Our North to Alaska Itinerary and what I’d do differently and what was worth the $.
North to Alaska: My Alaska Land + Sea Itinerary and What I’d Do Differently
If Alaska is on your travel list, my biggest piece of advice is this: don’t just take an Alaska cruise. Add the land portion.
We did a Princess Alaska cruisetour that took us from Fairbanks through Denali and the Mt. McKinley/Talkeetna area before boarding the Island Princess in Whittier for our southbound cruise to Vancouver.
After experiencing it, I have some definite opinions about what was worth the time and money, what I’d skip, and how I’d plan it differently next time.
And my first recommendation is an easy one:
🛳️ DO THE LAND FIRST AND CRUISE SOUTHBOUND
I would absolutely choose a southbound cruisetour again.
The Alaska land portion is incredible, but it’s busy. You’re changing lodges, getting up early for excursions, riding buses and trains, and trying to squeeze a lot of Alaska into a relatively short amount of time.
By the time we boarded the ship in Whittier, I was ready to unpack the suitcase, sit on our balcony, and let Alaska come to us.
My preferred order:
Fairbanks → Denali → Mt. McKinley/Talkeetna → Whittier → Southbound Cruise → Vancouver
Adventure first. Cruise second. It was the perfect order for us.
🏔️ THE LAND PORTION
DAY 1: MINNEAPOLIS → FAIRBANKS
We flew from Minneapolis to Fairbanks and spent our first night at the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge.
Would I arrive in Fairbanks an extra day early again?
Probably not.
We used our extra time to visit North Pole, Alaska, and Santa Claus House. It was cute and fun to say we did it, but unless seeing the North Pole and Santa Claus House is specifically on your list, I don’t think you need the extra day.
⭐ PATTY’S TAKE: One night in Fairbanks is probably enough for most people.
DAY 2: FAIRBANKS + RIVERBOAT DISCOVERY
This is something I would keep.
The Riverboat Discovery was a great introduction to Alaska. We experienced Alaska Native culture, saw sled dogs, learned about life along the river, watched bush planes, and learned more about salmon and Alaska’s history and lifestyle.
⭐ WORTH IT: Riverboat Discovery
If you’re trying to streamline your land itinerary, I’d keep the riverboat and skip adding an extra Fairbanks sightseeing day unless there’s something specific you really want to see.
Afterward, we continued to the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge.
🐻 DENALI
DAY 3: HORSESHOE LAKE + TUNDRA WILDERNESS TOUR
This was one of the days that made me feel like we were REALLY in Alaska.
We started with the Horseshoe Lake Trail, which was an easy and manageable way to get outside and experience Denali.
Then came one of my biggest recommendations of the entire land tour:
🐻 BOOK THE TUNDRA WILDERNESS TOUR
Make sure you know which Denali tour is included with your cruisetour.
I would choose the Tundra Wilderness Tour rather than one of the shorter options because it takes you farther into Denali National Park and gives you more opportunities to see wildlife.
We saw grizzly bears, moose, caribou, native birds, and beautiful mountain scenery.
This is exactly what I came to Alaska hoping to experience.
⭐ MUST DO: Tundra Wilderness Tour
Depending on tour times and transportation schedules, this may be one reason you need two nights in Denali. I would not sacrifice the longer wilderness tour simply to cut a night from the itinerary.
Could I stay only one night at Denali?
If the transportation and excursion times lined up perfectly, I would consider it.
But if staying two nights is what allows you to do the Tundra Wilderness Tour plus Horseshoe Lake without rushing, keep the second night.
❌ WHAT I’D SKIP: SIDE-BY-SIDE ATV TOUR
We also did a side-by-side ATV excursion.
My verdict?
Did it. Don’t need to do it again.
It was bumpy and dirty, and compared with the other incredible experiences we had in Alaska, I didn’t think it was worth the time or money.
I’d put that money toward something else.
And I know exactly what that something else would be…
🚁 MT. McKINLEY + TALKEETNA
We continued to the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, where we were lucky enough to get beautiful views of Denali.
But the experience I would build this portion of the trip around is:
🚁 DENALI FLIGHTSEEING + GLACIER LANDING
If your budget allows for one big splurge on the land portion, this would be mine.
We flew around Denali and then landed on a glacier.
There are vacation experiences that are fun, and then there are those experiences where you stop and think:
I can’t believe I’m actually standing here.
This was one of those.
If possible, I recommend looking at Talkeetna Air Taxi for your flightseeing. Just remember that you’ll need enough time to get into Talkeetna from the lodge, so carefully check your cruisetour arrival and shuttle schedule before booking.
Is the glacier landing worth the extra money?
YES.
If you’re already spending the money to fly around Denali, I would pay the additional amount for the glacier landing.
⭐ BIG SPLURGE THAT WAS WORTH IT: Glacier Landing
Could you stay only one night at Mt. McKinley Lodge?
Potentially.
If your cruisetour gets you there early enough to shuttle into Talkeetna, do the flightseeing and glacier landing, and comfortably make your transportation the following day, I think one night could work.
I wouldn’t cut the flightseeing just to shorten the trip, though.
🚂 THE PRINCESS TRAIN TO WHITTIER
Next came our travel day to the ship.
We took a coach for part of the journey and then boarded the Princess Wilderness Rail to Whittier.
It’s a long day.
A few things I’d tell you before boarding:
Bring downloaded entertainment and noise-canceling headphones.
There are a lot of people talking in the railcar, and the sound carries.
