and an unforgettable hike on Grewingk Glacier. This is how Alaskans see their world.
More Leaders to Support You
On our Alaska trips we have an extra leader supporting you along the 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.
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.
A Variety of Routes Each Day
In Alaska you head off each morning after choosing among several expertly designed routes—all with detailed directions, mileage and shuttle options. Unlike trips with one fixed daily route (or worse, one guide that everyone's obliged to follow), you're free to enjoy the best of the region at your pace, stopping wherever you want to explore further.
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.
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.
Your Trip Will Run. Period.
Under our Book with Confidence policy, your Backroads trip will run even for one or two people (or a family of three or four), 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 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.
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.
We've Set the Standard
For nearly four decades we've worked to earn and maintain our right to call Backroads the world's #1 active travel company. In pursuing that vision on behalf of our guests, we believe we've set the standard for our industry—captured in the Backroads Quality Guide, which clearly sets out the benchmarks of excellence, choice and support that we live by
Choose Your Fellow Travelers
With Backroads you won't end up with kids on what you thought was an adult trip; we have exclusive departures for families, so they're off having their own adventures. As you browse our unrivaled selection of trips and dates, you can count on finding a trip in Alaska that's geared exclusively to your choice of traveling companions.
