Alaska Cruise & Denali National Park

Optional Canadian Rockies pre-tour extension

 Departing 23 August, 2009
   *Fully escorted from Australia 

Guaranteed SINGLE room throughout

 More wilderness than can be charted. More wildlife than can be counted: bears, bald eagles, moose, deer, whales, spawning salmon. Its immensity overwhelms. Glaciers advance and retreat forming ridge after ridge of mountain peaks receding into the distance.  Dense, dark green primordial forests stretch as far as the eye can see. Everything seems larger than life. 

To cruise to Alaska is to journey back in time - to an Earth yet unspoiled - a vast wilderness where sunlight comes to spend the day and lingers in the dusky midnight sky. This pristine frontier is as big and beautiful as anyone's dreams - the mountains, the glaciers, the fjords and the wildlife - the magnificent wildlife. And once encountered, you will shiver... not from the cold, but from the realization that there may be a greater hand at work than you might have imagined.
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Join us as  we commence our tour with a week traveling by boat, glass-domed railcar, and luxury motor coach through some of Alaska’s most fascinating cities and wildlife habitats.  This tour features trips through Kenai Fjords and Denali National Park as well as a unique gold mining experience at the historic Gold Dredge No. 8 in Fairbanks!   With trips to the beautiful cities of Seward and Anchorage complimented by a stay in Denali National Park, you'll have the best of Alaskan culture and wildlife in one tour.

And then we relax into a world of comfort and easy elegance aboard a luxurious cruise ship of Holland America Line for 7 nights sailing from Seward to Vancouver.    Luxurious living is found in every detail, from the soft caress of a personal bathrobe to fine chocolates on your pillow at night.   Always at the heart of the Holland America cruise experience is the warm and award-winning style of service that is never in the way and never out of reach. We sail with nearly one crew member for every two guests, providing the intuitive, gracious service that has long defined classic cruising.

For those with another week to spare,  we offer an optional Canadian Rockies train tour vacation to create memories which will last a lifetime.
For many of the guests on the Rocky Mountain train, Lake Louise is the highlight of their stay and it is included in this six-day journey through Canada's West. 
***This optional extension will be escorted subject to a minimum group size of 10. ***

Day 1  23 August, 2009    Australia - Los Angeles   We depart from Australia with Qantas for our non stop flight to Los Angeles.  Accommodation:  Marriott LAX (or similar) 1 night

Day 2  24 August, 2009    Los Angeles - Fairbanks, Alaska  Morning at leisure before we transfer to the airport for our flight to Fairbanks via Seattle.   Accommodation:  Fairbanks (2 nights)
                                                                                                                            Welcome to Alaska!

Day 3  25 August, 2009 Fairbanks, Alaska  (L) You’ll cruise aboard the Sternwheeler Discover and tour Gold Dredge No. 8, where you’ll have an opportunity to pan for gold and enjoy a hearty miner’s lunch.   When all stakes had been claimed and the rush for gold had faded in the Klondike, the sourdoughs headed west toward Fairbanks in the hopes of making their fortunes there. Trouble was, the gold in Fairbanks lay buried deep under a layer of "muck" that had to be dug out. Thus the gold dredge was conceived, a sort of floating gold pan that combined the four parts of the mining process - digging, sorting, gold-saving and disposal of tailings.    One of these giant diggers was Gold Dredge No. 8, a massive four-story-tall machine that was in operations right up until 1959. The dredge represents such a valuable landmark to the historical archives of Alaska that it has been placed on the register of National Historic Sites. Today it is one of the few gold dredges still open to the public. Holland America Line purchased and restored the dredge in 1996.
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Day 4  26 August, 2009  McKinley Explorer Rail to Denali National Park  Gracious service underscores breathtaking scenery from train to inviting Denali lodge.  Boasting more glass area for the best views of the Alaska landscape, the McKinley Explorer railcars are also the largest passenger railcars in the world. Accommodation:   Denali National Park (2 nights)

Day 5  27 August, 2009  Denali National Park  Take full advantage of wildlife and Mt. McKinley viewing on a guided Tundra Wilderness Tour. Get to know Alaska as few ever do. Denali National Park and Preserve is a park of international significance. It features North America's highest mountain, 20,320-foot tall Mount McKinley. The Alaska Range also includes countless other spectacular mountains and many large glaciers. The park was established as Mount McKinley National Park on Feb. 26, 1917. The original park was designated a wilderness area and incorporated into Denali National Park and Preserve in 1980. It the largest continually protected natural ecosystem in the world. Watch for moose, sheep, caribou and bear and marvel at massive icefields.  Land on a glacier to see ice falls, moraines, ice bridges and glacier streams.

