Authentic Alaska - Southbound Cruisetour

Your Norwegian Cruise Line Tour Director will greet you at your Fairbanks hotel this morning. Today, you'll enjoy a morning aboard the Riverboat Discovery, a three-hour journey that will take you into the heart of Alaska. Operated by a family who has made the Alaskan rivers home for five generations, you'll witness a Bush Pilot take off and land beside the boat, and hear stories of flying into remote Alaska firsthand. Halfway through the experience, you'll be immersed in frontier living with a guided walking tour of a recreated Athabascan Indian village. See cabins made of spruce logs, along with other indigenous dwellings that have allowed the strong Athabascan people to survive for thousands of years in this harsh environment.

After a brief city tour of Fairbanks, travel by deluxe motorcoach from Fairbanks to Denali. An open evening in Denali is available for optional activities such as whitewater rafting, helicopter flightseeing, hiking, or one of the park service programs.

Overnight: Denali

More than just the mountain, Denali National Park is six-million acres of wild land. An open morning in Denali is available for optional activities. This afternoon, your Tundra Wilderness Tour will take you into this pristine region of Alaska on the only road into and out of the park. Along the way, enjoy a fully narrated ride learning about the flora and fauna of the area while looking out for the wild animals that roam freely and call this park home. While in this beautiful area, set aside time to experience the solitude and tranquility that vast wilderness can provide.

During your included tour, you will travel into Denali National Park, enjoying the incredible scenery and some of the best opportunities to see wildlife in its natural setting. A light snack is included on the tour.

Overnight: Denali

Today's itinerary includes a morning kennel tour in Denali. Learn about the Alaska state sport of dog mushing with a stop at a local Iditarod sled dog kennel. You'll be amazed to learn about this fascinating sport, the musher, the dogs, and even get to hold a future champion puppy in your arms. After this authentic visit, we won't be surprised if you are ready to run "The Last Great Race" yourself.

In the afternoon, travel along the rails of the Alaska Railroad to the rail depot of Talkeetna with 360-degree views from your deluxe dome railcar seats. As the gorgeous scenery of Alaska rolls past, be watchful for wildlife, as well as glimpses of Mt McKinley, or, as local Alaskans call it, "The Great One." Full bar and meal service are available for purchase during your rail journey. Continue via motorcoach from Talkeetna to Anchorage.

Overnight: Anchorage

This morning, you'll head south and tour down the Turnagain Arm along the Seward Highway. This "All American Scenic Highway" has spectacular views of the Cook Inlet and Chugach Mountains. In dramatic fashion, see where the mountains meet the sea. Watch along the banks of the rivers where fishermen call this area home from May to September.

Visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center where you will see moose, bears, musk ox and other indigenous animals of the region. Taking in orphaned animals and providing quality animal care year-round, the Conservation Center is dedicated to the protection and preservation of Alaska's wildlife. Animals that cannot be released back into the wild are given a permanent home at the Center.

A lunch stop will be made in the community of Soldotna, also known as the "Fishing Capital of the World." Enjoy a brief stop near the world-famous Kenai River and see where the monster King Salmon fish are lured by fisherman, and learn about the five species of salmon that call Alaska home.

As you continue through the mountains of the Kenai Peninsula down the coast, enjoy the spectacular views of Kachemak Bay, the Kenai Mountains and several volcanic peaks across Cook Inlet, including Mt. Augustine, Mt. Iliamna, and Mt. Redoubt. Near the southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula, you'll encounter the town of Homer, an authentic Alaskan community not geared toward mass tourism and often described as "where the land ends and the sea begins."

Homer has a history steeped in commercial fishing and a mild climate moderated by the Pacific Ocean. This results in warmer winters and cooler summers compared to other areas of Alaska. Homer is also famous for the Homer Spit, a 4.5-mile-long natural spit of land extending into Kachemak Bay, which you can explore in the evening.

