Champion Lance Mackey

Nine Day Nome Finish Tour

This 2024 Iditarod Race Nome Finish Tour takes you to the unique environment of the Bering Sea. Fly with us to more Iditarod Checkpoints along the race trail than any other tour company. Stand at the finish line when the Iditarod Champion passes under the Burl Arch. Cheer your favorite mushers as the make their way into Nome.

You won't find a more comprehensive Iditarod Finish Tour than ours!

Nine Day Nome Finish Tour Package Highlights

  • Eight nights lodging at the Dredge 7 Sluicebox Inn.
  • Scenic flight across Norton Sound to the Unalakleet Checkpoint .
  • Helicopter sightseeing excursion along the Iditarod Trail from Nome to the Safety Checkpoint. Spectacular scenery, Muskox viewing and seeing the teams on the final leg of their amazing journey, are highlights we usually see on this fantastic helicopter excursion.
  • Scenic flight along the coast of Norton Sound to the White Mountain Checkpoint
  • Nome Discovery Tour with Roam Nome
  • Five mile dog sled ride
  • Informative Nome Museum and Cultural Center Tour
  • Participation in the Bering Sea Ice Golf Classic
  • Group dinners
  • Continental breakfasts
  • Tickets to the Iditarod Finisher's Banquet
  • Standing at the historic burled arch as the winning musher crosses the finish line.
  • Opportunity for Northern Lights viewing

Cost and Details

Nine day tour with shared accommodations and meals as indicated : $5200 pp,
single supplement: $1100. Price includes all local taxes.

March 10 - March 18, 2024

Tour cost includes:

  • Lodging
  • Charter flights and helicopter ride
  • Ticket to the Iditarod Finish Banquet
  • Discover Nome Tour
  • Dog Sled Ride
  • Bering Sea Ice Golf Classic

Aliy Zirkle

Aliy Zirkle on the Bering Sea Coast

John Baker

John Baker coming up the chute in 1st Place

Dallas Seavey

4 time Champion Dallas Seavey

  • Itinerary

  • Day One Sunday : Welcome to the Bering Sea and historic Nome Alaska! Clients arrive in historic Nome Alaska on their own flights. Your tour leader will be there to meet you at the airport and bring you to your accommodation. Famous for the Nome Gold Rush of 1898 that saw the population balloon to over 10,000, this rugged town of 3,500 on the coast of Norton Sound is still a magnet for the adventurous and those with gold fever. Even during the winter, evidence of active gold mining can be seen out on the frozen sea where underwater exploration takes place under the sea ice. Clients will be on their own for meals today. .

  • Day Two Monday : Early morning, 7:30 am -8:30 am, check in at Bering Air for our flight to the checkpoint of Unalakleet, the first village the mushers will stop at on the coast of Norton Sound. This is a breathtaking flight that crosses the frozen waters of Norton Sound and broad expanses of treeless tundra. Unalakleet lies on the border of the Inupiaq speaking Eskimos of Northern Alaska and the Yupik speaking Eskimos that live south of Unalakleet and along the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta. With a population of less than 1,000 people, it is a perfect place to experience a bit of life in a coastal Eskimo village. We will enjoy lunch at Peace on Earth for some of Alaska's best pizza and will fly back to Nome in the afternoon. ( Continental Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

  • Day Three Tuesday : Today is the day that the Nome party usually clicks into high gear as the leaders approach the finish line. After seeing the teams at Unalakleet, you will be excited and primed for your dog mushing excursion with The Dog Lot Kennel. Here is an opportunity to see sled dogs up close, watch how experienced dog handlers interact with the dogs and appreciated how fast and powerful a team of sled dogs are as you negotiate the winding, icy trail with your team handler. Later in the afternoon we will visit the Nome Museum and listen to an informative talk about the history of the Iditarod Race presented by Howard Farley. Howard was one of the organizers of the Iditarod Race and one of the first mushers to run the race. Late evening or early Wednesday morning is when the 1st musher usually arrives in Nome and we will be there to cheer on the top finishers as they cross the finish. You will be amazed at how energetic these champion teams are as they strut their stuff down Front St. to claim their place in Iditarod history. ( Continental Breakfast, Dinner )

