From mountains to mammals, everything is bigger in Alaska. In the 20+ hours of summer sunlight a day, even the produce grows to fair-winning proportions. Of course, the 70-pound Matanuska Valley cabbage is just the beginning of the big sights this sun-soaked tour of Alaska has to offer. Just wait until you cruise along the three-mile face of the Columbia Glacier, sail by the calving tidewater glaciers of Kenai Fjords National Park and ascend into Denali National Park – home of North America’s highest peak – by way of the world-famous Alaska Railroad. Other big moments include panning for gold at Fairbanks’ Gold Dredge #8, seeing a mushing demonstration at the home of an Iditarod champion, and witnessing the grandest of wildlife from Alaska’s majestic coasts to its monumental crests. While spotting a giant whale, caribou, moose, or grizzly might be “no biggie” to the locals, we think you’ll agree, this Alaska vacation is huge. What’s bigger and better than the whales, waterways, and whopping views of Alaska? Extending your Alaska vacation to see more of them. Add a leisurely cruise through the breathtaking Gulf of Alaska and Inside Passage to your Alaska vacation to see more wondrous wilderness and charming settlements. Enjoy scenic cruising around Glacier Bay National Park and time in the frontier capital of Juneau, the tranquil towns of Haines or Skagway, and totem-pole-dotted Ketchikan.
Welcome to Anchorage! Meet your Tour Director this evening between 5 pm and 8 pm in the hotel reception area.
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.
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
This morning, Globus Local Favorite 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.
Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch
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.
Meals included: Breakfast
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.
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
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 Globus Local Favorite exclusive presentation on Denali National Park by a Naturalist and dinner at a local restaurant.
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
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.
Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch
Continue your exploration of Denali National Park as you head south toward Anchorage. Stop along the way at HAPPY TRAILS KENNELS, home of four-time Iditarod Champion Martin Buser and his dogs. Meet an Iditarod competitor and learn how they race and care for their dogs. You will also see a demonstration on mushing, complete with a mock Iditarod checkpoint, and get a chance to play with the sled dogs! This evening, your Tour Director hosts a special farewell dinner. Over dessert, enjoy a special PRESENTATION by an Alaskan bush pilot.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
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.
Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch
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.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Scenic cruising through the Gulf of Alaska.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Cruise through Glacier Bay National Park (A UNESCO World Heritage Site).
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
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.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
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 some 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.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Take an adventurous cruise to Ketchikan —Alaska's "First City,” so named as the first major landfall for most cruisers entering the picturesque fjords of the Inside Passage. Ketchikan clings to the banks of the Tongass Narrows, flanked by green forests nurtured by abundant rain.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
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.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Your tour ends with breakfast this morning.
Meals: Breakfast