Grand Alaska aboard Seven Seas Mariner
Escorted Coach/Cruise Tour
This Alaska cruise lets you experience the best of this wilderness wonderland by ship, floatplane, vintage railway, raft, tramway and paddlewheel boat. Half of your 15-day journey is spent cruising the Alaska coastline highlighted by the Tracy Arm Fjord, Hubbard Glacier, and the Inside Passage. Your ship is the all-suite, all-balcony, 700-guest Regent Seven Seas Mariner (for more information about the ship click here). You'll tour Fairbanks, Juneau, Sitka, Skagway, and Ketchikan, go wildlife watching in Denali National Park, pan for gold in the Yukon, and raft through a bald eagle preserve. Tauck's Grand Alaska journey is fully escorted from Anchorage to Vancouver.
1. Arrive Anchorage
Tour begins: Hotel Captain Cook at 6:30 PM. Fly into Anchorage, Alaska's largest city. A transfer is included from the airport to the Hotel Captain Cook which enjoys a magnificent location right in the heart of downtown Anchorage. Enjoy views of Cook Inlet, the Chugach Mountains, or the Anchorage cityscape. We invite you to join us this evening for a welcome dinner atop your landmark hotel. Meals D
2. Native Traditions, modern pipeline.
Learn about the lifestyles, traditions and crafts of Alaska's indigenous tribes at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Fly to Fairbanks established during the gold rush. See the Alaskan pipeline connecting Arctic oil fields with the port of Valdez. The Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge is located along the banks of the lovely Chena River, amidst an inspirational wilderness setting. Meals BD
3. Gold Mining / Arctic Options
Your choice of activities today includes a full-day visit to the Arctic community of Barrow on the shores of the Arctic Ocean (additional charges apply; see details below), or visit a local gold mine and discover the techniques used in the mining process, then try your hand at panning for gold. Meals BLD
4. Chena River / Denali
Explore the city of Fairbanks this morning on an brief sightseeing tour followed by a paddlewheel boat rip on the Chena River. Drive through the wilds of Alaska's interior to magnificent Denali National Park for a two-night stay at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge. Close to the entrance of Denali, the hotel overlooks the lovely Nenana River. Meals BLD
5. Denali National Park
The highest, most spectacular mountain in North America, Mt. McKinley soars 20,320 ft. in Denali National Park; your first glimpse of this majestic sight will last a lifetime! Rise early for a full day excursion into the park's interior on specially geared vehicles designed to handle the rugged wilderness terrain. Look for moose, Dall sheep and even a grizzly bear in the morning hours. Join us tonight for a special Alaska dinner experience. Meals BD
6. Private Glacier Flights
Travel through woodlands of spruce, birch and aspen to Wasilla in the Matanuska River Valley; your route parallels the Alaska Railroad between Fairbanks and Anchorage. Enjoy the stunning countryside, stopping often for photographs of the scenic views and wildlife you will encounter. Climb aboard your floatplane for a 3-hour adventure over some of the world's most spectacular scenery. Fly through the Chugach Mountains and over Colony Glacier; descend into stunning Harriman Fjord, encircled by tidewater glaciers in an arm of Prince William Sound. See the massive glaciers of College Fjord, climb over Portage Pass and follow Turnagain Arm toward Anchorage. This flight may be rerouted to take advantage of the best weather. Arrive early evening at the lovely Alyeska Resort in Girdwood for a two-night stay. Meals BLD
7. Alyeska Resort - Day At Leisure
Enjoy a day of leisure at Alyeska Prince Resort, Alaska's finest resort hotel. Amidst the glacier-hewn setting of the Chugach Mountains, enjoy the resort's numerous recreational activities and amenities that include golf, guided wildlife walks and fishing (some at additional charge). There are also optional wilderness adventures available at an additional charge; these include kayaking, fly-in fishing and bear-watching excursions. Meals BD
8. Rail Journey / Kenai Peninsula
Board a private dome car on the great Alaska Railroad and journey south to Seward on the Kenai Peninsula. Full-sized, curved windows offer clear views of the passing scenery; you may see Dall sheep, moose, bear, eagles, beavers and porcupines. Disembark in Seward for a boat cruise through Resurrection Bay; watch out for orca whales, sea lions, harbor seals and countless sea birds during your cruise! Board Regent Seven Seas Mariner to launch the cruise portion of your Alaska travel adventure. Meals BLD