Every turn on the Park Road brings a new wonder as you journey miles into this astounding wilderness preserve with your knowledgeable driver/guide. Watch for ptarmigan, Alaska's state bird, in the open valleys. See golden eagles patrolling the higher elevations and ridge tops. And listen to ravens, magpies and gray jays chattering in the brush. With any luck, you'll see grizzlies crossing braided streams, Dall sheep traversing rugged cliffs and moose foraging in upland meadows. And this unfolding adventure leads to the lofty, isolated grandeur of Mt. McKinley itself - a wonder to behold.

Day 6  28 August, 2009  McKinley Explorer Rail to Anchorage  Accommodation:  Anchorage (1night)  Everyone seems to have some kind of nickname for Anchorage Alaska. Some call it the City of Lights and Flowers, because of the white lights of the city's many buildings, and the flowers that adorn the streets in the summer. Garden journalists refer to Anchorage Alaska as the Hanging Basket Capital of the World, whereas aviations fans call it the "Air Crossroads of the World," due to its location between the two northern continents.    As you walk along the streets of downtown Anchorage Alaska, you will notice about 425 baskets of bright gold triploid marigold and sapphire lobelia. Theses beautiful blue and gold flowers are representative of the colors of the Municipality of Anchorage flag.

Day 7  29 August, 2009  Seward Highway to Seward  Accommodation:  Seward (1 night)   During the Good Friday Earthquake of 1964, the residents of Seward were horrified to see a tidal wave over 100 feet tall wash away most of the waterfront. However, this charming town, embodying the famous Alaskan spirit and fortitude, was rebuilt and is now home to 3,000 residents. Seward was originally founded in 1903 as the southern terminus for the Alaska Railroad, a distinction it still holds today. Modern-day residents are primarily associated with commercial fishing, tourism and the railroad. The picturesque harbor with its colorful wood-frame houses and background of soaring cliffs looks out on Resurrection Bay, so named by a band of Russians explorers who found this calm spot along the storm-tossed Gulf of Alaska on Easter Sunday. Seward is also the gateway to spectacular Kenai Fjords National Park, with its distinctive rock formations, massive glaciers and abundant wildlife, including a colony of 40,000 puffins. Seward is a scenic town flanked by rugged mountains on one side and the salmon filled Resurrection Bay on the other. It is the only town on the eastern side of the Kenai Peninsula.
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Our cabins are made up with one
double bed, not twin beds as this
picture depicts
           Day 8  30 August, 2009  Seward - HAL Veendam  This morning you'll be transferred to your dayboat for your cruise of Kenai Fjords National Park. Kenai Fjords National Park has abundant marine life and is a must for those interested in glacier viewing, whale watching, Alaska bird watching, and wildlife viewing. Then we'll board our our ship to begin our 7 night Alaskan cruise.  Accommodation:  HAL Veendam 7 nights

Day 9  31 August, 2009 College Fjord cruising  (BLD)  5pm - 8pm  Only one place in Alaska surrounds you on three sides with flowing rivers of ice. Imagine cruising past one dramatic tidewater glacier after another - an awesome assemblage of Ice Age wonders named after the nation s leading Ivy League colleges. Linger here for an in-depth lesson in nature s power.   The Harriman Expedition that discovered College Fjord in 1899 was funded by Ivy League colleges. All of the glaciers in College Fjord were named for the various schools in their honor. As you travel into the Fjord, the glaciers on the left are named for women's colleges and those on the right are named for men's colleges.

