Grand Alaska

Tour starts: 6:30 PM, Hotel Captain Cook. A transfer is included from Anchorage International Airport to the Hotel Captain Cook, overlooking Cook Inlet, downtown Anchorage, and the Chugach Mountains. Join us for a welcome reception and dinner tonight.

Learn about the lifestyles, traditions, and crafts of Alaska's indigenous tribes on a visit to the Anchorage Museum; hundreds of artifacts and two multimedia installations share the enduring cultures and histories of peoples from across the circumpolar North. Then take a scenic flight to Talkeetna, near the base of Denali (North America's highest peak, formerly known as Mount McKinley), followed by a drive to your wilderness lodge in Trapper Creek for a two-night stay.

Begin the day with a visit to the private homestead of Joanne Porterfield, nestled in the Alaska wilderness; her family's gardens and farm have flourished here in the shadow of Mount Denali for more than four decades. Set off on a wilderness jet boat adventure* this afternoon. Return to your lodge in the late afternoon to enjoy dinner and an evening at leisure.

Drive today to Denali National Park, one of the world’s last unspoiled frontiers; arrive at your lodge near the entrance to the park, Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge, in time for lunch. This afternoon, visit Husky Homestead, home of 4-time Iditarod champion musher Jeff King... and of course his indomitable Alaskan Husky sled dogs who live and train there. Enjoy dinner at your choice of restaurants at your lodge tonight.

Rise early for a “Tundra Wilderness Tour” that takes you deep into the wilds of Denali National Park, a six-million-acre UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, through forest and alpine tundra and over high mountain passes. Along the way you may see moose, caribou, Dall sheep, wolves and grizzly bears and, depending on weather and visibility, awe-inspiring Denali itself – North America’s highest peak at 20,310 feet. Spend the rest of the afternoon and evening at leisure, and enjoy dinner as you please tonight.

Traverse the Alaskan wilderness today from Denali along the Alaska Range to your lodge situated on the Copper River in the small town of Copper Center, a gateway to the massive Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, known as "North America's Mountain Kingdom." Dinner this evening features a regional favorite, Alaskan salmon.

Discover Wrangell-St. Elias National Park – home to more glaciers and mountains above 16,000 feet than any spot in North America, and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated on both sides of the border of the USA and Canada – on a private tour of the park's visitor center with a park ranger. Today you’ll also get a glimpse of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which transports crude oil from wells at Prudhoe Bay in the north to the port of Valdez. Return to your wilderness lodge to spend the remainder of the day exactly as you please.

As you pass through the Chugach Mountains en route to Valdez, make a stop at Worthington Glacier; then set off from Valdez by boat across Prince William Sound – ringed by mountains and abundant with wildlife, where you may spot whales, seals and eagles – to Whittier. Board your Princess ship in Whittier to launch the 7-night cruise portion of one of Tauck's best-selling Alaska tours.

On a day spent at sea, enjoy a private tour of the ship’s galley in the morning, and cruise to Hubbard Glacier to view Alaska’s longest tidewater glacier up close; its blue color is created by the denseness of the ice, which absorbs all colors of the spectrum except blue. As you cruise, you may want to take in an onboard show, try your luck in the casino, or read in the library.

Prepare to be awestruck by Glacier Bay National Park, a highlight of Tauck's Alaska tours, as you cruise along shorelines and among islands that were completely covered by ice some 200 years ago. View blue-tinged ice cliffs towering over the sea, and hear the roar when they calve and crash into the water. Feast your eyes on rugged mountains, spruce and hemlock forests, and deep fjords... and keep them peeled for humpback whales, orcas, seals, and seabirds. Tonight, attend Tauck's exclusive cocktail party featuring hors d'oeuvres and an open bar followed by dinner as your ship sails to Skagway.

Explore historic Skagway, gateway to the Klondike gold fields, in antique vehicles before boarding a ferry cruise on the Lynn Canal – North America's longest and deepest fjord – to Haines. Go rafting* through the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, home to large concentrations of bald eagles at certain times of the year. Ride back in time on the exciting White Pass & Yukon Route narrow-gauge railway, built in 1898 during the gold rush. This vintage rail excursion heads up steep grades, around cliff-hanging turns, and over high bridges. Reboard the ship in Skagway.

Your ship arrives in Juneau, Alaska's capital city; set on a narrow strip of land between the Coast Mountains and the Gastineau Channel, it's famous for its historic gold mines and mountain and water views. Disembark for sightseeing that includes a stop at the mighty Mendenhall Glacier, just 13 miles from downtown Juneau. While it may appear to be perfectly still, it is on the move, flowing downhill to shape the landscapes encountered along the way. Then spend much of the morning aboard an included private whale-watching cruise off Juneau. Reboard your Princess ship this afternoon, and sail on to Ketchikan.

Today you'll dock in Ketchikan, the ancestral home of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian tribes, for an inside look at the role that Tlingit heritage plays in the local culture. See some of the city’s numerous totem poles, and watch local totem carvers at work at Saxman Native Village; catch a performance of traditional Tlingit and Haida dances. You'll have time to explore the town on your own, including Creek Street, a historic boardwalk over Ketchikan Creek, and the waterfront promenade, before reboarding the ship to continue your cruise.

Enjoy spectacular views of the fabled Inside Passage from your stateroom, or a variety of decks and lounges, on a full day of cruising past the densely forested islands and coastal communities of this renowned waterway. You can also swim in one of the ship's pools, hear a nature presentation, play a board game in the library, work out in the fitness center, get a relaxing spa treatment, or check out the golf simulator. Cap your extraordinary Alaska cruise by joining us tonight for a farewell cocktail party followed by dinner aboard your Princess ship.

Tours ends: Vancouver. Disembark your Princess ship in Vancouver, British Columbia. Flights should depart after 11:00 AM; a transfer is included from the dock to Vancouver International Airport; you should allow a minimum of two hours for flight check-in.