Headed to Denali and had to choose between the shuttle bus or a tour bus

The choice was the cheaper park shuttle (about $60) or a guided tour bus for over $200. I picked the shuttle to save money, but it was packed and we missed a lot of animal sightings because the driver couldn't stop as often. If you're going for wildlife, is the tour bus actually worth the huge price jump?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jason3mo ago

Yeah that's the trade-off. The tour drivers have radios and stop for everything. Shuttle just gets you there.

richardknight1mo ago

So is the tour bus really worth that much more money? Yeah, @bettyk53, sixty bucks is a steal these days, but you get what you pay for. I did the shuttle once and regretted it hard because we flew past a grizzly and the driver barely slowed down. The tour drivers actually talk to each other with radios and stop for everything, so you see way more animals. The price never really drops much even if you book early, sorry. If you really care about seeing bears and moose up close, just save up and pay the extra. It stings at first but beats staring at a bunch of trees the whole time.

bettyk533mo ago

Wait, you only paid sixty bucks for the shuttle? That's a crazy good deal compared to what I saw last year. The_jason is right about the radios making a huge difference for seeing animals though. Honestly, missing a bear or a moose because the bus couldn't stop would ruin my whole trip. Does the tour price ever drop if you book way ahead?