mckinley explorer

After disembarking from our cruise ship in Whittier, we were excited to climb aboard the McKinley Explorer and venture into the wilderness. Everyone had pre-assigned seating in a spacious cabin with comfortable seats and plenty of room to move about. Each car had its own facilities and a dining car in the lower level, plus coffee/bar/snack service on the upper level. During the ride, we were served yummy snacks -- cookies, champagne with deer sausage and cheese. Our tour guide gave us informative commentaries and key facts along the way and a local dog sled musher boarded the train at one point to talk about life competing in the dogsled races.The entire train ride was an experience that was fun, educational and very enjoyable with awesome views. The land tour portion of our trip was just as spectacular as the cruise portion, and we are so glad to have had the opportunity to enjoy both.

This was a continuation of a cruise from Vancouver to Alaska, and the train was something I wanted to experience. The McKinley Explorer was a great way to "close the distance" on the mountain. We had the wonderful experience of seeing the mountain almost the whole way--it was exceptionally clear and a very comfortable ride. We had breakfast and lunch on the train and the food and service was excellent.

Marcus was our guide and he was absolutely great. He stood the entire trip and talked the whole time and gave so much information. The train itself has nice seats that are roomy and comfortable. The food on the train in the dining car was good and the path the train went was so beautiful. Highly recommend this ride.

The views of the mountains from the dome cars are breathtaking. Seating is extremely comfortable and bar service at your seat while listening to the tour guide was entertaining. Lunch is served on the lower level as in a fine restaurant. Seeing the landscape go by through the large picture window as we sipped our wine and ate delicious sea food was decadent. The eight hour ride from Denali to Anchorage was the highlight of our trip.

We took the train from Anchorage to Denali as part of our Holland America cruise package.• Great experience. Our coach guide, Samuel, was terrific. Very knowledgeable, friendly, approachable. Right balance of narration, quiet time. Saw black bear, beaver lodges, bald eagles. Dining car directly below domed coach in each car. Very good menu for breakfast or lunch. • Tip – bring some snacks. Drinks are prepared by a bartender in your coach

Beautiful views on train ride to Denali national park from Anchorage and return. Had 3 different hosts as there were three legs of the trip. All the "hosts" were very informative. Service at lunch and for beverages was very good.

We had a beautiful day and great views, but I'm not sure that we would've seen any less had we taken a bus to Denali instead of the train. And the bus ride would've been twice as fast. We purchased this as part of our Princess cruise. A couple of problems with the train. Due to the length of the train ride (approx 10.5 hours), they sold food. It was overpriced. The soft drinks were bottomless, which was nice. Also, since it took so long, they allowed smoking in the open air part of the train. Of course, the smoke wafts into the enclosed part as well which was suffocating. The bathrooms were less than stellar but we had to use them over the course of the day. Also, given the length of the ride, having some spots where the seats/booths reclined would've been nice. But no such luck. If I had to do it over again, I'd take the bus.

McKinley Explorer Glass Domed Train Whittier to Denali AKAs part of our 8/09 Princess cruisetour we were abe to ride the McKinley Explorer from Whittier, Ak to Denali National Park & Preserve. For each person they limit baggage on the train to one carry-on per person, that can fit under your assigned seat. We used a small zippered canvas bag and a back pack.The rest of our luggage met us at our hotel room ( it travels by truck). Pack valuables, electronics, medications and 1 change of clothing (just in case your bag gets delayed) Which it never did!They seat you at an assigned table. If you are traveling with a group they seat you all in the same area.The whole trip takes approximately 9 hours from the port of Whittier to Denali National Park & Preserve train depot.I recommend wearing comfortable clothes in layers. They serve a selected menu of breakfast/lunch items & beverages on the train (moderate $$) It can be served at your assigned table or in the lower level dining car. Our train had a cute, compact gift shop on the lower level also. They carried books about the glass -domed train (adult & children's versions) They also had jewelry, stuffed animals in engineers outfits and other unique gift items that I hadn't seen anywhere else in Alaska. I bought a moose pin with a gold dust eye. The views from the glass-domed train are breath-taking, but go to the observation deck on each car for better photo-ops. be sure you packed a hat and gloves, as it can get chilly in the wind on the open platform. Our train stopped twice for photos. once for a moose in a field and then the second time for Mt McKinley (which the local natives only call Denali). Denali, if she shows, is on the left side of the train. We got several great shots of Denali, which is fortunate, because it is the only time we saw her in full view for the rest of our visit. The trip is long, but the ever-changing scenery makes it well worth every moment! And don't forget to do "moose ears" to the south-bound train, it's tradition!

Viagem lindíssima, regada de paisagens fantásticas para fotografar.Muito conforto, bom restaurante e atendimento ótimo.