Experience a land of bald eagles, totem poles, calving glaciers, and majestic wildlife by land, sea, and air on Tauck’s granddaddy of Alaska tours. Cruise the Alaska coast, Glacier Bay, and the Inside Passage aboard a Princess ship. Tour Anchorage, Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan… visit Denali and Wrangell-St. Elias national parks… take a flightseeing tour over glaciers, two scenic rail journeys, a jet boat cruise in the wild and a rafting trip in a bald eagle preserve. Cruise Prince William Sound. Meet an Iditarod champion musher and his Husky sled dogs; visit a homesteader at her wilderness farm; and enjoy a private Tlingit cultural presentation and a fun Denali dinner show!

DAY 1 Your Alaska adventure begins in Anchorage
Tour starts at 6:30 PM at Hotel Captain Cook. A transfer is included from Anchorage International Airport to the Hotel Captain Cook, overlooking Cook Inlet, downtown Anchorage, and the Chugach Mountains. Join us for a welcome reception and dinner tonight.

DAY 2 Alaskan traditions & a flight to the wilderness
Learn about the lifestyles, traditions, and crafts of Alaska’s indigenous tribes on a visit to the Anchorage Museum; hundreds of artifacts and two multimedia installations share the enduring cultures and histories of peoples from across the circumpolar North. Then take a scenic flight to Talkeetna, near the base of Mount McKinley (North America’s highest peak, known to the locals as Denali), followed by a drive to your wilderness lodge in Trapper Creek for a two-night stay.

DAY 3 A wilderness homestead in Trapper Creek & a jet boat adventure
Begin the day with a visit to the private homestead of Joanne Porterfield, nestled in the Alaska wilderness; her family’s gardens and farm have flourished here in the shadow of Mount McKinley for more than four decades. Set off on a wilderness jet boat adventure this afternoon. Return to your lodge in the late afternoon to enjoy dinner and an evening at leisure.

DAY 4 To Denali & the Iditarod sled dogs of Husky Homestead
Drive today to Denali National Park, one of the world’s last unspoiled frontiers; arrive at your lodge near the entrance to the park, Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge, in time for lunch. This afternoon, visit Husky Homestead to meet former Iditarod champion musher Jeff King and his family… and of course their indomitable Husky sled dogs who live and train there. Enjoy dinner at your choice of restaurants at your lodge tonight.

DAY 5 Exploring Denali National Park
A highlight of any Alaska travel experience is a visit to Denali National Park, a six-million-acre UNESCO Biosphere Reserve highlighted by North America’s highest mountain – 20,320-foot Mt. McKinley. Look for grizzly bears, moose, caribou, Dall sheep and other Denali denizens on a Tundra Wilderness Tour in the park with a local guide. Spend the rest of the afternoon and evening at leisure, and enjoy dinner on your own tonight.

DAY 6 Across the wilderness to Copper Center & mountain majesty
Traverse the Alaskan wilderness today from Denali along the Alaska Range to your lodge situated on the Copper River in the small town of Copper Center, a gateway to the massive Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, known as “North America’s Mountain Kingdom.” Dinner this evening features a regional favorite, Alaskan salmon.

DAY 7 A day among the mountains of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Discover Wrangell-St. Elias National Park – home to more glaciers and mountains above 16,000 feet than any spot in North America, and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated on both sides of the border of the USA and Canada – on a private tour of the park’s visitor center with a park ranger. Today you’ll also get a glimpse of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which transports crude oil from wells at Prudhoe Bay in the north to the port of Valdez. Return to your wilderness lodge to spend the remainder of the day exactly as you please.

DAY 8 Cross Prince William Sound by boat, then embark your Princess cruise
As you pass through the Chugach Mountains en route to Valdez, make a stop at Worthington Glacier; then set off from Valdez by boat across Prince William Sound – ringed by mountains and abundant with wildlife, where you may spot whales, seals and eagles – to Whittier. Board your Princess ship in Whittier to launch the 7-night cruise portion of one of Tauck’s best-selling Alaska tours.

DAY 9 Hubbard Glacier and a day at sea
On a day spent at sea, enjoy a private tour of the ship’s galley in the morning, and cruise to Hubbard Glacier to view Alaska’s longest tidewater glacier up close; its blue color is created by the denseness of the ice, which absorbs all colors of the spectrum except blue. As you cruise, you may want to take in an onboard show, try your luck in the casino, or read in the library; join us for the Captain’s welcome reception aboard ship this evening.