  • Day Four Wednesday : Morning flight along the coast of the Bering Sea to the picturesque village of White Mountain. This is a great opportunity to watch mushers care for their teams as they take a mandatory 8 hour layover. ( Continental Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner )

  • Day Five Thursday: Today clients will take a scenic helicopter ride to the Safety Roadhouse checkpoint. This 90-minute ride along the coast is always the highlight of the tour as it gives us more opportunities to view the mushers heading to Nome along the Iditarod Trail and at the roadhouse. We often spot muskox in the surrounding hills on this flight. Your flight time will be determined on Wednesday. When not taking the helicopter ride we will cheer on teams as they come under the Burl Arch to finish their race. (Continental Breakfast, Dinner)

  • Day Six Friday: Today we will get a feel for the history of Nome on a guided tour with local resident Carol Gales of Roam Nome. This informative tour will show you interesting points around town, such as Gold Dredge #7 and will explore Nome's vibrant gold mining history. See why the Nome Gold Rush drew such noted personalities such as Wyatt Earp to its shores. With a history of settlement for thousands of years by the Inupiat people of Alaska, and headquarters for the Sitnasuak Native Village Corporation and the Bering Straits Regional Native Corporation, Nome is a perfect place to see the integration of modern society into the lives of its traditional inhabitants. Clients will continue cheering arriving dog teams as they cross the finish line. ( Continental Breakfast, Dinner)

  • Day Seven Saturday : Saturday morning is when clients can attend the musher meet and greet for autographs and photos. Listen to their informative stories about what it takes to run the Iditarod and unique experiences they might have had on the trail. Clients can also participate in teams AIT will organize for the Bering Ice Golf Classic, definitely the most unusual and challenging course you will ever play. Mushers will still be arriving into Nome and this is your last chance to pick up that beautiful fur hat, muskox scarf or incredibly warm fur mittens you have been admiring at the Art and Craft Fair.( Continental Breakfast, Dinner)

  • Day Eight Sunday: St Patrick's Day!!! Each year our client's join the community in Celebrating St Patricks Day by participating in the parade down Front St. to the Burl Arch. Later in the afternoon we will attend the Iditarod Finishers and Awards Banquet, recognizing mushers for their accomplishments during the race. This is a great opportunity to get a more personal understanding of the mushers and their experiences along the trail. You will hear fantastic stories as the mushers tell their tales from the race. ( Continental Breakfast, Dinner)

  • Day Nine Monday : Clients return to Anchorage on their own flights.

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What our clients say:

" For years we have followed the Iditarod from home. With our daughter involved in the race this year, we decided to finally see it for ourselves and went on the Nome Finish Tour. AIT made sure that we were well taken care of at all times despite the limitations of both Covid-19 and the weather. Due to weather, we were a day late getting to Nome. No problem, AIT stayed in touch and met our flight when we finally arrived. We were able to fly out to Unalakleet the following day. Better than the itinerary described. Because of the smaller than planned group as Covid-19 had its impact, AIT ended up putting us on a charter 9 seat plane. We saw mushers and Shaktoolik from the air before circling and landing in Unalakleet. A great perspective for what the mushers actually experience away from the checkpoints. After Unalakleet, we made an unscheduled bonus stop in Koyuk, 100 miles up the trail and flew over White Mountain on the way back to Nome. AIT made sure we got to where we wanted while in Nome and changed the schedule so we got our sled dog ride in. Unfortunately, the day after the winner finished, Nome closed all restaurants, stores and other activities related to the Iditarod. And weather turned unfavorable for any remaining activities that could have been done. AIT made sure we were all set with our new departures and followed up to be sure we all had arrived safely home. Alaska Iditarod Tours very quickly and fairly dealt with the lower level of activities we were able to engage in. In a very uncertain environment, AIT made sure we got as much out of the trip and humanly possible."

"For anyone interested in the Iditarod, Alaska Iditarod Tours is the way to go! Thanks for a great trip." Rich and Carol