Everything in Alaska is so big. The state is awe-inspiring in its beauty and size, offering 36,000 miles of glacier-filled coastline. There are more lakes than people. Bears, caribou and moose roam the wilderness. You’ll also find North America’s highest peak, Mount Denali, as well as the largest bald eagle population in the country.
A coastal cruise will bring you face to face with whales, icebergs and massive tidal water glaciers. But if you want to see the Alaska seen on postcards – with towering peaks, sweeping forests, mirror lakes and wild bears – you’ll need to venture inland.
This is where a cruise comes in.
What is a cruise?
An Alaska cruise is the perfect vacation for two in one: it combines a week-long Inside Passage cruise with a multi-day road trip into the vast Alaskan wilderness.
One day, you might be kayaking past Glacier Bay’s surreal blue icebergs, and the next, you might be riding a glass-domed train through the Alaska Range while moose graze on the tundra. It’s one of the smartest ways to experience the state, because it combines coastal beauty, gold rush history, and wildlife encounters with Alaska’s “Big Five”—bears, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, and wolves—all in one trip.
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How long is the cruise?
Cruise lengths vary. Some add just a few nights indoors. Others last a week or more and venture deeper into the Alaskan wilderness. All include a seven-night Inside Passage cruise and overland adventure with Denali National Park and Preserve being the main attraction.
What is the best time to go on a cruise?
Alaska’s cruise season is short—May to September—and tours tend to book up quickly. Summer brings mild weather and long days, with temperatures ranging from the mid-50s to low 70s and up to 24 hours of daylight. However, each month has its own draw.
May and June mean smaller crowds and lower prices. Snow is still falling on the mountaintops, wildflowers are blooming, and glacier viewing conditions are good. It’s also a prime time for wildlife viewing. Whales and migratory birds pass by, and bears are just emerging from hibernation.
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July is the beautiful place. Long, sunny days make it an ideal place for hiking, kayaking and wildlife spotting, both at sea and on land. This is the most popular month in Alaska, so expect a lot of people in port.
August is all about salmon runs and the bears that follow them. The coast sees more rain, but that’s a small price to pay for the wildlife you’ll encounter on land.
By September, the weather is cooler and the tundra is golden. Crowds thin out, making it easier to book cruises. There is also a good chance of seeing the northern lights.
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Why combine cruises and land?
The Inside Passage offers fjords, glaciers and charming towns. But Alaska’s true wilderness—Denali, its sprawling tundra, and its great wilderness—lies hundreds of miles inland. A cruise gives you the best of both without having to plan it all yourself. Transfers, trains, lodges and guided excursions are included, often making them a better value than booking a cruise and land trip separately.
What are the different tours I can book?
Most itineraries pair a week-long Intra Passage sailing with several days of inland adventures—usually Denali National Park and Preserve and a ride on a glass-domed train. From here, extended tours may continue north to Fairbanks or south to Kenai Fjords National Park, adding wildlife lodges, gold rush towns and glacier boat tours to the mix.
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Which cruise lines offer cruises?
Several lines combine Alaska cruises with land adventure. Some — like Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Holland America Line — extend into the Canadian Rockies, with stays in Banff and Lake Louise, Alberta. Azamara goes further, offering itineraries in both Japan and Canada and the rare opportunity to explore three countries in one trip.
Princess trips
Holland America Line
Holland America’s Denali and Yukon tour extends beyond Denali to Dawson City, Yukon, the heart of the Klondike Gold Rush. Along with the Glacier Discovery cruise, you’ll ride the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad, sip cocktails in frontier-era saloons and stay in a country inn. It’s Alaska’s wild beauty with a side of Gold Rush history.
Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean is bringing big ship power to Alaska with Ovation of the Seas, a Quantum Class ship packed with food, bars and entertainment; It offers attractions like the North Star observation capsule that rises 300 feet above sea level. Cruises include a glass-dome railway excursion and time in Denali, where excursions range from wilderness hikes to dog sledding and zip lining through the boreal forest.
Azamara cruises
Azamara returns to Alaska in 2026 with its brand of slow, immersive travel and new cruises that add two to six nights on land. Options like “Alaska Explorer” combine a private tour of Denali with a jet boat ride on the Susitna River and time in Talkeetna, Alaska, a quirky frontier town. Longer flights extend to Japan and Canada.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian has the newest fleet in Alaska, with luxury suites, thermal spas, big-name shows, go-kart tracks, and plenty of bars and restaurants. Off the ship, the adventure continues with rail excursions, wilderness hikes in Denali, an exclusive visit to a dog farm, and adrenaline-charged options like whitewater rafting and scenic helicopter flights.
Celebrity travels
Celebrity offers an immersive Alaska experience, with cruise tours highlighting the history of the Gold Rush, national parks and local cuisine. This 10-day “Authentic Tastes of Alaska” itinerary is a hopping feast: You can taste everything from locally smoked salmon, ice cream made from indigenous recipes, and candy made from tree sap, all while enjoying the backdrop of Alaska’s dramatic landscape.
Windstar Cruises
Windstar is also returning to Alaska in 2026 with Star Seeker, combining the luxury of small ships with expedition-style adventure. With eight naturalists on board, every moment—whether drifting among glaciers in the Zodiac, kayaking amidst icebergs in the Tongass National Forest, biking Sitka, Alaska’s coastal trails or hiking the tundra of Denali in search of the “Big Five”—will come vividly alive.
Bottom line
Alaska is all about huge landscapes and once-in-a-lifetime adventures. The cruise offers glaciers and fjords on the coast, as well as mountains, tundra and wildlife on land.
When you go, it matters as much as the line you travel on. Book early – the best itineraries disappear quickly. Pack for all types of weather. And get ready for a trip that brings you the best of Alaska by sea and land.