DAY 10 Cruising through glorious Glacier Bay during a day at sea
Prepare to be awestruck by Glacier Bay National Park, a highlight of Tauck’s Alaska tours, as you cruise along shorelines and among islands that were completely covered by ice some 200 years ago. View blue-tinged ice cliffs towering over the sea, and hear the roar when they calve and crash into the water. Feast your eyes on rugged mountains, spruce and hemlock forests, and deep fjords… and keep them peeled for humpback whales, orcas, seals, and seabirds. Tonight, attend Tauck’s exclusive cocktail party featuring hors d’oeuvres and an open bar as your ship sails to Skagway.

DAY 11 Skagway, rafting through bald eagle country & a vintage rail trip
Explore historic Skagway, gateway to the Klondike gold fields, in antique vehicles before boarding a ferry cruise on the Lynn Canal – North America’s longest and deepest fjord – to Haines. Go rafting* through the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, home to large concentrations of bald eagles at certain times of the year. Ride back in time on 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. Reboard the ship in Skagway.

DAY 12 Glacial views, Tlingit culture & a mountain tramway in Juneau
Arrive in Alaska’s capital city of Juneau, set on a narrow strip of land between the Coast Mountains and the Gastineau Channel, for sightseeing that includes a stop at the Mendenhall Glacier. Gather insights on the traditions of the indigenous Tlingit people of the Pacific Northwest during a private cultural presentation for Tauck guests only. Spend a free afternoon in Juneau before your ship sets off for Ketchikan; if you wish, take an included scenic gondola ride on the Mt. Roberts Tramway, from downtown Juneau to 1,800-ft.-high Mount Roberts, at your leisure.

DAY 13 Experiencing cultural heritage during a day spent in Ketchikan
Today you’ll dock in Ketchikan, the ancestral home of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian tribes, for an inside look at the role that Tlingit heritage plays in the local culture. See some of the city’s numerous totem poles, and watch local totem carvers at work at Saxman Native Village; catch a performance of traditional Tlingit and Haida dances. You’ll have time to explore the town on your own, including Creek Street, a historic boardwalk over Ketchikan Creek, and the waterfront promenade, before reboarding the ship to continue your cruise.

DAY 14 A day spent cruising the Inside Passage
Enjoy spectacular views of the fabled Inside Passage from your stateroom, or a variety of decks and lounges, on a full day of cruising past the densely forested islands and coastal communities of this renowned waterway. You can also swim in one of the ship’s pools, hear a nature presentation, play a board game in the library, work out in the fitness center, get a relaxing spa treatment, or check out the golf simulator. Cap this most extraordinary of Alaska tours by joining us tonight for a farewell cocktail party followed by dinner aboard your Princess ship.

DAY 15 Disembark Vancouver and fly home
Your most memorable of Alaska tours ends in Vancouver. Disembark your Princess ship in Vancouver, British Columbia. Flights should depart after 12:00 noon; a transfer is included from the dock to Vancouver International Airport; you should allow a minimum of two hours for flight check-in.

New for 2015, explore the wild heart of Alaska with Tauck and BBC Earth on small group departures averaging 26 Tauck guests! Our ten-day tour takes you away from the well-traveled routes of the Inside Passage to less-visited places of spectacular beauty and one-of-a-kind experiences… flightseeing the vast glacier-clad landscapes and peaks of Denali (America’s highest mountain)… cruising the Kenai Fjord, known for its resident sea lions, dolphins, whales, bald eagles and dramatic vistas… bear-watching on Crescent Lake in salmon season, where the brown bears are close and numerous… making canine friendships at a kennel that raises champion sled dogs… wilderness hikes with an expert naturalist guide who offers invaluable knowledge and insights… meeting wildlife (like bison, elk, bears, and caribou) up close at a refuge for displaced and orphaned animals… gadgets and equipment used by professional wildlife photographers and filmmakers such as camera traps (for photographing wildlife after hours) and shotgun microphones / specialized microphones (for sounds not readily accessible to human ears)… and multiple-night stays at outstanding wilderness lodges (with all the comforts of home), including Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge (where the dining room offers panoramic views of Denali and the Alaskan Range); Seward Windsong Lodge, set in a wooded glacier valley beside the Resurrection River; and Knik River Lodge, a colony of first-class cabins (and a gourmet restaurant) surrounded by the snowcapped peaks of the Chugach Mountains.

