The Riverboat Discovery in Fairbanks offers an exceptional way to experience Alaska's wilderness up close. The river cruise is scenic and relaxing, winding through lush forests and along the sparkling Tanana and Chena Rivers, with plenty of opportunities to spot wildlife like bald eagles, moose, and even bears from a safe distance. The staff are knowledgeable and enthusiastic, sharing fascinating stories about Alaska's history, culture, and the gold rush era, which makes the journey both educational and entertaining. The boat itself is comfortable, spacious, and perfectly suited for viewing the surrounding scenery without feeling crowded. Whether you're interested in nature, history, or just a peaceful river ride, the Riverboat Discovery provides a memorable, family-friendly adventure that highlights the beauty and heritage of Alaska. read more

See all

I'm so glad I got the chance to cruise along the Chena river on the Riverboat Discovery before the end of season. This is a must when visiting Fairbanks during the spring/summer months. The 3 hour tour paddles up and down the Chena river, with some fun stops along the way. You'll get a fun history lesson about dog mushing and the Iditarod, see a float plane takeoff and land, then disembark for about an hour to walk around the "Chena Village". A delightful experience that submerges you into the Alaskan bush and culture. The whole experience is narrated by the captain and crew, and was just amazing! There's plenty of complementary donuts, coffee, and tea, along with a full snack bar on board if you get hungry. Getting to Riverboat Discovery was easy. There's Ubers, hotel shuttles, tour buses, taxis, and depending on where you're staying, it's even walkable. Everyone we interacted with was delightfully pleasant and helpful. Be sure to do the -40 BELOW experience! All in all, this is a great way to spend your day, and add some great Fairbanks memories. read more

See all

Every detail of this experience as well thought out. It's relaxing and informative. It's not Disney World but it's not supposed to be. What a beautiful and perfect day on the river. The fishing camp experience was well thought out and beautiful. It's like going back in time 50 years when family owned businesses were normal and the care that they put into this showed their family pride as they really take good care of their customers. We also went to the dining experience and were surprised that the meal tasted like something you would experience at a family dinner and grandma was at the stove. I am gluten-free and I ate well. I would rate it higher if I could. read more

See all

Exceeded expectations far more than any touristy thing I've done. Especially the Chena village (see bottom for my rave review just for that). The staff were great and the mix of experiences all in 1 package made this an incredible value. Narration was entertaining, and I liked that he asked us to try to be quiet like in a movie theater - it helped focus on his commentary of all that we were seeing. The steamboat had huge windows and was nicer looking for photos than other steamboats. We not only watched a seaplane takeoff and land but also heard the captain chat with their friend the bush pilot, learning a bit about this very common means of transport. The conversation and video on screens as well as in person views of the sled dogs was also fascinating. Blueberry donuts (homemade and yummy!), coffee, hot tea, and iced water were all complimentary. The food and drinks for purchase were shockingly cheap, especially considering how expensive everything is in Alaska. I've never seen hot cocoa or cider for $1 or bottled water for $0.50 in any tourist setting before. The only real disappointment was not seeing salmon in the water, which I expected because the river is "teeming with" them in the summer. But this was made up for by the video close up of salmon caught in the Native contraption and the surprise free smoked salmon on a cracker. Lunch was a mixed experience but didn't sink below my expectations of a place that was just feeding people rather than known for excellent food. Everything was refillable family style except the tasty German chocolate brownies already at each place. The hearty miner's beef stew was enjoyable the first round but the vegetables in the refill were way undercooked. Still, I was grateful for the veggies in this and the salad, made with an excellent homemade vinaigrette. The rolls looked good but were dry; they were fine for dipping / soaking in the stew though. Overall lunch was still better than expected. .... Chena village: Best replica village I've ever seen! Everything was well presented and fascinating. The Native guides were very engaging and really enhanced the presentations with their pride in their heritage. There was a great mix of their presentations at 3 locations, ability to touch animal skins / furs, and free time to wander inside cabins and see (and pet!) sled dogs. This was soooo much better than all the replica traditional villages I've visited in the past. It way surpassed expectations! read more

