riverboat discovery sternwheeler cruise

• Riverboat Discovery Cruise Fairbanks

Climb aboard a classic Chena River sternwheeler to experience the living history of Fairbanks, Alaska.

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For decades, riverboats like the Discovery III sternwheeler ran the big rivers of Alaska's interior. They hauled freight and passengers, linked distant communities and helped build new ones. Today the boat takes visitors on a unique tour to explore that history and see firsthand some of Alaska's quintessential pastimes.

Experience some of Alaska's quintessential pastimes.

The stately Discovery III has three decks with comfortable indoor seating, and a fourth top deck with open-air seating. The large red paddlewheel splashing at the stern propels the boat on its journey down the Chena River. It's right on the water shortly after leaving Steamboat Landing that guests see their first Alaskan demo. A bushplane on floats takes off alongside the boat, banking in a long arc until it loops back and lands again. The pilot talks about the wild life of bush flying in Alaska before the boat continues downstream. The next stop is an exuberant sled dog demo at the riverside kennels of late four-time Iditarod musher Susan Butcher.

Upon reaching the confluence of the Chena and Tanana Rivers, guests disembark for a walking tour of a Chena Indian Village. Native Alaskan guides lead groups to see spruce cabins, caches, smokehouses, and crafts created by Athabascans native to interior Alaska. After spending time further exploring the village on their own, guests board the boat for a return ride up the Chena River.

The Riverboat Discovery Cruise includes a bush plane demo, sled dog demo, and Chena Indian Village tour. There is a small giftshop and galley selling snacks, drinks, ice cream, and hearty lunch boxes on the boat. The tour returns to the Steamboat Landing where guests can visit the Discovery Trading Post, the largest Alaskan souvenir shop in Fairbanks .

What to Bring

Wear comfortable clothes and dress in layers. Most of the tour is conducted outside, so bring a light coat or rain jacket if necessary.

Special Instructions

Guests must check in at the Steamboat Landing station at least 30 minutes prior to the tour departure to exchange their voucher for a boarding pass.

Transfers & Meeting Points

The Riverboat Discovery Cruise is just five minutes from the Fairbanks airport and 20 minutes from downtown Fairbanks. Many local hotels offer shuttles to the Riverboat Discovery. Guests must coordinate their own transportation to the tour.

Riverboat Discovery Cruise 1975 Discovery Drive Fairbanks, Alaska 99709

Here are the rates and operating dates for this product. Remember, we have a lowest price guarantee for nearly everything we sell.

Child rates apply to children under the age of 13. Infants under the age of 2 may travel for free but must sit on an adult's lap.

Departure times and locations are listed below. Click on a link for an interactive map.

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With the 2021 summer season still taking shape, some tour providers may not yet have their operating dates set. Availability on AlaskaTravel.com reflects the most current information and is updated daily. Please contact us if you have questions about this tour.

Select a departure below to see current availability. If your desired date is sold out (red) we will do our best to find an alternative, but we may not be able to accommodate your request.

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Quick Facts

• Duration 3 Hours
• Options AM, PM
• Operating Dates Daily from 6/1/2024 to 8/31/2024
• Activity Level Less Active

What's Included

• Guided tour through an Athabascan village.
• Passage on a classic sternwheeler riverboat.
• Bush plane and sled dog demonstrations.
• Complimentary coffee and fresh donuts.

Guest Feedback

"We loved this! They made what might look like an ordinary river come alive! This was in our "Top 3 Attractions" list!"

~Ron from Illinois~

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Riverboat Discovery Sternwheeler Cruise in Fairbanks

Get a taste of the colorful history and cultural traditions in the great interior region of alaska..

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Home » City-Based Day Tours » Fairbanks » Riverboat Discovery Sternwheeler Cruise in Fairbanks

Day Tour Details

What's included:.

• Narrated tour onboard the Riverboat Discovery III
• All taxes and fees

What's Not Included:

Meals and transfers to and from your hotel.

Riverboat Discovery Cruise Experience: Take a Video Tour:

Dates & Rates

Contact us to book this tour..

