Alaska’s National Parks by Land and Sea: Denali to Glacier Bay

Drin gwiinzii to Fairbanks, Alaska, the largest city in the Interior. On arrival, an UnCruise Adventures representative meets you and arranges transfer to the hotel. Arrival by 5:00 pm is required to attend the welcome reception, which includes a beverage and an opportunity to meet other travelers over light snacks.

After breakfast, visit a local reindeer farm for a guided walk and an introduction to their role in the region. Continue to a family-run gold mining site to try gold panning and learn about Fairbanks’ mining history. In the afternoon, spend time at the Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitor Center and listen to a local resident share insights about life in Alaska’s Interior.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before boarding your coach south to Denali National Park. Stop at the Denali Discovery Center in Healy for a box lunch and a short hike with a local naturalist guide. Continue to the Denali National Park Visitor Center to explore exhibits, talk with a ranger, or walk nearby trails.

After breakfast, travel into Denali National Park on a Tundra Wilderness Tour of approximately five to five-and-a-half hours. Your guide shares stories about the park as you watch for wildlife such as bears, moose, and caribou. In the afternoon, take a guided hike with a naturalist guide (about three hours on trail).

Enjoy a leisurely morning before transferring to the Denali Rail Depot for your scenic train ride south aboard a deluxe dome railcar. Have lunch on the train as landscapes roll by. Arrive in Talkeetna, a quirky town that serves as basecamp for Denali climbers. Dinner is on your own at the lodge or in town.

Enjoy breakfast with a view before setting out on a hike along the Curry Ridge Trail. Take in sweeping views of the surrounding landscape, flora, and fauna. Later, kayak on Byers Lake in the heart of Denali State Park. The Curry Ridge hike is approximately five to six miles and four to four-and-a-half hours, so come prepared with good footwear, layers, water, and snacks.

After breakfast, set out on a guided hike in the Talkeetna Lakes area. Look for loons, kingfishers, moose, and bears along the trail. Lunch is included in Talkeetna before you travel south to Anchorage by motor coach or scenic train. The Talkeetna Lakes hike has about a 200-foot elevation gain and some uneven terrain, so proper footwear and layers are important.

Note: In 2026, guests take a motorcoach from Talkeetna to Anchorage. In 2027, guests take the scenic train ride from Talkeetna to Anchorage and enjoy dinner on the train.

After breakfast, transfer to the Anchorage Airport for your flight to Juneau (not included). While in Juneau, you can check out Mt. Roberts Tramway (visit the office for a free pass!), the Alaska State Museum, and the Sealaska Heritage Institute. Wrap up your day with a classic Alaskan dinner at Tracy’s Crab Shack (not included), where you can enjoy king, snow, and Dungeness crab right off the boat.

Spend the day exploring more of this quaint seaside town. Upon boarding the ship in the afternoon, your crew greets you with Champagne and smiles. As you pull away from the dock, step out on deck with your binoculars and scan the horizon. Your week of secluded wilderness and scenic channels has officially begun.

Wake early and take a peek outside. Granite cliffs rise skyward, glaciers glint in the distance, and floating ice drifts past your window. No special effects here; this is pure, natural magic. Cruise past harbor seals lounging on ice floes and watch for mountain goats perched on cliff ledges. Waterfalls cascade down the Coastal Mountains. If tides permit, skiff or kayak driver guides you into this narrow fjord for an up-close look at towering walls and thundering ice.

Misty spouts on the horizon signal what is in store. Humpback whales are in the neighborhood. As you navigate whale-rich waters, your expedition team has the day’s adventures ready. Paddle at your own pace, watch for sea stars and shorebirds along the shoreline, or charge ahead on a longer kayak journey or a guided hike into the heart of the Tongass. Skiff tours, snorkeling opportunities, and hikes offer another perspective on this wildlife-filled region. Either way, today is about going big in whale country.

Today, you explore the wild coastline of Chichagof Island in search of the elusive coastal brown bear. This remote area is rich with life and offers some of the best bear-viewing opportunities in Southeast Alaska. Your captain and expedition leader take you deep into bear territory using their expert local knowledge. Activities include shoreline walks, kayaking, skiff rides, and up-close (but safe) bear spotting from the water. This is a day of awe-inspiring encounters with nature at its most raw.  

Spanning 3.3 million acres, just shy of the size of Connecticut, Glacier Bay National Park is vast, wild, and mostly unexplored. But you are not most visitors. Today, you venture deep into the park where you can kayak, skiff, hike glacial ridges, moraine walks, or even all-day paddle. Watch for mountain goats, sea lions, puffins, and, if you are lucky, a surprise whale sighting. You have two full days here, plenty of time to absorb its grandeur.

Start your morning with a deep breath of glacier-fresh air. Today’s adventures are yours to shape, whether you choose an all-day paddle through kelp-lined channels, a wilderness trek through spruce and hemlock forest, or a skiff ride to tucked-away inlets, this is your chance to fully immerse yourself in the quiet magic of this remote, rugged corner of Alaska. Moraine walks and skiff tours may also be available.

Ease into the day with sunrise stretches on deck and a strong cup of coffee as your expedition team scouts the best opportunities for exploration. Today is all about flexibility and immersion, with options to kayak at your own pace, join an all-day paddle, set out on a shore walk, or venture deeper on a bushwhack hike that reveals the raw textures of Alaska’s wild landscapes. Skiff rides open access to otherwise unreachable stretches of coastline while open paddles and yak-and-walk combinations let you shape the day moment by moment alongside your naturalist guides, who bring the region’s ecology, geology, and sense of place to life. Back onboard, unwind in the hot tub as the scenery drifts past, then gather this evening for a celebratory Captain’s Dinner and a slideshow of the week’s highlights, thoughtfully curated by your expedition team.

This morning, enjoy a leisurely breakfast as you cruise back into Juneau. Say farewell to the crew and your fellow adventurers. Then it is off to the airport or on to the next leg of your Alaskan journey with an UnCruise hotel stay or land tour.