Please post your planned or completed itinerary

[drwalt]

Now that our trip is completed, I thought I'd update what worked well. See notes in blue.

Day 1: DTW to Vancouver, stay overnight in downtown (take cab ($36-40) from airport and cancelled cruise transfer). We took the train from the airport to downtown. It was very inexpensive, I think about $6 and didn't take long at all. You can board from inside the airport.

Day 2: Hang around downtown until boarding boat before 4PM. (Diamond Princess)We took a trip up to Grouse Mountain. You can book the trip and board a bus right near the cruise terminal. It's a fun way to spend a day until you can board the boat. They have one of those wind turbines that you see in fields and you can go up inside of it and look out over Vancouver. The views from anywhere on Grouse Mountain are great. Also, they have a couple of grizzly bears that were very fun to watch.

Day 3: At sea

Day 4: Ketchikan- Bought toursaver book and got 2 for 1 deal on Misty Fjords Seaplane Exploration (booked privately). They will pick us up at boat at 7AM. Take Walking tour of town and perhaps take in the Greatest American Lumberjack Show if we have time. This was the only day we had rain and because of the fog, our Misty Fjords trip was cancelled. We got a call early that morning and they tried all morning to get it to go, pushing the time back several times and we actually got all the way to the terminal, through the safety briefing and everything before they finally cancelled it altogether. It was a great disappointment, not only because we didn't get to go, but we had bought the tour saver book just for this, and we didn't visit other things we might have liked to because we were always waiting to see if the trip would run. Next time, I'd just skip it altogether if it wasn't going to run as scheduled and go on to something else. They were very nice about it, though. We walked through town to the salmon hatchery and there were still a good amount of salmon running in early September. You can walk to everything here if you are inclined. We thought the Lumberjack show saved our day with some humor. It was cute.

Day 5: Juneau- Whale watching tour with Harv and Marv's (booked privately) and after tour they will drop us at the Mendenhall Glacier. We'll hang out there and take the shuttle back to the boat. Harv and Marv's is the way to go! We had only 6 people on our boat, vs the cruise boat excursion which had 50 or more. We could get all the pictures we wanted right from the rail without anyone being in the way. We could hear the narration and got personalized tour notes. It was great! They dropped us at Mendenhall and we hiked one of the loops there. We saw 3 bears in the wild. We took the bus back to town for $8. It picks up every 1/2 hour.

Day 6: Skagway- Rented a car from Sourdough Rentals ($80) to drive to Yukon (Emerald Lake); a little hiking, perhaps the Jewel Gardens if time permits. We rented the car and it was easy. No problems and we had a leisurely drive up to Emerald lake, stopping as we wanted to take pictures, have lunch, etc. We drove around town afterwards seeing the river and sights. There is only one road in and out of the town so we feel like we "saw it all".

Day 7: Glacier Bay NP cruising This was fantastic! It's like that little t.v. you have as a kid that you wind up and the scenery scrolls by. You sit on your balcony and the scenery just flows by all day. There's always something to look at. The glaciers are spectacular.

Day 8: College Fjord cruising

Day 9: Anchorage, transfer to coach to Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge. We thought the Kenai lodge was the best of all. It's very pretty and we saw the most brilliant rainbow we've ever seen in our life. The colors were so vivid and it was huge. There are salmon in the river, a great little path to hike and beautiful scenery all around.

Day 10: Hike the Harding Icefield Trail (the largest icefield in the world!). We got a taxi from PJs to take us to the icefield and back and maybe have dinner in Seward. This worked out perfectly. Renee' from PJ's picked us up and drove us to the Icefield trail. It's a pretty difficult hike and not to be attempted if you are not in good shape. It's very steep, but if you have all day you could rest more or only go so far if you're not in good shape. We were up and back in about 5 hours. It's worth it. The views on the top (through 50 mph winds) are glaciers, icefield, alpine meadow, river, and snow capped mountains, all at once! It was amazing and one of the highlights of our trip. The taxi cost $100 pp RT plus tip. (sounds like a lot, but not really when you compare it to the price of any other excursion). Renee drove us to Seward and we had dinner before taking us back to Kenai lodge. We heard from others that the river trip (don't know if it was fishing or what) was good, too. They saw a few bears on the river.

Day 11: Coach to McKinley Princess Lodge This was a bus ride through good scenery. We had a dorky driver, but it was fine. We stopped in Anchorage for lunch. It's fun to approach "the mountain" and finally get your first look. We liked this lodge second best. Another scenic setting and we enjoyed the restaurants onsite.

Day 12: Hang out and relax. Look at the view because optimistically, we'll have a great view of the Mt. ALL DAY! LOL We were blessed to be able to see Mt. McKinley for 3 WHOLE DAYS, blue skies and no clouds! It was awesome! We did the horseback ride and it was fun. This is not your nose to tail, horse follow horse, trip. These horses have a mind of their own and you are in control of them! You go up and down little hills and through the woods and on actual trails. It is much better than most trail rides and you get to see the mountain and have your picture taken on your horse in front of it.

Day 13: Coach to Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge This is our 3rd best lodge. We had a river view, but the rooms were kind of cheap compared to the others and more like a hotel than before. The closer we get to Fairbanks, the more "standard" they become. Still, they were clean and nice and the restaurants are good.

