Amtrak Vacations
Alaska and the Empire Builder Rail and Sail with the Norwegian Jade®
12-day Alaska cruise and Amtrak rail journey from Anchorage to Chicago
12 daysfrom $2,369
25% rail
Amtrak Vacations
The Empire Builder and Alaska Rail and Sail with the Norwegian Jade®
12-day Amtrak and Alaska cruise from Chicago to Anchorage
Amtrak Vacations pairs this rail and cruise itinerary from Chicago to Anchorage. It opens with an overnight ride on the Empire Builder, crossing the North Dakota plains and following the Missouri River before the train winds through Montana's Big Sky Country and passes Glacier National Park on day two. After a stopover in Seattle and a change onto the Cascades, two days in Vancouver include a hop-on, hop-off city tour past Stanley Park, Chinatown and Gastown, with views from the Vancouver Lookout. From there, 7 nights aboard the Norwegian Jewel sail the Inside Passage, calling at Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway and cruising past Glacier Bay National Park and the Hubbard Glacier, before disembarking in Seward for a transfer to Anchorage. Guided time is limited mostly to Vancouver, so it suits travelers who want a classic cross-country train ride paired with Alaska's glaciers and wildlife, without needing a guide for every stop.
What to know before you look closer
- Government taxes and fees for the cruise portion are charged separately from the price shown.
- Vancouver hotels are offered as a choice of 6 properties, from the Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Vancouver-Downtown to the Fairmont Pacific Rim, so which one you get depends on what is booked.
- Guided touring is limited mostly to the hop-on, hop-off tour in Vancouver; the Seattle stopover is at your leisure and the Alaska port days list only optional activities like kayaking, flightseeing or gold panning in Juneau.
- The evidence does not list specific departure dates; confirm current availability and pricing with Amtrak Vacations.
Day by day
- Day 1overnight: Onboard Amtrak
Overnight Onboard Amtrak
Welcome to Chicago! This afternoon, make your way to Chicago's Union Station and board Amtrak's® Empire Builder for a scenic ride cross country to the Pacific Coast. On day two, you'll enjoy breathtaking landscapes as you cross the North Dakota plains, travel along the Missouri River, and wind through the Big Sky Country of Montana, passing by the magnificent Glacier National Park.
- Day 2overnight: Onboard Amtrak
Overnight Onboard Amtrak
- Day 3overnight: Vancouver
Vancouver, BC
This morning, arrive in Seattle's Kings Street Station. The afternoon is at your leisure to explore Seattle, visit popular attractions such as Pikes Place Market, Pioneer Square or Seattle's Waterfront. In the evening, board Amtrak's Cascades to continue your journey to Vancouver.
- Day 4overnight: Vancouver
Vancouver, BC
Today, enjoy a full day of sightseeing with your hop-on, hop-off city tour. Visit popular attractions including Stanley Park, Chinatown, Gastown and more! Be sure to head up to the top of the Vancouver Lookout for unbeatable views of the city, Coal Harbor, and surrounding landscapes.
- Day 5overnight: Onboard Norwegian Jewel
Overnight Onboard Norwegian Jewel (Embark at 4:00 PM)
Departure on the Jewel® is at 4:00 pm today! While at sea, take some time getting acquainted with many of the ship's amenities including the delicious dining options, bars and lounges, dazzling casino!
- Day 6overnight: Onboard Norwegian Jewel
Overnight Onboard Norwegian Jewel
Today, sail through the islands of the Inside Passage, the longest sheltered inland waterway in the world, and get ready for amazing views and wildlife like nowhere else! Be on the lookout for orcas and humpback whales!
- Day 7overnight: Onboard Norwegian Jewel
Ketchikan (Docked 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM)
Spend the day in Ketchikan. Its Tlingit Indian name, Kach Khanna, means "spread wings of the eagle." Chances are you'll see one of these magnificent birds perched atop a Sitka tree. Thanks to its abundant rainfall, Ketchikan is surrounded by some of the world's most lush wilderness.