DAY 1 Arrive Anchorage
Tour begins: 5:30 PM, Hotel Captain Cook. A transfer is included from Anchorage International Airport to the Hotel Captain Cook in the heart of downtown, within walking distance of museums, shops, and restaurants. Only minutes away from unspoiled wilderness, Anchorage nestles beside Cook Inlet with the spectacular backdrop of the Chugach Mountains. Join us at the hotel for a welcome reception and dinner.

DAY 2 Happy trails to Talkeetna
Wind your way from Anchorage to glacier-carved Matanuska Valley, a region of scenic mountain vistas, spruce forests and thousands of lakes. Rustic lodges, farmsteads, and small towns unwind along wilderness highways until you arrive at Big Lake, a popular area for camping, fishing and water sports; in winter, the passion here is dog sledding, and the big annual event is the Iditarod race from Anchorage to Nome. Visit Happy Trails Kennel, where four-time Iditarod winner Martin Buser breeds and trains sled dogs for the world-famous 1,000-mile marathon; you’ll have a chance to get acquainted with some of these up-and-coming champions, who are bred for speed and athleticism (and love to be petted). You’ll also learn about the special dynamics of the sport: the bond between dogs and musher, the dogs’ ability to conquer long distances in harsh weather and extreme temperatures, and the indelible role of dog sledding in Alaskan history and culture. Following lunch, drive on to the historic town of Talkeetna. With a population of less than 500 and one paved road, its rustic character offers a taste of small-town Alaska, from the general store to the roadhouse, as well as a staging area for climbing expeditions to Mt. McKinley. Arrive at the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, set high on a bluff overlooking the town and distant peaks of the Alaskan Range, where you’ll attend a naturalist lecture on the feats, and challenges, of climbing America’s highest mountain.

DAY 3 Guided hikes with a naturalist guide
Explore the scenic places surrounding Talkeetna on a morning hike with a naturalist guide. The town’s setting at the confluence of three rivers makes it an attractive area for outdoor sports, and a magnet for wildlife (beaver, moose, bears, and bald eagles) that frequent the lush forests and shorelines. Your morning hike takes you around Byers Lake, a true nature paradise inside Denali. Your guide will provide insights into both natural and human history surrounding the shimmering, clear lake – the views are amazing, and the wildflowers and plants unique. Drop in for lunch at Mary Carey’s McKinley View Lodge, where the café is bedecked with native crafts and memorabilia of the legendary pioneer woman who established the inn. Following lunch, embark on an afternoon nature hike, again accompanied by a naturalist guide – you’ll enjoy working with the gadgets that professional nature photographers and filmmakers use in the wild. Return to Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, where the evening is free to spend as you please – perhaps enjoying the magnificent rock fireplace in the Great Room.

DAY 4 Flying over Denali
Visit the Talkeetna Historical Society Museum this morning with the naturalist; the town evolved from gold mining days to its status today as the gateway to Mt. McKinley (known here as “Denali”). The museum’s main exhibit is a large three-dimensional topographical map of the mountain and surrounding glaciers which your naturalist guide will use to walk you through its unique geological features and history. The model becomes real in dramatic, titanic scale this afternoon when you board a ski plane for a flightseeing tour of the real thing. Denali (the Athabascan name, meaning “the High One”) lives up to its legend, soaring 20,000 feet above sea level, and your bird’s-eye view takes in all its breathtaking landscape, from alpine tundra and snowcapped peaks to vast rambling glaciers within Denali National Park. Weather permitting, your ski plane may touch down on a glacier for an unforgettable close-up view, before you fly on to Wasilla. Then drive on to your next destination, Knik River Lodge, featuring wilderness cabins, and the comforts of home, in a tranquil mountain setting.

