The Heart and Soul of Alaska
Your Alaska experience wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Denali National Park and Preserve. Denali is not only home to Mt. McKinley (whose 20,320-foot peak is the tallest in North America), but it encompasses a 6-million-acre sub-arctic ecosystem of extraordinary beauty and astonishing wildlife. Grizzly bears, caribou, moose and Dall’s sheep are just a few of the abundant species of wildlife that call Denali their home.

Let Us Take Care of All the Details
Cruise West makes travel into Alaska's Interior easy. Choose a fully guided land tour between Anchorage, Denali and Fairbanks (escorted by a Cruise West Exploration Leader) or a stay at a Wilderness Lodge deep in the heart of Denali. Each tour includes either Cruise West or lodge-affiliated guides who will accompany guests at all transfers, ensure comfortable travel by rail or motorcoach, and assist with optional activities such as flightseeing, river rafting, hiking and park tours. From door-to-door baggage handling to our no-tipping-required policy, we’ve taken care of all the details from beginning to end, so transitions between your small-ship cruise and your land tour are seamless.

Fully Guided Cruise West Land Tour Highlights
Add exquisite and memorable days to your Alaska cruise experience encountering the majesty of Denali National Park and Preserve. This is truly the heart of Alaska. And you'll spend 2 nights in this paradise - most other tours spend just 1. Our exclusive land-tour package between Anchorage, Denali and Fairbanks is fully escorted by a Cruise West Exploration Leader. Heritage and Culture in Anchorage Begin in Anchorage, where you’ll be treated to a city orientation tour and a visit to the world-class Anchorage Museum of History and Art. The deluxe Sheraton Anchorage Hotel is your home base to explore Alaska's biggest city, which offers myriad excursions. It is the starting point for the annual Iditarod Sled Dog Race. Mt. McKinley, which is 130 miles north, can be seen from here on clear days. Choose from one of several of Anchorage’s best restaurants and enjoy dinner on us before spending the night at the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel. Travel by comfortable motorcoach the next day to the mountain-climbing base of Talkeetna, Your motorcoach is limited to just 30 travelers allowing for plenty of legroom and window viewing (other coaches hold as many as 53). Here you’ll board a deluxe domed railcar for your journey along the most scenic portion of the Alaska Railroad. Travel in style across Hurricane Gulch and Broad Pass.

Your Denali Experience
Upon your arrival in Denali National Park, enjoy an exclusive Cruise West presentation by a Denali Education Center Naturalist before overnighting in a comfortable hotel just outside the park. Wake up to a full day in the park and enjoy 1of 3 included and fully escorted tours, selected by you at the time you book your cruise/ land tour: the Kantishna Wilderness Trails, a 13-hour tour that travels 90 miles deep into the backcountry and high alpine tundra of the park; the 7-hour Tundra Wilderness Tour, a half-day exploration of the rich wildlife and varied landscapes of the area; or the Denali Natural History Tour, a 5-hour tour focusing on the diverse Native and early pioneer influences that make Denali unique. The many hundreds of square miles of Denali National Park preserve one of the largest completely intact ecosystems on earth. There are opportunities on these tours, to seek the great mammals that abound here: grizzly bears, caribou, moose, and Dall’s sheep, among others. Flightseeing, river rafting and heli-hiking excursions are also available at an additional cost. The following day, travel north by motorcoach to Fairbanks to visit the University of Alaska’s Museum of the North, and cruise along the beautiful Chena River aboard an authentic sternwheeler riverboat, before spending the night in the comfort of your Fairbanks hotel.

Frederick Sound is a body of water approximately 45 miles wide in the central part of Southeast Alaska, at the confluence of Portage Bay (West), lower Stephens Passage (North), and Chatham Strait between the communities of Juneau (North) and Petersburg (South). Frederick Sound is only accessible by boat or air.

