Alaska Help-Budget Queen?

[fourdarlings]

My dh has booked us a beautiful Alaskan vacation (no kids!) to celebrate our 15th anniversary this summer. We are doing a 3 day land tour beginning on July 14 and then the Island Princess SB departing July 17. I am usually our vacation planner so this is a nice surprise, but I like to look after the details :rolleyes: .

 

1. I have read all of the info on the NHT at Denali and will try to change to the Tundra Tour. We get into Denali at 11:15 am and leave the next am for Whittier. Are there other options too? Please advise.

 

2. Please help with shore excursions in Skagway, Juneau & Ketchikan! We are in our late 30's and don't specifically have a great desire to see any one thing so all suggestions are welcome! Has anyone done the golfing in Skagway? I see lots of recommendations for plane/helo tours, but I get very motion sick on small planes. What about any of the rafting tours?

 

Is the whale watch worth it? We did one in Boston 2 years ago and were quite disappointed (I know there is a big diff. btwn Boston and Alaska!).

 

I am open to suggestions re:ship tours or outside tours.

 

Many thanks

Keri

[Budget Queen]

I'll assume you are arriving Denali Park from Fairbanks via bus??? If the times are accurate- I would suggest you consider booking YOURSELF on the 12pm Toklat Shuttle, about $20, be certain to mention you have already paid your park admission. I would contact the Denali Lodge directly and see if they can arrange transportation for you- specifically for you. Otherwise you can certainly make the 2pm shuttle, but would have to most likely walk back- about 1 mile, or befriend someone on the shuttle perhaps for a ride??

 

I'm just throwing out possibilities, since the NHT is just so worthless.

 

You do realize, if you are training to Whittier- it is a 10 hour ride??? Bus would be about 7-8 hours. So pack your snacks in Fairbanks, if needed.

 

Rafting out of Skagway is good, but not out of Juneau. I would say the whale watch is not for you, blows, backs and tails of humpbacks is all you can expect on these tours. If you indeed went out of Boston, this is the worse area to consider, you have a long distance to travel just to get to the whales, out of Cape Cod or Gloucester (where I always leave from) is far superior.

 

Look over a shore excursion list and narrow down your interests. Repost for specific information. There are way too many excellent tours to recommend.

[fourdarlings]

Thanks Budget Queen. I am trying to get my dh to look at tours. He would like to do a glacier tour (and I will take dramamine!)-which is the best for sightseeing and for cost? Are they all flight tours or are there any dceent ones via bus in Skagway, Juneau or Ketchikan?

 

As for our cruise tour we arrive in Anchorage on July 14, stay overnight at the Hilton it looks like, and travel to McKinley July 15-stay overnight and then go to Denali July 16 (I assume by bus) and arrive around 11:15 am. We then depart Denali as part of the cruise tour via rail to Whittier on July 17 in time to sail that night. I do remember seeing it is a long rail trip.

 

Is the White Pass & Yukon RR worth doing in Skagway?

 

Many thanks

Keri