14 Night Essential Alaska

We start with a travel day to Vancouver, British Columbia. After flying in you are met at the airport by your private driver who will take you to your hotel for the evening. Unless you are a local, we ALWAYS recommend flying in the day prior to your cruise departure. If you arrive early enough a trip to Granville Island, the Capilano Suspension Bridge, Stanley Park, or even the Vancouver Aquarium are all possible depending on your interests. Enjoy a restful evening at your hotel to recover from the day's travels.

After a leisurely breakfast head over to board your ship for your cruise through the inside passage and the Alaskan Panhandle.

This is a "sea" day, but you will spend it cruising the scenic Inside Passage. For most of this day the ship will pass between islands and the mainland, sailing on calm waters with breathtaking scenery.

Welcome to your first port in Alaska! Ketchikan has unique character, with top excursions and plenty to do on your own.

The only way to get to Juneau is by air or water. Luckily you are arriving on your ship to tour Alaska's Capital. With so many different experiences available you will need our expertise to find the perfect excursion for you.

Sitka was the capital of Alaska when it was governed by Russia, and many of the buildings reflect that heritage. Visit St. Michael the Archangel Orthodox Cathedral and walk through downtown to get a feel for this city and its architecture. Then visit the Alaska Raptor Center to see Eagles and other birds of prey who are recovering from injuries and meet a few of their permanent residents. Then see the Fortress Of The Bear, a refuge for orphaned brown & black bears with guided tours, talks & a raised viewing platform.

Today is another "sea" day. While you will not be getting off the ship you will be getting close to a glacier or two. Depending on the itinerary and ship you could see either Hubbard Glacier or visit Glacier Bay National Park. If Glacier Bay is on the itinerary be prepared to hear from National Park Rangers who will board the ship and spend the day pointing out key features of the park, wildlife sightings, and maybe even a calving glacier!

Today your ship will arrive in Whittier where you will disembark. Here you can take a cruise on a jet propelled catamaran to visit 26 glaciers around College Fjord. After, be transferred through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, a 2.5 mile tunnel on your way to the Aleyska Resort. Here you will find a spectacular spa, excellent restaurants, and good hiking. While this is a popular ski resort in the winter, the summer is when it truly shines. Enjoy your day and night here before proceeding to Anchorage.

Today we visit Anchorage, Alaska's largest city. With so much to see and do you have to make some difficult choices. Your hotel will be the Hotel Captain Cook. Located in the heart of downtown Anchorage, Alaska’s Hotel Captain Cook is a perfect basecamp for adventure, offering the best cultural, retail and natural highlights just steps from your door. After checking in head over to the Anchorage Museum. The Anchorage Museum is a place of ideas and transformation. The museum is a Smithsonian Affiliate and celebrates Alaska Native cultures through presenting voices, stories and cultural heritage pieces from the Smithsonian Institution. Art of the North and the history of Alaska combine throughout the museum. After the museum, head over to Earchquake Park. Earthquake Park gives visitors insight into one of the pivotal moments in Alaska history: the 1964 Earthquake. The quake on March 27 – Good Friday – measured 9.2 in magnitude and was the largest quake ever recorded in North America.

Today you are up early to catch the morning Gold Star service on Alaska Railroad to Talkeetna. Seated comfortably upstairs in your dome car enjoy views of the interior as you go north toward Denali. Your train ride includes cooked to order breakfast, and two adult beverages. Once you arrive in Talkeetna, check in at Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge. Then head to the airport and take Talkeetna Air Taxi to visit Denali National Park by air. This spectacular excursion includes landing on the Ruth Glacier (conditions permitting), and allows you to see Denali from a whole different perspective. Spend the evening back in Talkeetna walking Main Street, shopping and enjoying the local cuisine. Did you know that ice cream in Alaska is usually locally made and enjoyed year round? Try some fireweed or berry ice cream at Shirley's Homemade Ice Cream. Then return to your hotel for a bit of rest.

Today after breakfast at your hotel you take a short excursion to AK Sled Dog Tours by Dallas Seavey (5-time Ititaron Champion). Get trained up and mush your own team of sled dogs, go on a 45-minute wilderness mush, learn how sled dogs and their mushers live, play, and train, then romp with puppies in their giant run pen. After getting washed up, continue north to Denali National Park. Once you have checked into your hotel, take a tour of the park on one of the park's own busses and interact with a native Athabaskan who is eager to share their story with you. Keep your eyes open for wildlife, which is common in the park. On your way back visit the dog kennels where the sled dogs used to patrol the park in winter are housed. See the equipment used each year and meet a few of the dogs. Then visit the visitor center for an overview of the park. Enjoy dinner at the 49th State Brewing Company in Healey, just a few miles north of Denali.

Enjoy breakfast at a local restaurant like Rose's Cafe. Then head back to the park to see anything you missed yesterday. Then visit the Horseshoe Lake Trailhead for an easy hike around Horseshoe Lake. Now that you're warmed up, go further into the park and hike the Savage Canyon Trail Loop, and stop to take pictures from the Savage Canyon Trail Footbridge. After all the hiking you are sure to have an appetite, so return to your hotel to freshen up and enjoy a bite to eat and take it easy before your journy continues to Fairbanks tomorrow.

Today after breakfast you travel to Fairbanks, Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska and the second largest in the state. Once you arrive you are scheduled to sail the Chena River aboard the Riverboat Discovery. Your three-hour tour will take you into the heart of Alaska and introduce you to a family who has made the rivers of Alaska their way of life for five generations. Be immersed in frontier living firsthand with a guided walking tour of an Athabascan village. See an Alaskan bush pilot takeoff and land right next to the boat! Visit the home and kennel of the late four-time Iditarod champion Susan Butcher as we pass Trail Breaker Kennel along the Chena River. For dinner may we suggest one of the many Thai restaurants in Fairbanks, which has a sizable Thai population and some of the best Thai food we have ever had. Perhaps Bahn Thai on 3rd Avenue downtown?

Today we start with Gold Dredge 8. Your two-hour tour will take you into the heart of the gold fields of the Tanana Valley where you will feel the history come alive. Gold Dredge 8 is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and the site is a U.S. Historic District. Your adventure begins at Gold Dredge 8 with a walk under the Alaska Pipeline followed by a ride on a replica of the Tanana Valley Railroad near some of the original rail routes. As part of your tour, Alaskan miners will show you how to pan for gold, and you will receive your own poke filled with pay dirt. Next thrill at the excitement of crossing the Arctic Circle as you fly from Fairbanks to Coldfoot, 60 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Take a short drive to the town of Wiseman and meet one of its year-round residents. Stop by the Coldfoot Camp Truck Stop, the northernmost truck stop on the Dalton Highway. Enjoy your return flight to Fairbanks, with a second aerial glimpse of Alaska's Arctic.

Today you have some time before your flight departs in the afternoon or evening, so why not fit in one or two more stops. First visit the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum. Step back into an amazing time in history. With a world-class collection of vintage automobiles and period fashions complemented by fascinating exhibits, accessories, photographs and archival videos, you embark on a vivid journey through the automotive age, from Victorian times through the Art Deco era. Next head over to the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks to visit the Museum of the North. Discover Alaska Native cultures, natural wonders, diverse wildlife and Arctic dinosaurs. Explore 2,000 years of Alaska art. Learn about research by museum scientists. Original exhibits and breathtaking architecture. Once you are done grab a quick bite to eat and head to the airport to catch your flight home!