Abundant krill (small, shrimp-like crustaceans), zooplankton and herring thrive in the glacially fed waters of Frederick Sound, making it one of the premier places in Alaska to observe feeding humpback whales. It is estimated that over 500 of the 1,000 humpbacks that migrate annually to Alaska from Hawaiian breeding grounds head particularly to Frederick Sound to feed in its super nutrient-rich waters. Marine mammals in the sound also include orcas (killer whales), Steller's sea lions, Dall’s porpoise, and harbor seals. A variety of seabirds thrive in this region as well and can be observed flying overhead or flocking after the whale’s watery leftovers, creating a great clue to where the humpbacks might be. Surrounding the sound are the majestic craggy snow-covered mountains of the Coast Range rising from the sea to grand heights of 10,000 feet.

Friday Harbor is located on the eastern side of San Juan Island, the second largest island in the San Juan Islands group. It fronts a natural, protected harbor and is now one of the main commercial centers for the islands. Originally, this and many other San Juan Islands were temporary summer fish camps for the Coast Salish. Utilizing cedar canoes, they would travel to key locations such as San Juan Island and set up camp to capture and preserve salmon traveling to their spawning grounds from the open ocean. The Strait of Juan de Fuca is the main thoroughfare from the Pacific Ocean to the Salish Sea, making San Juan Island an ideal location to capture salmon. The Lummi, a Coast Salish people, lived on San Juan Island but were subsequently moved to Orcas Island and then to a reservation at Gooseberry Point on the mainland north of Bellingham. Spanish explorers named some of the islands and waterways in this area, but the British and Americans were the primary non-native settlers on San Juan Island, providing colorful accounts for the history books.

The big story here is about the “Pig War” that was started in 1859, significant in many ways although rooted in what some would consider insignificant circumstances. It all started when a pig owned by Englishman Charles Griffen broke into the tasty garden of American Lyman Cutlar one too many times. Cutlar shot the pig, admitted to shooting the pig, refused a trial by the British, and sought the United States’ protection.

Since it was unclear at that time exactly where the U.S./Canadian border really was, a 12-year standoff ensued. The English garrison was established on the northwestern side of the island; an American garrison was set up on the southern tip. In 1872, a German arbitrator, Kaiser Wilhelm, settled the debate by establishing the U.S./Canadian boundary and “gave” the San Juan Islands to the United States.

The San Juan Islands therefore came to be the last currently American soil held by Britain. But this would not be the final colorful story to be told. The islands were settled in an initial bawdy “wild west” fashion. Even into the 1930s, as some communities claimed to be "civilized," the islands had plenty of bootleggers who were utilizing the intricate waterways around the islands to trade their goods during Prohibition.

Ship navigators would refer to this protected harbor after its first settler, Joe Friday, and the name stuck – “Friday’s Harbor.” One local legend, however, tells of how the harbor got its name through a misunderstanding of the question, “What bay is this?" misinterpreted as, “What day is this?" However it got its name, Friday Harbor was incorporated in 1909, and is now the county seat for the islands. It is a small, charming community with public access via Washington State Ferries and floatplanes.

The public marina is home port to a multitude of yachts, sailboats, and whale watching charter boats. A 5-minute walk uphill from the marina or ferry landing brings you into the heart of town and a variety of boutiques, galleries, gift shops, and the ever-essential and practical grocery and hardware stores. You can even find every possible kind of salsa and hot sauce made and known to humankind in one of the shops! Entertainment includes the naming of some of these sauces. This is not an activity for the faint of heart.

Glacier Bay Park and Preserve is reportedly the most sought after park to visit in the United States and it is no wonder. Where else will you find a 25 mile-long river of ice still carving the land just as it has for the past several thousand years? When Captain Cook and George Vancouver sailed by in 1879, they saw a 20-mile wide glacier where today the entrance of the park lies, as well the wilderness lodge and park headquarters. Over the past 200 years, this wall of ice has retreated an astonishing 65 miles north, splintering into a vast number of tributaries spaced throughout the entire park. Each glacier has its own name and character; our captain will decide which to visit for the day depending on ice conditions and wildlife sightings.

