Touring the white land

       January 1, 0000    1456

 

Alaska is the land of the Inuit, Inupiaq and Yupik Eskimos. It is where the world's highest mountain peaks are located. It is a land of glaciers and spectacular natural parks. Alaska for most people is the great last frontier on earth for exploration, travel and adventure.

Probably one of the best ways to view the whole Alaskan landscape is via a land tour. It is very fortunate therefore that several Alaskan cruise ships offer land trips or excursions which give travelers and adventure seekers an opportunity to get close and personal with all that is Alaska.

Normally, Alaskan cruise ships go either northbound or southbound and packages their land excursions either before you board the cruise ships or after you take the water leg of the tour. It is common for land tours or excursions to last for three days of more. However, most popular among vacationers is the 5 to 7 day stretch of sightseeing and adventuring in the Alaskan wilderness.

Land tours usually go through some of Alaska's well known destinations like the Seward, Talkeetna, Tongass National Forest and Denali National Park. You can go there via car, bus or Alaskan railroad. But probably the best land travel tours incorporate a little of each.

Each form of transportation offers a different and rewarding experience. You could reach the remote Alaskan wilderness by plying the roads on board a rented car or a tour bus. The railroad, on the other hand, goes through mountains which give you a chance to see the mountain streams and the virgin snowy white forests. Speaking of mountains, Alaska is the home of 17 highest mountain peaks in the country including that of Mt. McKinley, the highest mountain in North America.

If this is your first time traveling to Alaska, then why not get the most out of the experience and go all the way. Anyways, most of the tour packages being offered by cruise ships can be customized to meet the exact needs of travelers.

Among the must see places in any Alaskan cruise and land tour are the different National Parks and Protected areas across the state. Alaska is blessed with pristine forest lands and wildlife. The state has 15 national parks, natural preserves and monuments each of which has unique characteristics.

All in all, Alaska has 3.2 million acres of state park lands. Alaska boasts of having some of the most distinct and incredible wilderness parks in the U.S. You can visit Chugach state park where one could see huge tidewater glaciers on the coastlines. Alaska has around 100,000 glaciers, most of which are active crashing blocks of ice to the ocean. You can also go on whale watching, fishing and kayaking trips.

A tour of Tongass National Forest, on the other hand, will give you a lot of opportunities for hiking and beach combing activities. For bird watchers, the Island National Monument is a perfect destination. Another park that offers breathtaking mountain passes, hiking trails and wildlife viewing is the Misty Fiords National Monument.

Some, however, are afraid of exploring Alaska by land. For them, Alaska is too wild, too remote, too much of a wilderness and therefore too dangerous to be explored by land. However, without land tours, trips and adventures, your vacation to Alaska is not going to be worth.

Alaskan land tours like all tours and trips are always guided tours. Experienced guides always have your safety in mind. They will help you get the optimum Alaskan experience while remaining safe. It would be to your advantage to book an Alaskan cruise tour from a travel agent that have good reviews and standing in the Alaskan travel community.
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