Denali Naturalist Walking Tour

Overview

Available languages

English

3 hours

Mobile ticket

Embark on a moderate 3-hour walk through in the Denali area with an informative naturalist guide and a small group limited to seven people. Explore both within and outside the wilderness of Denali National Park, moving slowly through the boreal forest of the Alaska Range. Choose a morning, afternoon or evening walk.

Additional Info

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries

Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health

Public transportation options are available nearby

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not recommended for those with walking disabilities

If canceled due to poor weather, you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund

Operates in all weather conditions; please dress appropriately

Not recommended for child aged 11 and under

Children must be accompanied by an adult

Trails are best described as moderate, with tree roots, hills, and mud in places. Bring your outdoor gear including sturdy walking shoes, water, jacket and rain gear. Some basic gear is available, including rain gear, overboots, trekking poles and water.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Hotel pickup and drop-off

Some outdoor gear is available for use (e.g. rain gear, overboots, trekking poles, water)

Expert naturalist guide

Gratuities

Snacks

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

What To Expect

Walking with an experienced local naturalist is really a great way to see the complicated connections of plants, animals, and people within the splendor of true wilderness in Alaska. The boreal forest in the lower elevations gives way to specialized sub arctic ecosystems like taiga and tundra. The permafrost areas and fantastic mountains are home to plants and animals highly adapted to the harsh elements. Your guide will stop frequently to explain this in depth. Trails are best described as moderate, with tree roots, hills, and mud in places. This is Alaska so bring your outdoor gear; sturdy walking shoes, water, jacket and rain gear, along with your camera and curiosity of this great land. Some of the basic equipment is available, including rain gear, water, overboots and trekking poles (upon request). This tour is not meant to be a workout, but it is three consecutive hours of walking on sometimes unimproved trails. Average pace is about one mile per hour with frequent stops. There is time for resting, drinking, conversing and even picking berries in season.

Options

Denali Walking Tour

Duration: 3 hours
Van
Pickup included

Morning Walk

Morning tour departs at 8am
Pickup included

Afternoon Walk

Afternoon tour departs at 5pm
Pickup included

Reviews

4.76

129 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

115

Well worth the time
Mike H,
Sep 13, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Andy, the guide, was very knowledgeable with some interesting antedotal stories. Enjoyed it immensely. The tour was approximately 3 hrs, but not arduous.
Walking tour to experience sustainable nature
Yoshihide K,
Sep 13, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
The guide will explain with deep knowledge and humor the formation of sustainable circulation loops in nature, using trees, mosses, mushrooms and fungi as subjects. You can feel the wonder and greatness of nature's work. The couple's memorable story, which the guide had stumbled upon, made me feel the depth of their love and the strength of their family connection.
Don’t Look Up
Kathleen W,
Sep 12, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
I highly recommend this tour, especially after spending 2 days at Denali looking up at mountains, and scanning for animal sightings. Our guide showed us the boreal forest floor and what makes this ecosystem work for all the plants and creatures within Denali. Alex was passionate, knowledgeable and funny!
Denali Naturalist Tour Highlight!!
CathyWestDale,
Sep 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Alex Norris took us on a Naturalist Tour in Denali National Park last week. He was knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and enjoyable. Great outing. The highlight was getting to see a caribou and it's baby at the early hour of 8am just as we were starting our tour. What a delight! If you enjoy the out doors and learning about all the things that are special to a certain place, take this tour!
A must do when visiting Denali
Escape54622940268,
Sep 8, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I am not a hiker, but my husband wanted to go on a hike while we were here. Our tour guide Andy, completely changed my view on hiking. He was knowledgeable and made the hike easier by periodically stopping and sharing knowledge about the plant and wildlife. We will definitely do this hike again on our next visit and hope Andy continues to come back to Alaska and do his amazing tours!
Connor was awesome!
Simone K,
Sep 7, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Excellent 3-hour easy hike with a super friendly and knowledgeable guide who kept us laughing with quick witted humor. Convenient hotel pickup and thoughtful offer to drop us at dinner made the whole experience seamless and fun.
Don’t miss learning about this remarkable place with an expert! Great trail too.
Beth D,
Sep 2, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
It was a wonderful learning experience in this unique ecosystem where everything is so different. We also saw a moose cow and her calf! Alex is very knowledgeable about plants and animals as well as history and the use of the plants. I loved it and highly recommend the tour and Alex! There were only six of us as they like to make the tours personalized. It made a difference.
Fun and interesting
Daisyartpeggy,
Sep 2, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Javier was a fantastic guide. He was full of knowledge and answered our questions. Kept it fun and interesting. There were beautiful mountain views and a fascinating forest experience.
Great guide to start Denali vacation
Q9425CIjills,
Sep 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Alex was a great guide, very friendly and passionate about sharing his extensive knowledge of Denali plant and animal life. Our 3-hour hike was the perfect way to begin our Denali visit because it gave us valuable insights that we can use throughout our travels in the area! We would definitely hike with him again!
Must do!
Ingrid W,
Sep 1, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
I had the best time on this walk. Javier was extremely knowledgeable and took time to explain or answer any questions the group had. The area that we went showed us wonderful views, lots of berries, a snowshoe hare and very busy squirrels preparing their food source for winter. I was traveling solo, so it was a good chance to go into the backcountry and feel secure. 100% recommend a walk with a naturalist!