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Alaska Walking & Hiking Tour

Alaska Walking & Hiking Tour

Alaska's Kenai Peninsula—Glacier to Coastline

From $2,998 - $3,198 pp dbl. occ. | 6 days / 5 nights

(+$730 for sgl. occ.)
Plus 6% Kenai Peninsula tax

It feels like the end of the Earth... a place that few humans have seen. Glaciers plunge down mountains to waters brimming with sea life. You marvel at Kachemak Bay's dramatic weather. And at the wildflowers and rushing waterfalls on the Kenai Peninsula. Your sense of the wilderness will never be the same after this.

Highlights

Enjoy a sensational hike along Exit Glacier that leads to unforgettable vistas of Resurrection River Valley and Harding Icefield
Boat across beautiful Kachemak Bay, then trek to amazing Grewingk Glacier, where you may encounter grazing Dall sheep
Visit the coastal towns of Homer and Seward, brimming with charm and classic Alaskan character
Watch for black bears, marmots, caribou and moose, among many other noteworthy wildlife

Alaska

Start Homer / End Anchorage

Itinerary

Day 1 Homer, known as The End of the Road, is one of Alaska's most picturesque towns | Hike with a naturalist along bluffs overlooking Kachemak Bay, famous for its extreme tides | Settle into our comfortable waterfront accommodations located at the tip of the world's second-longest natural spit.

Day 2 Trek to Grewingk Glacier, where you may spot caribou and Dall sheep | En route to Glacier Lake, you're surrounded by Kachemak Bay State Park's 400,000 acres of wilderness, reachable only by air and sea | Sea otters, porpoises, loons and bald eagles may say hello.

Days 3-4 Enjoy the wildflowers and spruce forest on a trail to Skilak Lake, fed by a nearby glacier | Wander in scenic Seward | The hike of a lifetime along Exit Glacier leads to amazing views of Resurrection River Valley and Harding Icefield, a glacier spanning more than 900 square miles and concealing an entire mountain range under several thousand feet of ice | Keep your eyes out for mountain goats, moose and black bears in Fjords National Park.

Days 5-6 Hike to Crow Pass for a closer look at the Raven Glacier | Experience Alaska's extreme temperatures as you climb to snow-laden heights | The sound of rushing water accompanies you to Winner Creek Gorge, where the creek passes through a narrow granite passage and becomes a deluge.

Next: Dates & Prices

The earlier you book, the more choice you'll have and the lower your price. And you can always change your mind — you won't be charged to transfer to a different trip before your final payment is due. View cancellation policy.

Cancellation fees may vary based upon departure date. Please review the grid below:

Number of Days Prior to Trip Start	Cancellation Fees (per person)	Departure Dates
96+ days	$200	2018 6/25, 7/2, 7/9, 7/16, 7/30, 8/13, 8/27 2019 6/10, 6/17, 7/1, 7/8, 7/15, 7/22, 7/29, 8/5, 8/19, 8/26
61-95 days	30%
31-60 days	60%
0-30 days	100%

For information on our trip transfers see here.

Please click on a date below for specific pricing and possible itinerary variations.

Available
to Book i
Going
Fast i
Contact
Us i
Private Trip
– Reserved i

C Classic Dates

2018 June

6/25–6/30

2018 July

7/2–7/7

7/9–7/14

7/16–7/21

7/30–8/4

2018 August

8/13–8/18

8/27–9/1

2019 June

6/10–6/15

6/17–6/22

2019 July

7/1–7/6

7/8–7/13

7/15–7/20

7/22–7/27

7/29–8/3

2019 August

8/5–8/10

8/19–8/24

8/26–8/31

View Private Dates

Gather your favorite people to share a Backroads adventure on a ready-to-book Private Trip - featuring all the legendary Backroads hallmarks from expert leaders to unforgettable activities. You can pick from the selection of dates below for your group; some dates are only available for 16 or more guests while other dates are available for 8 or more guests. If your party has fewer than 8 guests, or your preferred date is not available, we'll create a departure just for you. Call or email us to reserve your date.

2018 Private Trip Pricing

10 or more guests: from $2,898 pp dbl occ
8 - 9 guests: from $3,398 pp dbl occ
6 - 7 guests: from $4,798 pp dbl occ
4 - 5 guests: from $5,398 pp dbl occ
2 - 3 guests: from $6,198 pp dbl occ

2019 Private Trip Pricing

10 or more guests: from $2,999 pp dbl occ
8 - 9 guests: from $3,499 pp dbl occ
6 - 7 guests: from $4,499 pp dbl occ
4 - 5 guests: from $5,799 pp dbl occ
2 - 3 guests: from $7,199 pp dbl occ

Please click on a date below for specific pricing and possible itinerary variations.

Don't see your ideal travel date? Make a Date

8 AVAILABLE TO BOOK
for 8 or more guests
16 AVAILABLE TO BOOK
for 16 or more guests
Reserved

C Couples, Friends & Solos Tours

The sky’s the limit! Tell us what your dream trip would be and we'll make it happen! Whether you're looking for a honeymoon trip for 2, a 30-person family reunion or a 100-person corporate trip, we can do it all. A dedicated Custom Trip Consultant will work closely with you to bring your dreams to reality. Call us at 800-462-2848 to speak with your Custom Trip Consultant or click on the button below.

REQUEST YOUR CUSTOM TRIP NOW

Previous: Overview

Dates

C Couples, Friends & Solos Tours

2018
Jun
Jul
Aug

2019
Jun
Jul
Aug

View Scheduled Dates
Go Private
Go Custom

Prices

From $2,998 - $3,198 pp dbl. occ.
6 days / 5 nights

(+$730 for sgl. occ.)
Plus 6% Kenai Peninsula tax

Reviews

Read the Reviews
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Casual Hotels*

Land's End Resort

Homer (2 nights)

Seward Windsong Lodge

Seward (2 nights)

Alyeska Resort

Girdwood (1 night)

See Lodging Details

Activity Level

This trip is rated Levels 2-4

See Daily Route Options

What's Included

Services and equipment are included.

See how we include more

Why Backroads

Why Travel with Backroads in Alaska

Find out What sets us apart

More On This Trip

Watch videos

Detailed Itinerary Reserve This Trip

Reviews by Power Reviews ®

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Next: Lodging

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)

Previous: Reviews

Next: Activity Level

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 )

Day	EASYGOING				ACTIVE				AVID
Daily Route Options
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Level 4		Level 5
	miles	feet gain	miles	feet gain	miles	feet gain	miles	feet gain	miles	feet gain
1	2	100
1	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
6	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 may give differing elevation figures due to different GPS and mapping technologies and other external factors.

Previous: Lodging

Next: What's Included

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

Previous: Activity Level

Next: Straight Talk

Next: Why Backroads

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.

Previous: What's Included

Next: Why Backroads

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.

Previous: Straight Talk

Previous: What's Included

Detailed Itinerary Reserve This Trip

Guest Photo Gallery

Straight Talk

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.

Alaska Walking & Hiking Tour