Discover Majestic Alaska With Vicki's Tours

 Majestic Alaska Cruise Tour Daily Itinerary
July 10: Motorcoach from Texarkana to DFW Fly to Fairbanks, Alaska Alaska Air 415 DFW – Seattle 2:15 PM 4:29 PM Alaska Air 97 Seattle – Fairbanks 5:45 PM 8:40 PM  Alaska’s “Golden Heart City” of Fairbanks is a great introduction to the heart of this unique state. Check in to your  hotel and get ready for the beginning of your adventure. 

July 11: Fairbanks and Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge A cruise along the Chena River on a Sternwheeler Riverboat is about as authentic as it gets. Later, you’ll head for Denali National Park via a scenic motorcoach trip to the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge. Check in with Guest Service Desk for help in planning your own Denali adventure. Or you may enjoy the spectacular main lodge, river view deck, and Princess Village with the popular Christmas cottage and sugar shack. Be sure to check out Fannie Q’s Saloon, named after a famed local homesteader. Breakfast and Dinner

July 12 Denali and Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge This morning, take a Natural History Tour into Denali National Park watching for glimpses of Denali and Denali’s ‘Big Five”; moose, bears, caribou, Dall sheep and wolves. In the afternoon, depart via motorcoach to the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge. Sit and gaze at “The Great One” from the lodge’s treehouse, hear stories about climbing Denali in the Hudson Theater or roast marshmallows at the fireside patio. Breakfast and Dinner

July 13 Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge to Whittier After a morning enjoying the lodge, transfer to the historic town of Talkeetna to board Princess’ exclusive Direct-tothe-Wilderness Rail service for the journey to Whittier. Once in Whittier, you’ll step from the train onto your ship, the beautiful Sapphire Princess for the beginning of your unforgettable cruise. Breakfast and Dinner

July 14 Hubbard Glacier Scenic Cruising The largest tidewater glacier in North America, Hubbard Glacier measures 70 miles long and plunges 1200 feet into the depths of the bay. Its immense beauty and phenomenal blue hues are enchanting even from afar. But it’s when your cruise ship draws closer that its towering surface really impresses, dwarfing even the uppermost deck on your ship at a whopping 40 stories high. There, with the snowcapped mountains serving as a glorious backdrop, you’ll have a prime viewing spot from which to witness the glacier calving as it often expels icebergs the size of 10-story buildings – imagine the splash! The area around Hubbard Glacier is also renowned for its wildlife, where whales, harbor seals and otters swim, brown bears, moose and black-tailed deer roam ashore, and a wide variety of seabirds soar gracefully across the sky.

July 15 Glacier Bay Scenic Cruising Spend the day cruising a legendary UNESCO World Heritage Site – Glacier Bay National Park, a wonderland where blue ice stands high against the clear waters. Watch and listen for calving glaciers and their signature “white thunder.” Nearby to this Alaska national park, find forests where bald eagles and brown bears roam. With so much to see and explore, helpful park rangers will be on board to inform, direct and act as an extra pair of eyes for you.
 
July 16 Skagway This “Gateway to the Klondike” saw countless fortune-seekers pass through during the heyday of Alaska’s Gold Rush. Today, you can still feel like a prospector among the rustic boardwalks with frontier storefronts. One of the most popular excursions is the “Scenic Railway of the World” which is a vintage train tour from Tidewater to White Pass Summit with spectacular scenery. Experience a railroad, still operational after 126 years, built against all odds through some of the North’s most rugged terrain. Ride in a comfortable vintage railcar through two tunnels, over sky-high trestles and remote valleys. See the original Klondike Traill of ‘98 worn into the rocks, a permanent tribute to the thousands of souls who passed this way in search of fortune.     

July 17 Juneau Called America’s most scenic state capital, Juneau is surrounded by intercoastal waterways, lush rain forests, rugged mountainsides and awe-inspiring, accessible glaciers. The Mendenhall Glacier, an arm of the 1500-square mile Juneau Icefield, is one of the few glaciers in Alaska you can reach by car. This area is abundant with humpback whales. Here you may wish to take an excursion to pan for gold, enjoy a salmon bake at Gold Creek or experience a whale watch.

July 18 Ketchikan Known as “Alaska’s First City”, Ketchikan was founded as a fishing camp and is built on steep hillsides. Explore downtown attractions including historic Creek Street. Get an introduction to the indigenous people of the area visiting the Totem Heritage Center, Totem Bight State Park or Saxman Native Village. Not to be missed is an excursion to the Misty Fjords National Monument which is only accessible by boat or float plane. This 2.3 million acre wilderness area features saltwater fjords with 3000 foot cliffs carved out by glaciers over thousands of years. Porpoise, mountain goats and black bear sightings are common. 

July 19 Day at Sea Enjoy the many activities aboard the Sapphire Princess and the spectacular scenery.

July 20 Arrive Vancouver, B.C. Disembark Ship Transfer from Canada Place to Vancouver Airport. Fly Vancouver to DFW Motorcoach to Texarkana American 1415 Vancouver – DFW 1:42 PM 7:55 PM     

**Itinerary and flights are subject to change. A passport book is required and must be valid for at least 6 months after the return date of the trip.