Spend two nights at stunning Denali. Go deeper on an included Tundra Wilderness Tour. Discover Alyeska and Talkeetna. Cruise majestic Glacier Bay and explore Alaska's famed Inside Passage.
Ship: Niew Amsterdam
Departs: Fairbanks, Alaska
Arrives: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Fairbanks, Alaska (Day 1, 2)
Day 1: Your Cruisetour begins at your downtown Fairbanks hotel.
Day 2: Take a step back in time aboard the sternwheeler Riverboat Discovery (lunch included), and pan for gold at the historic Gold Dredge 8.
Bearing the nickname the Golden Heart, Alaska’s second-largest city was born of gold rush fever, thanks to Italian immigrant Felix Pedro who found the precious metal in 1902 near where Captain E.T. Barnette decided to build a trading post on the banks of the Chena River. Explore Fairbanks on an Alaska cruise today. Fairbanks is an amalgam of modern shops and malls, its history is celebrated at the 18-hectare (44-acre) Pioneer Park, which includes a Gold Rush Town with 35 restored buildings. Fairbanks also preserved its City Hall, which now houses the Fairbanks Community Museum. The city’s location in Alaska’s interior makes it a gateway to the arctic, and in summer tourist boats run cruises along the Chena and Tanana rivers. Fairbanks is a city of festivals, from July’s Golden Days commemorating its past, to Ice Alaska in February and March, when residents make the best of its brutal winters by playing host to a slew of international ice sculptors who descend on the city for the World Ice Art Championships. The city is one of the best places in the world to see the aurora borealis, which appears on average 243 nights of the year. Book an Alaska cruise excursion to view the Aurora Borealis. See the beautiful and colorful patterns in the sky as you gaze upon the Northern Lights. For more insight into Fairbanks and to learn about history of Alaska visit the Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center.
Denali National Park, Alaska (Day 3, 4)
Day 3: Today it's off to Denali for a two night stay at this magnificent national treasure. Don't miss the chance to visit Denali Square and immerse yourself in the Denali experience.
Day 4: Today features the unforgettable Tundra Wilderness Tour. This 5 - 6 hour, fully narrated sightseeing excursion takes you into the heart of Denali National Park. The tour will go to mile 43 because of road construction but will continue to offer the best opportunity to view Denali’s iconic wildlife and North America’s tallest peak. (snack included) *Tundra Wilderness Tour may change times or date.
Denali is the number one reason to book Alaska cruisetours into the state’s rugged wilderness and it’s easy to understand why. At an impressive 20,310 feet above sea level, Denali isn’t just any mountain; it’s the centerpiece of Alaska’s interior, a shining jewel rising above pristine Alaska wilderness. Good news if you want more than just a glimpse of “the Great One.” When you book a cruisetour, you can settle in for up to three nights and get a true sense of North America’s tallest mountain.
Holland America Line’s Alaska cruisetours offer full immersion in Denali. Each of our land and sea cruisetours include up to three nights at our beautiful 60-acre riverside resort.
Denali Square™ at the Holland America Denali Lodge is the ultimate base camp. Spend your days sightseeing at Denali and the evenings winding down in creature comfort. Enjoy stunning views across the Nenana River into Denali National Park from virtually anywhere on the grounds, as well as upscale dining, quality entertainment, and local shopping.
Holland America Line is also the only cruise line to include the Tundra Wilderness Tour into Denali National Park on all 2- and 3-night Denali cruisetour itineraries. On this expertly guided 6- to 8-hour adventure, you’ll likely spot some combination of Alaska’s Big Five: grizzly bears, caribou, moose, Dall sheep, and wolves. In addition, there are countless bucket list opportunities—such as river rafting, flightseeing (including the chance to land with a ski plane on Denali itself), or meeting an Iditarod dog musher and getting a sloppy kiss from a sled dog.
When looking into Alaska cruise tours, consider including Denali National Park. The wildlife is abundant and easily viewable. There are 6-million acres of untouched land to explore, some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world. Towering above is Denali, a mountain that will linger in your memory forever. With all of that and more, Holland America Line’s Alaska cruisetours are a dream for those who want true immersion into Denali National Park & Preserve.
Day 5 – Anchorage
This morning, board the luxurious domed rail cars of the McKinley Explorer bound for Anchorage.
