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| Great Land Wilderness CruiseTours- CruiseTour 10 itinerary | | |
Day |
Port |
| 1 |
Anchorage
Upon your arrival on the shores of Cook Inlet you will be surrounded by mountains in every direction. Transfer to your downtown hotel and get your first taste of Alaskana in the nearby shops and museums. Then choose an optional tour into the surrounding wilderness. |
| 2 |
Anchorage/Denali National Park
Today you'll board our McKinley Explorer , the largest domed railcars on the historic Alaska Railroad route, an Alaska Scenic Byway. Sit back and relax in the observation lounge and watch magnificent scenery glide by. Upon arrival at Denali National Park , transfer to the finest lodge at the park where you'll be greeted by a soaring lobby with wildlife exhibits, shops, restaurants a cocktail lounge, river-view deck and more. Spend your afternoon and evening at leisure, strolling the grounds, relaxing by the fire, or touring the nearby Denali Visitor Center . Options include everything from guided horseback tours to nine holes of golf. |
| 3 |
Denali National Park
Craft your own Denali experience during your extra day of unscheduled time. Relax at your lodge, and then hike to Horseshoe Lake . Take a shuttle to the fabulous new Visitor Center and join a Park-Ranger hike from there. Opt for touring via helicopter, horseback, jet boat, mountain bike or river raft. Meet dog mushers, homesteaders and trappers to see what life is like in the bush. Tonight take in the rip roaring musical at the Cabin Nite Dinner Theatre (optional). There's so much to see and do and the long daylight hours make it possible to explore more than you ever dreamed possible. |
| 4 |
Denali/Fairbanks
Depart your lodge for an early morning official Tundra Wilderness Tour, (6-8 hours) of Denali National Park . You'll travel up to 53 miles of the Park Road for great wildlife viewing - caribou, moose, grizzly, wolves and Dall sheep are frequently sighted. Weather permitting, your vistas of Mt. McKinley will be unsurpassed. Later, reboard the McKinley Explorer , and sit back to relax in the observation lounge and watch magnificent scenery glide by. Arrive in Fairbanks this evening and transfer to your downtown hotel. |
| 5 |
Fairbanks
We have a full day planned - lunch included. Start your adventure aboard the sternwheeler Discovery III for native culture, gold rush history, and local color. You'll even meet Susan Butcher of Iditarod fame, or members of her family, and watch a bush pilot demonstration. At Gold Dredge No. 8, a National Historic Site, you'll browse the mining exhibits and pan for gold during an informative tour. Tonight, explore under the Midnight Sun on a choice of optional tours. |
| 6 |
Fairbanks/Beaver Creek
You're off along the Alaska Highway where scenes of the Tetlin Wildlife Refuge blend with the distant peaks of the Wrangell Mountains . Soon you'll be driving past Delta Junction, the TransAlaska Pipeline and crossing the Tanana River . A pause at the famed Rika's Roadhouse along the original wagon road echoes the past and offers tempting homemade pies. Today's discussion will focus on gold mining and the local natural history. We welcome you to remote Beaver Creek , Canada 's westernmost settlement, with our famed Yukon Rendezvous Dinner Show (included). |
| 7 |
Beaver Creek/Whitehorse
Enjoy more sights along the Alaska Highway past the peaks of the St. Elias Mountains and the sparkling waters of scenic Kluane Lake . Spend the day marveling at ancient, glacier-carved valleys. Today's discussion by your driver and Tour Director will focus on native history and culture in the Yukon as well as the history of the Alaska Highway . Arriving in Whitehorse , the capital of the Yukon Territory , you'll check into your downtown hotel. |
| 8 |
Kluane National Park
Visit a part of the Great Land few ever see. This UNESCO World Heritage Site encompasses the second tallest mountain in North America - Mt. Logan - and numerous other titanic peaks. The world's largest non-polar ice field is a Kluane attraction best appreciated on a flightseeing excursion. Designed exclusively for Holland America guests, local interpreters lead you on your choice of hikes from strenuous - up King's Throne , or easy - around Kathleen Lake . And all feature rich wildlife habitat and superb scenery. River rafting on the magnificent Class IV Tatshenshini River is an all-day adventure that you'll never forget. |
| 9 |
Whitehorse/Skagway
Today's travels take you to an amazing tapestry of every-changing scenery. View Emerald Lake , the town of Carcross and Lake Bennett , where stampeders built their boats and cast their fates upon the tumultuous waters of the Yukon River . Today's discussion by your driver and Tour Director will focus on the region's natural and gold rush history. At Fraser, you'll board the nostalgic 108-year-old White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad and descend from 3,000 feet to sea level through some of Alaska 's most spectacular country. The narration during your 28-mile excursion will recount the trials and tribulations of the thousands of gold seekers who walked and packed their outfits over this rugged terrain back in 1898. In Skagway , home of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, you'll transfer to your Holland America cruise ship and say "Good-bye" to your Tour Director. But your ship will linger until late evening so you'll have ample time to fully explore this living museum of the gold rush (lunch and dinner are included aboard ship). |
| 10 |
Glacier Bay National Park cruising with interpretation by National Park Rangers and a Huna Totem native speaker
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| 11 |
Ketchikan
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| 12 |
Inside Passage Cruising
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| 13 |
Disembark in Vancouver |
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