Get your first glimpses of Alaska as you fly north with the great national parks of Katmai and Lake Clark out the left hand window and the Chugach Mountains out the right. The sense of a true adventure about to start is palpable as you descend into Alaska, a once-in-a-lifetime trip that will evoke all the great American wilderness stories from John Muir to Jack London. Muir wrote in his journal that "you should never go to Alaska as a young man, because you'll never be satisfied with any other place as long as you live". Over the next 10 days you'll see what he meant. Anchorage is your gateway to the 49th state and your host will meet you at the airport and transfer you downtown to your hotel for the night before you set off into the wild first thing tomorrow.

Roll out of Anchorage this morning and hit the open road into the great expanse of Alaska's interior. Heading north, keep your eyes peeled for a glimpse of North America's tallest mountain, Mount Denali as you reach the small community of Talkeetna. Gold miners and fur trappers have been replaced by artists and adventurers in this part of Alaska, while the world's best mountaineers plan their ascents up Denali from Talkeetna. Take a look around the town which looks like a film set for an old Western movie before warming heading off for a short hike along the Talkeetna Lake loop. Continue north to your campground outside Denali National Park, pitch the tents and enjoy your first campsite dinner as you settle into the adventure.

Denali National Park is different to America's other national parks for many reasons, one being that there is a single road in and out of the park, keeping the six million acres of land truly wild. Denali's animals run the place, while human visitation is tightly managed by a network of iconic green national park buses which will shuttle you into the vast wilderness in search of grizzly and black bears, wolves, caribou, moose, and Dall's sheep. Guiding is not allowed inside the park, however you can hop on and off the bus at various points to head off for hikes to soak Denali up. The road finishes up at Eielson Visitor Center deep in the park where you can tackle a short hike on the Tundra Loop Trail or a longer one on the Thorofare Ridge Trail. Both will have incredible views of Mount Denali if the weather is clear. Bus back out of the park later and head to a nearby restaurant for dinner.

Kick off the morning with a guided hike along a portion of the Triple Lakes Trail, witnessing more of the Denali ecosystem on display with chances to spot moose and beaver. Hit the road later to travel along the unpaved Denali Highway, crossing open tundra with the epic Alaska range coming into view as you bid farewell to Mount Denali. Reaching the Maclaren River you'll board a jetboat to be whooshed up the river on an exhilarating journey deeper into the wilderness surrounded by peaks. Eventually you'll reach a remote wilderness camp just off the river where you'll settle in for the night, soaking up being a long, long way from anywhere and telling tales round the campfire beneath the Alaskan summer.

Wake up in the Alaskan backcountry, take in the surroundings and tuck into breakfast at camp before hitting the water back to the Maclaren River Lodge and then back on the road for the journey to Alaska's coast. The scenery is relentlessly stunning as you cross the alpine tundra of Thompson Pass in the Chugach Mountains, stopping to explore the Worthington Glacier. The final leg of the road trip leads you in to Valdez, a beautiful location which holds a dark past and an inspiring story of planet Earth's capacity for recovery - see FAQs for details.

Head down to the harbour to get kitted out for cold-water kayaking by an expert team of kayaking guides who know the waters in this part of Alaska like the back of their hand. Hop in a boat heading out of the harbour and along the coast, passing dense treelined mountains on your right hand side as you sluice through the emerald waters. Glimpse the spectacular Anderson Falls ahead before turning into Shoup Bay and getting your first sight of its stunning glacier. Hop out of the boat on a beach and switch into kayaks and push into the bay for the most surreal paddle of your life. Getting closer to the glacier you'll likely hear it rumble and crackle as it calves - an incredible natural phenomenon which has been happening for millennia, though is becoming more frequent due to climate change. Marine life is abundant in this whole area and you'll be sure to spot seals, sea lions, sea otters and - if you are lucky - sightings of orca are not uncommon in the Prince William Sound. Paddle up to a stunningly situated beach for a picnic lunch before enjoying more time exploring the bay before heading back to Valdez. Tuck into dinner at camp and maybe a beer in town to toast an unforgettable day.

