An Alaska Cruise Tour is a vacation package that combines an Alaska cruise vacation with an Alaska land tour. The land portion of your Alaska vacation can be taken before or after your cruise with travel by deluxe motor coach or train and accommodations at top Alaska hotels and lodges.
People go to Alaska for six reasons: Wilderness, Wildlife, Glaciers, Mountains, History and Culture. A seven night Alaska Inside Passage Cruise will certainly give you a taste of Alaska and a chance to see glaciers and marine wildlife. An Alaska land tour into the interior region gives you an opportunity to experience the wilderness, mountains and land wildlife aspects of Alaska. Both are great vacations, but neither gives you the whole Alaska vacation package.
Alaska Cruise Tours offer the best of both worlds, combining a 3-day or 7-day relaxing and luxurious cruise vacation along the Alaska coast with a 3- to 12-day adventurous land tour giving you the opportunity to explore the interior of Alaska including Denali National Park and Mt. Denali.
Like Alaska Glacier Cruises, Alaska Cruise Tours can operate as Northbound or Southbound Vacations. Most Northbound Cruise Tours start with a 7-Night Northbound Alaska Glacier Cruise departing from Vancouver and ending in Seward. Once you disembark in Seward, the land portion of your Alaska vacation begins.
Southbound Alaska Cruise Tours, on the other hand, begin with the land portion of your tour first. You'll fly into Anchorage or Fairbanks, Alaska and see the sights in Alaska's interior, then transfer by motor coach to Seward where your Southbound Glacier Cruise to Vancouver will begin.
Both Cruise Tour options have their advantages. Southbound Alaska Cruise Tours are popular because many cruise passengers like starting their vacation with the most physical activities first and then ending their trip with a relaxing seven night cruise. The Northbound vacations are also popular because they cost less than the Southbound Cruises, often saving a passenger hundreds of dollars.
Alaska Cruise Tour itineraries vary by cruise line, and you can literally choose from hundreds of different tours based on your interests and budget. When planning your vacation, you must ask yourself what you want to do and see and find the tour that best suits those needs. The choices can be overwhelming and you should not hesitate calling to get some help from an AlaskaCruises.com Cruise Specialist to take you through the specific details of a particular tour.
Here is an example of a popular Alaska Cruise Tour. Itineraries vary by cruise line and ship:
CRUISE ITINERARY | |||||
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Day |
Port |
Arrive |
Depart |
Activity |
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Day 1 Sat |
Vancouver, British Columbia |
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5:45 PM |
Boarding |
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Day 2 Sun |
Inside Passage |
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Scenic Cruising |
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Day 3 Mon |
Juneau |
12:00 PM |
10:00 PM |
Docked |
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Day 4 Tue |
Skagway |
7:00 AM |
8:30 PM |
Docked |
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Day 5 Wed |
Sitka |
9:00 AM |
7:00 PM |
Tendered |
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Day 6 Thu |
Icy Strait Point |
7:00 AM |
5:00 PM |
Tendered |
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Day 7 Fri |
Hubbard Glacier |
7:00 AM |
11:00 AM |
Scenic Cruising |
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Day 8 Sat |
Seward |
7:00 AM |
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Land Tour Begins |
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TOUR ITINERARY |
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Day/Port |
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Description |
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Day 8 Sat Seward |
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Upon arrival in Seward, your Tour Director will greet you at the pier. You'll board your deluxe motorcoach for a short drive through Seward before embarking on the Resurrection Bay Wildlife Cruise. Then enjoy a stop at the Alaska Sealife Center where you will view naturalistic exhibits dedicated to understanding and preserving the environment of sea wildlife. Overnight in Seward. |
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Day 9 Sun Anchorage |
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In the morning, board your deluxe motorcoach bound for Anchorage. Spend the afternoon on an Anchorage City Tour, including a visit to the Alaska Native Heritage Center. The evening is yours to enjoy optional activities in this cosmopolitan city. Overnight at a downtown Anchorage hotel. |
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Day 10 Mon Anchorage/Talkeetna/Denali |
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In the morning, travel on the Wilderness Express(r), our glass-domed traincars, to Talkeetna, where you will have time to have lunch independently. Then board your deluxe motorcoach for the scenic ride to Denali. The evening is yours to enjoy optional activities, such as Cabin Nite Dinner Theatre or white-water rafting. Overnight in Denali. |
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Day 11 Tue Denali |
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In the morning on the Tundra Wilderness Tour, explore the six-million-acre Denali National Park. You'll discover the beauty of taiga forests and gaze at miles of rolling tundra while searching for wildlife. You'll have the rest of the day and evening free to explore on your own. A second night is spent in Denali. |
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Day 12 Wed Talkeetna |
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Travel by deluxe motorcoach in the morning to Talkeetna. The day is all yours to take advantage of what Talkeetna has to offer, such as glacier flightseeing or a jet-boat safari. At night, you can relax in the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge. |
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Day 13 Thu Talkeetna/Anchorage |
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Your morning and afternoon are free to enjoy the nearby nature trails or explore an optional activity before you depart on the Wilderness Express, our glass-domed traincars, for a scenic trip to Anchorage. Overnight in Anchorage. |
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Day 14 Fri Anchorage |
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Your Tour Director will see that you are transferred to the Anchorage airport for your flight home. |
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Alaska Cruise Tours can be as active or as relaxed as you choose to make them. The cruise lines offer wonderful experiences for all ages making Alaska a perfect family, cruise destination. Naturalists and tour guides provide education and a local flavor that all will enjoy. Additionally, each tour gives you plenty of opportunities to take advantage of high adventure activities like: hiking, kayaking, horseback riding, mountain biking, white-water rafting, fishing and more.
What's Included with an Alaska Cruise Tour?Again, there are two components to an Alaska Cruise Tour - the land portion and the cruise portion. What's included varies upon the actual Cruise Tour and the part of the trip you are on. But in general, the following is included on your vacation:
On the Alaska Land Portion:
The Cruise portion of your trip will include:
Your Alaska Cruise Tour WILL NOT include:
Pre- or Post-Cruise Options in Seattle or VancouverIf you are sailing to or from Vancouver, consider spending a few extra days either before or after the cruise to enjoy some of the local sights. Most cruise lines offer affordable pre- and post-cruise hotel programs that give you the opportunity to experience some of the local attractions like the Space Need and the Pike's Market in Seattle or the Butchart Gardens in Vancouver/Victoria. Ask your Alaska Cruise Specialist about this when planning your cruise.
Cruise Tours begin in late May and continue though the end of August or very early September. Whether you cruise when the Inside Passage is blanketed with spring wildflowers or ablaze with fall foliage you'll be awed at Alaska's natural wonders. Spring whale migrations, fall bald eagle gatherings, winter trumpeter swans - exceptional wildlife viewing opportunities and substantial savings can be found during spring and fall.
Alaska Cruise Tours are very complicated travel packages that cannot yet be booked online. If you would like to purchase an Alaska Cruise Tour or have additional questions, please call AlaskaCruises.com directly and one of our Alaska experts will be happy to help you plan your trip.
Free Alaska Planning Guide