Explore Alaska by Train Best Alaska Cruise Train Tours

Table Of Content

• Can you see the Northern Lights while on an Alaskan cruise?
• Your Guidebook to the Best Time of Year to Visit Alaska
• You helped make memories for a life time
• White Pass & Yukon Route
• The Rocky Mountaineer
• Alaska Travel Tips & Articles: Cruisetours
• Train from Anchorage to Seward via Alaska Railroad's Coastal Classic Train

If you are short on time, consider returning to Whittier or Seward on the motorcoach. This is the only scheduled service that will allow you to travel to your cruise port from either Denali Park or Talkeetna in the same day. America's Last Frontier is in a category all its own, with itsimmense mountain ranges, ancient glaciers, remote expanses, andcities steeped in mining history.

Can you see the Northern Lights while on an Alaskan cruise?

These lodges and hotels allow for easy access both to the great outdoors and the communities where you can get a taste of local life. We'll match you with a local itinerary expert to help you plan your trip. When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear.

Your Guidebook to the Best Time of Year to Visit Alaska

From how it started to where the route will take you and how much you'll pay for tickets, here's what you can expect from a ride on the White Pass Railway, Skagway's most scenic route to Canada. Like other states, Alaska uses the U.S. dollar (USD) and the standard tipping practices that prevail across America are equally accepted here. Tip your server or bartender 15-20% for good services, and don’t forget a 15% tip for taxi drivers and tour guides or operators as well. Learn how long routes through remote territories and unmatched panoramas over the vast wilderness make the Alaska Railroad the best way to explore Alaska. Remove the hassle from air travel and give yourself the gift of flexibility, time and a thicker wallet with Princess EZair flights.

You helped make memories for a life time

You can still go for the gold in Fairbanks, panning just like the early prospectors did. Check out the GPS system that maps your precise spot and offers historical facts about your current location. You'll travel past raging rivers, the towering peaks of the Alaska Range, the bridge spanning Hurricane Gulch, and endless forests. Step aboard Princess Rail, a double-decker car with 180-degree dome views, a dining area, and large open-air platforms. Princess offers a variety of packages—departures originating in Anchorage, and staying one or two nights at either Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, a Denali-area hotel—or both. There, you'll also find The Train Shoppe, which sells all sorts of memorabilia and apparel.

The 40 mile round-trip is the perfect day trip to get away from the ships and witness breathtaking views. We are proud to offer the best tours Alaska has to offer with Alaska shore excursions at wholesale prices. Scenic views and glaciers galore is what you can expect on this beautiful train ride from Anchorage to the port of Whittier. You'll have a photo stop at the famed Portage Glacier before arriving at your final destination of W READ MORE... You'll go from sea level in Skagway to 2,888 feet at White Pass Summit, the route's highest point.

The two primary cruise ports in the region are in Whittier and Seward. You can easily take the train to or from your cruise ship in both communities. Begin your adventure with a tour of Kenai Fjords National Park and marvel at glaciers and wildlife. In the evening hop on the Coastal Classic Train to Anchorage where you will overnight. The McKinley Explorer route to Denali is the best route for a luxurious journey between Anchorage and Denali. If you want to explore Seward and Girdwood, the Alaska railroad’s Coastal Classic heads from Anchorage to Seward along the picturesque Turnagain Arm.

The Rocky Mountaineer

From the tram, you can see for miles, with even more expansive vistas from the mountaintop observation deck. The panorama includes the seven hanging glaciers and the snow-capped peaks of the Chugach Mountains, the forested Chugach valley and out to the sparkling waters of the Turnagain Arm waterway. Be sure to look down, too, and you may see wildlife ambling across the mountain's slope. From bald eagles to humpback whales, many animals call Alaska home. The waters are teeming with marine life, like king salmon, while the land is decorated by the colorful coats of Denali National Park’s “big five” – including grizzly bears, wolves, moose, Dall sheep and caribou. On an Alaska cruisetour, encounter wildlife in their natural habitats and experience their unique personalities for yourself.