Wave goodbye to Alaska's coast as you head back inland along the McCarthy Road, a rugged 60-mile unpaved route with various stop opportunities for short hikes which your guide will punctuate the journey with. This route allows you to delve into the history of the largest National Park in the United States. Back in the early 20th century, McCarthy thrived as a bustling town, serving as a place where copper miners from the Kennecott Mines sought leisure activities not permitted in Kennecott itself. After the mine closed in 1938, the town was nearly abandoned. As you travel, you'll come across historic structures that have retained much of their original charm from that era, with only a few permanent residents still living there. You'll set up base for the next few days at a campground near the river with views of the Kennecott Glacier. Stretch your legs with a short hike to the river and across the bridge to explore McCarthy.

Wrangell St Elias is as an adventurer's playground due to its rugged landscape of massive mountains, seemingly endless glaciers, powerful rivers and expansive forests spanning an area that ranges from sea level to 5500m in elevation. The park itself is larger than Switzerland, has the largest concentration of 'fourteeners' - mountains over 14,000 feet - in North America and is home to the largest glacier system in the US. The 4996m Mount Blackburn looms in the backdrop as you explore the area this morning on a hike along the Root Glacier Trail towards the edge of the glacier. After the hike you can enjoy some downtime just soaking up camp or adventuring further: there are so many things to do here and optional activities are a common occurrence for adventurers visiting McCarthy. You can join a guided hike onto the Root Glacier itself to see glacial waterfalls, canyons of ice and magnificent blue pools or a guided walk around the abandoned copper mining town of Kennecott, hearing legends of the tenacious people that lived and worked here. Or maybe the ultimate splurge on a classic Alaskan wilderness plane to see Wrangell St Elias's majesty from the air. Your guide will advise on and help you arrange an extra activities during your time in this part of Alaska.

Enjoy breakfast and coffee at camp taking in the surroundings one last time before heading off to soak up the wilderness some more with a hike along the West Kennecott Glacier Trail through a beautiful forest before reaching an epic view over the glacier and have the chance to spot bears hanging out on the lateral moraine below you. Afterward you'll pack down camp and hit the road again, making a few pit stops along the Copper River. The red salmon here are top-notch and highly coveted in North America, leading to disputes among commercial fisheries, the State of Alaska, and The Ahtna people who've lived a subsistence lifestyle on the land here for over 5,000 years. The fish wheels along the Copper River tell tales of Russian fur trappers and other outsiders who flocked in to exploit the resources. As today's journey unfolds you'll dig deeper into the history of the Indigenous peoples integral to Alaska and the entire continent.

One last drive with spectacular views across the Matanuska Valley and along the Chugach Mountain Range awaits today before arriving mid-day back in Anchorage to say farewell.

What's included?

• Twin sea kayaks & paddles
• Rubber boots & gloves, rain pants & jacket for the kayak day
• Twin-share tents, self-inflating mattress, cooking equipment

What's available to hire?

• Sleeping bags (please request upon booking - payment is taken locally, in cash)

What do I need to bring?

BAGS

• Soft overnight duffel bag or rucksack (main luggage)
• Daypack for hikes (20-30 litres)
• Waterproof liner for daypack
• Small drybag if you wish to take cameras or phones on the kayaks

CLOTHES

• Down jacket
• Waterproof jacket
• Waterproof trousers
• Breathable wicking layers
• Fleece jacket or similar
• Thermals (merino best)
• Warm hat
• Gloves
• Buff or neckscarf
• Lightweight trousers/shorts/skirts
• T-shirts
• Underwear and socks
• Swimwear
• Sunglasses
• Sunhat
• Something to sleep in
• Hiking boots (worn-in)
• Sandals

SLEEPING

• Cotton or silk sleeping bag liner
• Sleeping bag (3 season, 0ºC to –7ºC)
• Travel pillow or pillowcase

OTHER

• Universal travel plug adapter
• Power bank or solar charger
• Passports (and visas)
• Travel insurance documents
• Ear plugs
• Insect repellent
• Suncream
• Personal first-aid kit (inc. blister treatment)
• Personal items (biodegradable toiletries, sanitary wear etc)
• Quick-dry towel
• Alcohol hand-gel
• Headtorch or torch
• Reusable water bottle x2 litre
• Energy bars and snacks - read our article on Best Hiking Snacks