These two outings alone more than pays for the book.Īfter reading about the family and the tour, I was intrigued. (If you choose to do the Gold Dredge 8, it also is a buy one, get one free and that is a savings of $45.95 plus tax. We have found this book to save us money on many things, and a few freebies at some Anchorage stores. For a couple, that is a savings of $75.95 plus tax. For the 2022 season, it offers buy one, get one free. Tip: If you are travelling independently as our group of 8 were, you may consider purchasing the Alaska Tour Saver ($99) book a couple of months before you leave. They also offer free donuts on the morning cruise! Along the way, you will see a float plane take off, see a dog sled kennel, and exit the boat to experience a living history native village. This is a great cruise up the Chena River on a functional paddle wheeler and the boat turns around where the Chena meets another river. Although the company has new owners, the experience is very similar to when we were last there. It's been 12 years since I was last on the Riverboat Discovery with out three sons. They have monitors everywhere showing what they are discussing so you still see it if you are on the wrong side of the ship.Īt the harbor, they have a large gift shop with very reasonable prices and -40 degree (C or F, both are the same at -40) room so you can feel an Alaska winter.

The river is placid and the ship is slow so boat motion should not be a problem for anyone. The ship is very nice with large indoor and outdoor (covered) sections.

All of the demonstrations and displays are top notch. At the village they demonstrate clothing, salmon preserving, housing and more. It is a cruise on the Chena river to a mock native village and the Tenana river junction and back but it is not just a cruise, instead it is an Alaska show with demonstrations and displays including bush planes (one takes off and lands on the river), historic river transport (ship itself and displays), dog sledding (they stop at a kennel with a demonstration), native history and culture (discussion on the boat and at the mock native village), and modern Fairbanks (along the river).

Riverboat discovery and gold dredge 8