DAY 5 Wildlife and Windsong
Visit the nonprofit Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, where orphaned and displaced animals are cared for, rehabilitated, and sometimes re-released into the wild. Here you’ll have a chance to see (and photograph) native wildlife up close, including bison, moose, elk, musk oxen, coyotes, grizzly bears, eagles, and caribou; watch feedings; and learn about ongoing efforts to conserve and restore endangered animal populations. Drive on to your next destination, the coastal town of Seward (named for the U. S. Secretary of State who negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867). Nestled beside Resurrection Bay on scenic Kenai Peninsula, and surrounded by mountains, the town retains the aura of its early days as a trading outpost on the edge of a spectacular wilderness. Check into the Seward Windsong Lodge outside of the town, set among fragrant spruce trees beside the rushing Resurrection River. Get a taste of fresh local cuisine tonight at Chinooks, a restaurant in Seward.

DAY 6 Cruising the Kenai Fjord
Set out on a full day’s excursion cruising the Kenai Fjord, where you’ll have an opportunity to learn about the species that live here. Dramatic scenes of the Ice Age linger in glacial landscapes – see a “tidewater” glacier as you cruise amidst carved rugged peaks, rocky shores and dense forests. You may get a chance to see puffins, whales, porpoises, sea lions and other fish that whales feed on; like this beautiful alien world, they are endlessly photogenic. Return to the lodge for dinner this evening.

DAY 7 Sea life and living glaciers
Go behind the scenes on a visit to the Alaska Sealife Center, an aquarium, ocean wildlife rescue center and research facility. Enjoy close encounters with puffins and octopus, and view other Alaskan sea life while rubbing shoulders with the scientists who study them. Lunch on your own in Seward, then it’s on to your next eye-opening stop at Portage Glacier. The glacier itself is in retreat, but at the state-of-the-art visitors center you can experience a living glacier from the inside. Depart for Anchorage where you will arrive at your hotel, the Hotel Captain Cook, late in the afternoon.

DAY 8 Bear watching on Crescent Lake
Fly to remote Redoubt Mountain Lodge (the only way to get there) inside Lake Clark National Park, then set out for a bear-watching excursion* on Crescent Lake, surrounded by stunning mountain landscapes. When the salmon are running, the brown bears come to the shore to fish, and from your small boat on the lake, you’ll have a chance to see and photograph them up close. Lunch at the lodge (there’s a good chance it will be salmon) then fly back to urban Anchorage.

DAY 9 The Anchorage Museum and a farewell evening
The Anchorage Museum is world class, a treasure house of objects, artifacts, photos, maps and exhibits that document Alaska’s rich and unique history, from its early exploration and whaling industry to the Gold Rush, railroads, and more. The Smithsonian maintains an Arctic Studies Center here, and a docent will lead you through its outstanding First Nations gallery, exhibiting many Alutiq and Aleut artifacts. Late afternoon, a documentary vignette focuses on a wildlife cameraman and his relationship with the bears that he films in the wild. Join us tonight for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant that caps your unforgettable, image-filled journey to Alaska’s wild side.

DAY 10 Journey home
Tour ends: Anchorage. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from Hotel Captain Cook to Anchorage International Airport; allow at least 2 hours for flight check-in.

DAY 1 Arrive Vancouver
Tour begins: 3:00 PM, Vancouver. A transfer is included from Vancouver Int’l Airport to the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel before 2:30. We’ve set up a Tauck hospitality room at the hotel. At 2:30 guests will be transported from the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel to Le Soléal. Dinner is served onboard.

DAY 2 Cruising the coast of British Columbia
Spend a full day aboard your handsome yacht heading north in Canada’s Inside Passage. As you wend your way along the serpentine line of glacier-forged fjords at the foot of the mountains edging British Columbia, you’ll pass the Great Bear Rainforest; miles of untouched wilderness; the 1918 ghost town of Butedale (weather permitting); and, if you’re lucky, whales, dolphins, and sea lions. Today is also the perfect opportunity to enjoy the many comforts and amenities aboard Le Soléal. Spa anyone? All restaurant and bar drinks are complimentary, including wine, beer, and spirits. Cap off your first day at sea with the Captain’s Welcome Dinner tonight.

DAY 3 Totem poles & a rainforest sanctuary
Welcome to Ketchikan, Alaska, nestled on the bluffs of the southwestern coast of Revillagigedo Island. Founded as a salmon cannery site and once known as the “Salmon Capital of the World,” this lively port boasts historic Creek Street, lined with an engaging mix of galleries, restaurants, artisan shops, and bookstores. Drive to Saxman Native Village, home of what may be the world’s largest collection of standing Native American totem poles – each a story unto itself. Get to know more about tribal traditions – and maybe learn a few dance steps – in the clan house. Take a short drive up the coast to rustic Herring Cove for a tour by a local naturalist at the Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary. Walking the trail through this dense forest of hemlock, spruce, and Alaska cedar, with its mossy floor, berries, and wild flowers, gives you a chance to spot the local residents, including flocks of singing birds. Then it’s on to the historic Herring Bay Lumber Company sawmill to meet a master totem carver, followed by a look at a salmon hatchery.

