Alaska Up Close | Explore Alaska | Holland America Line
The flavors of Alaska take center stage. Explore local culinary traditions, cooking demonstrations and regional menu items. From fresh-caught fish to pints of our own blend of Denali Brewing Company draft beer, we serve up Alaska just for you.
We present curated stories of real Alaskans, from Iditarod mushers to native anthropologists on the World Stage.
Learn more about the behavior of Alaska’s gentle giants, their songs and how crucial these animals are to our planet’s survival.
Uncover the stories behind three remarkable women breaking the ice ceiling of Alaska’s male-dominated professions: ship captain, bush pilot, and fisher.
Meet musher Linwood Fielder, who has competed in Alaska’s challenging 1,000-mile Iditarod race 25 times. Find out how he trains his canine athletes.
Discover how a new generation of Native Tlingit leaders is creating ways to express their culture through Haa Shuká, honoring the past, present and future.
In 1947, Chuck West began flying awe-struck guests over Denali by the light of the midnight sun. This is the story of how we integrated our ships with his tours and have been bringing enthusiastic voyagers to the Great Land ever since.
Immerse yourself in the natural world with BBC Earth Concerts: Wild Alaska*. Featuring footage from the BBC TV series Wild Alaska, the visuals show Alaska at its most beautiful while a live orchestra provides a soul-stirring soundtrack.
*The BBC and BBC Earth Concerts: Wild Alaska are trademarks of the British Broadcasting Corporation and are used under license. BBC logo©
In Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, we bring National Park Service Rangers on board to point out areas of interest and answer questions. Members of the local Huna Tlingit tribe share ancient stories about the history of the bay, their ancestral homeland. On every cruise, naturalists lead workshops and wildlife spotting on deck.
Gather on deck at the Sea View Pool to see some of Alaska’s most notable residents: eagles, dolphins, whales, otters and more. Become an expert at identifying these amazing creatures with some helpful hints from our onboard naturalist.
Learn all about Alaska’s “Big Five”—grizzly bears, moose, caribou, wolves and Dall sheep. Discover the fascinating Alaska experiences you can embark on at upcoming ports of call.
Get even closer to Alaska’s splendors with a morning binocular viewing session at Glacier Bay National Park. Gaze at icy-blue glaciers, soaring eagles and other wildlife during this once-in-a-lifetime Alaska experience with tips from our onboard naturalist.
Knowledgeable park rangers and a Huna cultural interpreter break the ice with insightful talks in Glacier Bay and our naturalist discusses the ins and outs of the Inside Passage, massive Hubbard Glacier and more during scenic cruising days.
The flavors of Alaska take center stage on board and on land. Explore local culinary traditions, cooking demonstrations, regional menu items and tastings. Dine on fresh-caught fish. Savor a pint of Denali Gold, our Denali Brewing Company draft beer blend. Sip signature cocktails. We serve up the best of Alaska throughout your journey.
Our Alaska seafood is not only tasty and fresh, Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) has certified it sustainable. Holland America is the first and only cruise line certified sustainable by the RFM on all ships sailing Alaska, demonstrating our long-standing commitment to protecting fish and supporting Alaska communities.
Explore Alaska cuisine. Enjoy curated menus featuring the best of the land and freshest from the sea. Try dishes that celebrate regional favorites and unexpected flavors, such as juniper berry or spruce. Go beyond salmon and expand your horizons with the best-kept secrets of Pacific fisheries.
Bring a piece of Alaska to your home kitchen. At the Five Salmon You Meet in Alaska, our chef discusses each type of salmon’s flavor profile and demonstrates how to make two salmon-centric dishes. At Kings of the North, learn how to make succulent dishes from Alaskan king crab and halibut.
Reel in a big one? Savor every bit of your catch, perfectly prepared by our expert chefs and served to you on board. A true ocean-to-fork experience, available on select fishing excursions.
Indulge your culinary passions with exciting adventures in the Great Land. Enjoy fresh salmon, grilled to perfection on an open campfire. Dine on a gourmet meal of king crab after exploring Sitka’s wildlife-rich waters by Zodiac.
Our culinary and beverage partnerships deliver the best of Alaska. From signature dishes and desserts to beer flights and Alaska-inspired cocktails, our partners create an unforgettable and unrivaled dining experience.
Denali Brewing Company, one of Alaska’s finest breweries, makes our draft beer, Denali Gold, as well as mainstays of our system-wide draft beers: Mother Ale, Single Engine Red, Twister Creek IPA and others.
From Talkeetna, Alaska Denali Spirits offers premium Spruce Tip Gin, made from American White Wheat, local spruce tips and nine botanicals blended with pure Alaska water. You’ll find this flavorful gin in our Spruce Collins and other craft cocktails.
We use Kahiltna birch syrup and birch caramel in desserts, namely the warm beignets at Karstens, our restaurant at the McKinley Chalet Resort. Look for their products in our gift shops to purchase as sweet souvenirs.
Our beer flights and custom cocktails put a frontier twist on the classics. Refresh with an Alaska wine spritzer made from Bear Creek Winery’s Strawberry Rhubarb Wine. Sip an Alpenglo Cosmo or Mendenhall Margarita as you take in Alaska’s breathtaking scenery.
Whether you long to walk across a glacier, get closer to majestic whales or learn the secret meaning behind totem carvings, our award-winning shore excursions help you connect deeply with the people, culture and history of Alaska.
Adventure among narrow fjords, rugged mountains, and verdant forests in remote outposts that tell the hardscrabble history of Alaska. From Sitka to Ketchikan and Skagway, experience top shore excursions and find out what Alaska truly offers.
Our cruisetours combine a cruise through Alaska’s majestic waters with 2 to 11 days of land exploration, including Denali National Park & Preserve. Accommodations and transportation are made easy with stays at our McKinley Chalet Resort and rail travel on our McKinley Explorer Rail. Choose from 18 itineraries, including the exclusive Yukon & Denali Cruisetours, some of our highest-rated experiences.
Stay at our McKinley Chalet Resort, one of the premier properties at the gates of Denali National Park & Preserve. Take part in evening nature walks or browse one-of-a-kind local goods at pop up shops.
Go deep into the untamed wilderness surrounding Denali on an Alaska wildlife safari, included on 2- and 3-night stays at McKinley Chalet Resort. Spot majestic grizzlies and moose in their home turf on this 6-hour bus tour.
Every cruisetour includes a scenic trip between Anchorage and Denali aboard the luxury domed railcars of our McKinley Explorer®, including select rail adventures that begin directly from the ship. Relax and take in 360° views as you ride the historic rail line between Anchorage and Denali. Nosh on delectable fare in the lavish dining cars as backcountry scenery rolls by.
Add a journey into the unspoiled reaches of the Yukon Territory to your cruisetour. We’re the only cruise line to take you into this area, where Klondike Gold Rush history blends with natural beauty. A Journey Host helps plan your trip, adds insights and answers questions. Our Yukon cruisetours receive the highest guest scores of anything we do.