From ice-blue glaciers to beluga whales and the famous bore tide, a single cruise to Anchorage, Alaska will considerably shorten any nature-lover’s bucket list. Nestled between mountains and the Cook Inlet terminus, near many national and state parks, this hospitable haven is one of the best places to see Alaska wildlife. A city moose roaming the streets (there are about 1,500) is a regular sight and views of whales, puffins, otters, and Dall porpoises going about their days is just a short excursion away. Cruises to Anchorage are a must for those that want some of the most incredible bear viewing in the country.
Although the wildlife is reason alone to cruise to Anchorage Alaska, the culture of the city itself is worth exploring. Almost half of the state’s residents live in Anchorage, a population that largely comprises military members, Alaska Natives, adventurous transplants from the “lower 48,” and oil industry workers. Coffee and espresso huts dot every corner and fresh halibut, smoked salmon and reindeer dogs are among the local eats.
Anchorage is a year-round town. On some clear, dark nights during winter, the Northern Lights dance above. In spring, thousands of flowers planted by the city bloom to celebrate the season’s anticipated arrival. Summer brings the Midnight Sun where days can stretch to 19 hours. Take an Alaska cruise to Anchorage to discover national parks, scenic glaciers, unique landscapes and wildlife.
Outdoor activities abound in Anchorage. Adventurous locals (there are a lot of them in Alaska) enjoy skijoring, a sport where a person is pulled on skis by dogs or sometimes horses. The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail and Flattop Mountain Trail inside Chugach State Park offer hiking, biking, and wildlife sighting opportunities. Book an Anchorage cruise shore excursion and explore top destinations.
Alyeska, Alaska (Day 6, 7)
Day 6: After a morning at leisure in Anchorage, today you'll enjoy breathtaking views along the Turnagain Arm to Alyeska Resort - your 5-star base camp for optional excursions, fine dining, and luxurious spa services.
Day 7: Explore on your own or take optional excursions with an entire free day at Alyeska. Don't miss the chance to take the scenic aerial tram ride up Mt. Alyeska and enjoy adventures such as hiking or fishing throughout the Girdwood Valley.
Stop in Alyeska (Girdwood) on cruise tours to Alaska. It’s an outdoor lover’s paradise with opportunities to hike, fish, paraglide or ski. If you’re looking for a relaxed escape, there’s a multitude of fine dining and spa amenities at the resort. While there’s plenty to do, the best thing to do is easy and free—sit and take in the views. Alyeska, Alaska draws artists from all over the world because it’s so darn pretty in all directions. Brave the heights and take the tram. Cruise up 2,300 feet in elevation to the top of Mt. Alyeska and view jagged peaks and green rolling hills for miles. Meander through the alpine landscape or a enjoy a relaxed lunch at the restaurant. Whether you’ve come to ski the mountain or shop the boutiques, Alyeska is an idyllic resting spot on your Alaska cruise tour.
Whittier, Alaska (Day 8)
After a morning at leisure at the Alyeska Resort, take the small ship cruise to Portage Glacier on the way to board your ship.
Holland America Line’s Alaska cruise tours now include the tiny town of Whittier. This remote village is nestled along breathtaking Prince William Sound, home to a stunning array of wildlife, including bald eagles, sea otters and killer whales, so have your camera ready. Whittier has the odd distinction of being almost entirely under one roof. No need to get in a car to go to the grocery store, bank or a friend’s house. All town services are sheltered from the often-inclement weather in this unique and practical way, and virtually all of Whittier’s approximately 220 residents live in the 14-story Begich Towers, originally a Cold War outpost for the U.S. Army. Not only will you experience Whittier’s small town charm on Alaska cruise, there is also plenty of outdoor activities like fishing, hiking, scuba diving and kayaking. It is also known for its high concentration of glaciers.
Hubbard Glacier (Day 9)
Enjoy a leisurely day highlighted by afternoon scenic cruising to Hubbard Glacier - North America's longest tidewater glacier.
An Alaska cruise toward Hubbard Glacier feels like you’re approaching another planet in a tiny space craft. It is that big and that otherworldly. Among all the vanishing Alaska glaciers, Hubbard has a rapidly advancing ice margin— up to seven feet in one day—earning it the nickname, “the Galloping Glacier.”
