ALASKA GUIDE
Mendenhall Glacier Helicopter and Guided Walk tour
Cruise and TOUR
Alaska is prime territory for a trip that takes in the best of the region, on water and land
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cruise might be the easiest way to see Alaska, but when travelling all that way, it makes sense to add a few
nights on land to the start or end of the trip. Cue a phenomenal selection of multi-centre holidays that seamlessly take passengers from ship to shore for more adventures in the interior of the 49th state and beyond. Holland America Line alone has about 70
nine to 18-night cruise-and-stay holidays that pair a voyage from Vancouver or Seattle with land tours. First-time visitors should start with Denali National Park, home to North America’s highest peak, where popular activities include rides in all-terrain vehicles, white-water rafting and helicopter trips. Or follow in the footsteps of the gold prospectors by pairing the park with stays in Whitehorse and Dawson City in Canada’s remote Yukon region. Clients can also add overnights in Fairbanks and Anchorage, where museums and cultural centres offer an insight into the cities. The land portion of the trip can be taken first or tagged on to the end of the cruise. Either way, clients will stay in Holland America’s own lodge in Denali, ride the company’s coaches and sightsee from its glass-domed McKinley Explorer train, as
There is a phenomenal selection of multi-centre holidays that seamlessly
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part of its all-encompassing cruise-tour programme. Prices start at £2,669 for a 12-day Signature Denali cruise-tour, which pairs stays in Fairbanks, Denali and Anchorage with a one-week cruise from Whittier to Vancouver, departing May 13. Princess Cruises also owns a slice of the land-based action, with five wilderness lodges – in Denali, Fairbanks, McKinley, Kenai and Copper River – as well as a glass-domed train and coaches. Its large selection of land tours ranges from three to 10 days, which passengers can add to the start or end of their cruise. For the ultimate adventure, a 17-day Connoisseur Escorted Tour pairs a one-week cruise with a 10-day land tour that stays at four of the line’s wilderness lodges. Prices start at £5,588, departing May 17.
Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, NCL and
Regent are among the other lines offering cruise-and-stay holidays in Alaska. Viking has a six-night Natural Alaska post-cruise extension that visits the Kenai Peninsula, Denali National Park and Anchorage, and includes a visit to a musher’s kennels where passengers will learn about the challenging Iditarod dogsled race. For something different, agents can package
the Rocky Mountaineer train with a cruise from Vancouver – ideal for those celebrating a special occasion to keep the ‘wow’ moments coming all the way through the trip. New for 2025, Regent has paired three Alaska cruises (departing on June 25, July 9 and August 6) with a six-night pre-cruise add-on from Calgary to Vancouver that includes two days on Rocky Mountaineer in GoldLeaf class. Prices for a 13-night holiday departing June 19 lead in at £5,239, including hotel accommodation with breakfast and various sightseeing tours on land, as well as dining, drinks, tips, Wi-Fi and selected excursions on the cruise. Clients can also add pre or post-cruise nights
in Seattle or Vancouver. The former’s attractions include the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, visits to the Boeing factory and a tour of the original underground streets on which the modern city was built. In Vancouver, go cycling along the waterfront and see totem poles in Stanley Park, take a boat ride over to Granville Island’s quirky public market, or take a short journey out of the city to Capilano Suspension Bridge. If clients are keen for more time on the
Hiking in Denali National Park 56 23 JANUARY 2025
water, they can pair their Alaska cruise with an eight-night voyage on the Columbia and Snake rivers with American Cruise Lines. Running from Portland (Oregon) to Clarkston (Washington), the cruises follow the route of explorers Lewis and Clark, who led a landmark expedition across the US in 1803 to establish a route to the Pacific Ocean, now featuring everything from waterfalls to wineries along the way.
travelweekly.co.uk
PICTURES: Princess Cruises/Guy Williment; Holland America Line
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