I’d also bring some snacks or food. The food onboard was fairly basic, with cold sandwiches and salads.
The prettiest scenery came during the last portion of the journey, so don’t worry if you want to catch a nap earlier in the ride.
We were delayed by tunnel traffic on our way into Whittier, but there was something very cool about arriving at our cruise ship by train.
And then it was time for Part Two.
🛳️ NORTH TO ALASKA: THE CRUISE
We boarded the Island Princess in Whittier for our southbound cruise to Vancouver.
This is when I really appreciated doing the land portion first.
No more changing hotels.
No more repacking every morning.
We could unpack once, settle into our balcony cabin, and watch Alaska float past our window.
🧊 HUBBARD GLACIER
Our first big scenic cruising experience was Hubbard Glacier.
We initially headed up to Deck 14 with everyone else to see it.
Then we went back to our starboard balcony cabin on Deck 10 and realized we had an incredible view right from our own room.
It felt like Alaska had brought the glacier directly to us.
⭐ PATTY’S TIP: BOOK A BALCONY
For this particular Alaska itinerary, I would absolutely spend the extra money for a balcony again.
There are destinations where I can take or leave a balcony.
Alaska isn’t one of them.
🧊 GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARK
If you’re comparing Alaska cruises, this would be one of my biggest deciding factors:
MAKE SURE YOUR SHIP GOES TO GLACIER BAY.
I wouldn’t book an Alaska itinerary without seriously considering whether Glacier Bay National Park is included.
You aren’t simply traveling from port to port. The scenic cruising days are part of the destination.
Glaciers, mountains, wildlife, and enormous landscapes surround the ship.
⭐ MUST DO: Choose an itinerary that includes Glacier Bay.
🚂 SKAGWAY: WHITE PASS & YUKON ROUTE RAILWAY
In Skagway, we boarded the famous White Pass & Yukon Route Railway.
The roughly three-hour journey took us through incredible mountain scenery with waterfalls, tunnels, steel bridges, and historic areas, including Inspiration Point and Dead Horse Gulch.
One of my favorite parts was standing on the observation platform and watching the scenery unfold around us.
This is one of those classic Alaska excursions that I think is classic for a reason.
⭐ KEEP IT: White Pass Railway
🐋 JUNEAU: WHALE WATCHING IN AUKE BAY
This ended up being another favorite.
Instead of choosing a huge whale-watching boat, we booked a smaller whale-watching excursion in Auke Bay with Gastineau Guiding.
We were aboard the Zephyr with around 20 passengers, which made the experience feel much more personal.
And the whales showed up!
We saw so many that, at times, it was hard to decide where to look.
We were also lucky enough to see bubble-net feeding, which made the day even more memorable.
⭐ MY JUNEAU PICK: A smaller whale-watching excursion in Auke Bay.
I’d book this again.
🎣 KETCHIKAN: DIVIDE AND CONQUER
Ketchikan was our only really rainy port day, so our group divided and conquered.
The guys went halibut fishing and stuck it out through the rain. Their mission was successful, and they came back with fish.
The girls explored Creek Street and the totem poles.
My opinion?
Creek Street was a little overhyped for me.
And let’s just say the smell of salmon at that time of year was…memorable. 😂
We decided we’d seen enough and headed back to the ship, where we found a port-day spa special and had massages.
Sometimes the best vacation decision is knowing when to change the plan.
⭐ PATTY’S TAKE: If fishing is your thing, do it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t feel like you need an entire day for Creek Street.
🛳️ OUR FINAL DAY AT SEA
Our final cruise day was exactly what we needed after a very full Alaska adventure.
We had a slow morning, packed, ate lunch in the dining room while spotting whales through the windows, played music trivia, and enjoyed our last dinner onboard.
Then we ended the evening where we had spent so many memorable moments:
on our balcony watching the sunset.
That was a pretty perfect ending.
⭐ IF I PLANNED THIS ALASKA TRIP AGAIN
Here’s where I’d spend my time and money:
DO:
Choose a southbound cruisetour and do the land portion first
Riverboat Discovery in Fairbanks
Horseshoe Lake at Denali
Tundra Wilderness Tour, not the shorter Denali option
Denali flightseeing
Pay extra for the glacier landing
Take the Princess train to Whittier
Book a balcony cabin
Choose a cruise that visits Glacier Bay
Experience Hubbard Glacier
White Pass Railway in Skagway
Smaller whale-watching excursion in Auke Bay
SKIP OR SHORTEN:
Extra Fairbanks day unless North Pole/Santa Claus House is important to you
Side-by-side ATV excursion
Consider shortening Denali to one night only if you can still fit in the Tundra Wilderness Tour
Consider one night at Mt. McKinley Lodge if the transportation and Talkeetna flightseeing schedule work
Don’t feel obligated to devote your whole Ketchikan day to Creek Street
🏔️ MY BIGGEST ALASKA ADVICE
Alaska is one of those trips where the itinerary matters as much as the ship.
Don’t choose based solely on the cruise line or cabin price.
Look at the land-tour schedule. Look at which Denali excursion is included. Look at how much time you’ll have in Talkeetna. Look for Glacier Bay. And leave room in the budget for a few experiences that you may only have the opportunity to do once.
For me, that meant spending less time on some of the filler activities and putting those dollars toward experiences like Denali flightseeing, landing on a glacier, wildlife in Denali, and whale watching in Juneau.
And if you ask me whether I’d do Alaska again?
Absolutely.
But next time, I’d know exactly where to spend my time…and where I wouldn’t. 🏔️🛳️🐋
