Fly into Ted Stevens International Airport and transfer to your nearby hotel by courtesy shuttle. Overnight Anchorage.

Enjoy watching float planes take off from the Lake Hood Seaplane Base just beyond your hotel before picking up your rental car this morning. Your destination is Homer, a small town at the end of the Sterling Highway.

On the way, take pictures at pullouts along Turnagain Arm, detour into Girdwood for coffee, stop to stretch your legs along the Kenai River at Cooper Landing, and take a break for lunch in Soldotna. Enjoy the drive, it's a beautiful one. Overnight Homer.

Stop for sandwiches from one of Homer's many local cafes on your way to the Homer Spit this morning. Your guided kayaking trip leaves from here, starting with a water taxi ride across the sparkling blue water of Kachemak Bay to the paddling base at Otter Cove. After you return from up to five hours of serene coastal kayaking, explore the spit's eclectic shops and galleries. Overnight Homer.

You'll retrace your steps today, driving from Homer back to Cooper Landing, and then south into Seward. Take some time to wander the first mile of the Iditarod National Historic Trail along Resurrection Bay. Spend a few hours at the Alaska SeaLife Center. Stop in at the Kenai Fjords National Park Visitor Center in the Small Boat Harbor. Then, when you're ready to relax for the evening, settle into your lodge accommodations along the Resurrection River just outside of town. Overnight Seward.

Return to the Small Boat Harbor this morning for a day cruise into Kenai Fjords National Park. The cruise vessel is a stable catamaran with wrap-around decks and spacious heated cabin, although for the best experience you'll want to be outside. The coastline is a mix of weather-beaten rocks, rough cliffsides, and huge Sitka spruce trees eclipsed in places by hulking tidewater glaciers. There's a good chance to see wildlife throughout the cruise as well, especially in the calmer waters of Aialik and Resurrection bays. Overnight Seward.

Say farewell to the coast for now, you're heading inland. Today you'll drive to Talkeetna, a quirky little community with many good eateries and lots of local characters. Talkeetna is often called the "Gateway to Denali," a moniker you'll fully appreciate after an hour of flightseeing around Denali and the giant granite massifs surrounding it. Overnight Talkeetna.

Continue north to the Denali National Park entrance area today. Just for fun, head a few more miles north to take in the view at Windy Bridge. This evening, you'll raft under that tall bridge on a whitewater trip down the Nenana River. Overnight Denali.

Your tour today leaves bright and early, taking you beyond the borders of Denali National Park by bus. Experiences range widely on this popular excursion, changing from exciting wildlife sightings and talk of local history, to quiet moments of reflection amidst the park's vast, uniquely beautiful landscapes. The tour includes a hearty lunch at the Kantishna Roadhouse 90 miles into the park. Overnight Denali.

There's more to see in the Denali Park area, so spend some time exploring on your own this morning before making your return drive to Anchorage. Overnight Anchorage.

After an entertaining two-hour guided tour of Anchorage in the morning, you'll wrap up your trip with a cruise transfer via Park Connection Motorcoach from Anchorage to Whittier.