Experience the Alaskan Way of Life During a 14-Day Guided Tour and Cruise in the U.S.

Explore the wild and wonderful Alaskan wilderness during this two-week guided tour. Begin your adventure in Anchorage with a sweet treat: Taste agutak — Inuit Ice Cream — after an exclusive demonstration by Alaska’s Indigenous people at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Board a jet boat for a tour along the Chulitna River to a trapper’s cabin, where you will learn about the lifestyle of hunting and trapping in the state. Ride along the world-famous, glass-domed Alaskan Railroad toward Denali National Park, where the country’s tallest peak, Mount McKinley, will greet you. Meet the champion dog team of a four-time Iditarod winner and allow him to regale you with tales of the 1,049-mile dogsled race over lunch at his home. From Whittier, take a 100-mile boat tour of Prince William Sound and the see the glaciers of College Fjord.

Itinerary 

Day 1

Anchorage, the City of Lights and Flowers

Welcome to Alaska, an adventurous land of wildlife, mountains, national parks and glaciers.  Join your Travel Director and fellow travelers for a Welcome Dinner.

Day 2

Anchorage Sightseeing and the Matanuska Valley

Get acquainted with Anchorage with on an immersive city tour. During a visit to the renowned Alaska Native Heritage Center, join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience as you enjoy an exclusive presentation on Agutak (Eskimo ice cream) while learning how it’s made by Alaska’s first people. Learn how this culinary treat establishes a link to the past, inspires a sense of pride and spurs a dialogue on a culture’s remarkable ability to survive. This afternoon, travel through the fertile Matanuska Valley and stop at a local farm to see how the long summer days and glacial silt create the perfect environment for growing vegetables and flowers. Depart Anchorage for the quaint community of Talkeetna, nestled at the base of Mount Denali, North America’s tallest peak. The evening is yours at leisure, feel free to ask your Travel Director for suggestions on the best spots to grab a bite.

Day 3

Talkeetna Sightseeing

This morning, enjoy an immersive jet boat tour up the Chulitna River and make a visit to a trapper’s cabin. Learn about the fascinating lifestyle of hunting and trapping in Interior Alaska.
The rest of the day is yours to explore, perhaps discovering more of Talkeetna or joining an optional experience such as a flightseeing tour of the Alaska Range, or a dryland dog sledding ride.

Day 4

Journey Along the Alaskan Railroad

Enjoy a Relaxed Start this morning before boarding the world-famous Alaska Railroad train for a spectacular journey over swift-rushing streams, toward Denali National Park and Preserve. View the majestic surroundings from the comfort of your glass-domed rail car. Later, meet a local climber who will share stories about what it’s like to a climb up one of the most daunting and tallest land-based mountains in the world, Denali. A trek that begins deep in the heart of the Alaskan Range and where conditions only get tougher further into the journey, forcing climbers to build snow walls for protection from the harsh elements. The climb which takes approximately 17-18 days round trip, takes incredible physical and mental fortitude. For tonight’s dinner with wine, the choice is yours between a charming local brewery or the lodge’s rustic restaurant during your Dine-Around evening.

Day 5

Denali National Park, the Crown Jewel of the Alaskan Wilderness

With the Denali National Park and Preserve just a short drive away from your hotel, you’ll find a number of ways to enjoy the Alaskan wilderness on your own or spend the day partaking in one of our optional activities. With Denali, the highest peak in North America at the center of it all, the park consists of 6 million acres of tundra, boreal forest and ice-capped mountains. This magnificent land is nature at its most pure yet has something to offer all. From a blissful stroll through one of the meadows, to a rewarding hike, this Park is for everyone. You will also find that to be true with the exciting optional experiences which include a rafting trip down the Nenana River, (waiver required) to a helicopter flightseeing tour or a Denali Wilderness walking tour, the choice is yours – just don’t forget your camera! End the day back at your lodge where you’ll enjoy panoramic views of your surroundings under the star filled night.

Day 6

Girdwood and Mount Alyeska

Enjoy a scenic journey along the George Parks Highway. Stop in Big Lake, AK and visit four-time Iditarod winner Martin Buser at his own home. Arriving at the kennel, you will be greeted by between thirty and sixty excited sled dogs. Spend time with Martin and learn about the many challenges faced on the 1,049-mile dogsled race. Take a virtual trip along the Iditarod trail alongside Martin’s narration including countless stories from his thirty-five years of racing, as well as a great deal of Iditarod history. A true insider experience into the world of the Iditarod, that very few get to experience.
Journey on the Seward Highway along Turnagain Arm with its dramatic views, before arriving in the town of Girdwood, home of the Alyeska Resort.
In the evening, join your Travel Director for a wonderful Celebration Dinner, complete with wine and good cheer.

Day 7

Prince William Sound Cruise and on to join your Glacier Discovery Cruise

Take this morning to enjoy the surroundings and amenities at the beautiful Alyeska resort. Travel to Whittier to board the 26 Glacier Cruise for a 100-mile boat tour of Prince William Sound and into the College Fjord where you will come up close and personal to the glaciers. Visit with the Captain in the wheelhouse and enjoy an included lunch. Continue your journey on the Glacier Discovery Cruise from Whittier, you will be transferred to the ship pier to board the MS Nieuw Amsterdam or MS Noordam where you’ll enjoy dinner and set sail in the evening. While on board, the cruise line will provide you with options and activities for the day, so whether you want to stay on the ship or explore more on land, the choice is yours. You’ll also have a wide range of meal options to choose from throughout your journey. Information about these will be given by the cruise line once on board.

Day 8

A Day at Sea

Enjoy the facilities on board the ship during this day at sea. You will find plenty of options for entertainment, dining or shopping or simply sit back and relax.

Day 9

Glacier Bay National Park

Today you’ll catch Glacier Bay National Park’s immense glaciers, towering peaks and icy rivers while getting a glimpse at what Alaska was like before the first humans arrived.

Day 10

Skagway

The port town of Skagway was once known as the gateway to the gold fields. After the Klondike Gold Rush faded in the 1900s, the settlement also lost its liveliness. Now, the town is reinvigorated with a vibrant local community, a rich collection of local galleries, curio shops and seafood restaurants. You’ll find Alaska’s colorful history, pristine wildlife and unrivaled natural beauty on display here in the “Garden City of Alaska

Day 11

Juneau

Stroll Juneau’s picturesque streets, stopping in eclectic shops and saloons from the Gold Rush era. Perhaps embark on an optional trip on the Mount Roberts Tramway for exhilarating views of the harbor and nearby mountains.

Day 12

Ketchikan

Check out the world’s largest collection of standing totem poles, intricately carved with native designs. Perhaps take an optional guided tour through town or a floatplane flightseeing trip.

Day 13

Float Through the Inside Passage

Revel in the scenery as you slowly glide past a maze of bays, glacier-carved fjords and waterways protected from the open sea by rugged, isolated islands.

Day 14

Depart Vancouver

Arrive in Vancouver and disembark. Make your own way to Vancouver International Airport, Cruise arrival is around 9:30am, please keep in mind for departure flight time.

 

 

Images courtesy of Insight Vacations