Explore Alaska – America’s last wilderness

Imagine witnessing the spectacular movement of glaciers or a whale breaching at sunset, or venturing into the forest searching for grizzlies or riding horse-back through the waterfalls and rivers of Yukon countryside.

Alaska offers a trip of a lifetime; you can see everything from forested mountains, wildlife parks and its famous glacier scenery to native crafts and Gold Rush history.

Alaska is unmatched by any other destination for the sheer magnificence of its natural wonders. With Holland America Line, experts in Alaska travel, there’s now the opportunity to combines Alaska with the splendour of the Canadian Rockies offering the most spectacular mountain scenery, glaciers and gorges, pristine lakes and waterfalls. Each holiday includes a premium cruise on a Holland America Line ship through Alaska’s spectacular coastal scenery – a highlight being a day spent at Glacier Bay National Park, where rangers explain the phenomena of glaciers.

Canadian Rockies & Alaska
Fly to Calgary and start a four day tour that includes magnificent mountains, canyons and plains of western Canada. After three nights at leisure in beautiful Vancouver, join Holland America Line’s elegant Statendam for a seven night Inside Passage cruise.

Enjoy two relaxing nights in Banff with visits to Bow Falls and Sulphur Mountain and take in lovely Lake Louise, surrounded by towering snow-capped peaks. With calls at picturesque Alaskan towns, there is the option of taking a floatplane across the Misty Fjords National Monument in Ketchikan or whale watching in Juneau. Prices for a 15-night holiday start from £1,599pp.

Alaska Touring
Highlights of this amazing 15-night holiday includes 7 nights cruising from Vancouver to Seward, taking in College Fjord & Glacier Bay National Park, calling at Alaskan towns, including Skagway, a Klondike National Park and historical centre of the 1890’s Gold Rush. Cruise the Kenai Fjords National Park with two nights of ‘Frontier’ Alaska at Fairbanks.

Travel through miles of spectacular wilderness to Denali National Park enjoying the scenery from Holland America Line’s own private domed railcars of the McKinley Explorer train, spend two nights accommodation in a comfortable lodge, and experience an incredible tour of the park, witnessing the Tundra Wilderness and its wildlife, and capturing photos of Mt. McKinley. Prices for a 15-night holiday from £3,089pp.

Every Alaska and Rockies experience includes a premium Holland America Line cruise. New shore experiences at fascinating Alaskan ports of call appeal to an increasingly broad range of interests. Food lovers, adventure seekers and art enthusiasts will all find not-to-be-missed experiences among the more than 250 excursions offered in 2008.

For the adventure seekers and to see a completely different view of Alaska, snorkelling is offered in Sitka and Ketchikan. Typically a warm-water sport, a wetsuit or dry suit provides protection from the elements while exploring the usually unseen underwater wilderness of Southeast Alaska. For the ‘foodies’, another new tour in Ketchikan sure to attract seafood lovers is An Alaskan Chef’s Table.

A delectable five-course tasting menu highlighting Alaska’s sustainable bounty is served in a private club room overlooking the harbor. The Chef will share stories, tips and secrets for successful brining, grilling, roasting and smoking. And for those with an eye for photography, a new tour called Guides Choice Photo Discovery, in Haines, focuses on photographing the wildlife and stunning scenery of the Chilkat Valley. A professional photographer escorts a small group to a choice location and helps guests set up the best shots.

For more information on Holland America Line's cruises & tours to this extraordinary part of the world, visit Hollandamerica.co.uk for information on itineraries and ships.