9. Cruise Hubbard Glacier
Cruise past Hubbard Glacier, North America's largest tidewater glacier. See slabs of blue ice calving and roaring into the sea. Look for seals on the icebergs. By night, try your luck in the casino, or see what's on in the theatre. Meals BLD
10. Discover Sitka
Tour Sitka, once a Russian fur-trading post, and see the Russian Orthodox St.Michael's Cathedral. Look an eagle in the eye at the Alaska Raptor Rehabilitation Center. Learn about the symbolism behind totem poles at Sitka National Historic Park. If you enjoy fishing, you may want to take an optional fishing excursion (available at an additional cost; ask at the time of booking. Meals BLD
11. Fjord Cruise, Juneau tramway
Cruise the 30-mile long Tracy Arm fjord with sheer rock palisades, waterfalls, icebergs, and tidewater glaciers backed by snow-capped peaks; at the head of the fjords sits Sawyer Glacier, a centuries-old blue ice mass that calves chunks the size of buildings. Then tour Juneau, the state capital. Enjoy a private Tlingit presentation prior to taking a tramway to the top of Mount Roberts for views of Admiralty Island, Glacier Bay and the Chilkat Mountains. Meals BLD
12. Bald Eagles and vintage rail trip
Explore historic Skagway, gateway to the Klondike gold fields. Then take a ferry cruise on the Lynn Canal to Haines. Go rafting through the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, hosting the world's largest concentration of bald eagles. Ride 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. Meals BLD
13. Totem Poles and native culture
Dock in Ketchikan, the ancestral home of the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian tribes. See some of the city's numerous totem poles, and watch local totem carvers at work. Catch a performance of traditional Tlingit and Haida dances. Meals BLD
14. Inside Passage Cruising
Spend the day enjoying the many amenities of your ship as you cruise through the Inside Passage. Take an aerobics class, work out in the window-walled gym, swim, bask in the sun, or relax in a whirlpool. Indulge in resplendent views of the Alaskan coast from the privacy of your room or from any of the comfortably appointed public lounges. Meals BLD
15. Vancouver / Fly Home
Disembark your Princess ship and proceed through Canadian Customs and Immigration. Tour ends: Vancouver Airport at 10:00 AM. Allow a minimum of two hours for flight check-in. Flights direct to the United States clear U.S. customs in Vancouver. Meals B
B = Breakfast. L = Lunch. D = Dinner.
Barrow Arctic Option £245 per person
Jet to the "top of the world," Barrow, Alaska's largest Eskimo town and North America's northernmost point, 330 miles north of the Arctic Circle. In Barrow, nature doesn't allow for pavement and the sun doesn't set from May to August. Surrounded by tundra, this Arctic whaling capital retains many age-old traditions: expressive dance, handcrafted ivory, fur clothing, and baleen. See evidence of subsistence fishing and whaling, fish and skins hung out to dry. You may choose this full day excursion option (8:00 AM to 9:00 PM) instead of spending the day in Fairbanks; arrangements for this option should be made at the time of booking.
Departure Dates 2008
15 Days / 14 Nights
Begins Anchorage
May 28
Jun 11, 25
Jul 09, 23
Aug 06, 20
Additional dates may become available as these sell out.
Prices 2008
Price Per Person
Deluxe Suite (G) Deck 7
Cat G deluxe suite
Twin £3819
Single £4645
Triple £3489
Deluxe Suite (F) Deck 8
Twin £3945
Single £4795
Triple £3599
Deluxe Suite (E) Deck 9
Twin £4015
Single £4895
Triple £NA
Penthouse Suite (C) Decks 8 & 9
Twin £4699
Single £6845
Triple £NA
Penthouse Suite (B*) Deck 10
Twin £4849
Single £7115
Triple £NA
Horizon Suite (HS*) Deck 9
Twin £4979
Single £7349
Triple £4335
* Includes butler service.
38 meals included. For more information about Regent Seven Seas Mariner click here
Airfares - Airfare to Anchorage and from Vancouver is additional. Just America will be pleased to quote fares.
Night 1 Hotel Captain Cook, Anchorage, AK
Nights 2 & 3 Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge, Fairbanks, AK
Nights 4 & 5 Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge, Denali, AK
Nights 6 & 7 Hotel Alyeska, Girdwood, AK
Night 8 - 14 Aboard the Regent Seven Seas Mariner
