Best of Alaska Guided Tour | Denali & Glacier Bay
Best of Alaska Guided Tour 2026: Rail and Cruise Adventure
By Laney Lovell, Tour Planning Team Lead
This Best of Alaska guided tour 2026 was designed to bring unforgettable moments together into one seamless journey.
I still remember the first time I heard a glacier crack.
The sound came before the movement. A deep echo rolled across the water, and then a wall of blue ice shifted and fell into the sea. Everyone around me stood quietly, watching.
Alaska has a way of doing that to you.
It makes you pause. It makes you feel small in the best possible way. It slows you down enough to notice the light on the mountains, the mist
lifting from the trees, the shape of a moose moving through the brush.
If Alaska has been on your list for years, I understand why.
When I designed our Best of Alaska guided tour for 2026, my goal was to include both the bucket list highlights and the hidden gems that make the experience feel personal.
This Best of Alaska tour package combines scenic rail travel to Denali National Park, a four night Alaska Inside Passage cruise through Glacier Bay, and immersive land exploration from Anchorage to Vancouver.
2026 Departures
- July 10 to 22, 2026
- August 14 to 26, 2026
At this time, only four spots remain on our July Alaska guided tour. August still has availability, but peak Alaska travel season fills quickly.
To explore the full itinerary and current pricing, visit our Best of Alaska guided tour 2026 page.
Why a Guided Alaska Tour Makes the Difference
Alaska is not a simple destination to piece together on your own.
Flights into Anchorage. A cruise through Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage. Rail reservations to Denali National Park. Hotels in multiple towns. Transfers between ports and lodges. Wildlife tours that require careful timing.
Each detail matters.
On a fully coordinated Alaska guided tour, those details are thoughtfully arranged for you. Instead of managing logistics, you can focus on the experience.
This Alaska tour package includes:
- Scenic rail journeys aboard the McKinley Explorer and White Pass Railroad
- A four night Alaska Inside Passage cruise aboard MS Zaandam
- Two nights near Denali National Park
- Guided sightseeing and cultural experiences
- Airport transfers
- Luggage handling at most hotels
- Fees and tips for included attractions
Alaska is too extraordinary to spend it coordinating moving parts.
If you would like to meet the team behind our guided journeys and learn more about the people who design experiences like this, visit our Meet Our Team page.
Explore Denali National Park on Our Fully Guided Alaska Tour 2026
This Denali National Park tour is one of the most important highlights of our Alaska tour package. There is a moment in Denali when the scale of Alaska truly comes into focus.
Denali National Park is often the highlight of an Alaska guided tour, and for good reason. It is vast, untamed, and humbling.
You will spend two nights near Denali, including a fully guided Denali National Park tour designed to maximize wildlife viewing. Moose, caribou, Dall sheep, wolves, and grizzly bears are all part of the Denali experience.
Traveling to Denali by rail aboard the McKinley Explorer adds another dimension to this Alaska rail and cruise tour. From the domed rail cars, you watch the tundra stretch outward and the mountains rise gradually in the distance.
For many travelers, Denali is the moment Alaska becomes real.
Cruise Glacier Bay and the Alaska Inside Passage
This Alaska Inside Passage cruise is a defining part of this Alaska rail and cruise tour.
Your Alaska rail and cruise tour includes four nights aboard Holland America’s MS Zaandam.
Cruising the Alaska Inside Passage is widely considered one of the most scenic sea routes in the world. During your voyage, you will:
- Sail through Glacier Bay National Park with onboard ranger narration
- Explore Ketchikan, known for its Native Alaskan heritage
- Glide past glacier carved fjords and forested coastlines
- Watch for whales, sea lions, and bald eagles from panoramic decks
An Alaska Inside Passage cruise allows you to experience dramatic landscapes in comfort. You unpack once and let the scenery come to you.
If you are comparing Alaska cruise tours, combining Denali National Park, scenic rail travel, and Glacier Bay into one seamless Alaska guided tour offers a more complete experience.
If you enjoy combining immersive land exploration with time on the water, you may also be interested in our Voyage of the Mediterranean: Sail Through Coasts of Europe.
Ride the Historic White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad
There is something timeless about rail travel in Alaska.
The White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad climbs from Skagway to the White Pass Summit along tracks first carved into the mountains during the Klondike Gold Rush.
Waterfalls cascade down cliffs. Mountain trestles span deep gorges. Snow tipped peaks rise in the distance.
Rail travel allows you to absorb Alaska’s landscapes at a slower pace. Including both the McKinley Explorer and the White Pass Railroad makes this Alaska tour package especially distinctive.
If scenic rail travel is part of what draws you to Alaska, you may also enjoy our West Virginia's Mountain Railroads: An Appalachian Adventure Featuring Vintage Locomotives, another journey designed around unforgettable rail experiences.
Meet Mushers, Discover Native Culture, and Experience Local Life
Alaska is more than scenery.
On this Alaska guided vacation, you will meet Iditarod champion Martin Buser and his sled dogs at Happy
Trails Kennels. You will ride aboard the Riverboat Discovery in Fairbanks and learn about Alaska’s river culture and Native heritage. You will explore gold rush towns like Skagway and Whitehorse.
These cultural encounters give depth to the bucket list moments.
Denali and Glacier Bay are unforgettable.
The hidden gems are what make the journey meaningful.
When Is the Best Time to Travel to Alaska?
For travelers researching the best Alaska guided tour 2026 departure dates, July and August consistently offer the most rewarding experience.
During peak season, you can expect:
- Comfortable daytime temperatures
- Active wildlife in Denali National Park
- Fully accessible park roads and rail routes
- Extended daylight hours
Because Alaska’s prime season is short, Alaska tour packages and cruise cabins fill well in advance.
At present, only four spots remain on our July 2026 departure.
Airfare into Anchorage and home from Vancouver also tends to increase as summer approaches. Booking early often provides better cabin selection and flight flexibility.
What Is Included in This Alaska Tour Package?
Your Best of Alaska guided tour includes:
- Complimentary airport shuttle service
- Welcome Dinner and meals as indicated
- Four night Alaska Inside Passage cruise
- Scenic rail journeys including McKinley Explorer and White Pass Railroad
- Guided Denali National Park tour
- Riverboat Discovery experience
- Luggage handling at most hotels
- Fees and tips for included attractions
- Twenty four hour emergency support
Moderate walking is required, and some terrain may be uneven. The itinerary is thoughtfully paced so travelers can experience Alaska fully without feeling rushed.
If you would like to speak with a CTD travel expert about cabin options or flight timing, we would be happy to help.
You may also request a printed copy of our Country Travel Discoveries guided tour catalog.
Best of Alaska Guided Tour 2026 Departures
Best of Alaska
July 10 to 22, 2026
August 14 to 26, 2026
If you are searching for the best Alaska guided tour 2026 that combines Denali National Park, Glacier Bay, and the Alaska Inside Passage cruise, scenic rail travel, and
meaningful cultural experiences into one seamless journey, I would love for you to consider joining us.
With limited space remaining in July and strong demand for peak Alaska travel season, this is a thoughtful time to secure your place.
You can view the full itinerary, cabin categories, and current availability on our Best of Alaska guided tour 2026 page.
Alaska is powerful. It is peaceful. It is unforgettable.
The scale of it stays with you long after you return home.
If it has been on your list for years, perhaps this is the year to experience it well.
I would love to welcome you on this Best of Alaska guided tour and share it with you.
Laney
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