Scenic Train Ride from Anchorage to Denali on the McKinley Explorer

The Alaska Railroad is a wonderful way to see so much beauty that Alaska has to offer. We had 3 experiences on the RR: Wilderness Express Dome, Gold Star Dome, and a non-dome car. The Wilderness Express experience was one of the best customer service experiences I’ve had. We checked in at Fairbanks with the Wilderness Express team who took care of checking/handling our bags, escorting us to our seats, managing the breakfast seating, and providing commentary throughout the trip. We were able to see our first moose from the domed car. The Gold Star experience was also a luxury dome - we took it from Seward to Anchorage. The views were tremendous, and we were even able to get beautiful pictures of the back of our train in front of a mountain. Our dinner service in the dining car was very pleasant. I had the pot roast and my husband had salmon Alfredo. In both of our domed car experiences, we had to couple up with others in the dining car to be most efficient with seating. We met some really nice people and enjoyed the conversations. Our final experience was not in a domed car, and it was a much shorter trip than the others; this was the leg from Whittier to Anchorage where we travelled through the combination train and automobile tunnel - that was a cool experience! We were still impressed with how much of the countryside we could see from the lower car. It was nice that even though the lower car did not include a meal in the dining car, there was a cafe where sandwiches and other things could be purchased. The only downside in all of our RR experiences was that the cafe had sold out of several sandwiches and all chips before our leg of their journey.

Paying extra for the gold star is worth the cost. The domed glass top adds to the amazing views including the ability to see a bald eagle flying over head. The food was wonderful and the staff was kind and courteous. It was a comfortable ride from Anchorage to Seward. There are a variety of boat trips to take while in Seward with the ability to come back on the train in the same day.

We choose the Wilderness Express option from Fairbanks to Anchorage. The Wilderness Express are 2 cars at the end of the Alaska railroad train. Same ride, different service and staff. Our guide was really knowledgeable and gave us plenty of warning on what we were approaching and the relevant information about it. We really enjoyed the commentary and the food and drinks. It's a 12 hour train ride, which the staff said not many people do. We loved it, the time went by fast, it did not feel like a 12 hour train ride. Then we took the Alaska train from Anchorage to the Seward cruise terminal. This ride had commentary and food as well. We really liked that you could check your luggage all the way through to the cruise terminal. We didn't see our bags till we got to our rooms. There is no way for these photos to convey the sheer size and beauty of Alaska. If you are considering a trip, go, you won't be disappointed. We got lucky and were there during the 2 - 3 weeks of the year that the colors on the trees change.

Definitely one of my biggest adventures in my life! Alaska Railroad 🚞 is an amazing experience! Go for it if you are in Alaska. You can catch it from Denali Park and it goes to Anchorage and is about 6-8 hours. The beautiful nature around that you see while traveling with it is magnificent. Steongly recommended it! 🙌🏻

This was an amazing trip! Took the train from Anchorage to Seward, spent some time in Seward and then took it back to Anchorage. The views were absolutely incredible both ways and I loved the fact that the announcer would spot out wildlife! 10/10, would recommend as a travel method!