Here you can get up close to the orphaned, injured or displaced animals, all under expert care in their natural habitats so that they can be reintroduced into the wild. The resident population varies by the season but can include caribou and moose calves, fawns, porcupines, birds, lynx, and brown and black bears. And when you combine your seven-night sailing with Alaska CruiseTours, you’ll explore the best of the Last Frontier — on land and sea.

Train from Anchorage to Seward via Alaska Railroad's Coastal Classic Train

Although it may sound surprising, there are actually plenty of options to combine your Alaska cruise with a train trip. You can choose from long train journeys to short day trips depending on what suits you most. No matter which train or cruise you choose, one thing is guaranteed - amazing scenery and breathtaking views. Expect to witness epic wildlife, snow-capped peaks and calving glaciers within a single trip. Combine this with a scenic train ride and you've got the recipe for a perfect getaway. The White Pass and Yukon Route railroad offer other Alaska excursions and train rides, with most options resuming service in April 2023.

Accessible Travel in Alaska - Travel Alaska

Accessible Travel in Alaska.

Posted: Mon, 25 Sep 2023 16:28:55 GMT [source]

Your nearly three-hour Skagway train excursion might begin right in port at the train depot, a 10-minute walk from where your ship is docked. Taking a ride on the Skagway train is a stress-free way to experience more of Alaska without breaking a sweat. Cruisers with disabilities can also enjoy the Skagway train ride as the train cars come equipped with a wheelchair lift and other accessibility features. Looking to explore a world-class metropolis before your adventure in the wild?

With Cook My Catch excursions, catch your own salmon or halibut with the help of a local expert, and in the evening our talented chefs will prepare your haul for your dinner — a Princess exclusive. From ship to shore, the best is at your fingertips on our Alaska cruises. Our Alaska cruisetours give more than just a glimpse of the "Great One". Settle in for up to three nights and truly connect to North America’s tallest mountain and ragged ridgelines. We offer an array of Alaska cruisetours and a mix of both iconic ports and seldom-seen gems. The Alaska Railroad tracks run north from Seward, stretching 470 miles through Anchorage, Talkeetna, and Denali National Park to the town of Fairbanks.

It's no wonder that National Geographic named the Rocky Mountaineer one of the "World’s Greatest Trips". Ride the scenic Glacier Discovery train North towards Anchorage with two short stops, one in Girdwood and one at the Portage Glacier. This short transfer will be relaxing and provide you with memories to cherish forever. You'll hear informative commentary throughout your journey, with a guide pointing out notable landmarks and the events that took place there; attendants are on hand to answer any questions.

With vast forests, rolling tundra, mighty rivers, pristine lakes and towering mountains, you will feel tempted to continue exploring the outdoors with Alaska land tours after your cruise. When you book (or receive your ticket, in the case of a cruise line booking), you will be given a meeting place and instructed to be there at a set time. If you're coming from a cruise ship and plan to spend time in town prior to your ride, take note of your meeting place well ahead of time to be sure you know how to get there. My travel companion and I took a wrong turn on our way to the meeting spot and would have missed our excursion had it not been for a kind rail worker who saw us running with our tickets and gave us a ride.

Itineraries can also start with rail travel andtouring in the continental United States or Canada for an epicland and sea journey. Each option is designed to complement your own independent explorations for a complete and memorable Alaska vacation crafted with you in mind. When you’re looking into one of the many Alaska cruise itineraries we’ve carefully crafted, don’t forget to book a Cruisetour and create the ultimate land and sea adventure. Unlike shore excursions where you can book excursions at anytime, our Cruisetours serve as land and sea packages to help you fulfill your dream Alaskan adventure, both on land and onboard our ship. When booking your Alaska cruise, why not see everything The Last Frontier has to offer? When you decide to take one of our Alaska cruises, you have the option to select a Cruisetour (also known as a land and sea package), which extends your cruise vacation with a 2 to 6 night adventure into Alaska.