12-night Denali Explorer With Seattle Cruisetour #XB5

Fly into Seattle (on own) and overnight at the Crowne Plaza Sea-Tac Airport.

Fly to Fairbanks, Alaska’s “Golden Heart City”, and check in to your hotel.

A full day in Fairbanks gives you time to get a feel for the unique culture and history of the region. You will take a cruise on an authentic Sternwheeler Riverboat down the Chena River then enjoy a Gold Dredge 8 tour with the chance to pan for your own gold. A hearty miner's lunch is included. The evening is at leisure.

This morning, say goodbye to Fairbanks for the spectacular trip to Denali National Park via motorcoach. You will be welcomed at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge for a 2-night retreat. Check in with the Guest Service Desk for help in planning your own Denali adventure like a husky homestead tour, river rafting, glacier flightseeing or an off-road ATV 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, or sit outside at a fireside patio.

Start your morning with a quick stop at Fannie Q's saloon for a hearty buffet breakfast. Explore Denali National Park on a Natural History Tour, watching for glimpses of Denali as well as Denali's "Big Five,” bears, moose, caribou, wolves, and Dall sheep. Later today, you may want to simply relax with a glass of wine on the deck overlooking the Nenana River. Visit the Grizzly Burger or grab a slice at Lynx Creek Pizza.

Enjoy a scenic rail journey through some of the best wilderness in the Great Land on our exclusive Direct-to-the-Wilderness rail service. Once in Whittier, you will step from the train onto your ship for the beginning of your unforgettable cruise.

Seventy-five miles long and covering over 1,350 square miles in area, the Hubbard Glacier is the largest tidewater glacier in North America. It is also one of the most impressive, a 300-foot wall of ice rising sheer and jagged from the ocean. You may hear the rumble and see the monumental splash as the glacier breaks off in great ice chunks, known as "calves."