Princess Alaska Rail
Princess’s own glass-domed railcars run from the ship in Whittier straight to its Denali-area wilderness lodges. Here’s how the rail day works, what’s included and how to enjoy every mile.
Ship to lodge, by dome car
Most Princess cruisetours start or end with a long, slow, wonderful train ride. With Direct-to-the-Wilderness rail, you step off the ship in Whittier, board a Princess railcar on the pier side and arrive at a Princess Wilderness Lodge near Denali or Talkeetna that same evening, with no night in Anchorage in between. Other tours ride Princess Rail Service between Anchorage, Talkeetna, Denali and Fairbanks.
Each car is a two-level dome. You sit upstairs under curved glass with a guide pointing out moose, rivers and, on a clear day, Denali itself. Downstairs is a proper dining room cooking breakfast, lunch or dinner to order, and at the back there’s an open-air platform for fresh air and photos. It’s a full day, so think of it as part of the vacation, not a transfer.
Formerly Older Princess materials called the Whittier service the Denali Express; the railcars were originally marketed as the Midnight Sun Express.
Inside the train
Upstairs in the dome
Seats sit on a raised floor under a glass dome that wraps up and over your head, so you can see the peaks above as well as the valley beside you. Seats are assigned on your boarding pass, some forward-facing and some around tables of four, and it’s normal to swap around during the day. Rail guides narrate the route and staff bring drinks to your seat. Select routes add a visit from an Iditarod musher.
The dining room
Every Princess railcar has its own lower-level dining room with food cooked to order: think reindeer sausage breakfasts, smoked salmon spread and Alaskan beer and wine. Meals on the train are at your own expense unless your itinerary says otherwise. Princess offers prepaid land meal packages you can add up to 14 days before departure, and your advisor can add one for you. Cash isn’t accepted on board, so bring a card.
The open-air platform
Step down and out to the platform at the end of the car for open air, the sound of the rails and photos without glass in the way. It’s the best spot when the train crosses Hurricane Gulch. Bring a warm layer: it’s breezy out there, even in July.
The route & scenery
From Whittier the train runs through the long Anton Anderson tunnel and along Turnagain Arm toward Anchorage, then north past Wasilla and the Susitna River to Talkeetna. North of Talkeetna, the rails leave the road system for the backcountry: Hurricane Gulch, crossed nearly 300 feet up, then Broad Pass and Summit Lake, the highest point on the Alaska Railroad, before following the Nenana River to Denali. On a clear day, Denali shows up south of Talkeetna and again near Hurricane Gulch. Clouds often hide it, which makes a clear day feel like a gift.
From our founderOn board Princess rail
You can sit, relax, you go slow, but you can see up, you can also see sideways. And one of the great features, you can even head to the very back and you can stand outside and get some views as well.
Before you go
- Pack a small day bag. Your big bags go separately to your lodge. Keep one small bag with medications, documents, layers and binoculars: it rides under your seat, and wheeled airline carry-ons are too big.
- Ship packages stay on the ship. Ship dining and beverage packages don’t apply on the land portion of any cruisetour, for any line. Rail meals are paid as you go or through a Princess land meal package.
- It’s a long day. Whittier to Denali is most of a day on the rails. Guests often tell us the ride flew by, but plan for a full day, an evening arrival and a relaxed dinner at the lodge.
- Tipping on land. Gratuities aren’t included on the land portion, and that includes rail staff and dining servers. Budget a little for them.
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More of the land tour
The lodges, hotels and rail that make up an Alaska cruisetour. Your advisor can match the right combination to your trip.