Thank you for your interest in this tour! At this time, it is not currently available to book online. Please feel free to continue to peruse our website for more Alaska travel ideas. If you would like options and information from our team of Alaska experts, please call 1-866-317-3325 or fill out the form below.

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Alaska Tours was prompt in answering our inquiries, as we had never been on a cruise like this before. The tour was fantastic and far beyond our expectations.

Doug | Trip Advisor

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Excursions Riverboat Discovery Cruise

Riverboat discovery cruise.

Departs from Fairbanks

Description

Welcome aboard! Take a ride on the authentic sternwheeler Riverboat Discovery III for a fully-narrated 3-1/2 hour cruise along the Chena and Tanana Rivers. See a bush plane demonstration. Visit the home and kennels of the late four-time Iditarod winner Susan Butcher. Gain insight into the ancient Athabascan Indian culture with a one-hour visit to an authentic Athabascan Indian Village.

Alaskan Native guides will take you ashore for a personalized tour of the village where you’ll discover traditional Native lifestyles. Learn how the wolf, fox, martin, and beaver were used to provide food and protection in the harsh Arctic climate. Enjoy the work of an Athabascan beadwork artist.

Back on the boat, watch a fish wheel in operation and see the ‘Wedding of the Rivers’ where the Chena and Tanana Rivers converge. End the tour at Steamboat Landing and Discovery Trading Post which features Captain Jim’s Gourmet Smoked Salmon.

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The Riverboat Discovery Cruise

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• Riverboat Discovery

Description

Be sure to read the Special Notes further down this page for important requirements and restriction.

Board the only remaining authentic Alaskan sternwheeler for a cruise along the Chena and Tanana rivers in Chena River State Recreation Area. With the feel of an old-time steamboat that frequented the river during the gold rush days, the modern-day Riverboat Discovery features an open sun deck, heated glass enclosed decks and is equipped with video equipment so you won't miss any of the beautiful scenery. On the first leg of your journey, you'll see a bush pilot perform a takeoff and landing demonstration from a riverbank landing strip. As the giant paddle wheel churns up the waters of the Chena, keep your cameras ready for the wolves, grizzly bears and black bears that make the recreation area home. Beavers, foxes and moose may be seen near the shore or an occasional eagle can be spotted flying overhead and the waters teem with salmon from late June through early August. During the narrated tour, complementary coffee and donuts are served while you witness the ''wedding of the rivers.'' The marriage of these two mighty rivers creates quite a unique demarcation line - when the clear waters of the Chena meet the Tanana, the world's greatest glacier river carrying tons of glacial silt from the Alaska Range, the result is clouds of silt that rise and fall over the river. You'll make a stop at the home of Dave Monson and Susan Butcher, the late four-time Iditarod champion, meet her winning sled dogs and witness a dog sleg demonstration. Back on board, you'll continue on to the Old Chena Indian Village, and disembark for a glimpse into Alaskan Native life and history. Alaskan Native guides will take you on a tour of an Athabascan Indian village, a spruce bark hut, a trapper's cabin made of spruce logs, and show you how a fish wheel operates. Before boarding for your trip back, you'll have 15 minutes at the end of the tour to wander around the village or to take pictures.

Special Notes:

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Fairbanks Sightseeing Tours

Riverboat Discovery Cruise & Gold Dredge 8 Combo

Approximately 7 3/4 hours

May 15 -September 15

Adult - $159.95

Child - $138.95

• Easy Activity Level
• Meal Provided
• Wheelchair Accessible

Board the only remaining authentic Alaska sternwheeler for a cruise along the Chena and Tanana rivers in Chena River State Recreation Area. During this narrated cruise, you will witness the unique line where the clear waters of the Chena meet the Tanana, the world’s greatest glacier river carrying tons of glacial silt from the Alaska Range. Your next adventure carries you to the home of Dave Monson and the late Susan Butcher, four-time Iditarod champion. Here, you will meet their winning sled dogs and witness a sled-dog demonstration. From there, continue on to the Old Chena Indian Village and disembark for a glimpse into local life and history. Native guides will take you on a tour of an Athabascan Indian village, a spruce bark hut and trapper’s cabin made of spruce logs. Next, board a train to visit the Gold Dredge 8, a National Historic Monument! Local miners will give a brief course in mining, then you can try panning for yourself. You will find gold — we guarantee it! Finally, explore the dredge camp and visit the gift shop, where you can have your gold weighed and find out the dollar value based on the current market price. Turn your gold into a memorable keepsake before boarding the train for the return back to the station.

