Experience Alaska on a Cruise Tour
- Ryan Cowden
- Jul 16
- 4 min read
Experience the grandeur of Alaska and British Columbia by land AND sea
Recently, I explored Alaska on a 10-night Cruise Tour—an experience that goes beyond the classic Inside Passage cruise and the southeast Alaska Panhandle route.
While an Alaska cruise is an incredible way to see the remote panhandle (where no roads connect towns to the wider world), a Cruise Tour adds something more: access to Alaska’s vast interior such as Denali, Anchorage, Fairbanks, the Yukon or even the Arctic Circle and North Slope. Further expanding options to visit the spectacular landscapes, view the distinct wildlife, walk the historic sites, learn about the indigenous cultures and make more meaningful connections.
But choosing the right Alaska cruise—or cruise tour—isn’t as simple as picking a date and ship and "seeing it all".
Are you hoping for grizzly sightings, soaring eagles, orca pods, totem poles, glacier hikes or humpback tails? Waterfalls pouring down from snow-capped peaks, calving glaciers, or lush green valleys bursting with wildflowers? How about the annual salmon runs or "rut"? Do you dream of Denali by rail, learning about the indigenous cultures, or prefer the wilderness of Wrangell-St. Elias? What about a bush plane, sea kayak, or even a hike in a rainforest? Yes, the Tongass National Forest, is indeed a (huge) rainforest and a carpet of green!
These experiences hinge on timing, routes, cruise lines, and even ship designs.
In a state this large and this wild, not all itineraries are created equal—and what you want to see and experience will help shape everything from departure port, travel window and stateroom selection.
Advance planning is also key. For my particular cruise, I kept an eye on it from booking to departure. Suites were nearly gone 10 months prior, all balcony cabins were gone before Christmas and it was completely sold out by February, all for a late May 2025 sailing, which isn't the peak of the Alaska season.
These are just a few of the conversation pieces we'll want to start with when planning your Alaska Cruise or Cruise Tour.
Here’s a peek at a few of the unforgettable places we visited on our recent journey through Southeast Alaska and deep into the heart of the interior—starting from Vancouver and sailing north via the iconic Inside Passage before a short tour to Talkeetna, Denali and finally, Anchorage.
Ready to plan your Alaska Cruise or Cruise Tour? Now is the time to plan for 2026. The season is short and between late May and mid-August, it is sold out several months in advance.
Schedule a call and get started!
Below: Vancouver Cruise Terminal, lighthouse on sail away from Vancouver, and early morning light in the inner passage. R Cowden
Above: Creek Street in Ketchikan, and Bald Eagles at Ward Cove north of Ketchikan. R Cowden
Above: sites on a guided hike to Mendenhall Glacier while in Juneau. R Cowden
Below: Whale watch at Auke Bay, north or Juneau. R Cowden
Above: Sites from Sitka and a short hike through the Sitka National Historical Park, the verdant greenery everywhere, the Russian Orthodox recalling the period when this was a Russian outpost and sight sailing away from Sitka.
Above: Icy Straight Point is known for orca pods in the area and occasionally Brown Bears foraging on the rocky shore at low tide. Sadly, I didn't see either one on my sea kayaking adventure. But I did see Sea Lions and several bald eagles and a sea otter. The eagle, sitting atop a pylon just looked down at us like "what are you crazy fools doing out here in this chilly downpour?"
Above: scenic cruising as Hubbard Glacier on our final day of the cruise
3 Night Talkeetna, Denali and Anchorage Tour
Above: scenes from around Denali National Park. Snowy mountains (no sighting of Denali though, which is only visible around 80 days a year), landscapes still barely turning green, camouflaged locals (caribou) both on the mountain and cooling off on the river bed. The two with the pond and the expanse of brown are small localized tundra on a guided hike, which I highly recommend during your trip to Alaska R Cowden
Below: after a day riding a bus and hiking in Denali, this sunny riverside lodge was perfect place to chill and enjoy the Alaskan wilderness. R Cowden
Above: quirky Talkeetna, floating down the Talkeetna River and taking the Alaska Railway south to Anchorage with its panorama windows. R Cowden
Above: Final stop in Alaska, an overnight in Anchorage. The must-do while in town is the Anchorage Museum. Highlighting the indigenous cultures of the state, geology, wildlife history and art, we found ourselves spending far more time than we planned to here. It was worth every minute of the short day we had in town! R Cowden
If Alaska has been calling you to visit and it has been a trip that you have been dreaming about, schedule a conversation and find out if a cruise, or cruise tour, will be right for you.
Schedule a conversation at the following link to get started on your next adventure.
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