Five Great Ways to See Alaska, No RV Required | Travel + Leisure
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Five Great Ways to See Alaska, No RV Required

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TAKE A GUIDED JOURNEY
Travel by land, sea, and sky during Off the Beaten Path's nine-day guided tour of Alaska's Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Prince William Sound. Among the highlights: a glacier walk, kayak outing through ice floes, and a joyride (by plane) to see the snow-covered peaks of the Wrangell Mountains. OBP is known for its impressive level of service—first-rate guides, good food, well-chosen lodgings, and counselors who know how to keep the kids happy. Off the Beaten Path, 800/445-2995; www.offthebeatenpath.com; adults $4,390, children $4,190.

Other tour companies that offer first-rate Alaskan family adventures: Abercrombie & Kent (www.abercrombiekent.com), Backroads (www.backroads.com), Thomson Family Adventures (www.familyadventures.com), Tauck Bridges (www.tauckbridges.com), and Austin-Lehman Adventures (www.austinlehman.com).

CONSIDER A CRUISE
Crystal Cruises offers 12-day top-of-the-line Alaskan cruises, with departures out of Vancouver and San Francisco, from late May to late September. On shore excursions, passengers can opt to mountain bike through rain forests or visit the Alaska Raptor Center, a rehab site for birds of prey, in Sitka. Crystal Cruises, 800/820-6663; www.crystalcruises.com; doubles from $2,995 per person (out of San Francisco); children under 12 free in a double with a paying adult.

Surf and Turf, Anyone?
Juneau-based Alaska Travel Adventures orchestrates nature tours with plenty of opportunities to actually test the waters—by raft, sea kayak, and canoe. AA also leads combined jeep and canoe tours through the backcountry. Alaska Travel Adventures, 800/791-2673; www.alaskaadventures.com; adults $125, children $83.
N.B.: Norwegian Cruise Line and Holland America also offer Alaskan cruises that are worth considering.

ALL ON BOARD
The Alaskan Railroad is a great way to see the state without ever having to stop for gas. While adults take in the scenery, onboard guides lead kids in games and crafts. Packages range from single- to 10-day tours (hotels included), with stops at national parks, glaciers, and hot springs. Some itineraries incorporate coastal cruises. Alaskan Railroad, 800/544-0552; www.akrr.com; $1,296 for adults, for a five-day, four-night package to Denali National Park. Call for children's rates.

FLY OVER ALASKA
In Denali, glimpse the craggy twin peaks of Mount McKinley—from above, on one of Era Aviation's Alaska Flightseeing Tours by helicopter. For families seeking to explore the alpine tundra, the group also offers hiking, trekking, and dogsledding packages. Era Aviation's Alaska Flightseeing Tours, 800/843-1947; www.flightseeingtours.com; prices start at $225 for adults and children.

Copyright © 2008, American Express Publishing. All rights reserved.