Visiting Glacier Bay Park is also like visiting a wildlife park. Here bears, goats, moose, whales, sea otters, and all the creatures of the water and forest flourish, completely protected from man. A National Park Interpreter will join us on this day for our entire journey. He or she will explain the park's geology, glaciology, wildlife, and its deep roots in Tlingit culture, bringing the park alive on a level that will keep you engaged the entire time we are there.

Glaciers form where more snow falls in the long winter than melts in the short summer and, over a period of years, compacts into ice, becoming massive enough to begin to move. That is, a snow patch becomes a glacier when the deepest layers begin to deform due to the weight of the overlying snow and ice.

There are so many glaciers in Prince William Sound because moisture from storms sweeping in off the Pacific Ocean in the winter is trapped by the high mountains and drops that moisture as snow. In fact, in the higher elevations of the Chugach Mountains it is not uncommon for snow to fall 12 months of the year. The thick, accumulating snow layers compress over years into ice that gradually flows down to the sea like massive rivers of ice. In the high reaches of the mountains, the glacier accumulates the snow that turns into ice. This area is called the accumulation zone. It can take the glacial ice about 100 years to move from this point to its terminus point at sea. The ice moves down from the mountains and begins melting and calving into the water. The area where more ice is lost to calving, melting, and evaporating is called the ablation, or melting, zone. The glacier's thickness is about one-half of the surface width of the glacier. Although few glaciers have been measured, the measured thickness ranges from a few hundred feet for small glaciers to about 5,000 feet for the largest glaciers in Alaska. At the end of the last great Ice Age, the glaciers covering Prince William Sound may have reached two miles in thickness in places.

Most of the glacier ice in Alaska is only a few tenths of a degree below the melting temperature, except for a surface layer several feet thick that is cooled during winter. Because of this, most glaciers in Alaska are not frozen to their beds. These glaciers are referred to as "temperate" glaciers. Glaciologists refer to a glacier as a "cold" glacier if it is more than a few degrees below the freezing temperature throughout most of its thickness. Cold glaciers are frozen to the bedrock, do not move, and are found in Greenland and Antarctica.

Tidewater glaciers show a cyclical behavior. Glaciers push debris in front of them as they slowly move down a mountainside. The moraine, which is formed of rocks, boulders, and debris, protects the face of the glacier from the melting effects of saltwater. Eventually too much of the glacier is in the melting zone compared to the amount in the accumulation zone and the glacier retreats off its protective moraine. When the glacier retreats, it is still flowing downhill due to gravity and its own mass. Now its ice-face is exposed to the relatively warm salt water and drastic retreat begins with the glacier calving millions of tons of ice daily. When the glacier retreats onto land or into shallow water, the melt rate decreases, the glacier stabilizes, and it once again begins to build a new terminal moraine from rock debris carried down the mountain by the glacier. Over time, the new moraine will protect the face of the glacier again slowing the melting and the glacier will begin to advance, slowly bulldozing its moraine down the mountainside.

As we cruise our way up to the towns of Skagway and Haines, we will be within one of the largest fjords in the world, Lynn Canal. Lynn Canal stretches many miles and provides a very dramatic backdrop that makes it appear as if we are taking our ship through the Swiss Alps. It is not uncommon to see whales or Steller's sea lions in this stretch of water. We will also pass the Eldred Rock Lighthouse, a lonely sentinel surrounded by jagged peaks of snow, rock, ice, and green-silted waters, and one of the most scenic lighthouses anywhere. This stretch of Lynn Canal, including Haines and Skagway, provides some of the most intense scenic beauty, wildlife sightings, and human history Alaska can offer.

When we finally see Haines, it will be at the base of the mighty Chilkat mountain range, with glaciers seemingly flowing down to the edge of town. The setting in Haines is breathtaking. Cruise West’s founder, Chuck West, was so taken with Haines’ beauty and tranquility that he owned a family cabin here. This sleepy little village is dominated by Fort Seward and its colonial structures at the center of town. In 1993, Haines was used to film Jack London’s "White Fang." This small town is quiet and sincere, and its residents make their living by fishing and guiding local visitors by horse, raft, and nature walks. Haines is and has been a Tlingit clan site. Haines provides a very real look at small town life in Alaska.