Hubbard Glacier cruises are so popular because of the glacier’s three-story icebergs that cannon into crystal waters, a process called calving. It’s also colorful. On clear days, Hubbard turns a stunning deep blue and on cloudy ones, its many ripples and icebergs shimmer in soft light.
This glacier dwarfs the other glaciers in Alaska. It is the longest tidewater glacier in North America and starts 122 kilometers (76 miles) back, pouring down off the shoulder of Mt. Walsh. It has an impressive terminal face that is 11 kilometers (7 miles) long and 106 meters (350 feet) above the water line, making its regular audience of Alaska cruise ships look like toy boats.
It’s a giant, but it’s not sleeping. Hubbard Glacier is one of the few Alaska glaciers that’s advancing and not succumbing to climate change. It sounds uplifting, but many fear that the expanding glacier will block the entrance to the fjord.
Glacier Bay (Day 10)
Cruise the ice-studded fjords of this national treasure for a full eight hours as a Park Service Ranger narrates.
On your cruise to Glacier Bay, close your eyes and take in the sounds—the creaks and groans of “living” ice, the shrill cries of gulls and soaring eagles, the splash of a breaching humpback whale. Frosted peaks towering over mossy forests, wide tidewater glaciers (there are seven in the park), and marine wildlife are givens on Glacier Bay cruises, but every experience in this changing biosphere is unique.
Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve is best explored on an Alaska Cruise or an Alaska Land+ Sea Journey cruise tour. Our ships are perfectly sized for the optimal experience. Prepare for inclement weather, even in summer and dress for rain. Pack a hat, gloves, wool or fleece layers, a warm coat and waterproof gear to comfortably admire the landscape from the open deck of your ship. There are glaciers, fjords, inlets, rivers, streams and wildlife galore on Glacier Bay cruises, so bring those binoculars.
More About Glacier Bay Cruises
With the serene majesty of snow-flecked and forested mountains defining its shores, Glacier Bay National Park offers some of the most dramatic scenery in the world. Keep your binoculars and camera on hand as you cruise Glacier Bay to the mile-wide Margerie Glacier, where you may have a chance to witness ice calving. Wildlife abounds in Glacier Bay, so stay ready—you never know when you will see the fluke of a humpback rise out of the water or spot a lone brown bear wandering a wind-swept beach.
Glacier Bay with the Experts
On our Glacier Bay cruises and Alaska Land+Sea Journey cruise tours, local experts come aboard for an experience that is both filled with natural wonder and enriching. As a proud Authorized Concessioner for Glacier Bay National Park, we partner with rangers and local Huna Tlingit guides who provide expert insight into this diverse ecosystem and millennia-old culture. You will not only leave Glacier Bay with a shorter bucket list, you will have a deeper understanding and appreciation of this 3.3-million-acre UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Your Glacier Bay Cruise Begins
As you cruise up the picturesque coast of Alaska’s panhandle toward Glacier Bay, immerse in all things Alaska by participating in Explorations Central™ (EXC®) activities, Glacier Bay’s natural history EXC Talks that aim to give an insider’s perspective on the destination.
Attend the Glacier Bay Primer Talk before your cruise to Glacier Bay. Get important details about the National Park Service Rangers’ commentary and the presentation from the Huna Tlingit cultural guide, covering the area’s ecology, how advancing glacial ice forced the Huna Tlingit people from their home, and why it’s critical that wild lands remain wild.
Glacier Bay Cruise For the Kids
There’s plenty for little nature fans on cruises to Glacier Bay. Club HAL offers engaging age-appropriate activities for kids on your Glacier Bay cruise—and an exclusive Junior Ranger program for kids ages 3-16, available only in Glacier Bay.
The Taste and Tone of Alaska Onboard Your Glacier Bay Cruise
Dine on savory local salmon and other regionally produced foods, wines, and spirits from Alaska and the Pacific Northwest before catching evening entertainment. Enjoy jaw-dropping footage and rousing scores of BBC Earth's "Alaska In Concert", and the Alaska Stage Show; a captivating, animated stage experience bringing to life the cultural history of Glacier Bay and Tlingit traditions.
More information on Glacier Bay National Park.
