Alaska Land and Cruise

On arrival in Vancouver you will check in at the 4-Diamond

AAA Fairmont Vancouver Airport Hotel, the Number 1 rated

airport hotel by Conde Naste.

Enjoy a full day Sightseeing Tour to Victoria on Vancouver

Island. This tour includes transportation by ferry, admission

to the world-famous Butchart Gardens, and a Victoria tour

with free time to explore.

This morning you will tour the city of Vancouver taking you

to Stanley Park for stunning view of Lion’s Gate

Suspension Bridge at the beginning of the 1,100 mile inside

passage, Elizabeth Gardens, Chinatown (the largest in

North America), historic Gastown, and Canada Place

where you will embark and enjoy lunch. Ship departs 4:30

PM.

This is a relaxing day of cruising the Inside Passage where

you will see land close by on both sides of the ship. Keep

an eye out for wildlife and take time to explore and

acquaint yourself with the ship, your outstanding floating

resort for a full week.

Ketchikan, AK, 7 AM - 4 PM.

After docking right in town, enjoy a scenic drive along the

Tongass Narrows en route to Totem Bight State Park.

Enjoy a short walk along a rain forest trail as your

driver/guide brings to life the myths and legends depicted

on the impressive collection of totems within the park. You

will also have an opportunity to enter into a traditional

Native clan house. Making your way back towards town,

you will learn of the industries that helped to build

Ketchikan and make it the "Salmon Capital of the World.”

Juneau, AK, 7 AM - 8:30 PM.

Today’s included guided tour takes you through

Juneau’s picturesque downtown and past the Capitol

building on the way out of town. View the mighty

Mendenhall Glacier, a river of ice with rugged crevasses

and a distinctive blue color, which appears deceptively

close because of its immense size. At the U.S. Forest

Service Visitor Center, take in the glaciology exhibits or

listen to an interpretive talk by a Forest Service Ranger.

A short walk along a nature trail brings you to within one

mile of the face of the glacier for an excellent photo

opportunity. Next we visit Juneau’s Macaulay Salmon

Hatchery.

Skagway, AK, 7 AM - 4 PM.

Enjoy a tour along the boardwalks of downtown's

Historic District, and up to the scenic overlook for a

panoramic view of the town, the ship, and surrounding

glaciers and peaks. Hear the inside story about

Skagway's geography and harsh winters and explore

the Gold Rush Cemetery.

Cruising Hubbard Glacier 7 AM - 11 AM

The longest river of ice in North America, the Hubbard

Glacier is also one of the most active glaciers of its

kind in Alaska. And since the ships are designed to

provide guests with the best viewing possible, you'll be

able to see this massive natural wonder, with its 1,350

square miles of blue ice, from just about anywhere on

the ship. Dress warmly (with that much ice, it's like

standing in front of an open freezer) and don't forget

your cameras and binoculars.

Arrive Seward 4 AM - Disembark the cruise ship in

Seward and meet your Tour Director for the land tour

portion of your trip. Board your exclusive restroom

equipped motorcoach and enjoy a brief city tour of the

coastal community of Seward with a stop at the Benny

Benson Memorial. Ride in your luxury motorcoach

from Seward for your trip north on the beautiful

Seward Highway where you climb through mountains

and then drop back down to the Turnagain Arm where

the mountains rise out of the sea as you approach

Anchorage. As you travel along Turnagain Arm you

may see bald eagles on the shoreline, beluga whales

in the inlet or sheep on the mountains. Upon arrival in

Anchorage stop for a family style lunch at the

Sourdough Mining Company. After lunch experience a

city tour of Historic Anchorage including a visit to the

Alaska Native Heritage Center with village sites which

depict the type of housing used by native people in

different parts of Alaska. Also during the city tour enjoy

an exclusive visit to a bush pilot’s hanger and watch

the float plane’s take off & land from his pier on Lake

Hood. Bush planes are a key mode of transportation

to the millions of acres in Alaska that have no roads.

Arrive at the Sheraton hotel for check-in then transfer

to dinner at the Snow Goose restaurant with great

views of Cook Inlet.

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the rail depot

for a ride on the world famous Alaska Railroad dome

railcar from Anchorage to Denali. Lunch is included on

board the rail. Keep an eye out for views of Mt.

McKinley and wildlife, such as moose and bear along

the Susitna River. The train travels at a leisurely pace

and winds along the river. The railcar has an open air

platform which is an excellent place to take photos.

After settling in at the Grande Denali Lodge, enjoy an

afternoon of exploring this pristine area at your

leisure. Cabin Nite dinner theater is included tonight.

Enjoy an evening of music and comedy. Your servers

turn into performers as they tell the story of gold

mining in Kantishna, the first people to climb Mt.

McKinley and the establishment of Denali National

Park. Overnight Denali.

After breakfast at hotel, travel into Denali National

Park on the Denali Natural History bus tour where

you will learn about this incredible park. The tour

includes a visit to an old park service cabin and an

interpretive Alaska Native presentation at a majestic

view point. Be sure to look for moose, caribou,

sheep, wolves and the elusive brown bear. (For $50

additional choose the 7-hour Tundra Wildlife Tour

giving you additional opportunities to see wildlife - a

box lunch is provided.) After the Natural History bus

tour, lunch is included in Denali at the locally owned,

Prospector Grill. This afternoon ride in your private

deluxe motorcoach from Denali to Fairbanks. Stop in

Nenana in route and visit the historical rail museum

for a short break. This is where President Harding

drove the golden spike and completed the

connection of the 500 miles of rail in Alaska. Dinner

is included this evening at your leisure an the

Wedgewood Resort dining room. Overnight two

nights in Fairbanks.

Breakfast at the hotel. Today, learn how the gold

rush affected Alaska’s interior on a brief morning

Fairbanks city tour including a visit to the Trans-

Alaska Pipeline. Have your photo taken beside the

pipeline where twenty-five percent of the daily US oil

production travels from Prudhoe Bay via Fairbanks

to Valdez. Visit the El Dorado Gold Mine, and learn

about different methods of mining. Ride on a narrow

gauge railroad through a permafrost tunnel. After a

short demonstration try your hand at panning for

gold. Lunch is included at the historic Pump House.

The original building blasted the surrounding

hillsides with water pumped out of the river which

was then run through a sluice box to extract the

gold. After lunch transfer to the Riverboat Discovery,

a historic sternwheeler replica. Cruise the Chena &

Tanana Rivers aboard this sternwheeler which will

take you to see a sled dog demonstration and to a

replica Athabascan Indian Camp where native

interpreters will introduce you to Indian culture.

Tonight enjoy dinner at the Alaskan Salmon Bake at

Pioneer Park. Their prime rib and fish is freshly

cooked over an open grill with a wonderful buffet of

additional foods to enjoy. After dinner walk with the

group to the Palace Saloon Show for a wild and

rowdy time. This will be a fun action packed day to

end your exploration of Alaska. Overnight in

Fairbanks.

After full American Breakfast, transfer to Airport for

return flights