During the winter, up to 4,000 bald eagles congregate in just a few square miles to snatch spawning salmon from the Chilkat River. This spectacle attracts wildlife enthusiasts from around the world, for this happens nowhere else but Haines, Alaska!

Icy Strait is a body of water in Southeast Alaska that is located between Chichagof Island and the mainland, and extends 40 miles northwest from Chatham Strait to Glacier Bay and Cross Sound. Icy Strait’s nutrient-rich waters are abundant with marine mammals, sea birds and the scenery is spectacular.

Although Juneau is the state capital of Alaska, it seems to be situated in the middle of nowhere. Juneau is only reachable by plane or boat. This small, isolated city must be the most picturesque state capital in North America, with mountains and waterfalls visible right behind downtown and the Capitol building. Only a few minutes walk from the Capitol building and you are in the woods on a mountain slope. Bears have been spotted in downtown Juneau at night--note that all the downtown garbage receptacles are "bear proof."

There is much excitement in Juneau as it is the hub for state politics, cruise ships, and still has the taste of an old mining frontier town. This allows a number of services to exist in Juneau like no other town you will visit. Kayaking, hiking, nature walks, salmon bakes, and flightseeing combined with ice climbing, glacier trekking, dog mushing, and bear viewing are just some of the things you can explore. Or perhaps you would like time on your own to visit one of the many museums, cafes, and bookshops downtown. If you want to get away from it all, the tram up Mt. Robert's will whisk you out of town to the mountain tops. There is so much to do in this small city in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness.

Lynn Canal is a spectacular fjord in Southeast Alaska, 90 miles long and 7 to 12 miles wide. Its southern border connects with Chatham Strait and Stephens Passage and carves north between majestic mountains into the inlets of the Chilkoot and Chilkat Rivers. This navigable passageway connects Skagway, Haines, and Juneau, Alaska, and was the last leg of the voyage north to the gold fields in 1896. Lynn Canal remains an important water transportation highway within northern Southeast Alaska, with stunning scenery of jade-green water lined with jagged mountain peaks topped by icy blue hanging glaciers.

Metlakatla is the only native reservation in Alaska, home to approximately 1,400 of the only Tsimshian Natives in the state, and a unique introduction to the native people of the Pacific Northwest.

The Tsimshian are primarily a coastal tribe of British Columbia, Canada, but in 1887 this band of Tsimshians immigrated with the permission and protection of the United States and under the guidance of their Anglican clergyman, Father William Duncan, to form a model community..

Situated on Annette Island just a short distance away from Ketchikan and right across the border from Canada, the residents of Metlakatla work together to provide for their community. Commercial fishing and processing is the lifeblood of the town, and you will see Annette Island Packing Company perched on stilts over the water. It's been in operation since 1890, and depending on what time of the summer you visit, it may be in operation. Many of the salmon come from Metlakatla's fish traps, the only such traps still allowed in Alaska. Looking for ways to supplement the slump in the timber industry, the town just recently opened a bottled water production facility and is working to market the product to outside consumers.

This small community represents a unique example of how ancient rituals can be interwoven with modern life and the values of the west.

Visiting Petersburg is like visiting a little bit of Scandinavia. In 1890, Norwegian immigrant Peter Buschmann arrived and saw that he could use the ice from the nearby LeConte Glacier to build a mill and fish-packing plant at the head of Wrangle Narrows on Mitkoff Island. He chose this location because it reminded him of his beloved homeland. This tiny town, with a population of about 3,300, makes its living off salmon and halibut fishing, and still holds much of the Old World charm and character of a small European town. Homes are decorated with flower boxes and other Scandinavian traditions. Here we will be introduced to Norwegian culture at the Sons of Norway Hall, where we will meet the town children dressed in traditional clothes, and enjoy a performance of time-honored Norwegian dances along with homemade food. The water's edge and the rainforest surround this tiny town, making you feel as if you are in a tiny slice of Europe. Remnants of old Tlingit fish traps and ancient petroglyphs lie just outside of town. There will be opportunities for free time, flightseeing, and rainforest walks. Only Cruise West can deliver such an intimate visit to this small town.

