Grand Alaskan Cruise & Tour

Day 1

Arrive Seattle

Today your Alaskan Cruise Tour adventure begins in Seattle. If you booked your flight with YMT, a representative will greet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel.

✦ Crowne Plaza Seattle Airport

Day 2

Seattle to Vancouver and Embarkation

We drive north and across the Canadian border to Vancouver, Canada’s third largest metropolitan area. After a brief city tour and lunch on your own, you will board the Norwegian Sun, your floating hotel for the next week, with time to settle into your stateroom before dinner.

Day 3

Scenic Inside Passage Cruising

Cruise along the Alaska Inside Passage and the west coast of Vancouver Island. The famous Inside Passage is one of the most scenic sea lanes in the world. The scenery is breathtaking with forests in a hundred shades of green, turquoise glaciers, and evocative towns.

Day 4

Ketchikan (7:00 AM–4:00 PM)

This distinctive and eye-catching city is built on stilts over the water, with a boardwalk and weathered stairways that cling to the granite cliffs. Stroll Creek Street, the former “Red Light” district with its gold shops, gift boutiques, and restaurants or visit the Totem Pole Park at Saxman Native Village.

Day 5

Juneau (11:00 AM–9:00 PM)

Today’s port-of-call is Alaska’s state capital city, nicknamed “Little San Francisco” because of its narrow streets and multicolored houses that hug the hillside. Sitting at the foot of snowcapped Mt. Juneau and next to the massive Mendenhall Glacier and Juneau Icefields, this remote yet developed city offers a variety of activities like the Mt. Roberts Tramway, ascending 1800 feet for incredible panoramic views.

Day 6

Skagway (7:00 AM–8:00 PM)

Where the Gold Rush began, Skagway was the turbulent staging point for prospectors hellbent on getting to the Klondike gold fields; even in modern day, Skagway’s well-preserved history and culture brings to life the 1898 gold rush atmosphere like no other Alaskan port of call. Go ashore to stroll the weathered boardwalks and drop in at old-time saloons or shop for gold nuggets.

Day 7

Scenic Cruising Glacier Bay National Park

The overwhelming grandeur of glaciers, exotic wildlife, and pristine environment combine to offer a breathtaking view of raw nature. Spend the entire day cruising a 60-mile passage, passing glaciers galore, abundant wildlife and scenic beauty unique in all the world. Experience the spectacle of glacier calving, where great chunks of ice are continually falling into the bay with a deafening roar, which enhances the fascinating scene.

Day 8

Cruise Hubbard Glacier

Today, cruise along Hubbard Glacier, the largest calving glacier on the North American continent, and witness the spectacle when large chunks of ice crash into the water, creating a wonderful sound called “white thunder” by the native Tlingit people. Hubbard is more than 70 miles long; the cliff face you sail along is six miles wide and over 300 ft high.

Day 9

Seward to Anchorage and City Tour

We disembark this morning in Seward where the land portion of your Alaskan cruise tour begins. Meet your tour director for a brief city tour of this popular fishing village surrounded by the unrivaled beauty of the Kenai Fjords National Park. Then, travel north on your comfortable motor coach to Anchorage and en route visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center to see Alaska’s wildlife up close.

✦ The Lakefront Anchorage or similar

Day 10

Denali via Talkeetna and Wasilla

We leave Anchorage in the morning, traveling north toward Talkeetna. We'll visit the Iditarod Sled Dog Headquarters near Wasilla where you can learn about the “Last Great Race.”

Option Alaska Railroad Upgrade

Rail and coach travelers meet up in Denali and transfer to the hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure or participate in an optional tour.

✦ Denali Grizzly Bear Resort or similar

Day 11

Denali National Park to Anchorage

This morning embark on a Denali National Park Tour. Travel 30 miles into the Park aboard an exclusive park bus to explore one of the world’s largest frontiers for wilderness adventure. Your dedicated naturalist will provide a great introduction to the conservation efforts and history of the park. In the afternoon depart for Anchorage.

✦ The Lakefront Anchorage or similar

Day 12

Depart Anchorage for Home

Today, bid farewell to Alaska. Transfers to Anchorage airport are included for guests who purchased their air arrangements from YMT.

Flights to most cities depart Anchorage in the late evening, some after midnight, and arrive at their destination the following day (Friday). In order to take full advantage of your last day in Anchorage, check out from your hotel room and enjoy some time on your own in the city, visit local museums and attractions, or book one of the optional excursions offered. For your comfort and convenience, a hospitality room with refreshments will be provided complimentary and your luggage can be stored at the hotel until you depart for the airport. A local guide will also be available to help you plan your day and answer any questions.

Note: Sightseeing described during the port visits is optional as part of an optional shore excursion program at extra cost.

*or similar accommodations

Please note that this is a proposed itinerary; the actual itinerary may vary due to season, special events, or weather. Because our tour arrangements are often made a year or more in advance, YMT Vacations reserves the right to alter the itinerary. Itinerary changes are made to improve your vacation experience, as well as respond to any unforeseen circumstances that mandate alterations. By their nature, all tour vacations involve a certain level of physical activity. While YMT tours have been designed with our guests in mind and are not physically demanding, this tour does include walking and periods of standing during the sightseeing visits. You will also encounter steps and some uneven ground along the way, particularly at older, historical sights.