Visit the Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center before arriving to the hotel – your window to the largest seabird refuge in the world with all the natural wonders of Kachemak Bay right outside its doors. The Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center is a partnership between the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge and the Kachemak Bay Research Reserve, dedicated to understanding and conserving the marine environment. Enjoy the modern displays, movies and information throughout as the Center takes you on an incredible journey through this rough and rugged land.

Overnight: Homer

Open day in Homer to explore this community. Book an optional fishing excursion for halibut and salmon, ride one of the ferries to the remote communities of Halibut Cove or Seldovia, or simply stay in town to enjoy the many local galleries and restaurants.

Overnight: Homer

After departing Homer, stops will be made along the way for you to experience the beauty of the area and break for lunch. Continue in the deluxe motorcoach to Seward to board Norwegian Jewel for your 7-day Alaska cruise.

Best known for its beautiful parks and mountain scenery, Seward, Alaska is not to be missed. There is nearly an endless variety of outdoor activities to enjoy in Seward, from mountain biking and climbing, to rafting, sea kayaking, and dog-sledding, and even skiing, fishing or white water rafting. Explore scenic hiking trails or have a picnic among the pristine landscape. There's no shortage of enjoyable pastimes in Alaska's City of Seward.

The Hubbard Glacier is the largest tidewater glacier in North America. Its awe-inspiring, turquoise-colored face towers nearly 400 feet tall — 250 feet of which are underwater — while its icebergs are often three or four stories high. At nearly six miles wide where the ice meets the ocean and 76 miles long, viewing this massive glacial mass is an experience not soon forgotten. As you cruise near the glacier, keep an eye out for the region’s rich variety of wildlife, from bald eagles to harbor seals, orcas and humpback whales.

The Hubbard Glacier is the largest tidewater glacier in North America. Its awe-inspiring, turquoise-colored face towers nearly 400 feet tall — 250 feet of which are underwater — while its icebergs are often three or four stories high. At nearly six miles wide where the ice meets the ocean and 76 miles long, viewing this massive glacial mass is an experience not soon forgotten. As you cruise near the glacier, keep an eye out for the region’s rich variety of wildlife, from bald eagles to harbor seals, orcas and humpback whales.

Venture “where the north wind doesn’t blow.” Known for this famous saying, Icy Strait Point is the ideal landing spot for adventurers seeking a new experience. Breathtaking and exciting, Icy Strait Point truly takes you where the wild things are. It’s one of the few places in the world where wildlife outnumbers the human population. A trip here certainly satisfies your taste for adventure. Take a cruise from Icy Strait Point and enjoy Alaska's awe-inspiring scenery and the many excursion options that Norwegian Cruise Line has to offer.

Juneau has been called “Alaska's peak experience,” certainly due in part to its unparalleled glacier viewing from such places as Tracy Arm Fjord, the Juneau Icefields and Glacier Bay National Park. Kayak up one of the area's many protected waterways, go flightseeing, tour historic downtown or try your hand at panning for gold. The majestic Mendenhall Glacier lies nearly 12 miles outside Juneau, a treck worthwhile.

In a single year from 1896 to 1897, this remote town along the Inside Passage grew from a few tents to a city of 20,000 gold seekers. Today, travelers come in search of other riches – to experience yesteryear along Skagway's charming boardwalk lined with buildings that replicate those Gold Rush days.

Thanks to its abundant rainfall, Ketchikan is surrounded by some of the world's most lush wilderness. Its Tlingit Indian name, Kach Khanna, means “spread wings of the eagle.” Chances are you'll see one of these magnificent birds perched atop a Sitka tree during your Alaska cruise to Ketchikan (Ward Cove).

Get ready for amazing views and wildlife like nowhere else as you sail through the islands of Alaska's Inside Passage.

Positioned between the snow-dusted North Shore Mountains and the rich, blue waters of the Pacific Ocean, Vancouver blends big-city sophistication with small-town charm. Don't miss Queen Elizabeth Park – a 130-acre civic arboretum accented with sculptures by modern artist Henry Moore.