DAY 4 “Little Norway,” Petersburg
You might catch sight of a humpback whale in Frederick Sound on your way this morning to the port of Petersburg, nicknamed “Little Norway” because Petersburg’s first European settlers were Norwegian fishermen. Tender ashore to the small-ships-only harbor (an advantage of cruising on Le Soléal is its ability to anchor here, while bigger ships simply can’t). This picturesque community boasts a bustling waterfront lined with working fishing boats and faded boathouses. On a tour of old Petersburg, discover the well-kept homes and businesses along Sing Lee Alley, many of which are decorated with floral rosemaling – a Norwegian folk art. Much of the street is built on pilings over Hammer Slough – a great photo opp – including the 1912 Sons of Norway Lodge, on the National Register of Historic Places. There enjoy a dance performance and coffee and pastries before getting to know the local fishing industry on a guided waterfront walk. Use an underwater camera to view undersea harbor life – a Tauck exclusive; this afternoon the camera is reserved just for Tauck guests.

DAY 5 Cruising Tracy Arm fjord
Hit the decks with your camera ready for one of the highlights of your Alaska cruise: a day in the Tracy Arm Fjord. The drama of the sheer cliffs and towering waterfalls is rivaled only by the massive chunks of ice scattered across the water, like so many ice sculptures. Calved from the glacier at the head of the fjord, they come in every shade of blue and white – even seemingly florescent. Don’t be surprised to find families of seals sunning themselves on the ice – and noting your arrival with interest. Also keep an eye open for orcas and, on the rugged cliffs, mountain goats. Soaking it all in aboard the yacht, get an insider’s view of this special corner of the wilderness from presentations by Tauck’s onboard naturalist.

DAY 6 Eagle refuge & ancient Klukwan
Anchor in Haines, dress warmly, and pack extra socks for a day that starts with a drive along Haines Highway – a National Scenic Byway lined with deep green rainforest and snow-topped mountains – to the Chilkat River. There board a float* for a gentle ride through the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve – the largest concentration of bald eagles in the world; the river is filled with salmon, one of their favorite snacks. Dock in remote Klukwan for a visit to the ancient Chilkat Indian Village, where you’ll take in a Tlingit tribal performance and gain insights into local culture and customs. Tour a traditional longhouse; a salmon smokehouse and drying house; and a shed where artists deftly wield a Stone Age tool called an adze to carve totems and canoes. Before your floating hotel, Le Soléal cruises on to Skagway, spend an afternoon pursuing your own interests in Haines; you might want to poke around the shops, visit the National Historic Landmark Fort Seward, or check out the Hammer Museum, “the world’s first museum dedicated to preserving man’s first tool, the hammer.”

DAY 7 Gold rush Skagway & White Pass
Awaken in Skagway to a day steeped in Gold Rush lore. Exploring the National Landmark District of Skagway and White Pass, take an antique streetcar tour of the frontier city and a round-trip excursion by train and coach to White Pass Summit and on to Fraser, British Columbia. Following the original White Pass trail, hear stories of brave fortune-seekers pursuing their dreams in the wildest of the Wild West. All the while travel through an arresting terrain of mountains, glaciers, and waterfalls so challenging that it’s hard to imagine how any human being ever survived to reap a golden reward. Back in Skagway have lunch onboard, or independently in town, and, in the afternoon, experience the city on your own. A guided tour with a National Park Ranger and shopping are just two of the activities you might choose to enjoy. As you sail for Juneau tonight and your amazing Alaska cruise filled with happy new memories comes to a close, join us for a farewell dinner onboard.

DAY 8 Journey home
Tour Ends: Juneau. Disembark this morning in Juneau. Tauck will provide transfers from Le Soléal to Juneau International Airport or to your post-stay hotel, Westmark Baranof Hotel, in Juneau. Flights should not be booked earlier than 11:00 AM. Allow at least two hours for flight check-in.