Day 14: Upgraded to Tundra Tour at Denali NP. I highly recommend upgrading to the Tundra Tour. Do it as you book your cruise because it sells out fast. It takes you farther into the park, you ride a better bus and you get to see more. The bus is more like a tour bus. We saw bears, moose, sheep, birds, little ground critters and lots of good history of the park. It's well worth it. Go as early in the morning or toward dusk if you can for best wildlife viewing.

Day 15: Train to Fairbanks The train is fun, but the food is mediocre. Plan to eat before or after. The drinks on the train are very expensive. $3 for an 8 oz cup of pop, no refill. Bring your own. We saw some wildlife along the way. We were given the largest suite in the place for our anniversary (25). It was very nice and we enjoyed the restaurant in the hotel. We ventured out on the bus to the store to buy an extra suitcase (our zipper broke on ours). Fairbanks is an interesting town.

Day 16: Gold Mining trip and Sternwheeler Riverboat Cruise I was not looking forward to this part of the trip. I thought it would be hokey. The gold mining trip was really good, informative and fun. We got to see the Alaska pipeline (I really wanted to see this) and pan for gold. I can see why people get "gold rush fever". The riverboat was fine. It was fun to do once, but I wouldn't sign up for it again.

Day 17: Fairbanks to Denver, stay the night. We deliberately booked our trip home this way to avoid flying in the dead of night (we don't sleep well on a plane) and to avoid sitting in the Anchorage airport most of the day. By doing this we saved $200 (even with hotel) and we got a good night's rest. Plus, we jumped back 2 time zones, rest, and then 2 more time zones which seemed easier on the system. The other alternative was to fly the same stops, but we wouldn't even leave Seattle until 11 PM, having left Fairbanks at 6 AM. Our way we were in bed by 9 PM Denver time. It just worked out better for us.

Day 18: Denver to Detroit.

 

We booked everything privately rather than through the cruise lines. Our tours are in the early morning so we won't be cutting it close to the time when the boat leaves and we were able to get on much smaller tours and have the freedom of customizing our tours. We've heard that the Harding Icefield is one of the most magnificent places to hike. You can see the Exit Glacier, which is an easy walk, or do the more strenuous Icefield, which is 8 miles RT and gains 3600 ft. of elevation over 4 miles. Princess only offers a few tours around their lodge and they are $100-$200 per person and we didn't care for any of them. PJ's taxi will pick up a vanload of up to 9 people for $100 each way and you'll have a great day at the same price or less, depending on how many go, as you would on one of the Princess tours. We deliberately left time every day to call it by ear, so as not to over schedule ourselves. We also booked our air home a little different. The customary route to DTW had us leaving Fairbanks early, sitting in Anchorage half a day and then leaving at 11PM to fly to Chicago. We didn't want to fly at night b/c it's exhausting trying to sleep sitting up. So we got a flight that leaves Fairbanks early and arrives in Denver around 9PM and then we get a good night's rest (and we're resting before our flight would even take off from Anchorage!) and fly on to DTW the next day. Also, by doing it this way we've split the time change in half (over two days), allowing ourselves to get back on our schedule a little easier, we think.

 

Planning for rain every day, hoping we'll be pleasantly surprised and have sun, but by expecting rain we won't feel so disappointed if it happens and we'll feel awesome if it's sunny! It only rained one day! We saw the mountain 3 days! It was awesome!

 

We feel like this is one of the most amazing, fantastic trips we've ever taken and it can't be matched. It's worth every penny you will spend. You'll see amazing scenery and wildlife, meet some very interesting and fun people, and have the time of your life. Be sure to plan ahead and be prepared for some wild weather. The only thing I would have done differently was to bring a warmer coat. I had a lot of layers but I was cold all the time. Could be just me. Have the time of your life!

[mamkmm2]

Land/cruise package on Princess Cruise Line; ship = Sapphire Princess

 

First cruise to Alaska ... first cruise period. Despite living in a large port city in Florida cruising was just never one of the things we chose to do as we saw it an activity for "old folks", not for the young and active campers and hikers we were. We still camp in tents and hike the backcountry when life allows - we've done it with five children of all ages in tow - but for our 25th Anniversary we want something different. It will be one of three vacations that we've taken without children in all 25 years so I expect it to be different for that reason alone. LOL!

 

Because we are usually so active we went with a combo land/cruise package that starts in May. Not the most optimal month for seeing Alaska I suppose but the only time we could get away from our business. We even plan on arriving a couple of days in advance of the vacation package starting. Any hints or suggestions are welcome. I'm certainly combing this website and the forum and have gleaned lots of things I never would have thought of ... like taking a power strip to make sure we have enough electrical receptacles for all of our electronic chargers.

 

Day 1 (May 18): arrive late afternoon in Anchorage after flying all day from TPA

 

Day 2 (May 19): Anchorage and the surrounding area (still in planning stage)

 

Day 3 (May 20): Anchorage and the surrounding area (still in planning stage)

 

Day 4 (May 21): land package starts but since it is a do-it-yourself kind of things we'll finish up whatever we have left from the previous three days, drop the rental off at the airport and then avail ourselves of the shuttle from the airport to the hotel the cruise line booked for us (Captain Cook Hotel)

 

Day 5 (May 22): 9 am - 12:30 pm bus to McKinley Princess Lodge; grab a bite to eat from whatever picnic stuff we have managed to hang onto from the previous day to save from having to eat during the busy time in the lodge; hike around the lodge and get acquainted as best we can; 3:00 - 8:30 pm float trip on the Chilutna River to Talkeetna and back to lodge. Depending on dinner hours grab a bite to eat and then hike around until it is too dark to be safe and then come in and crash and burn for the night.

