Glacier Bay plus Denali “Land and Sea” Journey

In Vancouver a transfer is provided from the airport to the cruise dock. Board a deluxe Holland America cruise ship, and begin your journey through the beautiful Inside Passage. Embarkation begins at 12:00 pm / noon and all guests are required to be on board 1 hour prior to departure. The ship will depart at approximately 4:30 pm. All meals are included on board beginning with dinner. Overnight on the cruise ship.

You will be at sea the entire day today. Spend time enjoying the many amenities aboard the ship, such as the health spa, swimming pool, movie theater, casino, tennis and basketball courts, duty-free shops and library. Relax in the lounge or by the pool. Overnight on the cruise ship.

Located on Revillagigedo Island, Ketchikan is known as Alaska's Native Cultural Center and sportfishing capital. Native art and culture flourish here due to the large population of Native Alaskans, represented by the three indigenous tribes: the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian. The city is also home to the largest collection of totem poles in the world. Spend your time in port shopping, touring Misty Fjords by floatplane, canoeing in a traditional native canoe, or touring the backcountry by jeep. The ship will be in port from approximately 7:00 am to 3:00 pm. Overnight on the cruise ship.

Today you will visit Alaska's capital city, Juneau. Located in the Tongass Rainforest, the area is known for its lush terrain and vibrant wildflowers. There is something for everyone in Juneau - shopping, glacier dog sledding, sea kayaking, flight seeing tours, and glacier hiking. The ship will arrive in Juneau at approximately 10:00 am and depart at approximately 10:00 pm. Overnight on the cruise ship.

Enjoy a visit to historic Skagway today. The rich history and beautiful natural surroundings combine to create unparalleled sightseeing and recreation opportunities. The two most popular routes to the Klondike began here and tens of thousands of gold seekers poured through during the famous "Rush of ' 98". Spend the day enjoying a guided tour of Skagway, taking a narrow gauge rail journey over the famous White Pass Route, or touring into Canada's Yukon Territory. The ship will be in Skagway from approximately 7:00 am to 9:00 pm. Overnight on the cruise ship.

Enjoy your day as you cruise through Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Marvel at this ice-age wonder as you cruise past tide-water glaciers, snow-capped mountains and freshwater rivers. Keep watch for whales, sea lions, bears, and puffins, as well as glacier calving (when chunks of ice fall off the glacier).
Overnight on the cruise ship.

Today's journey takes you across the Gulf of Alaska as you head to the Inside Passage area. Watch for wildlife and enjoy the wide variety of activities on board.
Overnight on the cruise ship.

Wake up this morning in the scenic town of Seward. Disembarkation begins after breakfast. Depart Seward this morning aboard a comfortable motorcoach to Girdwood, home of Alyeska Resort. Along the way you will stop at the Portage Glacier Visitor Center for a 1-hour cruise on Portage Lake. This cruise takes you up close to the blue ice of Portage Glacier. Afterwards, you will make a stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation center, which takes in injured wildlife before you continue to the resort community of Girdwood. This scenic town is tucked into the base of the Chugach Mountains. The chateau-style Hotel Alyeska is the only Alaskan property to earn a place on Conde Nast's Gold List. Overnight in Girdwood.

Enjoy a free day in Girdwood. You may decide to ride the aerial tram up Mt. Alyeska, relax at the health spa, or hike the Iditarod Trail. Optional activities include train tours, glacier hiking, guided rainforest hikes, dog sledding, and more. The town offers both casual and fine dining choices. Overnight in Girdwood.

Today travel north from Girdwood by motorcoach to the scenic setting of Trapper Creek. Enjoy mountain and valley views from your comfortable seats. This afternoon, relax at your hotel or spend a free afternoon in Talkeetna to take an optional tour, such as a ski-plane flight to land on a glacier on Denali, the tallest mountain on the continent. Overnight in Trapper Creek.

Transfer by motorcoach to the train station in the nearby town of Talkeetna this morning. From here you will travel to Denali National Park aboard the McKinley Explorer double-decker, glass-domed rail car. Upon arrival in Denali at 4:40 pm, the afternoon is free for optional activities, such as a dinner theater or sled dog kennel tour (see Tour Add-ons). Overnight near the Denali park entrance.

Early this morning depart on a bus tour of Denali National Park. This 6 to 8 hour tour takes you approximately 55 miles into the park. As you travel through the pristine wilderness, look for wildlife, such as bears, caribou and moose, as well as view the mountain. A snack box is included on board. The afternoon is free for optional tours, such as sightseeing by bush plane or a dinner theater (see Tour Add-ons) or the Denali National Park Visitor Center, which offers many exhibits and information about the park. Overnight near the Denali park entrance.

This morning is free to explore the Denali Park area on your own or relax at your hotel. This afternoon you will transfer north to Fairbanks by deluxe motorcoach, arriving about 6pm. Overnight in Fairbanks.

This morning take a tour of Gold Dredge Number 8 to experience Fairbanks’s Gold Rush history. The adventure begins with a ride on a replica of the Tanana Valley Railroad through the gold fields of Interior Alaska. Before you board the train enjoy a close up view of the Trans-Alaska pipeline and informational displays about the pipeline. The train ride takes you to the dredge, where you will see firsthand how the dredge worked the gold fields. You will receive a brief but informative course in mining and then try gold panning for yourself. Keep what you find – gold is guaranteed! This afternoon, travel the Chena and Tanana Rivers for 3.5 hours on an authentic sternwheeler riverboat. This narrated tour provides background on the area's natural history and the Athabascan Native culture. You will see a trapper's cabin, log homes, bush pilot performance and a championship sled dog team. A stop will be made at the historic site of a Chena Indian village to learn about Native Alaskan hunting and fishing techniques. Overnight in Fairbanks.

You may have time this morning to sightsee before transferring to the airport to meet your departing flight.