Your Itinerary
ARRIVE IN ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
Welcome to Anchorage!
Meet your Tour Director between 3 pm and 7 pm in the hotel reception area.ENHANCED FREE TIME EXPLORE MORE in Anchorage with a dinner out in this iconic Alaskan city. Your Tour Director can point you in the right direction. Tap your GlobusGO mobile app for the best bites, brews, and things to do!
Sights & Sounds
Meet your fellow travel companions at this morning’s welcome orientation. Travel through Palmer in the Matanuska Valley, where cabbages can grow to an amazing 70 pounds (32 kg) in the 24-hour daylight. Venture over Tahneta Pass for wonderful vistas of Matanuska and Worthington Glaciers. Continue to the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve Visitor Center, the largest National Park in the United States and visit the Ahtna Cultural Center, a place to connect to the Alaska Native culture with exhibits on Ahtna Athabascan history. Stop at Bridal Veil Falls before arriving in the seaside port of Valdez. (B,D)TOUR HIGHLIGHT NATURAL WONDERS Located near the head of a deep fjord in Prince William Sound, Valdez is a mix of tidewater glaciers, rainforests, majestic mountains, and wildlife on land and sea. Orcas, humpback whales, otters, sea lions, and birds are among the many animals you might spy from this spectacular seaport.
VALDEZ. CRUISE ON PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND
True Fish Stories
This morning, [LF] enjoy a walking tour of Old Town Valdez with a local guide. Then board your boat for a cruise on Prince William Sound. Cruise along the 3-mile face of Columbia Glacier with a watchful eye out for wildlife, including seals, sea otters, birds, and even whales! Before returning to Valdez, see the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Terminal, where supertankers are loaded with crude oil from Prudhoe Bay. (B,L)LOCAL FAVORITECULTURE & TRADITIONS Get an inside look at the rich traditions of the Native Alaskan culture and events that shaped the lives of early explorers on a walking tour of Old Town Valdez with a local guide from the Valdez Museum. Discover the history of the Gold Rush and Trans-Alaska Pipeline, and the impact earthquakes and oil spills had on the area.
VALDEZ–DELTA JUNCTION–FAIRBANKS
Arctic Adventure
Enjoy great scenery all the way as you travel along Richardson Highway. Stop at Delta Junction Roadhouse, a living history homestead with a museum, original roadhouse, and farm animals. See the longest elevated stretch of the trans-Alaska pipeline, the Tanana Pipeline River Bridge, a 1200-foot span with a unique suspension design. Then, head west on the Alaska Highway to Fairbanks, the state’s second-largest city. Enjoy a free evening. (B)TOUR HIGHLIGHTCITY SIGHTS Discover a world of the Northern Lights, the midnight sun, and sunsets and sunrises that seem to never end. Basecamp to Denali National Park, it’s no wonder Fairbanks is called the Golden Heart of Alaska.
Gold Rush & Mushers
Visit Gold Dredge #8 and ride the narrow-gauge railroad. Then, try your luck as you pan for gold. Later today, board the Sternwheeler Discovery for a cruise on the Chena River, with a stop at the Chena Village to learn about Athabascan Native culture. You will also have the chance to meet Iditarod mushers and their famed dog teams to learn about breeding, training, and the big race! This evening, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. (B,D)TOUR HIGHLIGHTCULTURAL GEMS Experience frontier living in an Athabascan village on the Chena River. Here in the Alaskan forests, cabins are made of spruce logs, and the old ways of living with the land are beautifully preserved in the heritage of the Athabascan Native culture. Learn about traditions and survival in an unforgiving yet beautiful environment, where generations of Athabascans skillfully survived for over 10,000 years, ultimately adapting to village life and Western culture in the past century.
FAIRBANKS–ALASKA RAILROAD–DENALI NATIONAL PARK
Riding the Rails
Board the world-famous Alaska Railroad for a journey through untamed wilderness. Today’s ride ends at Denali National Park, where North America’s highest peak, 20,320-foot Denali, (also known as Mount McKinley) majestically dominates the park’s 6 million acres. The afternoon is free. This evening, enjoy an [LF] exclusive presentation on Denali National Park by a Naturalist and dinner at a local restaurant. (B,D)LOCAL FAVORITE NATURAL WONDERS Be treated to an exclusive presentation filled with insights and information by a local Naturalist who shares stories and useful tips about your visit to the park. TOUR HIGHLIGHTEPIC RIDE Board the Alaska Railroad train for spectacular views through its panoramic windows designed for soaking in the stunning scenery on this full-day journey that truly showcases America’s 49th state. Keep an eye out for views of Denali —as well as wildlife along the way!
