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Example Itinerary
Home » Alaska » Alaska Vacations - One Week » Example ItineraryPosted by Your Guide on June 21, 2006 8:07 PM
Day One: Begin your vacation by exploring the city of Vancouver. Vancouver is a stunning city surrounded by snow-capped mountains and several islands. While you are there, be sure to visit other points of interest such as Kitsilano, a beach-side neighborhood on the south shore of English Bay, or Vancouver's Granville Island, well known for its public market and galleries. Vancouver’s location offers a wide selection of outdoor recreation opportunities including beaches, forests, and mountains, making it even more attractive to visitors. Choose from many outdoor activities, such as walking or cycling in one of the city’s many parks or swimming at one of 11 beaches that are open from late May to early September. Before the day is through, board the cruise ship, unpack, and settle in for a relaxing evening.
Day Two: Cruise along the Inside Passage. On board naturalists will discuss the plentiful, native, marine life surrounding you along the Gulf Coast. Watch for whales, seals, otters, porpoises, and others as you explore. Enjoy lunch and dinner at one of the ships many restaurants and take in a show or two before hitting the onboard casinos.
Day Three: Spend the morning touring the first port of call, Ketchikan. Ketchikan is known as Alaska's Native Cultural Center and Sport fishing capital. Ketchikan is the fourth largest city in Alaska, and provides access for travelers headed to Prince of Wales Island, Metlakatla, Hyder, Wrangell, Petersburg and the spectacular Misty Fjords National Monument. Native art and culture abound in Ketchikan due to the large population of Native Alaskans, represented by three indigenous tribes: the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian. Ketchikan has the largest collection of totem poles in the world, and has been recognized as one of the top 100 arts communities in America. After re-boarding the ship, spend the evening enjoying some of the on board amenities, such as the day spa, cinema, or swimming pools.
Day Four: After breakfast on board, explore beautiful Juneau. Built on a relatively narrow shelf between the towering Mt. Juneau and the Gastineau Channel, Juneau is the Inside Passage's largest city, Alaska's state capital and a great place to view glaciers. Mendenhall Glacier is only 13 miles from downtown Juneau and is one of 38 glaciers extending from the Juneau ice field. At its widest point, Mendenhall glacier is more than one and a half miles wide, with ice ranging from 400 to 1,800 feet deep. The glacier stretches 12 miles back up the valley to its starting point in the ice field. Juneau Icefield, a spectacular expanse of mountains and glaciations, is the source of all the glaciers in the area, including Mendenhall, Taku, Eagle, Herbert and 38 other glaciers within a 1,500 square mile radius.
Day Five: Enjoy the quaint town of Skagway, which is rich in Gold Rush history. Skagway is home to the origin of the Chilkoot and White Pass trails, Gold Rush Cemetery, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Trail of '98 Museum, White Pass and Yukon Route narrow-gauge railroad and the Skagway Historic District. The Historic District is known as the heart of downtown Skagway. Walking tours and interpretive programs of the historic area are available at the visitor center. The district and other local attractions are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Day Six: Today you will be cruising around the edges of the 3.3 million acre Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Just 200 years ago, the area was covered with ice. The park is part of 24 million acre block (37,500 square miles) of protected land, a World Heritage Site, that includes Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (the nation's largest) and Canada's Tatsenshini-Alsek Park and Canada's Kluane National Park. Glacier Bay National Park, Wilderness and Preserve sits at the northern end of the Alaska Panhandle. Some of the park’s most incredible attractions include glaciers, orcas, bears, eagles, sea lions, seals, sea otters, millions of birds. Kayaking and river rafting are some of the parks most popular activities.
Day Seven: Today, you'll travel around the spectacular Prince William Sound, situated at the top of the Gulf of Alaska. Deep within the Sound lies the beautiful College Fjord, home of 16 glaciers named for the Ivy League colleges that sponsored the Harriman Expedition in 1899. After a day spent on the decks, have some fun in the ship’s interior. Enjoy your last evening onboard at one of the Broadway style shows or in the nightclub.
Day Eight: This morning, you'll disembark the ship in the quaint seaside town of Whittier, 60 miles south of Anchorage. There are a number of restaurants and shops along the Whittier waterfront for visitors to enjoy before heading on to Anchorage. Before catching your flight home, take some time to get acquainted with Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city. Anchorage is a modern city in a beautiful setting. It is positioned between the Chugach Mountains and Cook Inlet, and within sight of Mount McKinley, the continent's tallest peak. Attractions include the start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, abundant and nature in its purest form, from the mountains to the coast. Check out the shops, museums and cultural centers, and don't miss the salmon fishing downtown.
With all that Alaska has to offer, there is more than enough to make it a memorable vacation destination. A cruise around its coasts is a great way to see some of its most magnificent scenery and attractions. The memories will keep you and your family looking forward to coming back.
Sources
www.alaska.com
www.alaskatravel.com
www.travelalaska.com
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