On the Ice

15 Day McGrath, Chena Hot Springs and Nome Finish Iditarod Race Adventure

This 2026 Iditarod Race Tour Package begins with an exciting flight to the Rainy Pass checkpoint. After viewing the dog teams in Rainey Pass, your Iditarod adventure heads to the village of McGrath, an area steeped in Alaskan mining history and Athabaskan Indian culture. In McGrath we will visit the remnants of Old Town McGrath, the jumping off point for miners headed to the gold rush in Iditarod, Cripple and Ophir. We will visit the McGrath Museum and meet local experts on the history of the area. In McGrath you will be cheering the mushers on as they enter and leave the checkpoints. Nighttime often bring spectacular displays of Northern Lights. You will find this tour to be richly rewarding in both the interaction you will have with the Iditarod racers and the local residents.

After spending 2 days in McGrath watching mushers feed and care for their dogs, we head to Chena Hot Springs for our 3 night stay in one of the best places in Alaska for northern lights viewing.

The Bering Sea is a unique environment and March is a wonderful time to experience it. Flying along the coastline as we visit the White Mountain checkpoint gives us wonderful views of this frozen expanse. Flying above the Iditard Trail by helicopter to the Safety checkpoint gives us an opportunity to see the mushers heading to Nome from the air, an experience you won't want to miss. Plus, being at the finish line when the Iditarod Champion comes up the chute is a perfect finish to this fantastic tour.

15 Day McGrath and Nome Iditarod Race Tour Highlights Include

  • Scenic flight over the Alaska Range and Rainy Pass with views of Denali.
  • Scenic flight over the Alaska Range to the McGrath checkpoint.
  • Two days spent at the McGrath checkpoint meeting mushers and watching the dog teams come through.
  • Aurora viewing at the Chena Hot Springs Resort.
  • Ice Art Carving Championships in Fairbanks
  • Scenic flight along the coast of the Bering Sea to the picturesque White Mountain Checkpoint on the banks of the Fish River.
  • Helicopter sightseeing excursion along the Iditarod Trail from Nome to the Safety Checkpoint.
  • Discover Nome Tour with Roam Nome
  • Five mile dog sled ride and mushing lesson in Nome with an Iditarod veteran.
  • Informative Nome Museum and Cultural Center Tour
  • Tickets to the Iditarod Finisher's Banquet
  • Bering Sea Ice Golf Classic
  • Standing at the historic burled arch as the winning musher crosses the finish line.
  • Lodging in the best hotels in McGrath, Chena Hot Springs and Nome

Cost and Details:

March 4 - March 18, 2026. $12,400 shared accommodation.
Single supplement: $2000.

Tour Includes : All lunches, dinners and continental breakfasts in McGrath, dinners and continental breakfast in Nome; lunches and dinners at Chena Hot Springs, lodging; flights between Anchorage, McGrath and Fairbanks; flights from Nome to White Mountain; helicopter ride to Safety, admission tickets to all listed activities.

Tour does not included flights between Anchorage and Nome, alcoholic beverages, gratuities for your guides or optional activities.

 

Booking button

Trish Cox with musher Kert Perano 4 time returning client Deb Martin

"As a fan of the Iditarod for many years, I never realized I could actually GO to see it until 2016 when, during the race, someone mentioned on a message board that he had done it. I responded and he recommended Alaska Iditarod Tours. I investigated, corresponded with Rich and decided to just do parts 1 and 2 in case. When it came time to leave, I wanted to stay longer and returned the next year to do all 3 parts. I am going back again now in 2020 and can't wait. In 2017, they moved the start and Rich was faced with making last minute plans to assure his clients had the promised experience. He really stepped up and took care of us and the experience was in no way compromised. Meeting the group for the first time in 2017, I quickly realized how many return clients there were and now I know why. In scheduling my 2018 and 2020 trips, I never considered looking further. I just returned to Alaska Iditarod Tours!" Deb Martin, NYC

Coming into Nikolai

 

3 time returning client Chrissie Davies:

"Alaska Iditarod Tours gave me the ULTIMATE Iditarod experience (2016) from the start in Anchorage to the finish in Nome. I chose the 21 Day Iditarod Total Race Package as the description and package highlights fitted all the activities I wanted to cover for my first visit to the Iditarod. I travelled to Alaska on my own but quickly made friends with the others on the trip. Some of them had been on tour with Richard Montagna before and the fact that they kept returning year after year reassured me I had made an excellent choice with my booking. Highlights of my tour were dog handling at the start in Anchorage and the re-start in Willow, dog mushing in McGrath and speaking with my favourite mushers at checkpoints along the trail. I also loved the helicopter ride to Safety Checkpoint and the trip in the snow-cat to see musk oxen, it made me appreciate how wild and vast Alaska is. I have kept in touch with one of the mushers that I dog handled for and sponsor a dog annually from his kennels. This tour gave me the opportunity to walk through remote villages, waiting in anticipation for dog teams to arrive, speaking with natives as they share their community and culture. It's a vast melting pot of experiences (history, wildlife, culture and dogs - definitely the dogs). I also booked a return trip with Alaska Iditarod Tours in 2017. The friends I made are certainly friends for life. All things come in threes, so I'll definitely return for a third trip at some point. Chrissie Davies, Cornwall, UK.