- Day 8overnight: Onboard Norwegian Jewel
Juneau (Docked 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM)
Today you will dock in Juneau, Alaska. Juneau has been called "Alaska's peak experience," certainly due in part to its unparalleled glacier viewing from such places as Tracy Arm Fjord, the Juneau Icefields and Glacier Bay National Park. Kayak up one of the area's many protected waterways, go flightseeing, tour historic downtown or try your hand at panning for gold.
- Day 9overnight: Onboard Norwegian Jewel
Skagway (Docked 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM)
Today, you'll sail into beautiful Skagway. In a single year from 1896 to 1897, this remote town along the Inside Passage grew from a few tents to a city of 20,000 gold seekers. Today, travelers come in search of other riches - to experience yesteryear along Skagway's charming boardwalk lined with buildings that replicate those Gold Rush days.
- Day 10overnight: Onboard Norwegian Jewel
Cruise Glacier Bay
Today you will sail to Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, a United Nations World Heritage Site. Comprised of 3.3 million acres of natural wonders, it is home to magnificent glaciers, snow-capped mountains and abundant birds and wildlife.
- Day 11overnight: Onboard Norwegian Jewel
Cruise Hubbard Glacier
Get up close and personal with the gigantic Hubbard Glacier, North America's largest tidewater glacier. It's 1350 square miles of blue ice and one of the most active in Alaska!
- Day 12
Seward (Disembark at 5:00 AM) to Anchorage
After disembarking from the Norwegian Jewel in Seward, Alaska, a transfer will take you from the cruise port to the Anchorage Airport.
The moments this trip is built around
- Day 2The train crosses the North Dakota plains, follows the Missouri River, and winds through Montana's Big Sky Country past Glacier National Park.
- Day 4A hop-on, hop-off city tour of Vancouver stops at Stanley Park, Chinatown and Gastown, with views from the Vancouver Lookout over the city and Coal Harbour.
- Day 8The ship docks in Juneau, with glacier viewing at Tracy Arm Fjord, the Juneau Icefields and Glacier Bay National Park.
- Day 10The ship cruises Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, a United Nations World Heritage Site covering 3.3 million acres of glaciers, snow-capped mountains and wildlife.
- Day 11The ship cruises past the Hubbard Glacier, North America's largest tidewater glacier, spanning 1,350 square miles of blue ice.
Included
- One-way Amtrak® in Coach accommodations from Chicago to Vancouver on the Empire Builder® and the Cascades
- 2 nights' hotel accommodations; 2 nights onboard Amtrak; 7 nights' onboard the Jewel
- Transfer from Seward cruise port to Anchorage airport
Not included
- Government taxes and fees applicable to the cruise
Questions travellers ask
- Is the train travel included?
- Yes. Amtrak Vacations includes one-way Coach travel from Chicago to Vancouver, with an overnight ride on the Empire Builder and a connection onto the Cascades, for 2 nights onboard Amtrak.
- Is this trip escorted or independent?
- It mixes guided and independent time: the Vancouver hop-on, hop-off city tour is included, but the Seattle stopover is at your leisure and the Alaska port days list only optional activities.
- Which ship is used for the cruise?
- The itinerary describes 7 nights aboard the Norwegian Jewel, sailing north from Vancouver to Seward, Alaska, with stops in Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway and cruising past Glacier Bay and the Hubbard Glacier.
- What hotels are used?
- A choice of 6 hotels in Vancouver for 2 nights, including the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Fairmont Waterfront, Fairmont Pacific Rim, Hilton Vancouver Downtown, Georgian Court Hotel, and the Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Vancouver-Downtown.
- What is not included?
- Government taxes and fees applicable to the cruise are not included.
- How does the trip end?
- After 7 nights on the Norwegian Jewel, you disembark in Seward, Alaska, and are transferred to the Anchorage airport.