 

Day 6 (May23): Breakfast at the lodge; do a little more hiking around because we are going to be doing a lot of sitting this day. 10 - 11 am ride the bus to the train depot. 11:20 an - 3:45 pm train ride to Denali. Possibly eat on the train though I've heard the food can be hit or miss so I'm going to be prepared with energy bars and bottled water. 4 - 4:30 pm bus to Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge after which we'll check in then do some hiking and sightseeing on our own then head back to the room for a quick clean up and change. 8 - 10 pm we've got books the Music of Denali Dinner Theater. Back to room and hopefully a good night's rest.

 

Day 7 (May 24): Super early day today. Not sure how we are going to do breakfast. Booked the Tundra Wilderness Tour that starts at 6 am and comes back to the lodge at 3 pm because the others were already filled and closed. Wasn't that a surprise. What we do after 3 pm will depend on how zonked we are from the last few busy days. I can't see hubby wanting to slow down so I'll likely have to down a soda or something for some caffeine.

 

Day 8 (May 25): 'Nother long day of sitting that I can guess will be a real challenge for hubby who is worse about that than a five year old hyperactive boy. Hopefully we'll stop enough that he can work the kinks out. Not sure what we'll do about lunch as the cruise is very specific about the stopping details on that leg of the trip. Either way 8 am - 4:30 pm is a lot of time on a bus but at the end of it we'll be in Whittier and boarding the cruise ships. I hope to be able to eat on the cruise ship that night. Ship leaves port at 8:30 pm and we plan on spending the rest of the day getting oriented, exploring, and figuring out what is going on.

 

Day 9 (May 26): First full day on the cruise ship. We should be passing Hubbard Glacier 3- 8 pm. I've hiked the Sunrise/Sunset trail on Mt. Ranier and have seen some spectacular views of a small glacier but reports are that I'm going to get totally blown away by the glaciers I'll see on this trip. Hubby and I are sure to miss sharing the sights with the kids but lots of pictures will help with that plus if the trip goes well we plan on taking them the next go around.

 

Day 10 (May 27): Another cruise-only day, this time by Glacier Bay National Park. We've seen so many of the US National Parks over the years that it is almost like a collecting game for us. Doing the happy dance to be able to say we've seen this one as well.

 

Day 11 (May 28): First "port day" in Skagway, AK (7 am - 8:30 pm). Hubby is going to need to move it, move it, move it. He plans on jogging the deck every morning but he's the type that really needs to burn off some energy and we are currently trying to decide whether we are going to take the ferry to Haines and do some uber nature stuff over there or whether we are going to stay around Skagway and participate in a few excursion there. Ferry schedule that time of year doesn't allow for both and choosing is difficult.

 

Day 12 (May 29): Juneau, AK (8:30 am - 4 pm). Definitely going to Mendenhall Glacier but not sure of the rest of the day.

 

Day 13 (May 30): Ketchikan, AK (10 am - 6 pm). Still wondering what to do this day. I'm feverishly reading the forum for hints but like anything else, every excursion seems to have its pros and cons, not the least of which is cost. I like crab and hubby likes salmon so there will probably be some of that. And we both love history. Creek Street sounds fun (no little kids in tow which will be strange not hearing them try and weasel some special treat out of their dad hoping mom does hear ... LOL). Since it is our last port day we want to make it special.

 

Day 14 (May 31): at sea. Hopefully the cruise ship will have some interesting activities planned that day. I'll also be repacking everything, making ready for our trip home.

 

Day 15 (June 1): Arrive in Vancouver, BC at 7:30 am. Not sure how long disembarking is going to take or how the luggage thing is going to work. Like I said, first cruise and all that. Our flight out is at 4 pm so we'll probably just go straight to the airport and veg because we will be flying all night and won't get to TPA until 6 am the next morning. Now that is something I am not looking forward to but when you are losing 4 hours you just gotta deal. (grin)

[tellubob]

Day 1 Depart Vancouver

Day 2 Day at sea

Day 3 Glacier Bay :)

Day 4 Skagway

AM: Glacier Point Wilderness Safari

Lunch somewhere…Suggestions?

PM: 3:30 Summit tour with Dyea Dave (2 ½ hours)

Day 5 Juneau

AM: Harv and Marv Whale Watching

PM: Trems Helicopter and glacier landing

Day 6: Ketchikan

Private fishing charter with Northern Lights

Day 7 Day at sea

Day 8 Disembark :(

[dustyroad]

so far i am booked with capt.larry for whale watching in juneau and the 6 1/2 hr yukon tour with chilkoot in skagway. ketchinkan is the port i usually browse the shops and walk too creek street .

Edited March 2, 2013 by dustyroad

[fireflymd]

We have booked a Princess Cruisetour in Alaska--landtour before the cruise, then cruise southbound.

 

Day 1: Very late arrival to Anchorage

 

Day 2: Likely sleep in, walk around streets surrounding Hotel Captain Cook

 

Day 3: Princess Motorcoach ride from Anchorage to Talkeetna

Glacier Landing Explorer (fixed wing plane landing on Ruth Glacier)

Shuttle to Princess McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge

 

Day 4: Ultimate Denali Hike & Flight in Denali National Park

McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge

 

Day 5: Princess Motorcoach to Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge

Nenana Whitewater Rafting

 

Day 6: Tundra Wilderness Tour

Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge

 

Day 7: Princess Rail: Denali to Whittier

Embark ship

 

Day 8: Hubbard Glacier

 

Day 9: Glacier National Park

 

Day 10: Skagway

White Pass Scenic Railway w/Chilkoot Charters (bus up, rail back)

Dog Sledding on Glacier

 

Day 11 Juneau

Whales, Bears & Glaciers tour (whalewatching tour, van to search

for bears in Tongass National Park, flightseeing over glaciers

 

Day 12 Ketchikan

No plans yet! Not thrilled with any excursions offered by Princess

 

Day 13 at sea

 

Day 14 disembark Vancouver, flight home

 

 

The only thing I feel I'm missing is hiking in Mendenall Glacier park. I really don't want to miss out on seeing the bears, otherwise we would do a whale watch and then go to the park for hiking.

[SunshineCoast]

Hello Fireflymd

 

Could you please tell us who you are doing the following tour with please

 

Day 11 Juneau

Whales, Bears & Glaciers tour (whalewatching tour, van to search

for bears in Tongass National Park, flightseeing over glaciers

 

 

Many thanks

[fireflymd]

Hello Fireflymd

 

Could you please tell us who you are doing the following tour with please

 

Day 11 Juneau

Whales, Bears & Glaciers tour (whalewatching tour, van to search

for bears in Tongass National Park, flightseeing over glaciers

 

 

Many thanks

 

We have booked the tour through Princess, although I googled it and was able to find that it is organized by Alaska Galore. www.alaskagalore.com

[DT1304]

What a great thread. I will be travelling with my wife and 3 kids (12, 10 and 7) for my 40th birthday celebration and have this planned: (Going to be busy, busy busy!!!. Will probably need a holiday when we get home)

 

Friday May 24th:

Fly out of Melbourne, Australia at 9:30am, fly for 14 hours, and land at 6:30am the same morning. :eek:. Transfer from LAX to Howard Johnson Hotel in Anaheim.

Spend rest of day at Downtown Disney, walking around the area and just staying awake to try get over jetlag asap.

 

Saturday 25th:

Spend day in one of the Disneyland Theme Parks

 

Sunday 26th:

Spend the day in the OTHER Disneyland Theme park

 

Monday 27th:

Spend the day at Knotts Berry Soak City water Park

 

Tuesday 28th:

Spend the day at Knotts Berry farm Theme Park

 

Wednesday 29th:

Fly out of Anaheim to Vancouver via Seattle, arriving in Vancouver at 3pm (approx)

Sky train to Holiday Inn Downtown, check in, then head to Granville Island for evening/night for dinner

 

Thursday 30th:

Explore Stanley Park, possibly Grouse Mountain (Weather permitting) and either Capilano Suspension bridge or Lynn Park. Depending on time left, explore Gastown/Chinatown etc.

 

Friday 31st:

Explore what we ran out of time to do yesterday. Board radiance of the Seas at about 1pm.

 

Saturday 1st:

Cruise inside passage

 

Sunday 2nd June - Ketchikan:

Land and water "duck tour" booked

Lumberjack Show

Quick bite to eat for lunch then bus to Saxmans/Bight Park

Explore Creek Street

Monday 3rd - Icy Strait Point:

What watching tour with Hoonah Travel Adventures

 

Tuesday 4th - Juneau:

Shuttle to Mendenhall Glacier for own exploration

Red Dog Saloon for lunch/just a beer or 2 depending on the wait for a table

Alaska Brewery (Time permitting)

Mount Roberts Tramway (weather permitting)

 

Wednesday 5th - Skagway:

Rock-climbing/Rapelling/zipline with two older kids (DW will stay with 7 year old)

Liarsville Gold Rush and Salmon Bake

 

Thursday 6th - Hubbard Glacier

 

Friday 7th - Seward:

Disembark.

Check in at Alaska Railroad for train to Anchorage.

Seavey's Full Alaska tour (Exit Glacier/Resurrection Lodge lunch/Dog sled tour)

Train to Anchorage

 

Saturday 8th:

Flight, Anchorage - LAX.

Transfer to Hollywood Hotel

 

Sunday 9th:

Self tour of Hollywood/Beverly Hills etc

Make way to airport for 11:30pm flight back to Australia.

 

 

[Robinhill]

I read a post yesterday where someone posted their itinerary and I found it very helpful. Thanks for sharing.

 

Please post your planned or completed itineraries in this thread. It would be nice to see them all in one thread. I know it will give me a lot of ideas and I'm sure it will help others too.

 

Thanks so much to all those that post to help all of us!!!:D

 

June 17 4:30pm arrive in Fairbanks from Baltimore. Pick up rental car and check in at hotel. Dinner and bed!

June 18 Riverboat cruise on Riverboat Discovery to Athabascan Native Village (3 1/2 hours)

drive to North Pole for Grandson to see the Santa village, then to University of Alaska large animal research center for tour. 2pm ish head to Denali. Cabin nite dinner theater for dinner and show then to bed

June 19 Shuttle into Denali to Eiselson Visitors Center and back, dinner then bed

June 20 Head to Talkeetna for lunch and shopping then on to Anchorage. Return rental car then dinner and shopping. Early bed

June 21 Train from Anchorage down to Seward (arrive 11:05) Check onto ship, have lunch then back off to go to Seward Sealife Center for Octopus encounter and tour. Back to ship around 2:30ish

 

Cruise-

Day 6 cruising- Hubbard Glacier

Day 7-Juneau- Coastal helicopter to Glacier for dogsledding. Lunch at Tracy's crab shack!

Day 8 Skagway- White pass railroad to Yukon

Day 9 Icy Straight Point- Whale watching

Day 10 Ketchikan- Saxam totem park and shopping in town

Day 11 Inside passage - cruising

Day 12 arrive in Vancouver and at 12 noon- fly home to Baltimore

 

Do you think I have enough planned? LOL

[doug52]

First, it has been extremely helpful to review all of the ideas and info on this site over the last several days after booking our cruisetour on the Coral Princess starting on May 25th. This site is an outstanding resource. This is our first trip to Alaska and my wife, daughter and I are looking forward to the itinerary below.

 

Day 1- LAX to Anchorage. Arrive mid afternoon, transfer to Captain Cooks and then weather permitting rent bikes at Pedro's(about 1 block away) and take the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. Dinner that night will probably be at Simon and Seafort where we hope to have Copper River Salmon.

 

Day 2- board motor coach to Mt. McKinley Wilderness Lodge and that afternoon take the shuttle to Talkeetna and do a flightseeing and glacier landing with Talkeetna Air Taxi. Hopefully the weather allows this tour, it looks to be spectacular. We are doing the Grand Denali Glacier tour.

 

Day 3- take the train to the Princess Denali lodge. Explore the lodge and possibly take a tour, undecided at this point.

 

Day 4- All day in Denali with the Tundra Wilderness tour.

 

Day 5- Motorcoach to Whittier, board the Coral Princess, get settled in our balcony mini suite.

 

Day 6- Hubbard Glacier

 

Day 7- Glacier bay

 

Day 8- Skagway, using Packer Expeditions, take the train and then a 4 hour hike through the rainforest on the Denver Valley Wilderness Hike and White Pass Railway adventure. By the way, one of the benefits for our Wednesday departure is there are only two ships in port this day in Skagway.

 

Day 9- Juneau, Harv and Marv Whale Watch bright and early, drop us off at Mendenhall, tour glacier, shuttle back to enjoy Tracy's King Crab.

 

Day 10- Ketchikan. Get off the boat early and tour the Totem Heritage and hopefully Saxman Native Village. Then off to Southeast Sea Kayaks for the Orcas Cove Trip around noon.

 

Day 11- at sea, and recuperating before arriving in Vancouver on...

 

Day 12- fly back to LAX and travel to our home in Laguna Hills.

[Budget Queen]

5/20/13 NCL Sun, from Vancouver. arriving in Seattle 4/5 days early- to Vancouver Island

21- up at least 30 min. prior to the posted dawn time. All day scenic sailng viewing

22- Ketchikan Misty Fiords flightseeing

23- Juneau- car rental- which a glacier helicopter landing and whale watch.

24- Skagway- car rental

25- Glacier Bay, up at least an hour prior to dawn, remain out all day

26 Hubbard Glacier up at least 30 min. prior to dawn, some scenic viewing

27 Whittier- PWS boat tour, Alaska RR to Anchorage

28 Anchorage

29 Homer

30 Homer

31 Seward Kenai Fjords boat tour

6/1 Seward Kenai Fjords boat tour

6/2 Sheep Mt, glacier trekking

6/3 Copper Center scenic flightseeing

6/4 Valdez- Stephens boat tour.

6/5 Fairbanks

6/6 Fairbanks scenic flgight seeing

6/7 Fairbanks

6/8 Denali Eielson

6/9 Denali Wonder Lake

6/10 Denali Eielson

6/11 Talkeetna summit flight

6/12 Anchorage

6/13 or 14==leave

Edited March 5, 2013 by Budget Queen

[mamkmm2]

First, it has been extremely helpful to review all of the ideas and info on this site over the last several days after booking our cruisetour on the Coral Princess starting on May 25th. This site is an outstanding resource. This is our first trip to Alaska and my wife, daughter and I are looking forward to the itinerary below.

 

Day 1- LAX to Anchorage. Arrive mid afternoon, transfer to Captain Cooks and then weather permitting rent bikes at Pedro's(about 1 block away) and take the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. Dinner that night will probably be at Simon and Seafort where we hope to have Copper River Salmon.

 

Day 2- board motor coach to Mt. McKinley Wilderness Lodge and that afternoon take the shuttle to Talkeetna and do a flightseeing and glacier landing with Talkeetna Air Taxi. Hopefully the weather allows this tour, it looks to be spectacular. We are doing the Grand Denali Glacier tour.

 

Day 3- take the train to the Princess Denali lodge. Explore the lodge and possibly take a tour, undecided at this point.

 

Day 4- All day in Denali with the Tundra Wilderness tour.

 

Day 5- Motorcoach to Whittier, board the Coral Princess, get settled in our balcony mini suite.

 

Day 6- Hubbard Glacier

 

Day 7- Glacier bay

 

Day 8- Skagway, using Packer Expeditions, take the train and then a 4 hour hike through the rainforest on the Denver Valley Wilderness Hike and White Pass Railway adventure. By the way, one of the benefits for our Wednesday departure is there are only two ships in port this day in Skagway.

 

Day 9- Juneau, Harv and Marv Whale Watch bright and early, drop us off at Mendenhall, tour glacier, shuttle back to enjoy Tracy's King Crab.

 

Day 10- Ketchikan. Get off the boat early and tour the Totem Heritage and hopefully Saxman Native Village. Then off to Southeast Sea Kayaks for the Orcas Cove Trip around noon.

 

Day 11- at sea, and recuperating before arriving in Vancouver on...

 

Day 12- fly back to LAX and travel to our home in Laguna Hills.

 

You sure this is the Coral Princess? I know she has a southbound but I thought it started in Fairbanks. This is our exact schedule (sail date on May 25th but the land part starts on the 21st) except we are sailing on the Sapphire. LOL!

 

We are doing the tundra tour our full day in Denali too. The 6 am one. ROFL! I hope the animals are up by then. (grin)

 

How do you know how many ships will be in port on each port day? That sounds like an interesting way to plan things out.

 

Thanks.

[doug52]

You sure this is the Coral Princess? I know she has a southbound but I thought it started in Fairbanks. This is our exact schedule (sail date on May 25th but the land part starts on the 21st) except we are sailing on the Sapphire. LOL!

 

We are doing the tundra tour our full day in Denali too. The 6 am one. ROFL! I hope the animals are up by then. (grin)

 

How do you know how many ships will be in port on each port day? That sounds like an interesting way to plan things out.

 

Thanks.

We are on different cruises. My land portion starts on May 25th, and the cruise portion starts on May 29th. We are doing the DBX cruise tour that originates in Anchorage for one night, goes to McKinley for one night, Denali for two, and then to Whittier to board the ship.

 

As to your question on the cruise ship schedules, here is the link to a site which has information on each of the ports:

 

http://cruiseportinsider.com/index.html

 

Once on this site, scroll down to where it shows Alaska and click on this to get the dropdown for each of the ports. Click on one of your ports, lets say Juneau for example. Then you get to a page that says "Juneau basics" at the top. Then scroll all the way down to where it says "Cruise port Schedule"

and click on that. You will then see all the ships that are in port on each day for that port, in this case Juneau.

 

You will need to repeat this process for each port that your ship is sailing to.

[SunshineCoast]

Doug52

 

Many thanks for this amazing link to cruiseportinsider. If we had know about this before it would have saved hours of research - as it is we have found a lot of new and very useful info.

 

Fireflymd

 

Thanks for the link to alaskagalore.

 

kind regards

[mamkmm2]

We are on different cruises. My land portion starts on May 25th, and the cruise portion starts on May 29th. We are doing the DBX cruise tour that originates in Anchorage for one night, goes to McKinley for one night, Denali for two, and then to Whittier to board the ship.

 

As to your question on the cruise ship schedules, here is the link to a site which has information on each of the ports:

 

http://cruiseportinsider.com/index.html

 

Once on this site, scroll down to where it shows Alaska and click on this to get the dropdown for each of the ports. Click on one of your ports, lets say Juneau for example. Then you get to a page that says "Juneau basics" at the top. Then scroll all the way down to where it says "Cruise port Schedule"

and click on that. You will then see all the ships that are in port on each day for that port, in this case Juneau.

 

You will need to repeat this process for each port that your ship is sailing to.

 

Thanks! As you can tell ... I've never cruised before and didn't realize how many similar itineraries there were out there.

[dyank]

We're still planning. Thanks for all the input.

[seaver]

Our new Itinerary for June 2013

 

 

Thank to all the research and suggestions from the forums,we have canceled our cruistour and doing everything on are own!

 

Our Itinerary

 

6/14 Fly into Anchorage late, pick up rental,stay @ Holiday Inn

 

Express

 

6/15 Drive to Denali,stopping @ Talkeetna for possible

 

Flightseeing and lunch. Overnight @ Dome House.

 

6/16 9:15 Wonder Lake shuttle, Overnight @ Dome House.

 

6/17 9:15 Wonder Lake shuttle, Overnight @ Dome House.

 

6/18 Drive to Anchorage,Possibly stopping @ Talkeetna for flight

 

seeing if weather was not good on 6/15,return car,

 

Stay @ Holiday Inn Express.

 

6/19 Pick up rental car drive to Seward, drop off car,

 

Overnight @ Holiday Inn express

 

6/20 Kenai Fjords tour

 

Overnight @ Holiday Inn express

 

6/21 Board Radiance of the seas

 

6/22 Hubbard Glacier (cruising)

 

6/22 Juneau .... Harv & Marv's

 

6/23 Skagway ......Dyea & Dave tour

 

6/24 Icy Strait ...Bear watch tour

 

6/25 Ketchikan ......Island Wings tour

 

6/26 Sea Day...... Inside Passage...REST!

 

6/27 Vancouver Hotel TBD

 

6/28 Vancouver Hotel TBD

 

6/29 Fly home

[rachelfran]

currently finalizing but here it is so far :

 

July 24, arriving 1:30am to ANC

July 23/24 overnight anchorage TBD

July 24, pick up rental, drive to Seward enjoying many stops enroute

overnight at B&B

July 25, 10am departure on Major Marine Kenai Fjords trip (coupon)

drive to Girdwood, overnight TBD

July 26, Drive Girdwood - Denali Area, scenic stops enroute; Shopping stop in Wasilla

overnight Denali Lakeview in Healy

July 27, Full Day - Wonderlake Shuttle in Denali

overnight Denali Lakeview in Healy

July 28, Healy - Anchorage... stop in Talkteena enroute

overnight Anchorhage TBD

July 29, train anchorage - whittier

12:15pm Major Marine glacier trip (coupon)

Board Island Princess

 

July 30 HUBBARD GLACIER, ALASKA (SCENIC CRUISING)

July 31 GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARK, ALASKA (SCENIC CRUISING)

Aug 1 SKAGWAY, ALASKA ARRIVE 7:00AM DEPART 8:30PM - rental car up to Yukon

Aug 2 JUNEAU, ALASKA ARRIVE 6:30AM DEPART 4:00PM - Harv & Marv, whalewatch & Glacier stop

Aug 3 KETCHIKAN, ALASKA ARRIVE 10:00AM DEPART 6:00PM - Family Air excursion to Anan booked

Aug 4 AT SEA

Aug 5 VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA ARRIVE 7:30AM - Hotel TBD

Aug 6 Vancouver- Hotel TBD

Aug 7 Vancouver- Hotel TBD

Aug 8 Vancouver, depart on red eye 10:00pm

[Budget Queen]

 

6/19 Pick up rental car drive to Seward, drop off car,

 

Overnight @ Holiday Inn express

 

6/20 Kenai Fjords tour

 

Overnight @ Holiday Inn express

 

6/21 Board Radiance of the seas

 

 

 

 

 

 

You have a lot of time here- I would do the Kenai Fjords your embarkment day, and then you can add time elsewhere. Maybe some sightseeing in Anchorage. I would highly recommend a Prince William Sound boat tour- NO issue with doing 2 completely different boat tours in a row. :) I do all the time. :)

Or, glacier trekking Matanuska- which is the bargain of Alaska- very doable by most everyone. :)

 

Just a few ideas to add to Alaska touring. (I don't do well with a lot of down time- ME ONLY!!!!)

[KruisinKath]

Here's the final itinerary for me and my boyfriend:

 

6/5 - Fly from Chicago to Anchorage; dinner at Simon's?

6/6 - Train to Whittier; Major Marine Blackstone Glacier Tour

6/7 - Train to Seward; Major Marine 6-hour National Park Tour; get on ship! (Radiance of the Seas)

6/8 - Sea day

6/9 - Whale watch with Adventures in Alaska; gotta get some king crab legs at Tracy's Crab Shack; might walk around or relax on ship

6/10 - Got a jeep from Green Jeep Tours; not sure where we'll go yet, but have the jeep all day

6/11 - Whale Watch with Glacier Wind Charters; might walk along the beach; crab legs at the Office? (see a trend here? )

6/12 - Budget and my fear of doing the Misty Fjord flightseeing alone (BF won't go!) has us just chilling out and walking around town/shopping; relaxing on ship

6/13 - Sea day - Dinner at Chops to celebrate my birthday and our 13th year of "domestic partnership." :D

6/14 - Flight home

6/15 & 6/16: Recover!

[fireflymd]

First, it has been extremely helpful to review all of the ideas and info on this site over the last several days after booking our cruisetour on the Coral Princess starting on May 25th. This site is an outstanding resource. This is our first trip to Alaska and my wife, daughter and I are looking forward to the itinerary below.

 

Day 1- LAX to Anchorage. Arrive mid afternoon, transfer to Captain Cooks and then weather permitting rent bikes at Pedro's(about 1 block away) and take the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. Dinner that night will probably be at Simon and Seafort where we hope to have Copper River Salmon.

 

Day 2- board motor coach to Mt. McKinley Wilderness Lodge and that afternoon take the shuttle to Talkeetna and do a flightseeing and glacier landing with Talkeetna Air Taxi. Hopefully the weather allows this tour, it looks to be spectacular. We are doing the Grand Denali Glacier tour.

 

Day 3- take the train to the Princess Denali lodge. Explore the lodge and possibly take a tour, undecided at this point.

 

Day 4- All day in Denali with the Tundra Wilderness tour.

 

Day 5- Motorcoach to Whittier, board the Coral Princess, get settled in our balcony mini suite.

 

Day 6- Hubbard Glacier

 

Day 7- Glacier bay

 

Day 8- Skagway, using Packer Expeditions, take the train and then a 4 hour hike through the rainforest on the Denver Valley Wilderness Hike and White Pass Railway adventure. By the way, one of the benefits for our Wednesday departure is there are only two ships in port this day in Skagway.

 

Day 9- Juneau, Harv and Marv Whale Watch bright and early, drop us off at Mendenhall, tour glacier, shuttle back to enjoy Tracy's King Crab.

 

Day 10- Ketchikan. Get off the boat early and tour the Totem Heritage and hopefully Saxman Native Village. Then off to Southeast Sea Kayaks for the Orcas Cove Trip around noon.

 

Day 11- at sea, and recuperating before arriving in Vancouver on...

 

Day 12- fly back to LAX and travel to our home in Laguna Hills.

 

Your itinerary sounds great!

 

We will be arriving into Anchorage airport at 12:30 in the morning--we have nothing planned for the next day (I'm assuming we will be sleeping in), but we are also staying at Hotel Captain Cook. If the bike rentals are close by, that sounds like a great option instead of just walking around Anchorage near the hotel.

 

Enjoy your trip!

[doug52]

Your itinerary sounds great!

 

We will be arriving into Anchorage airport at 12:30 in the morning--we have nothing planned for the next day (I'm assuming we will be sleeping in), but we are also staying at Hotel Captain Cook. If the bike rentals are close by, that sounds like a great option instead of just walking around Anchorage near the hotel.

 

Enjoy your trip!

Thanks, yes the bike rental Pablo's, not Pedro's as I put in my itinerary, appears to be right across the street from the hotel.

 

His bike rental has been mentioned previously in threads on this site.

[emeltee]

Group of 7 - Dad, who is turning 80 this year, Mom, me, DH, my brother, DD1 (will be 8) and DD2 (4)

 

July 2: SFO-->ANC arrive 9:30pm. Probably stay at Embassy Suites. Rent minivan for family AND a economy car for brother

 

July 3: Brother will do Matanuska Glacier Climb with Mica Guides. Parents, DH, DD1& DD2 and I will explore Anchorage. I want to visit the Native Alaskan Heritage Center. Maybe take in one more site - but we'll be taking it easy.

 

July 4: DH, DD1 & I will do Matanuska Glacier Trek with Mica Guides. Brother, parents & DD2 will explore more of Anchorage. Not exactly sure what they'll do since my brother is relying on me to do all the planning (!) But knowing them, they'll take it easy as well. It is also my parents' anniversary, so we'll plan on a nice dinner out. Hopefully see some fireworks, although I think I read that they happen really late due to the longs days(midnight?)

 

July 5: Leisurely drive down Seward Hwy, taking lots of stops. Plan stop at Wildlife Conservation Ctr. Check in Aleyska Hotel for one night.

 

July 6: Drive to Whittier. Take Major Marine Surprise Glacier Tour. Embark Princess Sapphire. Meet up with my Aunt and her friend, who are joining us on the cruise. They are from Victoria, Canada.

 

July 7: Hubbard Glacier

 

July 8: Glacier Bay

 

July 9: Skagway: Rent minivan and drive to Yukon. Brother may try to fish here. Parents either to go with us to Yukon or hang out with Aunt.

 

July 10: Juneau: Harv & Marv whale watch for parents, DH, DDs and me. Drop off at Mendenhall Glacier. Friends highly recommended Tracy's Crab Shack, so we'll have to try it out.

 

July 11: Ketchikan: Brother, DH & DD1 - Deadliest Catch Excursion. DD2 and I may try to see some totem poles. Maybe we'll actually try to get her to nap today as I'm sure she will be missing quite a few naps on this trip! Hopefully she isn't completely fried by this day.

 

July 12: At Sea

 

July 13: Vancouver: My main objective is to have Dim Sum in Richmond before our plan takes off at 7pm. I just have to figure out the fine details ie transportation and whether or not we'll take in one sight before or after lunch.

Edited March 19, 2013 by emeltee

[Shazzah]

Our itinerary for May/June 2013:

 

5/16 Depart Bangor, ME for Juneau, AL

5/17 Free Day in Juneau; Mendenhall Glacier, Robert's Tram, Walking Tour of Juneau

5/18 AM Whale Watching with Harv & Marv

 

5/18 - 6/08 Un-Cruise Ultra Adventure Cruise

• 5/18 - 5/25 Inner Passages Eastern Coves, Wilderness Discoverer - Juneau to Ketchikan
  
• .........5/25 Misty Fjord Flightseeing with Island Wings
  
• 5/25 - 6/01 Inner Passages Western Coves, Wilderness Discoverer - Ketchikan to Juneau
  
• 6/01 - 6/08 Northern Passages & Glacier Bay, Wilderness Explorer - Juneau to Sitka; includes 3 days in Glacier Bay
  

 

6/08 Sitka's Secrets Boat Tour to St. Lazaria Island, hoping to see Puffins; Overnight in Sitka

6/09 Flite to Fairbanks; Overnight in Fairbanks

6/10 Train from Fairbanks to Denali; Bus to Kantishna RoadHouse for 2 Nights

6/11 Mt. McKinley Flightseeing with Kantishna Air Taxi

6/12 Train from Denali to Anchorage; Overnight Anchorage

6/13 Flightseeing to Redoubt Bay with Rust's Flying Service (may be too early in the season for good bear viewing, but will give it a shot)

6/14 Fly Anchorage to Bangor

 

 

Activities in italics were booked independently. All other activities booked through Un-Cruise (and travel agent). A two week cruise, with two weeks on land would have allowed us to see more of Alaska, but my husband booked the Cruise as my birthday surprise, so I am not going to complain ;)

Edited March 19, 2013 by Shazzah

[fireflymd]

Thanks, yes the bike rental Pablo's, not Pedro's as I put in my itinerary, appears to be right across the street from the hotel.

 

His bike rental has been mentioned previously in threads on this site.

 

Thanks for the information--I just used Google Earth to check it out. I just love Google Earth! I didn't realize Pablo's was basically just a little stand!

 

That sounds like a great option for us--renting bikes and tooling around the next day, unless everyone is too tired, then we'll just walk around.

 

Appreciate the suggestion!