Alaska Ultimate Denali
Land & Sea Journey
Jun 29, 2025

This morning, we will board the Riverboat Discovery for a cruise up the Chena River. Along our journey we will visit the home and kennels of the late four-time Iditarod winner Susan Butcher and see her champion sled dogs in action. We will explore an ancient Athabascan Indian village with an Alaskan Native Guide.

In the afternoon, try your hand at Gold Panning at the historic Gold Dredge 8. The tour begins beside the Trans-Alaska pipeline where you will learn about Alaska’s “black gold,” then board a replica of the Tanana Valley open air Railroad to the dredge for a memorable experience.

Today, we will make our way to Denali where you will have leisure time to explore this beautiful area. 

Denali area hotel – 2 nights

Get an up-close view of the mountain and the best wildlife viewing as we travel deep into Denali National Park. It is rare not to see some combination of Alaska’s Big Five: grizzly bears, caribou, moose, Dall sheep and wolves, along with other animals on this expertly guided six-to eight-hour tour.

The afternoon is at leisure to explore the resort or take one of the amazing excursions offered by Holland America.

This morning, transfer from your hotel to the Rail Depot. Ride the McKinley Explorer domed railway offering superb 360-degree views to Talkeetna and then to Anchorage. 

Enjoy stories from your train guide and a superb meal as your train travels through some amazing scenery. 

Anchorage area hotel – 1 night

You’re in for a treat today, as we travel from Anchorage to Homer, a charming and unique destination surrounded by glaciers and beaches. 

Today, you will have free time to explore Homer – a small city in the Kenai Peninsula. The rich fishing grounds here attracted Native Alaskans centuries before Captain James Cook claimed the Kenai Peninsula for Britain in 1778. Today, the area’s known as the Halibut Fishing Capital of the World, and it captivates audiences around the globe as the home of the Discovery Channel’s Kilcher family, made famous by Alaska: The Last Frontier.

Discover Homer’s top attractions including the Pratt Museum, Willow Drive Peony Farm, the largest exporter of peonies, or Bear Creek Winery and taste wine using berries from the local region. 

Aspen Suites Hotel – 1 night

This morning, we will travel from Homer to Whittier via motorcoach. In the evening, we will board the beautiful Nieuw Amsterdam for our cruise portion of the journey. 

The Hubbard Glacier is the largest tidewater glacier in North America — is 76 miles long, 7 miles wide and towers at 600 feet tall at its highest point, with icebergs that are 3 or 4 stories high. The views are mesmerizing as we make our way through the icy waters.

Cruise the ice-studded fjords of this national treasure for a full eight hours as a Park Service Ranger narrates. Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve offers some of the most dramatic scenery and wildlife experiences in the world and is home to the mile-wide Margerie Glacier, the highlight of your scenic cruise up this Alaskan fjord.

The tiny town of Skagway still looks like it did during the Klondike Gold Rush over 100 years ago. Enjoy visiting the many shops and galleries in town, ride in a vintage rail car along the White Pass and Yukon Route narrow-gauge railway or sled with Alaskan Huskies, there are so many adventures available!                     

With its snowcapped mountains, misty rainforests, massive glaciers and bounty of wildlife, Alaska’s remote state capital is the perfect place to dive into nature. The city’s picturesque downtown area offers centuries-old bars, boutique shops and historic landmarks. Pan for gold, become an expert musher or take the cable car for spectacular views. There are many excursions offered for this unique port.                  

Explore this uniquely Alaskan port, famous for its rich native culture, salmon fishing, and scenic Misty Fjords. 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. 

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. Relax and enjoy a full day of scenic Inside Passage cruising.

Today, you will disembark the ship and leave with amazing memories from this incredible journey. You may also choose to extend your stay in the fascinating city of Vancouver.