Wilderness Wonders
Morning at leisure. Consider an optional photography excursion or a helicopter ride over the park. Then, prepare for an adventure of a lifetime with a Tundra Wilderness tour into the park with a Naturalist Driver Guide. (B,L) TOUR HIGHLIGHT NATURAL WONDERS Venture deep into Denali National Park and Preserve with a Naturalist Driver Guide in search of fantastic wildlife and natural wonders. Your guide can help you to spot grizzly bears, caribou, moose, and other wildlife from a safe distance. Denali is a natural treasure of pristine and untamed wilderness at its finest.
DENALI NATIONAL PARK–BIG LAKE–ANCHORAGE
A Dog’s Life
Travel south toward Anchorage stopping at Happy Trails Kennels, home of four-time Iditarod Champion Martin Buser and his dogs. Continue to Anchorage for a visit to the Alaska Native Heritage Center. This evening, your Tour Director hosts a farewell dinner. Over dessert, enjoy a [LF] special presentation by an Alaskan bush pilot. (B,L,D)LOCAL FAVORITE ADVENTURE STORIES After a delicious farewell dinner, you’ll be treated to dessert and a presentation by an experienced Alaskan bush pilot who shares real-life tales of adventure in the wilderness you may have only heard about in movies or books! TOUR HIGHLIGHT LEGENDARY LIVES Visit Happy Trails Kennels, home of 4-time Iditarod Champion Martin Buser and family. Happy Trails Kennels was established in 1982 with the express purpose to raise and train happy, fast long-distance sled dogs to race and win the Iditarod. Martin's loving care and faith in his hounds was made evident by his Iditarod wins to earn the 9-year record for the fastest Iditarod finish. Meet the Iditarod champions and learn about the relationship between musher and dog, how they race, and care for their dogs. Watch a demonstration on mushing, complete with a mock Iditarod checkpoint, and get a chance to play with the sled dogs!
ANCHORAGE. EXCURSION TO SEWARD & KENAI FJORDS NATIONAL PARK
Ice Sculptures
Witness one of the world’s most scenic drives as you follow the south shore of lovely Turnagain Arm. Upon arrival in Seward, board your vessel for a cruise on the glacial waters of Kenai Fjords National Park. (B,L)TOUR HIGHLIGHT NATURAL WONDERS Spectacular Kenai Fjords National Park covers 600,000 acres of protected and pure wilderness, with more than half of its majestic landscapes covered in ice and snow. From the massive Harding Icefield to the countless tidewater glaciers carving deep fjords, this arctic paradise is a natural wonder to behold. A cruise on the fjords affords an unforgettable opportunity to see glaciers calving into the sea, orcas, humpback whales, sea otters, and many more breathtaking sights.
ANCHORAGE–WHITTIER (EMBARKATION)
Life in the Wild
Travel to Whittier, a remote village nestled along breathtaking Prince William Sound, home to a stunning array of wildlife, including bald eagles, sea otters, and orcas! Then, wave goodbye to your Tour Director and Driver before embarking on a 7-night cruise south through the Inside Passage to Vancouver, BC. (B,L,D)TOUR HIGHLIGHT TRADITIONS & HERITAGE Whittier has the odd distinction of being almost entirely under one roof. No need to get in a car to go to the grocery store, bank, or a friend’s house. All town services are sheltered from the often-inclement winter weather in this unique and practical way, and virtually all of Whittier’s approximately 220 residents live in the 14-story Begich Towers, originally a Cold War outpost for the U.S. Army.
Gulf Dreams
Scenic cruising through the Gulf of Alaska. Enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, plus a variety of activities and entertainment on board. (B,L,D)TOUR HIGHLIGHT EPIC RIDE Go deeper into the unmatched beauty of the Last Frontier with a scenic cruise on the Gulf of Alaska to explore just a part of this nearly 600,000 square-mile gulf reaching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west and Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage to the east.
