Denali Hiking Tours

What makes a Denali National Park hiking tour special…

I’ve heard too many people say, “Denali was pretty, but it wasn’t worth the trip.”

I don’t want that to be you. I’m guessing you don’t want that either. Fortunately, I have the solution. And by the time you finish reading this, you will too. I’m going to tell you how a Denali hiking tour will change your entire vacation. But first, let’s talk about what a Denali hiking tour won’t do. 

You aren’t going to get an adrenaline-inducing, action-packed trip with us. If that’s what you’re after, book a tour with Denali Raft Adventures. They’re great. This also isn’t a wildlife tour. We do often see wildlife, but it’s not guaranteed. There are better options out there if that’s all you want. 

Why am I telling you all these reasons NOT to book a tour with us? Because my goal isn’t for you to book our tours. My goal is for you to have the best Denali vacation of all time. I mean that. It’s baked into every level of our operation. It’s why we offer the Ultimate Confidence Guarantee. I dare you to find a company that does more to back up their claims than we do. We take on all the risk so that you don’t have to. 

What is it about our Denali hiking tours that makes us so confident? In a word, focus. We don’t add gimmicks, thrills, or frills to our tours. We narrow in on what actually impacts your vacation. 

After guiding thousands of tours, I’ve seen one constant. Those who understand the place they’re visiting appreciate it. Let me make one thing clear. I’m not talking about “fun facts” when I use the word “understand.” Most tours will bombard you with these “fun facts.” Little pieces of disconnected information. I hate “fun facts.” They make you feel like you’re learning, but you never actually understand or remember anything. It’s like trying to teach geometry by telling you that the word hypotenuse exists. Does it sound cool? Yeah. Do you know geometry now? No way!

We do things differently. Our Denali hiking tours are designed to TEACH you about Denali. Utilize all five senses. Listen to your guide explain how the permafrost helps the peat moss grow. Sink your fingers into the thick carpet. Feel the temperature drop to ice-cold just inches below the surface. Smell the earthy aroma of the forest floor. You’ll be shocked by how far the moss squishes down beneath you. It feels like you’re on a two-foot-thick memory foam mattress.

We give you the framework for how everything in Denali works together. Ecology. Geology. Natural history. Cultural heritage. It’s all connected. 

To give you an idea of what I mean, let me ask a couple of questions. What makes Denali so special geologically? And how was that geological significance shown in native Athabascan stories? You’ll get the answers to these questions - and more - on a Denali hiking tour with us.

But don’t trust me blindly. Even though I have your best interests in mind, I’m still trying to sell you something. Instead, let’s take a look at our previous customers. We’ll start with our worst reviews. The ones that are less than five stars. Oh wait - there aren’t any. That’s right, every single person who’s gone on a tour with us has loved it. To be honest, It’s a lot of pressure!

Okay, so every customer we’ve had has enjoyed their tour. Whatever. People enjoy most tours. What makes this different? Well, Northern Epics reviews should really start at five stars and go up from there. Some of our customers REALLY enjoyed their tours. One of them, Alicia G, said, “it was easily the best guided tour I have ever had. I learned so much and I carried that information with me on the rest of my Alaska trip.”

That’s pretty good, but what about the others? Another traveler, Marcus Dunseth, decided to get away from the five-star-scale entirely. “I would recommend the trip to any traveler looking to feed their hunger for nature. 10 stars out of 10 stars.” See? I told you five stars wasn’t enough.

The best example of how much our customers love our tours doesn’t come from a review at all. In September of 2023, one family sent us an envelope by snail mail. Inside was a heartfelt letter about how much our tour improved their vacation. Here’s the crazy part. They sent some cash with it too. They felt like we hadn’t charged them enough for the value they got from our tour. Wild, right? Not everyone feels that strongly, but I think the fact that some do says a lot.

We have an insane guarantee. We have a holistic philosophy. We don’t have a single unsatisfied customer. Our tours must be super expensive, right? Actually, no. In fact, we’re one of the most affordable options for hiking tours in Denali.

What more is there to love? How about pick-ups and drop-offs wherever you want? Or that your fellow travelers will be blown away by your knowledge after the tour?

How do you think your friends or family will react to this scenario: You’re walking down the trail when you spot a berry out of the corner of your eye. You pick it. “This is a cloudberry,” you say. “It tastes exactly like banana cream. It only grows in areas like this one where the permafrost is closer to the surface.” 

Your friends will ask you if you went to school for botany. “No,” you’ll tell them. “I took a Denali hiking tour with Northern Epics.”

That may sound unbelievable, but it shouldn’t. Most travelers are conditioned to expect forgettable tours. It’s what most companies offer. Which begs the question, why? The answer is straightforward. Forgettable tours are cheap. Forgettable guides are cheap. Most companies put their profits above their customers. We don’t. That’s why we pay our guides twice the industry average. We spend all of our time ensuring that our tours are ANYTHING but forgettable. 

We also want to make sure you can feel good about your choice to book a tour with us. All of our guides have Leave No Trace certifications. We make an effort to teach every one of our customers about conservation. We take an active role in cleaning up the forest.

I can hear your thoughts again. “Sure, that’s nice, but just about every other guiding company does that too.” Once again, what sets us apart is our commitment to go above and beyond. We put our money where our mouth is. We donate 5% of our profits every year to conservation efforts in the areas we guide. 

If you share our vision of a better guiding industry, show it. Book your tour with us today. Our calendar books on a first-come-first-serve basis, so make sure you reserve your spot early. Remember, you can cancel anytime for a full refund until 24 hours before your tour’s departure. I only say this because I’ve had to turn away too many people who waited too long to book. Don’t lose your spot.