This tour can be booked in conjunction with a Gray Line Alaska package or on its own. To book this tour, please call 1-888-425-1737.

Riverboat Discovery

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Riverboat Discovery - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

RiverBoat Discovery Information

DINING OPTIONS

We have various dining options on Steamboat Landing and Discovery III:

CHENA VILLAGE LIVING MUSEUM

Be immersed in frontier living first hand with a guided walking tour of an Athabascan village. You’ll see an Athabascan  village with cabins made of spruce logs, a cache used for storing supplies, a primitive spruce bark hut and fur pelts. Our guides will explain how the wolf, fox, martin and beaver were used to provide food and protection in the harsh Arctic climate. They will also share how the Athabascans skillfully survived for over 10,000 years and how they adapted to village life and Western culture in the past century.

At the end of your guided tour, you will have time to explore the village on your own, interact with our guides and visit dogs from Susan Butcher’s Trail Breaker Kennel.

INTERNATIONAL SCRIPTS

A family business

The Binkley family’s steamboating tradition goes back over 100 years and five generations. In 1898, when Charles M. Binkley hiked over the Chilkoot Pass with other stampeders, he was not so much in search of gold as he was the chance to build and operate boats on the Yukon and its tributaries. He became a respected pilot and boat builder in the North. His son, Captain Jim Binkley, Sr., followed in his father’s footsteps and piloted freight vessels on the Yukon and Tanana Rivers in the 1940's.

As transportation systems changed in the north, railroads and airplanes began to carry much of the freight. In 1950, noting the coming changes in the freighting business, Captain Jim and his wife, Mary, began a river excursion business focusing on sharing their love of Alaska and its culture with visitors. Over the coming years, Captain Jim and Mary B’s business grew from the Godspeed, a 25 passenger vessel, to the Discovery III, a 900 passenger vessel. Today, Captain Jim’s grandchildren run the company and Mary B is still active in the business.

In addition to growing their sternwheel business, the Binkley’s have added a gold mining attraction: Gold Dredge 8. The family has developed a tour in the heart of the gold fields where the first gold strikes attracted miners from the Klondike. They have incorporated large scale industrial mining and the smaller 'Mom and Pop' side of mining into an all-encompassing tour that also features the Trans Alaska Pipeline and a replica of the Tanana Valley Railroad.

1975 Discovery Drive Fairbanks, AK 99709

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907-479-6673

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Gold Dredge 8

Captain Jim's Salmon

Adventure Green Alaska

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Explore Fairbanks

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Sternwheeler Riverboat Cruise

Take a ride on the authentic Sternwheeler Riverboat Discovery III for a fully-narrated 3-hour cruise along the Chena and Tanana Rivers.

• See the ‘Wedding of the Rivers’ where the Chena and Tanana Rivers converge.
• Tour a village to gain an insight into the Athabascan Indigenous culture
• Observe a demonstration of the skills of local bush plane pilots
• Visit the home and kennels of a champion dogsled competitor
• Shop for local produce at the Discovery Trading Post

Description

the Sternwheeler Discovery Riverboat Cruise, an enchanting voyage through the heart of the majestic riverways. Step aboard this historic vessel and embark on a journey back in time, where the gentle rhythm of the paddlewheel sets the pace for exploration and discovery.

As you drift along the tranquil waters, you’ll be immersed in the rich tapestry of natural beauty and cultural heritage that defines the region. From lush forests teeming with wildlife to quaint riverside towns steeped in history, every bend of the river reveals new wonders waiting to be uncovered.

