Alaska, Two Ways
There are two lovely ways to see Alaska on this trip, and both are laid out here in full. The first is a seven-night voyage through the Inside Passage, roundtrip from Seattle, at an unhurried pace with a full day in Glacier Bay National Park. The second is a ten-day journey that adds the interior of Alaska, traveling into Denali National Park by glass-domed rail and staying at Holland America's own wilderness lodge before sailing the coast home.
Each option below reads as its own trip, with its ship, its route, what is included, and its pricing.
Alaska by Sea
This is a seven-night journey through Alaska's Inside Passage aboard Holland America's Eurodam, sailing roundtrip from Seattle. The pace is unhurried, built around a full day of scenic cruising in Glacier Bay National Park and calls at some of Southeast Alaska's most characterful ports. Long mornings watching the coastline slip by, glaciers close enough to hear, and quiet evenings back aboard a ship that is calm by Alaska standards.
The Eurodam carries around 2,100 guests, which keeps it intimate for Alaska and means fewer crowds and an easy, sociable feel. Naturalists and Alaska experts narrate the glacier days and give talks along the way. Onboard there are quiet lounges and wraparound promenades made for watching the scenery, live music each evening across the Rolling Stone Rock Room, B.B. King's Blues Club and Lincoln Center Stage, and dining that ranges from the main dining room to intimate specialty restaurants.
Embark in the afternoon and sail out through Puget Sound as the city skyline gives way to open water.
A relaxed day at sea threading the forested islands and glacier-carved channels of the Inside Passage, with wildlife often visible from deck.
Alaska's capital, tucked between mountains and sea. Nearby Mendenhall Glacier, whale watching in Auke Bay, and a walkable downtown of local shops and galleries.
A full day of scenic cruising in the park. Rangers come aboard to narrate as the ship draws close to tidewater glaciers such as Margerie, with harbor seals, sea otters, and often bears along the shoreline.
A small, wild port near the Tlingit village of Hoonah. Known for whale watching, quiet forest trails, and one of the best chances to see bald eagles and brown bears.
A town shaped by Tlingit and Russian history, with St. Michael's Cathedral, the totem-lined trails of Sitka National Historical Park, and the Alaska Raptor Center.
The historic boardwalks of Creek Street, the world's largest collection of standing totem poles, and the misty granite walls of nearby Misty Fjords.
An evening call in this harbor city, time enough for the Inner Harbour, high tea, or the lantern-lit paths of Butchart Gardens before the overnight sail home.
Arrive back into Seattle in the morning and disembark.
A stateroom with a private balcony, which is where much of Alaska is best enjoyed. A mid-ship location keeps walking short and the ride steadier. Configured with two twin beds that can convert to a queen, plus a sitting area and private bath.
Alaska Airlines, round trip in Main economy. Newark (EWR) to Seattle and home again, nonstop both ways.
An estimate only, not included in the totals above. These fares are fully refundable and change with availability. Checked bags are additional.
Alaska by Land and Sea
This ten-day journey pairs the interior of Alaska with the sea. It begins on land, deep in the Great Land, with a scenic rail journey to Denali National Park and nights at Holland America's own wilderness lodge. From there the trip turns toward the coast, boarding ship at Whittier and sailing south through the Gulf of Alaska and the Inside Passage to Vancouver, past two of Alaska's great glacier bays. The order is deliberate. The land is explored first, while energy is high, and the voyage becomes the long, restful close.
Travel into the interior aboard Holland America's own glass-domed railcars, with panoramic windows, an open-air viewing platform, and full-service dining as the wilderness rolls past.
A private, 60-acre riverfront property set along the Nenana River in the hills at the edge of Denali National Park, and your base for the days ahead. For 2027 the lodge completes a full renovation, with remodeled rooms and pavilions, a revitalized main lodge, live entertainment in the evenings, and firepits under the open sky.
A guided journey into Denali National Park in search of its wildlife, grizzly bears, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, and, on a clear day, the great peak itself. Lunch is included.
An evening of dinner and live performance, a long-running local tradition telling the story of the first ascent of the mountain.
A calm, mid-size ship of around 2,100 guests. Naturalists narrate the glacier days, there is live music each evening and a range of dining from the main dining room to specialty restaurants, and quiet promenades and lounges for watching the coast go by. The scale suits a voyage that is about the scenery first.
Embark at Whittier, the gateway to Prince William Sound, and begin the journey south.
Scenic cruising before one of Alaska's most active tidewater glaciers, a wall of ice several miles wide that regularly calves into the bay.
A full day of scenic cruising in the park, with rangers aboard to narrate as the ship draws close to the tidewater glaciers and the wildlife along the shore.
A preserved Gold Rush town at the head of the Inside Passage, and home to the White Pass and Yukon Route railway climbing into the mountains.
Alaska's capital between mountains and sea, with Mendenhall Glacier and whale watching close at hand.
The boardwalks of Creek Street, the world's largest collection of standing totem poles, and the granite walls of nearby Misty Fjords.
Arrive into Vancouver and disembark.
A stateroom with a private balcony for the glacier days, in a mid-ship location that keeps walking short and the ride steadier. Configured with two twin beds that can convert to a queen, plus a sitting area and private bath.
Alaska Airlines, Main economy. Newark (EWR) to Anchorage on the way out, and home from Vancouver (YVR) to Newark, one stop each way.
An estimate only, not included in the totals above. These fares are fully refundable and change with availability. Checked bags are additional.