Day 1

Welcome to Nome! Situated at the tip of Seward Peninsula and overlooking the Bering Sea, Nome may well be Alaska’s most exiting winter destination. This unique Alaskan town is rich in colorful Gold Rush history, and is the finish of the annual 1,049-mile Iditarod Sled Dog Race. You will arrive on a scheduled Alaska Airlines flight from Anchorage in the afternoon (you will need to book the flights to/from Anchorage to Nome on your own). You will be picked up at the airport, and transferred to your accommodations.

You will have an orientation of the week ahead during lunch, and in the afternoon you will have a chance to familiarize yourself with Nome, visit the Iditarod headquarters and go for a walk on the frozen Bering Sea.

Every night during your stay in Nome, you will head out of town to photograph the Northern Lights, weather permitting. Just watching the aurora borealis is an amazing sight. Imagine yourself standing there, mesmerized by the movement of the lights through the northern sky.

Day 2

This morning, a local guide will take you on a city tour.  Perched on the coast of the Bering Sea just below the Arctic Circle, this small town (population 3,659) has a rich history. Nome has been home to the Inupiat people for thousands of years. Their ancestors migrated across the Beringia land bridge from from Asia to North America over 10,000 years ago. In 1898, gold was discovered at Anvil Creek, triggering a massive gold rush. Today, gold miners continue to search for gold, using floating dredges in the shallow waters near town.

In the afternoon, you will ride a snowmobile into the backcountry to see and photograph muskoxen and possibly reindeer. The original muskoxen in Alaska died out in the 1800s, but a program to reestablish muskoxen on the Seward Peninsula has so far been extremely successful. The latest count of muskoxen on the Seward Peninsula shows their numbers approaching 3,000. We will also try to spot some of the 25,000 reindeer that roam the Seward Peninsula.

Day 3

Today’s schedule will revolve around the Finish of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. You will head for Front Street to witness the Iditarod Finish & crowning of the 2025 Iditarod champion. Watch as the excitement builds and the city of Nome prepares to greet the musher who is the first to cross the finish line, after mushing across 1000 miles of North America’s wildest terrain in conditions best described as extreme.

Day 4

Today, you will fly with Bering Air to the Iditarod checkpoint of Elim. You will fly along the coastline of Norton Sound, and have opportunities to see spectacular sea ice formations. You will spend most of the day at the Elim checkpoint, observing mushers and their teams as they arrive, rest and leave the checkpoint. In addition, you will get a feel for what it means to live in a remote village in Alaska. Experiencing life in a small Alaska Native village may offer you one of the most memorable and eye-opening travel experiences you’ll have in your life. One reason a visit is so special is that these Alaska villages see very few visitors. In fact, if they see a few organized tours each year, it’s a lot. And the Inpuiat Eskimos of this region are among the state’s most welcoming native peoples. You will return in the evening with Bering Air back to Nome

Day 5

Today you will ride by snowmobile to Safety, the last checkpoint along the Iditarod Trail. You will drive your snowmobile 22 miles along the Iditarod Trail and get a feel for what the trail conditions faced for almost 1,000 miles. You will be able to have lunch and a warm or cold drink at the bar at Safety Roadhouse.

Day 6

In the morning, you will start the day by hiking out on the sea ice to capture the beauty of the frozen Bering Sea and explore some of the stunning ice formations. We will continue to keep an eye on the race action between Safety and Nome, and watch more Iditarod teams arrive under the ‘Burled Arch’. You will also have a chance to enjoy some of the unique events of ‘Iditarod Week’ in Nome.

In the afternoon, you will explore the road system around Nome. You will head out the Teller Road, Kougarok, and Council Roads. What you’ll find is some of Alaska’s most captivating landscapes—a wilderness that draws you in quickly and holds your attention. Up here, less than 150 miles from the Arctic Circle, there are no trees, so you can see forever. We will look for old gold dredges and wildlife and experience some of the unique scenery around Nome.

Day 7

In the morning, you will play golf at the famous Bering Sea Ice Golf Classic. Played on a six-hole, par-41 course laid out on the frozen Bering Sea, you will get shotgun shells to use as tees and “snake bite remedies” — small bottles of liquor — to ward off the chill.

In the afternoon, you will have a chance to drive your own team of sled dogs on a beautiful trail across the frozen tundra outside of Nome and feel the thrill of standing on the runners and being pulled by some of the most amazing canine athletes in the world. This experience provides an excellent opportunity to learn more about mushing basics combined with the exhilaration of competing in a race and driving your own team.

Day 8

In the morning, you will have a chance to explore Nome on your own, visit with mushers at the dog yard, and do some last minute shopping at the Arts and Craft Fair. We will still keep an eye on mushers arriving under the ‘Burled Arch’.

In the afternoon, you will join the festivities of the 2025 Iditarod Finishers and Awards Banquet, which honors numerous mushers for a variety of accomplishments, including those related to speed, sportsmanship, and care for their dogs. It’s another great opportunity to get up close and personal with the mushers of “The Last Great Race.”

Day 9

This morning you bid farewell to Nome and ‘Iditarod Week’. You return home with a wealth of images and stories and new friendships for your 2025 Iditarod Finish and Northern Lights Tour. And you will have gained a better appreciation why people say ‘There’s no place like Nome!