Doctor’s motorhome tour of Alaska & CME – 29 June, 2024
The tour will be organised with multiple motorhomes. We rent the motorhomes in Anchorage and will travel as a group or independently with meetings at pre-arranged caravan parks on certain dates. The CME meetings will be organised in the evening, allowing for plenty of time for daily activities/sightseeing.
Each participant will have the option to choose between 2-3 motorhome sizes, depending upon their requirements. Once we receive your registration forms, we’ll provide you with the choice of at least two motorhomes which we think are suitable for the size of your party. All motorhomes can be driven in Alaska with an Australian car driving licence. Roads in Alaska are wide and well-maintained, making it easy to drive a motorhome, even if you don’t have much previous experience.
The CPD program will be tailored according to RACGP specifications for the current triennium, with participating Specialists invited to present from their area of expertise (as per their individual College requirements).
On each day of travel we will have recommendations for possible activities, depending on which region we will be travelling through on those days. Each participant will be free to book whatever activities fit their interests and budget.
Please find below the itinerary for the main tour.
We are also working on pre- and post-tour activities:
- Pre-tour cruise on a private yacht from Juneau to Sitka, exploring areas of the inner passage only accessible by small ship; and
- Post tour a King Salmon excursion, targeted specifically for Brook Falls bear viewing and some of the best King Salmon fishing in the world.
These activities have very limited access, due to Alaskan Government restrictions and environmental sensitivities of the areas visited. Please let us know in the registration form if you would be interested in participating in our pre- and post-tour activities, as places are very limited.
This tour is family-friendly, your partner/children are most welcome.
While the official tour is intended for three weeks to give us time to explore all the interesting areas, if your holiday does not allow for that duration you can finish the tour earlier on your chosen date – your participation certificate will be adjusted to reflect your own dates.
Day 1: Anchorage
We all pickup our motorhomes in Anchorage today. The rental company will provide full instruction on how to operate the motorhome. Most motorhomes have automatic transmission.
The first night will be spent in a caravan park in Anchorage, close to the CBD, allowing everyone time to stock up the motorhome, visit Anchorage city CBD, and get familiar with the operation of your motorhome.
CPD education session during the evening.
Day 2: Willow Creek
We drive a short distance today of 1.5 hours to get familiar with the handling of your motorhome on the road, stopping in Willow Creek by midday. We spend a night in the Willow Creek Resort & RV Park.
Willow is the official starting point of the famous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. In the afternoon we suggest a visit to the Alaskan Husky Adventures where you can meet the dogs and even have a try at mushing.
For a different adventure, scenic floats on Willow Creek can also be booked.
The lower part of Willow Creek can be a good area to view or even participate in ‘combat fishing’!
Days 3-5: Denali
Today we take our time to drive 3- to 4-hours to reach our destination at the famous Denali National Park and Preserve. Denali is one of the most important national parks in Alaska, it offers opportunities for hiking, wildlife viewing, ziplines, ATVs, and more.
We will be arriving in Denali late in the afternoon, with a CPD education session scheduled for the evening.
We remain in Denali for three nights, to give everyone two full days to explore the national park. There are multiple tours available, and everyone will be free to book activities according to their interests.
Further CPD education session might be scheduled over these days, depending upon participants daily activities.
We will attempt to book a camping spot at Riley Creek Campground (main camping ground in the Denali National Park) or if not possible due to high demand, we will stay at the Denali RV Park & Motel.
Days 6-8: Talkeetna
We are driving for 2-hours back to the town of Talkeetna, the ‘activity capital’ of Alaska.
In the afternoon, you’ll have free time to explore this historic town – Talkeetna is a turn-of-the-20th-century gold mining centre, with log cabins, a road house and clapboard storefronts line the streets – with a CPD session in the evening.
We recommend booking a flight with K2 Aviation to enjoy the spectacular views over Mt McKinley, with (weather permitting) an opportunity to land on the glacier. If you’re planning to have a close look from the air at an active glacier, this is probably the best and most effective opportunity in Alaska.
