Alaska & the Inside Passage

13 days Anchorage to Vancouver
Anchorage, Talkeetna, Denali National Park, Girdwood, seven-night Alaskan Cruise

Start this tour of the Alaskan wilderness in Anchorage before boarding the Alaska Railroad in Talkeetna. Travel past spectacular scenery to Denali National Park, home to North America's highest mountain, the 6,194-metre Mount McKinley. Take a tundra wilderness tour in the six-million-acre park and then journey back south by coach to Gridwood, the gateway to the Kenai Peninsula.

Head to coastal Seward to step onboard your cruise ship for a voyage along the Alaskan coastline, watching the glaciers calve into the sea at Glacier Bay and stopping at the former Russian town of Sitka, Alaska's remote capital, Juneau, and Ketchikan. Watch out for whales, eagles, sea lions and bears on the way down the Inside Passage into Canadian waters to end the trip in Vancouver.

SPECIAL FEATURES and INSIDE VISITS are mentioned in UPPERCASE throughout the tour description, with admission charges included where applicable.

Guides: A professional tour director will join you during the land part of this tour.

Tour Itinerary

DAY 1 - ARRIVE IN ANCHORAGE

Arrive in Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, and join your tour director and fellow travellers at an evening WELCOME RECEPTION. (WR)

DAY 2 - ANCHORAGE - TALKEETNA

After breakfast at your hotel step onto your deluxe motorcoach to take an ORIENTATION TOUR of Anchorage, then move onwards through the scenic Hatcher Pass and visit INDEPENDENCE MINE to learn about the region's gold rush heritage. Thousands of prospectors once journeyed to this northern frontier to try to make their fortunes. Next up is a visit to the award-winning HAPPY TRAILS KENNELS, run by champion dog musher Martin Buser, four-time winner of the famous Iditarod dog sled races. Overnight at the luxurious Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, boasting fantastic views of Denali, or Mount McKinley. (B,D)

DAY 3 - TALKEETNA - DENALI NATIONAL PARK

Board the ALASKA RAILROAD to enter Denali National Park, with first-class onboard service and panoramic views from its domed carriages. Watch out for wildlife and views of Mount McKinley, North America's highest peak at 6,194 metres. Spend two nights in the park at the Grande Denali Lodge. Choose your dinner tonight, either taking a leisurely meal at the hotel or spending the evening out at the Denali Dinner Theater. (B,D)

DAY 4 - DENALI NATIONAL PARK - TUNDRA WILDERNESS TOUR; CHOOSE YOUR EXPERIENCE

Take a TUNDRA WILDERNESS TOUR into the six-million-acre Denali National Park. Look out for grizzly bears, caribou, moose and Dall sheep and enjoy a picnic lunch in the wilderness. Select how to spend the afternoon as a GLOBUS PLATINUM EXCLUSIVE - take a flora and fauna EXCURSION, a JET BOAT safari, a scenic FLOAT TRIP or maybe head for a round of GOLF. (B,BL)

DAY 5 - DENALI NATIONAL PARK - GIRDWOOD

Journey south by luxury motorcoach back to Anchorage to visit the VETERAN's MEMORIAL and the Saturday Market before heading onwards to Girdwood, a ski resort and gateway to the Kenai Peninsula. You will stay at The Hotel Alyeska, surrounded by spruce trees, mountains and glaciers, and sample a buffet of fresh Alaskan seafood and local delicacies. (B,D)

DAY 6 - GIRDWOOD - SEWARD - CRUISE

See some of Alaska's wildlife up close at the ALASKA WILDLIFE CONSERVATION CENTER before arriving in Seward for a short sightseeing tour and free time for shopping and exploring independently. There is time to also visit ALASKA SEALIFE CENTER before heading for the town's pier to transfer to your cruise ship for the next stage of your Alaskan adventure. (B,D)

DAY 7 - CRUISING: COLLEGE FJORD

Cruise through College Fjord and be treated to some unforgettable vistas, where you will be able to see up to six different glaciers at the same time and watch the sun set over the icy waters of the northern Pacific. (B,L,D)

DAY 8 - CRUISING: GLACIER BAY

Sail into Glacier Bay National Park, where huge slabs of ice 'calve' into the sea with a thunderous splash. (B,L,D)

DAY 9 - CRUISING: SITKA

Arrive in the port of Sitka, a charming town which was once the capital of Russian Alaska, and is home to the onion-domed Orthodox St Michael's Cathedral and the Sheldon Jackson Museum, which houses many Russian and local Tlingit artefacts. Watch a lively performance from the New Archangel Dancers. (B,L,D)

DAY 10 - CRUISING; JUNEAU

Stop off in Juneau, the remote capital of Alaska, which can only be reached by plane, boat or seaplane, set at the base of Mount Juneau in the heart of Alaska's Inside Passage. Across the Gastineau Channel from Douglas Island, Juneau is close to the Mendenhall Glacier and also features an aerial tramway, which transports you high up to a ridge on Mount Roberts. (B,L,D)

DAY 11 - CRUISING; KETCHIKAN

Set foot in Ketchikan. See the largest collection of totem poles in the world and learn about native Alaskan culture at Saxman Totem Park and Totem Bight State Historic Park. You can also wander down Creek Street, with its boutiques and contemporary art galleries. (B,L,D)

DAY 12 - CRUISING; INSIDE PASSAGE

Cruise southwards along the Inside Passage, passing countless bays, islands and inlets, spotting remote waterfalls and glimpsing eagles, whales, seals and other wildlife. There is plenty to do on-board ship as well. (B,L,D)

DAY 13 - VANCOUVER

The cruise and holiday ends in Vancouver. Airport transfers are provided. (B)

Departure Dates & Prices

Dates	Twin Per Person	Single Supplement	Triple Reduction
27/05/2008	€2,317	€1,004	€164
10/06/2008	€2,533	€1,060	€192
24/06/2008	€2,631	€1,115	€219
08/07/2008	€2,670	€1,134	€229
22/07/2008	€2,657	€1,129	€226
05/08/2008	€2,637	€1,115	€219
19/08/2008	€2,533	€1,060	€192
02/09/2008	€2,357	€964	€144
All prices shown are for tour only and subject to availability. Please call to ask for a full package inclusive of airfares.
Pre/Post Tour overnights are also available and rail/cruise upgrades can be quoted where applicable
Prices are based on Outside Cabin Cat E. Upgrade to Verandah Cabin Cat B is available. Please call to check.

Included Highlights

• ANCHORAGE: Orientation tour
• BIG LAKE: Happy Trails Kennels
• ALASKA RAILROAD: Scenic train ride through the Alaskan wilderness
• SEWARD: Alaska Wildlife Conservation Centre and Alaska Sealife Centre
• INSIDE PASSAGE: Seven-night cruise with Holland America

Included Meals

Welcome reception (WR), daily American breakfast (B), one picnic packed lunch (BL), three dinners (D). All meals are included during the seven-night cruise.

Superior Hotels

ANCHORAGE Anchorage Hilton, TALKEETNA Talkeetna Alaska Lodge, DENALI NATIONAL PARK Grande Denali Lodge, GIRDWOOD Hotel Alyeska, ALASKA CRUISE Holland America's MS Volendam, VANCOUVER Marriott Pinnacle.