Exploring Alaska's interior wilderness on a cruise tour
By iCruise Editorial Staff, Avid Cruisers | November 28, 2025 ( Comments)
Alaska is one of the few destinations where a cruise alone cannot reveal the full picture. While sailing the Inside Passage offers glaciers, wildlife, and scenic coastal towns, the state’s most dramatic landscapes — its national parks, interior wilderness, and mountain corridors — can only be reached by land. That’s why many travelers choose an Alaska cruise tour: a seamless combination of cruise sailing and guided inland exploration that helps you experience the very best of the Last Frontier.
With the best Alaska cruise and land tour packages, you’ll enjoy the highlights of your Alaska cruise and then continue inland via wilderness lodges, comfortable hotels, and award-winning rail service through some of the state’s most spectacular terrain. These curated itineraries remove the stress of planning — your cruise line organizes transportation, lodging, and major sightseeing so you can explore confidently and efficiently.
While you can end your voyage and explore Alaska independently, cruise tours take the guesswork out of deciding where to go, how far to travel, and which excursions are truly worthwhile. Instead of piecing together logistics on your own, you can book additional excursions through the cruise line or through our website and focus fully on the adventure.
Alaska cruise tours are offered by major cruise lines such as Celebrity, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess, and Royal Caribbean. Below are the top things travelers get to experience on a land-and-sea Alaska cruise tour.
Wildlife Exploration Tours
Alaska’s wildlife is one of its most compelling reasons to visit — and cruise tours offer exceptional opportunities to view animals up close. Depending on your itinerary, you may encounter beluga whales, sea lions, mountain goats, red foxes, bald eagles, harbor seals, grizzly bears, moose, and more.
Some of the most popular wildlife activities include:
- Boat rides in Glacier Point, where mountain goats, sea lions, and dramatic ice formations are common sights.
- Kayaking or hiking in Chilkoot Lake State Park, known for seals, bear activity, and eagle nesting areas.
- Cruises through Kenai Fjords, one of the best areas in Alaska for spotting whales and puffins.
Whether by water, land, or rail, cruise tours place you directly in the environments where Alaska’s wildlife thrives.
Educational Alaska Culture Tours
Alaska’s culture is as rich as its landscapes. Many cruise tours include experiences that highlight Alaska Native traditions, frontier history, and daily life in the modern Last Frontier.
You may enjoy cultural excursions such as:
- Visits to museums, cultural centers, and heritage exhibits.
- Dog-sled demonstrations or hands-on mushing lessons.
- Cooking demonstrations featuring locally caught salmon.
- Workshops or performances led by Alaska Native artists.
Alaska’s history also includes the Klondike Gold Rush. At the historic Gold Dredge No. 8 site, guests can learn about mining and even pan for gold themselves.
Denali (also known as Mount McKinley), Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Alaska Rail Service
One of the most iconic features of an Alaska cruise tour is the scenic rail journey through the state’s interior. These domed train cars offer panoramic views of snow-covered mountains, spruce forests, lakes, and winding rivers.
Onboard narration enhances the journey, highlighting landmarks, wildlife, and regional history. Several cruise lines operate their own rail services, including Princess’s Direct-to-the-Wilderness® train, which takes travelers straight from ship to lodge for maximum convenience.
Parks
Alaska’s national parks are world-renowned, and cruise tours make them easier than ever to reach. Denali National Park is the most popular, offering six million acres of wilderness, expansive tundra, and the tallest peak in North America at 20,310 feet.
Depending on your itinerary, you may enjoy:
- Ranger-guided programs and wilderness education.
- Wildlife bus tours featuring moose, bears, and Dall sheep.
- Panoramic viewpoints and photography opportunities.
- Moderate hiking trails with dramatic alpine scenery.
Exploring inland parks adds depth and meaning to your Alaska vacation, offering natural experiences unavailable on coastal cruise routes.
Glacier Tours
No trip to Alaska is complete without seeing its glaciers up close. On a cruise tour, glacier viewing goes far beyond what’s visible from your ship — you can explore by helicopter, foot, or small aircraft.
Glacier experiences may include:
- Helicopter landings on glaciers for guided walks or hikes.
- Flightseeing tours over massive icefields.
- Explorations of ice caves and glacier valleys.
- Glacier viewing cruises in areas like Kenai Fjords.
From May through September, each month offers its own seasonal highlights — from the Midnight Sun in summer to the potential for Northern Lights viewing in late August and early fall. The experiences available to you will depend on when you go, which cruise line you choose, and the specific itinerary you select.
What Makes an Alaska Cruise Tour Worth It?
For many travelers, an Alaska cruise tour provides exceptional value — both in terms of experience and efficiency. Here’s why cruise tours are often considered the best way to see Alaska:
- You see the “real Alaska.” Cruises highlight the coastline, but cruise tours take you inland to Denali, Alaska’s national parks, rail routes, and wilderness regions inaccessible by sea.
- All logistics are handled for you. Hotels, transportation, and transfers are coordinated by the cruise line, ensuring a smooth, stress-free adventure.
- You get more time in nature. Multi-night stays at wilderness lodges or park-adjacent hotels allow for deeper wildlife viewing and more flexible exploration.
- You maximize your travel investment. By combining a cruise and land tour, you cover more of Alaska in one trip, often saving time and cost compared to planning independently.
- It’s tailored for first-time and repeat Alaska travelers alike. Whether you’re seeing glaciers for the first time or returning to explore new parks, cruise tours offer variety and depth.
For many visitors — especially families, seniors, and adventure-seekers — the opportunity to experience both coastal Alaska and its interior wilderness makes cruise tours one of the most rewarding vacation types available today.
For help choosing the best Alaska cruise tour for your travel style, contact us and our Alaska cruise experts will guide you through your options, compare itineraries, and help you plan a seamless land-and-sea Alaska adventure.
