Travelers who've only dreamed of watching hundreds of sled dogs howl with excitement and strain against their harnesses at the start of the legendary Iditarod race in Alaska can experience it first-hand on one of Gray Line of Alaska's new winter adventure tours in March 2004.

Participants on the six-day, five-night Iditarod tour will mingle with event organizers and locals at the gala Musher's Ball and be in downtown Anchorage for the exciting start of the race. In addition, they'll visit the spectacular Alyeska Ski Resort, Big Game Alaska animal park, Alaska Native Heritage Center, Anchorage Zoo, and other local attractions. Price is $609 per person double occupancy for accommodations and day tours, March 3 to 8.

A second Gray Line of Alaska tour takes travelers to the Fairbanks Ice Classic, featuring a competition for ice sculptures by world-class carvers. The five-day, four-night tour also goes to popular Chena Hot Springs, a haven for outdoor winter activities and site of a much-celebrated ice hotel (not a tour accommodation). Activities include guided dog sledding, the University of Alaska Museum, and the resort's mineral hot springs. Price is $576 per person double occupancy, March 25 to 29.

Gray Line of Alaska is renowned for tours to such far-off destinations as the Arctic Circle, Prudhoe Bay North Slope, the Eskimo villages of Kotzebue and Barrow, and the 1899 gold rush settlement of Nome. Other tours, which vary in length from two to 11 days, focus on luxury railcar journeys through the spectacular Alaska wilderness between Anchorage and Denali, in-depth exploration of Denali National Park, adventure tours for fishing, wildlife and bear viewing, and remote wilderness lodges. The variety of destinations and transportation options makes it possible for travelers to create a customized Alaska experience. Day tours of Alaska's most popular sights are offered from Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Skagway, and Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon.