- Details
- Itinerary
- Photos
Alaska & Denali & the Yukon
Alaska & Denali & the Yukon – a wonderful combination of a sea and land journey. Take an awe-inspiring, 7-night Glacier Discovery Cruise onboard Holland America’s Noordam or Niew Amsterdam before heading to Denali National Park National, Fairbanks and Dawson City.
Alaska & Denali & the Yukon
2 night Vancouver | 7 night Alaska Cruise
1 nights Anchorage | 3 nights Denali National Park
2 nights Dawson City
from £3499 pp
Join us for a voyage where adventure waits at every turn, where we combine the wonders of an Alaska cruise and the beauty of Denali with the rich history and majesty of the Yukon Territory. Our Yukon & Denali Land and Sea Journeys allow you to extend your exploration and experience the fascinating gold Rush History and wild Yukon scenery.
Alaska & Denali & the Yukon
With eight ships in Alaska, Holland America Line offers convenient Alaska cruise options from multiple embarkation ports, including Seattle, Vancouver, Seward and San Francisco, many with weekend departures. It’s never been easier to see Alaska.
More Options for Viewing Glaciers
Holland America Line offer more visits to Glacier Bay National Park than any other cruise line. Every Alaska cruise includes one or more glaciers: Hubbard Glacier, the twin Sawyer Glaciers of Tracy Arm, College Fjord glaciers or Glacier Bay National Park.
Up-Close Encounters
Holland America Line ships’ wraparound decks offer a front-row seat to Alaska’s splendour. Explore Glacier Bay with a National Park Service ranger and a Huna Totem member. Enhance your Alaska experience in port with EXC Tours™, our award-winning shore excursions.
Denali National Park
Denali is the iconic centrepiece of Alaska’s Interior and the #1 reason to combine a Holland America cruise to Alaska with an overland adventure. Only Holland America Line offers up to three nights in Denali to really settle in and explore, and is the only cruise line to include the deeper Tundra Wilderness Tour into Denali National Park on all of our two- and three-night Denali Land+Sea Journey itineraries. Immersing visitors in all that Denali has to offer is so important that we’ve created each of our Land+Sea Journeys to include up to three nights at Denali, at our beautiful 60-acre riverside McKinley Chalet Resort.
The new Denali Square at the McKinley Chalet Resort is the ultimate base camp for adventures to Denali, followed by relaxing evenings. Enjoy soaring views across the Nenana River into Denali National Park from virtually anywhere on this amazing property, as well as great dining, quality entertainment, and unique local shopping opportunities.
The exclusive longer stays, which include the Tundra Wilderness Tour, give our guests an up-close view of the mountain and the best wildlife viewing. It is rare not to see some combination of Alaska’s Big Five: grizzly bears, caribou, moose, Dall Sheep and wolves, along with other animals on this expertly guided six- to eight-hour tour. In addition, there are myriad once-in-a-lifetime adventures to choose from—such as river rafting, flightseeing (including the chance to land with a ski plane on Denali itself), or visiting the home of an Iditarod dog musher.
With more than six million acres of pristine Alaska wilderness, Denali National Park with its abundant and easily viewable wildlife and North America’s tallest and most impressive peak will be sure to make your Land+Sea Journey experience one you’ve dreamed of.
Price Includes
- Return flights from the UK
- 2 night stay in Vancouver
- 7 night Alaska Cruise
- Signature: wine, beer, cocktails, specialty coffee and soda.
- Dinner onboard at a fine dining restaurant
- 1 night stay in Anchorage
- 3 night stay at Denali National Park
- 2 night stay in Fairbanks
- 2 night stay in Dawson City
- McKinley Explorer train journey from Anchorage to Denali
Prices based on 2 share, departures May through September 2024.
Alternative dates available on request 2025/26
Itinerary
Alaska & the Yukon
On arrival at Vancouver airport, transfer to your chosen hotel for a one night stay.
Private transfers are included.
Once a trading post and a rough-and-tumble sawmilling settlement, today modern Vancouver, Canada is many things. It’s a bustling seaport, a hub for outdoor enthusiasts looking for active things to do in Vancouver, an ethnically diverse metropolis and Hollywood of the North. Hemmed in by mountains and sea, Vancouver seduces visitors with its combination of urban sophistication and laid-back attitude against a backdrop of glass towers and modern sights and plentiful green spaces.
Vancouver's culinary and cocktail scene is on the rise—and its excellent restaurants and hopping bars have a distinctively local stamp on them. If you are looking for where to go in Vancouver for music, theater and the arts, they are thriving in the city’s many museums, galleries and performance venues. Beyond the downtown attractions in Vancouver, days of exploration and sightseeing await among the colorful suburbs, unspoiled islands and the vast, rugged wilderness.
Private transfers are included.
Once a trading post and a rough-and-tumble sawmilling settlement, today modern Vancouver, Canada is many things. It’s a bustling seaport, a hub for outdoor enthusiasts looking for active things to do in Vancouver, an ethnically diverse metropolis and Hollywood of the North. Hemmed in by mountains and sea, Vancouver seduces visitors with its combination of urban sophistication and laid-back attitude against a backdrop of glass towers and modern sights and plentiful green spaces.
Vancouver's culinary and cocktail scene is on the rise—and its excellent restaurants and hopping bars have a distinctively local stamp on them. If you are looking for where to go in Vancouver for music, theater and the arts, they are thriving in the city’s many museums, galleries and performance venues. Beyond the downtown attractions in Vancouver, days of exploration and sightseeing await among the colorful suburbs, unspoiled islands and the vast, rugged wilderness.
Check out of your hotel and make your way to Canada Place to board Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam for an awe-inspiring Alaska Cruise.
Sail from Vancouver, glide under the Lion's Gate Bridge and enter the scenic wonders of the Inside Passage
Sail from Vancouver, glide under the Lion's Gate Bridge and enter the scenic wonders of the Inside Passage
Relax and enjoy a full day of scenic Inside Passage cruising and immerse yourself in Holland America Line elegance
Alaska’s Inside Passage is a protected network of waterways that wind through glacier-cut fjords and lush temperate rain forests along the rugged coast of Southeast Alaska. Arguably one of the greatest cruising routes in the world, the Inside Passage stretches through stunning landscapes, from Misty Fjords National Monument to famed Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve.
Sailing the Inside Passage offers opportunities to spot some of Alaska’s most iconic wildlife, with humpback whales and orca plying the bountiful waters alongside the ships, bald eagles soaring overhead and brown bears lumbering on the shoreline.
Numerous ports along the way recount Alaska’s colorful history. In Sitka, an onion-domed church marks Russia’s onetime foothold in the Americas; Ketchikan provides a glimpse of the Native Alaskan experience, with historic totem poles and native-arts galleries; and the legendary town center of Skagway bustles as it did at the turn of the 19th century, when it served as the rowdy Wild West gateway to the Klondike Gold Rush
Alaska’s Inside Passage is a protected network of waterways that wind through glacier-cut fjords and lush temperate rain forests along the rugged coast of Southeast Alaska. Arguably one of the greatest cruising routes in the world, the Inside Passage stretches through stunning landscapes, from Misty Fjords National Monument to famed Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve.
Sailing the Inside Passage offers opportunities to spot some of Alaska’s most iconic wildlife, with humpback whales and orca plying the bountiful waters alongside the ships, bald eagles soaring overhead and brown bears lumbering on the shoreline.
Numerous ports along the way recount Alaska’s colorful history. In Sitka, an onion-domed church marks Russia’s onetime foothold in the Americas; Ketchikan provides a glimpse of the Native Alaskan experience, with historic totem poles and native-arts galleries; and the legendary town center of Skagway bustles as it did at the turn of the 19th century, when it served as the rowdy Wild West gateway to the Klondike Gold Rush
Explore this uniquely Alaskan port, famous for its rich native culture, salmon fishing, and scenic Misty Fjords
Alaska’s “First City” of Ketchikan is so named because it’s the first major landfall for most cruisers as they enter the picturesque fjords of the Inside Passage, where the town clings to the banks of the Tongass Narrows, flanked by green forests nurtured by abundant rain.
Ketchikan has long been an important hub of the salmon-fishing and -packing industries—visitors can try their luck on a sportfishing excursion or simply savor the fresh seafood at one of the local restaurants. It is also one of the best spots along the Inside Passage to explore the rich cultural sights of Native Alaskan nations like the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian. You can see intricately carved totem poles at the Totem Heritage Center and Totem Bight State Park, while the attractions of Saxman Village just outside of Ketchikan offers the chance to see Tlingit culture in action, with working carvers and a dance show in the clan house. And leave time to explore the sights in the town itself, including historic Creek Street, a boardwalk built over the Ketchikan Creek, where you can shop for souvenirs, smoked salmon and local art, while exploring gold rush–era tourist attractions like Dolly’s House Museum
Alaska’s “First City” of Ketchikan is so named because it’s the first major landfall for most cruisers as they enter the picturesque fjords of the Inside Passage, where the town clings to the banks of the Tongass Narrows, flanked by green forests nurtured by abundant rain.
Ketchikan has long been an important hub of the salmon-fishing and -packing industries—visitors can try their luck on a sportfishing excursion or simply savor the fresh seafood at one of the local restaurants. It is also one of the best spots along the Inside Passage to explore the rich cultural sights of Native Alaskan nations like the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian. You can see intricately carved totem poles at the Totem Heritage Center and Totem Bight State Park, while the attractions of Saxman Village just outside of Ketchikan offers the chance to see Tlingit culture in action, with working carvers and a dance show in the clan house. And leave time to explore the sights in the town itself, including historic Creek Street, a boardwalk built over the Ketchikan Creek, where you can shop for souvenirs, smoked salmon and local art, while exploring gold rush–era tourist attractions like Dolly’s House Museum
Enjoy a full day of exploring Alaska's capital-choose from exciting shore excursions and still have time to shop
Juneau, Alaska may well be the most remote, most beautiful and strangest state capital in the United States. Surrounded by water, forest and mountain sights, visitors seeking things to do in Juneau indoors and outdoors can hike a glacier, eat fresh-caught fish on a seaside patio and tour a grand capitol building all in one day.
The city itself is pleasant, but the real highlight of a visit to Juneau is tracking down some wildlife. You can hike up Mount Roberts to chance upon wild deer and bald eagles. Most sightseeing and whale-watching tours head north to Auke Bay—bring a good pair of binoculars to get the best view of these majestic and surprisingly graceful creatures. If you prefer land mammals, catch a floatplane to a nearby wildlife reserve such as Chichagof or Admiralty Island to spy some bears lolling around.
The sleepy, misty city of around 32,000—mostly fishermen and small-business owners—has a frontier town vibe, but welcomes more than a million visitors each summer to its natural attractions, cementing Juneau as Alaska’s number-one tourist destination.
Juneau, Alaska may well be the most remote, most beautiful and strangest state capital in the United States. Surrounded by water, forest and mountain sights, visitors seeking things to do in Juneau indoors and outdoors can hike a glacier, eat fresh-caught fish on a seaside patio and tour a grand capitol building all in one day.
The city itself is pleasant, but the real highlight of a visit to Juneau is tracking down some wildlife. You can hike up Mount Roberts to chance upon wild deer and bald eagles. Most sightseeing and whale-watching tours head north to Auke Bay—bring a good pair of binoculars to get the best view of these majestic and surprisingly graceful creatures. If you prefer land mammals, catch a floatplane to a nearby wildlife reserve such as Chichagof or Admiralty Island to spy some bears lolling around.
The sleepy, misty city of around 32,000—mostly fishermen and small-business owners—has a frontier town vibe, but welcomes more than a million visitors each summer to its natural attractions, cementing Juneau as Alaska’s number-one tourist destination.
Step back to the days of the last great gold rush-choose from exciting shore excursions and still have time to shop
At the height of the Klondike Gold Rush, the port town of Skagway served as the primary gateway to the legendary goldfields, and quickly grew into Alaska’s largest settlement. It was then a raucous frontier hub packed with trading posts, saloons and guesthouses. As the gold rush faded into the 1900s, so did Skagway—but today it has been reinvigorated as a gateway for a new kind of visitor: those looking to explore Alaska’s colourful history, pristine wildlife and unrivalled natural beauty.
At every turn, you’ll find yourself immersed in gold rush lore, from the infamous Red Onion Saloon that still keeps a pistol that Wyatt Earp left behind en route to the Klondike, to the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad, a classic narrow-gauge railway that traverses rugged mountains and passes cascading waterfalls and towering glaciers as it connects Skagway to Whitehorse deep in the Yukon. Much of the town has been preserved as part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, where rangers offer free walking tours around the historic district. Here you’ll also find a vibrant local community, home to a rich collection of local galleries, curio shops and restaurants serving seafood plucked fresh from nearby waters.
At the height of the Klondike Gold Rush, the port town of Skagway served as the primary gateway to the legendary goldfields, and quickly grew into Alaska’s largest settlement. It was then a raucous frontier hub packed with trading posts, saloons and guesthouses. As the gold rush faded into the 1900s, so did Skagway—but today it has been reinvigorated as a gateway for a new kind of visitor: those looking to explore Alaska’s colourful history, pristine wildlife and unrivalled natural beauty.
At every turn, you’ll find yourself immersed in gold rush lore, from the infamous Red Onion Saloon that still keeps a pistol that Wyatt Earp left behind en route to the Klondike, to the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad, a classic narrow-gauge railway that traverses rugged mountains and passes cascading waterfalls and towering glaciers as it connects Skagway to Whitehorse deep in the Yukon. Much of the town has been preserved as part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, where rangers offer free walking tours around the historic district. Here you’ll also find a vibrant local community, home to a rich collection of local galleries, curio shops and restaurants serving seafood plucked fresh from nearby waters.
Cruise the ice-studded fjords of this national treasure for a full eight hours as a Park Service Ranger narrates
Frosted crags descend into mossy forests and a 457-meter-deep (1,500-foot-deep) fjord at this World Heritage Site, which is also one of the planet’s largest biosphere reserves. Stone, ice and water continue to collide, sculpting a dramatic landscape that is the crown jewel of southeastern Alaska’s natural wonders.
The area’s first European explorer missed it all—but with good reason. When Captain George Vancouver sailed here in 1794, a vast shield of ice, more than 1,200 meters (3,937 feet) thick, dominated the area. In one of the fastest retreats on record, the glaciers shrank back 105 kilometres (65 miles) by 1916. The formerly glacier-squashed land is rebounding now, rising 30 millimetres (1.18 inches) each year. Visitors can observe this rebirth: A spruce-hemlock rain forest has sprouted near the mouth of Glacier Bay. Farther north, the more recently exposed land shows sharper edges and thinner vegetation. Still, it’s enough to encourage the return of wildlife, from bald eagles to bears, moose and humpback whales.
While the national park is open year-round, most travellers prefer the warmth of late May to early September. Even in summer, be prepared for any weather—especially rain! Pack a hat, gloves, wool or fleece layers, a warm coat and waterproof gear if you want to admire the landscape from the open deck of your ship.
Frosted crags descend into mossy forests and a 457-meter-deep (1,500-foot-deep) fjord at this World Heritage Site, which is also one of the planet’s largest biosphere reserves. Stone, ice and water continue to collide, sculpting a dramatic landscape that is the crown jewel of southeastern Alaska’s natural wonders.
The area’s first European explorer missed it all—but with good reason. When Captain George Vancouver sailed here in 1794, a vast shield of ice, more than 1,200 meters (3,937 feet) thick, dominated the area. In one of the fastest retreats on record, the glaciers shrank back 105 kilometres (65 miles) by 1916. The formerly glacier-squashed land is rebounding now, rising 30 millimetres (1.18 inches) each year. Visitors can observe this rebirth: A spruce-hemlock rain forest has sprouted near the mouth of Glacier Bay. Farther north, the more recently exposed land shows sharper edges and thinner vegetation. Still, it’s enough to encourage the return of wildlife, from bald eagles to bears, moose and humpback whales.
While the national park is open year-round, most travellers prefer the warmth of late May to early September. Even in summer, be prepared for any weather—especially rain! Pack a hat, gloves, wool or fleece layers, a warm coat and waterproof gear if you want to admire the landscape from the open deck of your ship.
Enjoy a relaxing day at sea
After disembarkation, transfer to Anchorage on the "Cruisetrain" (included) to your hotel for a 2-night stay.
Enjoy a scenic rail journey along Turnagain Arm aboard the cruise train en route to Anchorage, and meet your Journey Host to learn about your upcoming adventure
One of Southcentral Alaska’s oldest communities, Seward is ground zero for the Klondike Gold Rush's Iditarod National Historic Trail, a dogsled route that connected the Kenai Peninsula’s ice-free port with Nome during frontier-era winters. Though the modern race makes a ceremonial start in Anchorage, it’s inspired by the famous run of 1925, which dashed along parts of this older path. It allowed 20 mushers to carry urgently needed diphtheria vaccine more than 1,000 kilometres (621 miles) in just over 127 hours.
Natives and explorers from Russia, Britain and the United States all frequented this area before Seward’s official founding in 1903. The early settlement included a colourful neighbourhood known as Homebrew Alley which was erased by a 9.2-magnitude megathrust earthquake—the second most powerful ever recorded—which dropped the shoreline nearly six feet in 1964.
Today this mellow town welcomes visitors to Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords National Park, not to mention the 204-kilometre (127-mile) Seward Highway—honored as an All-American Road—stretching north to Anchorage. In town, favorite stops remain the Alaska SeaLife Center, a research aquarium open to the public, and the steep, stony 920-meter (3,018-foot) Mount Marathon, which hosts one of America’s oldest footraces each Fourth of July.
Enjoy a scenic rail journey along Turnagain Arm aboard the cruise train en route to Anchorage, and meet your Journey Host to learn about your upcoming adventure
One of Southcentral Alaska’s oldest communities, Seward is ground zero for the Klondike Gold Rush's Iditarod National Historic Trail, a dogsled route that connected the Kenai Peninsula’s ice-free port with Nome during frontier-era winters. Though the modern race makes a ceremonial start in Anchorage, it’s inspired by the famous run of 1925, which dashed along parts of this older path. It allowed 20 mushers to carry urgently needed diphtheria vaccine more than 1,000 kilometres (621 miles) in just over 127 hours.
Natives and explorers from Russia, Britain and the United States all frequented this area before Seward’s official founding in 1903. The early settlement included a colourful neighbourhood known as Homebrew Alley which was erased by a 9.2-magnitude megathrust earthquake—the second most powerful ever recorded—which dropped the shoreline nearly six feet in 1964.
Today this mellow town welcomes visitors to Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords National Park, not to mention the 204-kilometre (127-mile) Seward Highway—honored as an All-American Road—stretching north to Anchorage. In town, favorite stops remain the Alaska SeaLife Center, a research aquarium open to the public, and the steep, stony 920-meter (3,018-foot) Mount Marathon, which hosts one of America’s oldest footraces each Fourth of July.
After long and dark winters, Alaskans love their summers and the residents of Anchorage, Alaska are no exception. The city plants thousands of flowers to celebrate the arrival of warmer months and days that last as long as 19 hours from dawn to dusk.
Approximately 40 percent of Alaska’s population lives in Anchorage. This diverse city of 300,000 includes a large military population, Native Alaskans, individuals who work for the oil industry and adventure-seeking types who want to get away from “the Lower 48.” Much like Seattle, Anchorage is a place where you can find a coffee shop (or espresso shack) anywhere. Locals enjoy skijoring, a winter sport where a person is pulled on skis by one or more dogs or sometimes a horse. While some cities have deer, Anchorage has lots of moose, known for being a bit rambunctious (and should be steered clear of if seen wandering down a street).
Anchorage is a city where you can see the northern lights—the aurora borealis—on a clear dark night, typically during colder months. There are also plenty of active things to do and attractions to hike, bike and see wildlife such as the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail or Flattop Mountain Trail inside Chugach State Park.
Approximately 40 percent of Alaska’s population lives in Anchorage. This diverse city of 300,000 includes a large military population, Native Alaskans, individuals who work for the oil industry and adventure-seeking types who want to get away from “the Lower 48.” Much like Seattle, Anchorage is a place where you can find a coffee shop (or espresso shack) anywhere. Locals enjoy skijoring, a winter sport where a person is pulled on skis by one or more dogs or sometimes a horse. While some cities have deer, Anchorage has lots of moose, known for being a bit rambunctious (and should be steered clear of if seen wandering down a street).
Anchorage is a city where you can see the northern lights—the aurora borealis—on a clear dark night, typically during colder months. There are also plenty of active things to do and attractions to hike, bike and see wildlife such as the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail or Flattop Mountain Trail inside Chugach State Park.
After checking out your hotel, transfer to the rail depot (transfer included) and join the McKinley Explorer as you travel to Denali National Park, via Talkeetn.
Denali is the iconic centerpiece of Alaska’s Interior and the #1 reason to combine a Holland America cruise to Alaska with an overland adventure. Only Holland America Line offers up to three nights in Denali to really settle in and explore, and is the only cruise line to include the deeper Tundra Wilderness Tour into Denali National Park on all of our two- and three-night Denali Land+Sea Journey itineraries. Immersing visitors in all that Denali has to offer is so important that we’ve created each of our Land+Sea Journeys to include up to three nights at Denali, at our beautiful 60-acre riverside McKinley Chalet Resort.
Our new Denali Square at the McKinley Chalet Resort is the ultimate base camp for adventures to Denali, followed by relaxing evenings. Enjoy soaring views across the Nenana River into Denali National Park from virtually anywhere on this amazing property, as well as great dining, quality entertainment, and unique local shopping opportunities.
Our exclusive longer stays, which include the Tundra Wilderness Tour, give our guests an up-close view of the mountain and the best wildlife viewing. It is rare not to see some combination of Alaska’s Big Five: grizzly bears, caribou, moose, Dall Sheep and wolves, along with other animals on this expertly guided six- to eight-hour tour. In addition, there are myriad once-in-a-lifetime adventures to choose from—such as river rafting, flightseeing (including the chance to land with a ski plane on Denali itself), or visiting the home of an Iditarod dog musher.
With more than six million acres of pristine Alaska wilderness, Denali National Park with its abundant and easily viewable wildlife and North America’s tallest and most impressive peak will be sure to make your Land+Sea Journey experience one you’ve dreamed of.
Denali is the iconic centerpiece of Alaska’s Interior and the #1 reason to combine a Holland America cruise to Alaska with an overland adventure. Only Holland America Line offers up to three nights in Denali to really settle in and explore, and is the only cruise line to include the deeper Tundra Wilderness Tour into Denali National Park on all of our two- and three-night Denali Land+Sea Journey itineraries. Immersing visitors in all that Denali has to offer is so important that we’ve created each of our Land+Sea Journeys to include up to three nights at Denali, at our beautiful 60-acre riverside McKinley Chalet Resort.
Our new Denali Square at the McKinley Chalet Resort is the ultimate base camp for adventures to Denali, followed by relaxing evenings. Enjoy soaring views across the Nenana River into Denali National Park from virtually anywhere on this amazing property, as well as great dining, quality entertainment, and unique local shopping opportunities.
Our exclusive longer stays, which include the Tundra Wilderness Tour, give our guests an up-close view of the mountain and the best wildlife viewing. It is rare not to see some combination of Alaska’s Big Five: grizzly bears, caribou, moose, Dall Sheep and wolves, along with other animals on this expertly guided six- to eight-hour tour. In addition, there are myriad once-in-a-lifetime adventures to choose from—such as river rafting, flightseeing (including the chance to land with a ski plane on Denali itself), or visiting the home of an Iditarod dog musher.
With more than six million acres of pristine Alaska wilderness, Denali National Park with its abundant and easily viewable wildlife and North America’s tallest and most impressive peak will be sure to make your Land+Sea Journey experience one you’ve dreamed of.
Spend the morning enjoying Denali, before heading to Fairbanks in the afternoon
Bearing the nickname the Golden Heart, Alaska’s second-largest city was born of gold rush fever, thanks to Italian immigrant Felix Pedro who found the precious metal in 1902 near where Captain E.T. Barnette decided to build a trading post on the banks of the Chena River. Though much of Fairbanks today is an amalgam of modern shops and malls, its history is celebrated at the 18-hectare (44-acre) Pioneer Park, which includes a Gold Rush Town with 35 restored buildings. Fairbanks also preserved its City Hall, which now houses the Fairbanks Community Museum. The city’s location in Alaska’s interior makes it a gateway to the arctic, and in summer tourist boats run cruises along the Chena and Tanana rivers. Fairbanks is a city of festivals, from July’s Golden Days commemorating its past, to Ice Alaska in February and March, when residents make the best of its brutal winters by playing host to a slew of international ice sculptors who descend on the city for the World Ice Art Championships. The city is one of the best places in the world to see the aurora borealis, which appears on average 243 nights of the year. For more insight into Fairbanks, the Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center is a good place to start.
Old-time wooden boardwalks connect frontier-era buildings in the Yukon Territory’s original capital. The heart of the Klondike Gold Rush, Dawson City housed around 30,000 people in the summer of 1898. But the town was sliding towards “ghost” status just a year later: A fire had destroyed 117 structures, right as the gold ran out and rumors arrived of nuggets in Nome, Alaska. Dawson City moseyed along quietly until the early 1960s, when Parks Canada began refurbishing landmarks like the Palace Grand Theatre (1899) and the Commissioner’s Residence (1901). It also resurrected the sternwheeler ss Keno and North America’s largest wooden-hull, bucket-line dredge. Along with the community of Bonanza Creek—where Stampeders pried $500 million in gold from the frozen ground—these icons form the Klondike National Historic Sites, now part of a larger proposed UNESCO World Heritage area. Today tourists wander this subarctic hotspot, which has retained its 19th-century charm. Highlights include the Jack London Museum, Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall and the Sourdough Saloon, which infamously serves a cocktail containing a preserved human toe (donated!)
Time to explore Dawson Coty
After check-out, transfer to the airport (transfer included) for your flight to Vancouver
Check-in for your overnight flight back to the UK
Photos
