Arrive in Fairbanks and transfer to your hotel. Enjoy the rest of your day at leisure.

In the morning, board the Riverboat Discovery, a large sternwheeler riverboat, for a journey down the Chena and Tanana Rivers. Upon conclusion of the tour, a stop will be made for lunch on your own. After lunch, you will enjoy a city tour past the highlights of Fairbanks and then return to your hotel, where you will have the remainder of the evening free to enjoy independently. Note: The order of the activities on this day may change.

In the morning, you’ll board the Wilderness Express, our glass-domed railcar, and travel to Denali. Breakfast is available onboard (additional fees apply). Once in Denali, you’ll have free time to book an optional land excursion or relax. Your Tour Director can help you choose from an array of activities, including a sled dog kennel tour or Denali Park Dinner Theater.

In the morning, you’ll depart via park bus on the Tundra Wilderness Tour deep into Denali National Park to search for Denali’s ‘big five’: grizzlies, moose, caribou, grey wolves, and Dall sheep. Enjoy the diversity of the landscape as you travel through the taiga forest and sweeping tundra. Don’t forget your binoculars and camera. Enjoy the remainder of your afternoon and evening by relaxing, exploring the hiking trails around the lodge, or participating in an optional land excursion. 

Leaving Mount Denali behind, depart by coach for Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, to shop, explore, and have lunch on your own. After lunch, depart for Seward on a coach to begin the cruise portion of your vacation.    

Cruise Hubbard Glacier and experience the wilds of Alaska as your ship makes its way through icy waters turning from Yakutat Bay into the narrow Disenchantment Bay to come face-to-face with the towering Hubbard Glacier. The strong currents and riptides that flow between Gilbert Point and the face of the glacier cause calving to occur on a daily basis, sending massive chunks of ice crashing into Disenchantment Bay. Witness this awe-inspiring phenomenon onboard a Hubbard Glacier cruise through the misty, chilled air of the Gulf of Alaska. Our dedicated onboard naturalist narrates the experience and keeps an eye out for the whales, harbor seals, and otters that hunt and play in the waters of Yakutat Bay. It’s an adventure of a lifetime.

You can’t get to Juneau easily without a sprint by air or by sea. But once you arrive, you’ll find majestic views and rich culture in every corner. With its snowcapped mountains, misty rainforests, massive glaciers, and bounty of wildlife, Alaska’s remote state capital is the perfect place to dive into nature. Framed by Mount Juneau and Mount Roberts, the city’s picturesque downtown area offers centuries-old bars, boutique shops, and historic landmarks. For a taste of the local culture, visit the historic district and the Alaska State Museum. And for outdoor thrills, you can take your pick of activities ranging from whale watching in Auke Bay Harbor to tundra trekking over Mendenhall Glacier, and even try your hand at gold panning in Last Chance Basin.

The great Klondike Gold Rush lives on in Skagway’s charming downtown of restored 19th-century buildings and its historic railway. Located on the edge of the wilderness, this small town saw its fair share of gold rush, get-rich-quick dreamers pass through. Today, its residents are more than happy to share the stories of its untamed past. And there’s so much fascinating history to uncover on a Skagway cruise. Head to Klondike Gold Rush National Park Museum for an in-depth look at Klondike and the two routes out of Skagway – Chilkoot Pass and White Pass. From the vintage train, admire the mountains and see the 1898 trail that fortune seekers traveled on foot. The White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad runs the vintage locomotives through the famously steep Chilkoot Trail and offers sweeping mountain views during its climb toward Canada. 

For thousands of years, the Tlingit Indians have called this place home. Located near the city of Hoonah, and home to a historic cannery, Icy Strait Point also offers travelers the chance to view wildlife like humpback whales, orcas, seals, eagles, and brown bears, or to explore monuments to the region’s fishing heritage. 

You’ve never tasted salmon so fresh. Known as the ‘Salmon Capital of the World’, Ketchikan is also the ancestral home of the Tlingit people, who have carved the world’s largest collection of totem poles. If you’re up for an adventure, take a canoe and nature trail excursion through the rain forest or a wilderness exploration followed by a sumptuous crab feast you’ll long remember. 

You’ll sail beyond the Inside Passage into the more protected Alaska Inside Passage in southeastern Alaska. This complex labyrinth of fjords, bays, and lush green islands is home to an abundance of wildlife, including orca, mountain goats, bald eagles, bears, puffins, sea otters, and much more. During the summer months, the long hours of daylight allow for ample opportunities for nature photos on your Inside Passage Cruise. You’ll never forget the sight of 40-ton whales hurling themselves into the air, almost completely escaping the water. If you’re especially lucky, you could see them swimming together to create a bubble net, trapping and eating fish by the giant mouthful. 

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