Day 10  01 September, 2009  Glacier Bay scenic cruising  (BLD)  7am - 4pm  As Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Glacier Bay National Park; protects a unique ecosystem of plants and animals living in concert with an ever-changing glacial landscape. How does it feel when a monumental chunk of ice splits off a glacier and crashes into the sea? The sound is like thunder. The impact shoots water hundreds of feet into the air. You hold your breath as you catch the moment on film. Then you wait for it all to happen again. And it usually does. Glacier Bay has more actively calving tidewater glaciers than anyplace else in the world.

Day 11  02 September, 2009  Haines (BLD)  Nestled on the shores of America's longest fjord, Haines is in a spectacular setting. Fill your day with a float trip through the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve which protects the habitat of the nation's avian symbol, or visit the Sheldon Museum, art galleries and local hops in town. Optional highspeed catamaran access for shopping and excursions in Skagway will also be available.

Day 12  03 September, 2009  Juneau  (BLD)  7am  -  10.30pm  Located at the foot of grand mountain peaks on the Gastineau Channel, the town of Juneau has the massive Mendenhall Glacier and the immense Juneau Icefields at its back door. Juneau is the place to let your imagination run wild. Explore the lush Tongass National Forest. Visit the rustic shops in town. Or get out and kayak, dogsled, raft, hike, whale watch, flightsee or fish. There's no end to the adventure because of the long daylight hours. Climb aboard the Mt. Roberts Tramway for a great spot to hike and shoot a souvenir photo

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Day 13  04 September, 2009   Ketchikan  (BLD)   7am - 3pm   Built out over the water and climbing weathered stairways, Ketchikan clings to the shores of Tongass Narrows and drapes the mountains with a cheerful air. Besides the main attractions - Creek Street, the Tongass Historical Museum, Totem Bight State Park and Saxman Village, try a flightseeing trip to breathtaking Misty Fjords National Monument--a transformational adventure not to be missed. These deep water fjords left by retreating glaciers left granite cliffs towering thousands of feet above the sea and countless waterfalls cascading into placid waters. The souvenir photos you'll take from the pontoons of the plane are worth the trip alone.

Day 14  05 September, 2009  Cruising Inside Passage (BLD)

Day 15  06 September, 2009  Arrive Vancouver  (B)  We disembark Veendam this morning and transfer to our hotel for 1 night..   Accommodation:  Blue Horizon (or similar )   Full day at leisure or join an optional sightseeing tour to Victoria and Butchart Gardens.  Depart Vancouver Harbour by seaplane for an exciting flight over the Gulf Islands to beautiful Victoria. Take a double-decker coach tour to famous Butchart Gardens. In Victoria, shopping, visiting the museum, and several other attractions are just steps away. Return to Vancouver on a scheduled afternoon flight.  Optional tour cost $CAD289 plus tax (price subject to increase for 2009)

Day 16    07 September, 2009  Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada (B)   Morning at leisure before afternoon transfer to the airport and flight to Los Angeles then non stop to Sydney.   N.B.  Those people joining the post-tour option of Canadian Rockies will depart on board Rocky Mountaineer this morning.
Vancouver is a magnificent city, offering variety of culture to explore and stunning outdoors to enjoy. Stroll through the shops and boutiques on Robson Street, visit the Vancouver Art Gallery or Aquarium, explore Granville Island and the Public Market, visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge or just take a relaxing walk along English Bay.

Day 17   08 September, 2009 En-route to Australia

Day 18  09 September, 2009  Arrive Australia.

Tour cost  $AU10,850 includes

• Services of a tour escort from Australia

• Professional tour guide on tour in Alaska

• Economy class air travel ex-Melbourne to Los Angeles - return from Vancouver

• Economy class air travel Los Angeles/Fairbanks

• Luxury accommodation in SINGLE room throughout

• Meals as specified
  Where meals are included they are shown as follows:
  B – Breakfast L – Lunch D – Dinner

• Airport/hotel transfers/ship

• Hotel/airport transfers

Tour cost does not include:

• Airport and air ticket taxes

• Port taxes

• Shore excursions

• Passport  fees

• Travel insurance

• Items of a personal nature

To contact us
Destination World Travel
P O Box 2040
South Plympton   South Australia  5038
Australia