CRUISING: GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARK
Ice Dancing
Cruise through Glacier Bay National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site). (B,L,D)TOUR HIGHLIGHT WILD DISCOVERIES Cruise to Glacier Bay where the sounds of creaking groans of living ice in constant flux, the shrill calls of gulls and soaring eagles, and the splash of breaching humpback whales are likely to greet you. Frosted peaks towering over mossy forests, wide tidewater glaciers (there are seven in the park), and marine wildlife are main attractions, but every discovery in this dynamic biosphere is unique. With the serene majesty of snow-flecked and forested mountains defining its shores, Glacier Bay National Park offers some of the most dramatic scenery in the world. Keep your binoculars and camera ready as you cruise Glacier Bay to the mile-wide Margerie Glacier for the chance to witness ice calving. Wildlife abounds in Glacier Bay, and you never know when you will see the fluke of a humpback rise out of the water or spot a lone brown bear patrolling a windswept beach.
The Rush for Gold
At the height of the Klondike Gold Rush, the port town of Skagway served as the primary gateway to the legendary gold fields, and quickly grew into Alaska’s largest settlement. It was then a raucous frontier hub packed with trading posts, saloons, and guesthouses. As the gold rush faded into the 1900s, so did Skagway—but today it has been reinvigorated as a gateway for a new kind of visitor: those looking to explore Alaska’s rich history, pristine wildlife, and unrivaled natural beauty. (B,L,D)NOTE: Haines may be an alternative port and will be determined by Holland America onboard. TOUR HIGHLIGHTLEGENDS & LORE At every turn, you’ll find yourself immersed in gold rush lore in the town of Skagway, from the infamous Red Onion Saloon that still keeps a pistol that Wyatt Earp left behind on his way to the Klondike, to the narrow-gauge White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad, traversing rugged mountains, waterfalls, and towering glaciers on its course to Whitehorse deep in the Yukon.
The Wild Places
Cruise to remote and spectacular capital city of Juneau. (B,L,D)TOUR HIGHLIGHT ICONIC SIGHTS Surrounded by water, forest, and mountains, Juneau is known for its outdoor recreation, fresh seafood, and fine dining, but the real highlight of a visit to Juneau is tracking down wildlife. You can hike up Mount Roberts to chance upon wild deer and bald eagles. Most sightseeing and whale-watching tours head north to Auke Bay—bring a good pair of binoculars to get the best view of these majestic and surprisingly graceful creatures. If you prefer land mammals, catch a floatplane to a nearby wildlife reserve such as Chichagof or Admiralty Island to spot some bears. The sleepy, misty city of around 32,000—mostly fisherfolk and small-business owners—has a frontier town vibe that is hard to resist.
Port of Call
Ketchikan clings to the banks of the Tongass Narrows, flanked by green forests nurtured by abundant rain. Consider a guided rainforest walk in the Tongass National Forest and a visit to the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center to explore the rich Alaska Native culture and coastal rainforest ecosystem during your time in Ketchikan. (B,L,D)TOUR HIGHLIGHT LOCAL TASTES & TRADITIONS Ketchikan has long been an important hub of the salmon-fishing and salmon-packing industries. Indulge in fresh seafood at a local restaurant and explore the rich cultural sights of Native Alaskan Nations of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian. Marvel at the intricately carved totem poles at the Totem Heritage Center and Totem Bight State Park and take in the beautiful culture of the Tlingit people at Saxman Village, where traditional carvers and dancers share their heritage in the clan house. Explore the sights in the town itself, including historic Creek Street, a boardwalk built over the Ketchikan Creek, where you can shop for souvenirs, smoked salmon, and local art.
Ice Sculptures
Alaska’s Inside Passage is a protected network of waterways that wind through glacier-cut fjords and lush temperate rain forests along the rugged coast of Southeast Alaska. (B,L,D)TOUR HIGHLIGHTALASKAN ADVENTURE Sailing the Inside Passage offers opportunities to spot some of Alaska’s most iconic wildlife, with humpback whales and orcas plying the bountiful waters alongside the ships, bald eagles soaring overhead and brown bears lumbering on the shoreline. One of the greatest cruising routes in the world, the Inside Passage stretches through stunning landscapes, from Misty Fjords National Monument to famed Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve.
VANCOUVER, BC (DISEMBARKATION)
Safe travels until we meet again!
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. Schedule flights departing from Vancouver International Airport after noon. (B)