Skagway, Alaska (Day 10)
Step back to the days of the last great gold rush-choose from exciting shore excursions and still have time to shop.
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 colorful history, pristine wildlife and unrivaled natural beauty.
Set sail on an Alaska Cruise and take an adventure in Skagway. At every turn, you’ll find yourself immersed in gold rush lore, from the infamous Red Onion Saloon that still keeps a pistol that Wyatt Earp left behind en route to the Klondike, to the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad, a classic narrow-gauge railway that traverses rugged mountains and passes cascading waterfalls and towering glaciers as it connects Skagway to Whitehorse deep in the Yukon. Known as the "Garden City of Alaska," Skagway is filled with beauty and nature. Explore the town on a Skagway excursion. Much of the town has been preserved as part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, where rangers offer free walking tours around the historic district. Take an Alaska Cruise to Skagway and you’ll also find a vibrant local community, home to a rich collection of local galleries, curio shops and restaurants serving seafood plucked fresh from nearby waters.
Juneau, Alaska (Day 12)
Enjoy a full day of exploring Alaska's capital-choose from exciting shore excursions and still have time to shop.
Cruise to Juneau, Alaska and visit the most remote, most beautiful and strangest state capital in the United States. Surrounded by water, forest and mountain sights, visitors seeking things to do in Juneau indoors and outdoors can hike a glacier, eat fresh-caught fish on a seaside patio and tour a grand capitol building all in one day.
Juneau is known for its outdoor recreation, fresh seafood and fine dining. The city itself is pleasant, 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 spy some bears lolling around on Alaska cruise excursion.
The sleepy, misty city of around 32,000—mostly fishermen and small-business owners—has a frontier town vibe, but welcomes more than a million visitors each summer to its natural attractions, cementing Juneau as Alaska’s number-one tourist destination. Experience this breathtaking city on an Alaska cruise.
Ketchikan (Day 13)
Explore this uniquely Alaskan port, famous for its rich native culture, salmon fishing, and scenic Misty Fjords.
Take an adventure and cruise to Ketchikan, Alaska. Alaska's "First City" of Ketchikan is so named because it’s the first major landfall for most cruisers as they enter the picturesque fjords of the Inside Passage, where the town clings to the banks of the Tongass Narrows, flanked by green forests nurtured by abundant rain.
Ketchikan has long been an important hub of the salmon-fishing and -packing industries. Visitors can try their luck on a sportfishing or simply savor the fresh seafood at one of the local restaurants on a cruise to Ketchikan excursion. Ketchikanis also one of the best spots along the Inside Passage to explore the rich cultural sights of Native Alaskan nations like the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian. You can see intricately carved totem poles at the Totem Heritage Center and Totem Bight State Park, while the attractions of Saxman Village just outside of Ketchikan offers the chance to see Tlingit culture in action, with working carvers and a dance show in the clan house. On an Alaska cruise to Ketchikan don't forget to leave time to explore the sights in the town itself, including historic Creek Street, a boardwalk built over the Ketchikan Creek, where you can shop for souvenirs, smoked salmon and local art, while exploring gold rush–era tourist attractions like Dolly’s House Museum.
Scenic Cruising, Inside Passage (Day 14)
Relax and enjoy a full day of scenic Inside Passage cruising and immerse yourself in Holland America Line elegance.Alaska's Inside Passage is a renowned cruising route through a protected network of waterways, featuring glacier-cut fjords, lush rainforests, and diverse wildlife. Stops along the route showcase Alaska's rich history, including Native Alaskan culture in Ketchikan and Skagway's Gold Rush era legacy. Here's how to experience the best of the Inside Passage.
Vancouver, BC, Canada (Day 15)
Your Alaska Cruisetour concludes this morning in Vancouver.
The perfect combination of urban meets nature, Vancouver is a hub for lovers of the great outdoors. Enjoy picturesque views of the mountains while exploring the city’s local hot spots like Stanley Park, Granville Island, Gastown and more. Don’t forget to sample the best of the local culinary and cocktail scene for something truly unique. Here’s how to enjoy a stop at Hollywood of the North.
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Departure Dates: 2025
May 11, 18, 25
June 1, 8, 15, 29
July 6, 13, 20, 27
August 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
September 7
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