We thoroughly recommend the 5-hour river adventure to the Devil’s Canyon, with many opportunities for wildlife spotting and and you’ll stop for a short walk to see how the early settlers of the area lived over 100-years ago.
For anyone interested, fishing tours and zip line tours are also available from Talkeetna.
We remain in Talkeetna for three nights, giving you two full days to plan your activities.
If you missed the opportunity to mush with your own sled dog team, you’ll have another opportunity to book one in Talkeetna.
Day 9: Bird Creek (Portage)
On this day we drive 3-hours back to Anchorage, but we continue without stopping to the town of Portage. On the way, you will have an opportunity to visit a musk ox farm, Alaska Wildlife Conservation Centre, Portage Glacier Visitor Center / Boat Tour.
We stay overnight at the Bird Creek Motel & RV Park with a CPD session in the evening.
Days 10-13: Seward
Today we drive 2-hours from Bird Creek to Seward on a beautiful road that crosses the Kenai Peninsula, with a CPD session in the evening. Access to Seward is possible only via a one-way tunnel with shared access to the railway.
A visit to Alyeska Resort on the way can offer the possibility of a cable car ride to the top of the only official ski resort in Alaska.
We stay at the Seward Waterfront Park for three nights, allowing two full days of activities.
Depending upon your interests we recommend booking a full-day cruise to the Kenai Fjords National Park, or one of the several guided tours available in the area.
For hard core hikers, the Harding Icefield Trail Hiking Tour is rather unique. 4-hours Seward Wilderness Hiking offers a less intense option.
Rafting Adventures on Resurrection River are also available.
A self-guided audio tour from Seward can also be interesting.
Days 14-15: Cooper Landing
On this day we have a short drive out of Seward, through the tunnel and to Cooper Landing. The area offers a variety of trails for hikers of all ages and abilities. You can discover historic sites and an opportunity to watch the annual upstream salmon migration. We recommend experiencing a half-day or full-day of fun rafting the world famous Kenai River.
We’ll stay in Cooper Landing for two nights, allowing for a CPD education session during one of our evenings.
Days 16-19: Homer (via Soldotna)
Today we have a short drive to Soldotna, where we will have an opportunity to break our journey with a walk on the boardwalks along the turquoise waters of the Kenai River, see the largest King Salmon ever caught, or visit the local eateries.
We continue our journey to Homer, a 2-hours drive, which is at the very far end of the Kenai Peninsula. This is an easy scenic drive along the coast line, with opportunities to stop at leisure.
Homer is one of the bases for bear viewing trips, and is the capital of Halibut fishing in Alaska. It offers great opportunities for local cruises, out trips for bear viewing in the Katmai National Park, and for the fisherman/woman in the family Halibut fishing.
There are several museums, farmers markets, brewery, wineries, as well as multiple galleries.
We’ll arrive a lunch time and stay a couple of days, so you have plenty of time for your choice of activity in (and around) Homer.
Day 20: Anchorage
You can make your way back to the city of Anchorage, in your own time, or it’s a 5-hour direct drive if you are keen.
If you would like to have a look at our videos from our previous trip, it will give you a good idea of sites, animal encounters, activities and places that we are targeting in 2024.
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We estimate that the hire cost for the motorhome will be approximately USD$350 per day irrespective of the size of the motorhome chosen or number of people in your party, and the cost of the RV Park will be approximately USD$60 per night. We strongly recommend taking the best insurance option available for your motorhome, estimated at USD$850 per trip. Please note that currency variations might affect the total cost in Australian dollars, depending upon the exchange rate at the time of payment. The registration fee for the academic program will be AUD$880 per delegate (not applicable for family members).
Book your place and join us in Alaska for our 2024 tour.
If you would like to join us, please fill in the following form with your contact details and we will send you a registration form, a copy of the academic program and Doctor’s tour of Alaska itinerary.
Space is limited, places are on a first-come-first-served basis.
Thank you for your expression of interest – please fill in the form below.
Best wishes,
Dr Calin Pava