Approximately 450 islands dot the Salish Sea between southeastern Vancouver Island and northern Washington, formed by tectonic activity, glacial sculpting, and the forces of erosion. In the protective rain shadow of Vancouver Island, the San Juan Islands receive about half the rainfall of the Seattle area – about 15 to 20 inches per year. The views are astounding. On a clear day, you can turn in a circle and see the Olympic and Cascade Mountain ranges, Mt. Baker, Mt. Rainier, and Vancouver Island. The islands thrive with an abundance of wildlife. The island group’s southern water border is the Strait of Juan de Fuca. To the west, the San Juans and Vancouver Island are separated by Haro Strait. The northern edge of the island group is the Straits of Georgia, and to the east is Bellingham Bay and Rosario Straits. The San Juan Islands are accessible only by air and sea.

The waters are cold, deep, and prolific with life both above and below. Massive schools of salmon travel from the open waters of the Pacific with the flushing tides through Haro and Rosario Straits, making this a favorite hunting grounds for the resident, salmon-eating orcas known locally as the J, K, and L Pods. Transient orcas also travel through this area periodically to prey on marine mammals. The waters are home to minke whales, Dall’s porpoise, harbor porpoise, harbor seals, and sea lions. California gray whales pass by in fall on their way to Mexican lagoons to mate and calve. In the spring, they will pass by again, heading north to the nutrient-rich waters of the Arctic Seas. The San Juan Islands are also a birdwatcher’s paradise. Keep an eye out overhead or on the shorelines and rocky outcroppings for cormorants, oystercatchers, tufted puffins, terns, gulls, scoters, bald and golden eagles, turkey vultures, and more! Over 290 different species of birds have been identified in the San Juan Islands. Activities are as abundant here as the diversity of wildlife. Diving, kayaking, biking, hiking, sailing, boating, and whale and bird watching top the list of outdoor adventures. Eighty-three islands have been designated as National Wildlife Refuges, divided into the four habitats of reefs, rocks, grassy, and forested islands. Each island is unique and has its own natural and human history story.

This narrow waterway is the southern portion of Peril Straits. It provides an approximately 30-mile-long waterway shortcut to Sitka, Alaska, between Baranof and Chichagof islands. Sergius Narrows is a very narrow, zigzag course approximately 300 feet wide, with the tide rushing through at up to 9 to 10 miles per hour. Ships must pass through during “slack tide,” meaning that time when the water is most still between high and/or low tides. Sergius Narrows leads to Kakul Narrows, Salisbury Sound, and the Pacific, narrowing again to lead through Neva and Olga Straits to Sitka Sound and again to the outer west coast of the Pacific and the community of Sitka, Alaska. The exciting passage through Sergius Narrows offers a stunning view of remote, serene forested islands, great opportunity to view many bald eagles and Sitka black-tailed deer along its shores, and sometimes sea otter floating in and around the shallow kelp beds and rocky shorelines.

Sitka lies in the shadow of the Mt. Edgecumbe volcano. This dormant volcano is unlikely to erupt in your presence, as it has not done so in 6,000 years. The ancient crater adds to the energy of a landscape that is interwoven with the Tlingit and Russian cultures that make up Sitka’s past and present. Sitka was the Russian Capitol of Alaska before it was sold to the United States in 1867. The remnants of its architecture, also known as the "Paris of the Pacific," are all still apparent, especially with St. Michael's Russian Orthodox Cathedral which dominates the town’s skyline. In the middle of town, the Tlingit ceremonial long house will also capture your attention. It is these two cultures, the Russian and the Tlingit, that in times past clashed and fought fiercely in Sitka. The Tlingit ultimately were defeated in their right to govern themselves here, however it is the Tlingit who persisted and live here today.

No visit to Sitka is complete without visiting the Sheldon Jackson Museum. This museum represents a vast collection of artifacts from all over Alaska, presented in an intimate and fun way you can explore on your own. Immediately adjoining the museum is the Sitka National Historic Park, where many totem poles stand in the mist-shrouded forest. When you walk here among the icons of the Pacific Northwest in their natural setting, it is as if you are stepping back to a time long forgotten. Sitka is situated on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, and it is here that the raw swells can be seen crashing on the islands protecting its inner harbor and fishing fleet.

