Majestic Alaska Cruise & Tour

Majestic Alaska

Tours Starts: Fairbanks, Alaska

Tours Ends: Vancouver, Canada

Day 1

Arrive in Fairbanks

If you purchased your airline tickets from YMT, you will be welcomed by a representative and transferred to your hotel.

SpringHill Suites Fairbanks or similar

Day 2

Gold Dredge #8 Visit

Explore the area’s gold mining history as we visit the restored Gold Dredge #8. Learn to pan for gold and take a picture with the Trans-Alaskan pipeline. In the afternoon, explore more of Fairbanks on your own.

SpringHill Suites Fairbanks or similar

Day 3

Denali Natural History Tour

We leave Fairbanks and travel on the Parks Highway en route to Denali National Park. At 6 million acres, Denali National Park is one of the world's great frontiers for wilderness adventure. Get a deeper look at this amazing park as we embark on a Denali Natural History Tour. With a focus on the rich, cultural history of Denali National Park, the Denali Natural History Tour provides insight into the diverse native and early pioneer influences in and around Denali. Visit Savage Cabin, the original cook's cabin in the park's first tourist camp, and still a ranger patrol cabin used by the Park Service. The balance of the day is yours to explore more of the area at your own pace.

Denali Park Village or similar

OPTION: ALASKA RAILROAD UPGRADE:

Upgrade to a scenic 4-hour train ride along the famous Alaska Railroad from Talkeetna to Denali Park. Enjoy 360° views in upper-level seats on Deluxe Dome Railcars for $189 p/p. Alaska Railroad upgrade must be prebooked. Please add this option at time of booking.

OPTION: TUNDRA WILDERNESS TOUR:

Upgrade to the 7-8 hour Tundra Wilderness Tour for a more in-depth Denali National Park experience for only $95 p/p. By traveling 53 miles into the park where opportunities for wildlife viewing increase. Please note that the park road is unpaved and riding on the elementary park bus for a longer duration may be strenuous for some. Please add this option at time of booking.

Day 4

Iditarod Sled Dog Headquarters and Anchorage City Tour

Travel through Matanuska-Susitna Valley, one of the most important agricultural areas in Alaska. En route, we will visit the Iditarod Sled Dog Headquarters near Wasilla where you will have the opportunity to learn about “The Last Great Race.” Afterwards, continue to Anchorage for an included lunch stop and a city tour of downtown. (L)

Crowne Plaza Anchorage or similar

Day 5

Anchorage to Homer

This morning, continue across the Kenai Peninsula to Homer. Upon arrival, your Tour Director will take you to the Homer Spit, which features the longest road into ocean waters in the entire world! Enjoy a guided walk along the Homer Docks and see the infamous Salty Dawg Saloon, which is constructed out of several of the city's historic buildings.

Best Western Bidarka or similar

Day 6

Homer Leisure Day

Enjoy this day at leisure in the quaint town of Homer, the Halibut Fishing Capital of the World.

Best Western Bidarka or similar

Day 7

Kenai Fjords National Park Glacier & Wildlife Cruise

Today, board a catamaran for another highlight: a 6-hour cruise through Kenai Fjords National Park to see marine wildlife, witness tidewater glacier calving, and feast on an included Alaskan Salmon and prime rib lunch buffet. The remainder of the day is free for you to explore Seward. (L)

Breeze Inn or similar

Day 8

Embarkation in Whittier (5:00 PM)

This morning continue to Whittier, named for ‘America’s finest religious poet’, John Greenleaf Whittier. In the afternoon you will board Holland America’s ms Noordam, your floating hotel for the net week. Discover the ship’s many available amenities and activities and settle in for a spectacular cruise ahead!

Day 9

Hubbard Glacier

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

Day 10

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. Witness glacier ice “calve” (break off) and fall into the bay with a deafening roar as you spend the day cruising a 60-mile passage.

Day 11

Skagway (7:00 AM – 9:00 PM)

Where the Gold Rush began, Skagway was the turbulent staging point for prospectors determined to find riches in the Klondike gold fields. Even today, Skagway's well-preserved history and atmosphere can transport you back to the 1898 gold rush like no other Alaskan port.

Day 12

Juneau (8:00 AM – 6:00 PM)

Nicknamed “Little San Francisco” because of its narrow streets and multicolored houses, Juneau is Alaska’s state capital. Inaccessible by roads, visitors and goods are brought to Juneau by either sea or air.

Day 13

Ketchikan (11:00 AM – 7:00 PM)

This distinctive and eye-catching city is built on stilts over the water. 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 14

Inside Passage Cruising

Cruise along Alaska's famous Inside Passage, one of the most scenic sea lanes in the world, and the west coast of Vancouver island.

Day 15

Disembark in Vancouver and Depart for Home (7:00 AM)

Note: Departure flights from Vancouver to some cities are overnight and arrive the following day.

Please note that this is a proposed itinerary; the actual itinerary may vary due to season, special events, or weather. Hotels may differ depending on date. 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. Please ask your Travel Consultant for more information.