Throughout the cruise, knowledgeable guides will regale you with fascinating tales and insights into the area’s past, from the days of early settlers to the heyday of riverboat travel. Learn about the engineering marvels that brought these mighty vessels to life and the role they played in shaping the landscape and communities along the riverbanks.

Savor the flavors of the region with onboard dining options featuring locally sourced ingredients and traditional recipes passed down through generations. Whether you’re indulging in a hearty meal in the dining room or enjoying a refreshing drink on the open-air deck, every culinary experience is sure to delight the senses.

For those seeking an interactive experience, you can participate in hands-on activities and demonstrations that offer a glimpse into life on the river. From navigating the waters to trying your hand at traditional crafts, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

During the three hour river cruise you will be able to observe a demonstration of a local bush pilot’s skills, as well as visit the home and kennels of a champion dogsled competitor.

Whether you’re a history buff, nature enthusiast, or simply seeking a relaxing escape, the Sternwheeler Discovery Riverboat Cruise promises an unforgettable adventure filled with discovery, exploration, and timeless charm. So come aboard and let the gentle currents of the river carry you away on a journey you’ll cherish for years to come.

Approximate duration: 3 hours

Tours depart at 08:45 & 14:30

All cruises depart from the dock at 1975 Discovery Drive, Fairbanks.

Price & Availability

You can book this experience on its own or as part of a complete America holiday. For price and availability please get in touch.

Sternwheeler Discovery Cruise

Sternwheeler Riverboat Tour, Fairbanks

3.5 hours | May-Sep

Introduction

Boarding the Riverboat Discovery for an unforgettable journey into the history of Alaska’s Interior, this journey carries passengers along the Chena and Tanana Rivers on the only authentic sternwheeler riverboat still operating in Alaska.

A guided cruise which focuses on the area’s human and natural history, you will hear incredible stories of the native Athabascans who made this area home for so long. You will watch a floatplane, something which has become an icon of modern northern exploration, as it takes off, meet the hard working sled dogs and gain insights into the incredible Athabascan culture with a personalized tour of the Chena Indian Village.

You will also witness the strange phenomenon of the ‘wedding of the rivers’, where the clear waters of the Chena River merge with the silt-laden Tanana, creating clouds of silt rising and falling, churning and mixing as the two mighty rivers join.

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Three and four-hour sternwheeler cruises

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• Moscow St. Petersburg Cruise

Moscow Cruise Route

Frequently asked questions from our travelers, what is the best time of the year to go on a moscow - st. petersburg river cruise.

The cruises are operated from the month of May until the beginning of fall. The best weather conditions during this period are usually from June through late July, but if you are looking for a trip at a more relaxed pace with less tourists in the cities on the route, we highly recommend to take a look at the months of May and September.  For more info, please see our useful tips .

Which cities and towns will I visit on a Moscow - St. Petersburg cruise?

The cruise itinerary covers all the main and the most important locations on the route. During the cruise you will have a chance to get acquainted not only with Moscow and St. Petersburg, but also with smaller towns and villages like Goritsy, Kizhi, Yaroslavl, Mandrogui. The number of cities and towns to be visited and the exact itinerary vary depending on the duration of the cruise.

Is it better to start the cruise in Moscow or in St. Petersburg?

The starting point of the cruise is totally up to you. You won’t miss any important sights whether you start the cruise in Moscow or in St. Petersburg. We always recommend checking the flight schedules from your city first in order to decide whether it is more convenient for you to fly into Moscow or St Petersburg.

A Russian Land Tour or a River cruise - which is better?

This decision completely depends on your preferred way of travelling. During the Russian river cruise you will not only visit the two largest cities of Russia, but also small towns and villages along the route and you will have a chance to participate in master classes, learn a little Russian language and dive into local Russian culture and hospitality. For those who prefer custom-made programs and more free time in the cities of their choice we recommend a land tour, both are excellent options. To find out more about the differences click here .

Do I need a visa for a Russian River Cruise?

If your citizenship is not on the list of countries with visa-free access to Russia, you will need a valid Russian visa. Please make sure to start the process in a timely manner, so as to avoid any last-minute pressure. More details on Russian Visas can be found here .

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