While in Sitka, there are options to kayak, hike, bike, and/or visit the world famous Raptor Rehabilitation Center where you can come within inches of bald and golden eagles, just to name a few. These birds are here for medical attention and recovery from injury. Some may not have the ability to re-enter the wild. A guided tour of the facilities and a demonstration showing how magnificent and noble these raptors are will be available, and often leaves our guests speechless.

As you sail into Skagway, you are immediately transported back to 1898. You gaze from the bow of the ship and can just imagine the bustling streets teeming with Stampeders buying last-minute supplies from the multitude of false-fronted businesses that line the boardwalk.

In 1898, Skagway was a destination hot spot for over 20,000 men and women with dreams of hiking either the Chilkoot Trail or White Pass to reach their final destination, the gold fields of the Klondike.

Today, Skagway is again a preferred destination, popular with history buffs wanting to explore parts of the Klondike Gold Rush International Historical Park, one of the longest in the world, encompassing the whole Inside Passage from Pioneer Square in Seattle all the way to Dawson City in the Yukon Territory. Skagway is also a hit with train enthusiasts who dream of riding the narrow gauge rails of the White Pass & Yukon Route railroad, an International Historical Civil Engineering Landmark, built in 1898 and completed 110 miles later in 1900.

Tracy Arm quickly becomes a favorite place for those who visit. It is perhaps one of the most dramatic locations in all of North America. This fantastic fjord rivals if not surpasses the fjords of Norway and New Zealand. Completely protected within the Tongass National Forest, this fjord stretches some 25 miles up into the Coastal Range Mountains. These snow- and glacier-filled mountains over 7,000 feet tall drop immediately to sea level. We will be surrounded by sheer 1,500-to 2,000-foot walls of granite falling into the extremely narrow passage, creating countless waterfalls and strange rock formations covered in forest, and trees hanging onto precipices at impossible angles. Bears, mountain goats, and other fur-bearing animals live here, on a terrain you would think has to be devoid of such large animals. You might spot a bear in a spot that does not look possible.

Twisting and turning, not being able to see what is around the next corner, you will be presented with a continual flow of scenery that could only be compared to Yosemite National Park but filled with over 1,000 feet of water! Here killer whales come to prey upon harbor seals who think they have safely hauled out on the ice to give birth or molt their fur. Each turn will present a new view of waterfalls and “u”-shaped valleys, carved out by ice in the not-so-distant past.

At the head of the arm is our true destination, the two Sawyer glaciers that carved out the fjord. As we make our way to the head of the fjord, we will pass through a field of icebergs that will bump into the ship as we push them out of the way. We will be entering a surreal world you could not imagine, with ice more blue than the sky itself. When we arrive at the face of the glaciers, we will no doubt see hundreds of harbor seals laying on the ice. If we are fortunate, a building-size piece of ice will break off the glacier's face only to crash and thunder into the water below, creating massive waves that will rock our ship as our guests cheer.

Wrangell Narrows is one of the two narrowest waterways in Southeast Alaska, with Peril Straits near Sitka being the other. It is approximately 21 miles long, and is a very narrow and shallow waterway separating Mitkof Island and Kupreanof Island. Depending on tide activity, Wrangell Narrows is one-half mile to 100 yards wide, with its snakelike path winding around 46 total course changes. More than 70 navigational aids mark this course, giving Wrangell Narrows its nickname of "Christmas Tree Lane," reminding folks of the red and green holiday lights when all the buoys are lit at night. This waterway averages just 19 to 22 feet deep, depending on the tide. Large boats require more than two feet of water above average low tide in order to navigate this challenging waterway safely. The southern point of Wrangell Narrows is the confluence of Sumner Strait, and its northern point is the small, quaint fishing village of Petersburg and the confluence of Frederick Sound, with the tides entering and exiting from both ends