This was AWSOME and definitely exceeded my expectations. In-laws talked me into it and was expecting a tourist trap but it was so great. From the commentary and history in the village, to seeing the dog mushers up close was fantastic. Orchestrated so well between audio on boat and on shore to even the pilot of the float plane, you would think your watching a well produced documentary, but was crisp and delightful. Even with the staged "queue the deer" moment done with humor. Loved it and will recommend. read more

Riverboat Discovery - Village talk about fur pelts. This young lady was very well spoken and passed on her knowledge so well! - Boat Tours Near Me - Fairbanks, Alaska

Soul-filling, educational, and family-friendly, this tour is an interesting mix of local Alaskan history. It is very well narrated. They go out of their way to acknowledge former military personnel, which I deeply appreciated. I loved the narration about the Iditarod dog trainer and her dog, Granite. Her legacy still has a lasting effect on the community, and it was quite a sight to see her kennel with all the dogs in training. They are exceptional animals! Another major highlight was the Native village, with the salmon-smoking hut, examples of traditional handmade garments, and other ancillary structures. Learning how they survived the bitter winters, lived off the land, and made their lives in the tundra of Alaska was extraordinary. No exaggeration. I We loved the family history of the riverboat and the exceedingly friendly staff. The orchestration of events was perfect. They had a seaplane take off near us for instance. Super fun. It was such a wholesome adventure. It's hard to go wrong choosing the Riverboat Discovery! read more

See all

We booked an afternoon discovery tour and didn't know what to expect. We arrived a tad early and explored the surrounding areas. Boarding information was shared over the PA system and on boarding went smoothly once pre-board passengers were taken care of. This boat is massive and there are three decks, along with several indoor and outdoor seating areas. We never felt crowded and could always find a comfy seat through out the several hours we were here. I won't spoil the discovery tour by sharing too many surprises, but suffice it to say, we were all incredibly impressed with the coordination, the collaboration, and the quality of this tour. What a super cool experience. Just when you thought the coolest parts were over, another one awaits you. Def add this to your list. It was incredibly well done, educational and local. WOW. Oh yeah, wear tour walking shoes, bring a wind jacket and def don't forget your camera. read more

See all

This riverboat cruise was one of the highlights, if not THE highlight of our entire time in Alaska. We did a cruise and land tour package that included the Riverboat Discovery as part of the experience. The food on board the boat was awesome- from the complimentary blueberry doughnuts to the reindeer sausage hotdogs to the IPA, it was all tasty and the lowest food prices around! The gift shop has the BEST prices of all the stops in Alaska BY FAR! The employees are very nice and helpful. As for the experience, you get to hear a talk from a sled dog kennel owner and meet her dogs and employees. Native Alaskans tell their stories and show you parts of their culture, including a parka fit for Melania Trump! You get to view a sea plane take-off and landing right in front of you, and the sites you see are phenomenal. A great experience, and the best value in Alaska!! read more

Such a great tour! A sled dog demonstration, free coffee and donuts, a salmon preparing demonstration, reindeer up close, we were off the ship for an hour walking around and seeing three more demonstrations - very well done. Cute jokes all along the way, exceeded my expectations. Gift shops on ship and at dock were reasonably priced and great selection! Thank you! read more

See all

We had a rocky start with the tour bus operators missing some information, but once we arrived at the Trading Post & Steamboat Landing, everything got easier. The Riverboat Company is a well oiled tourism machine that has been running this ship (literally) for a few generations! Food Options On Land at Trading Post: - Grab and go cold sandwich, chip, cookie, soda boxes $15 (can be taken on boat) - Sit down family style lunch service at trading post restaurant before/after getting on the boat $21 - Ice Cream or Salad at Coffee Cafe $5-$15 Food Options On Boat: - Complimentary Coffee, Tea, Water - Complimentary Blueberry Donuts (on ride out) - Complimentary Smoked Salmon Dip Sample & Wheat Thin (on return) - Reindeer Chili Bowl $5 - Reindeer Hot Dog $4.50 w/ Chili & Cheese $5.50 - Beef Hot Dog $3.50 w/ Chili & Cheese $4.50 - Chips & Candy $1.50 - Beer & Wine $3.50-$6 - Soda, Iced Tea, Lemonade, Hot Cocoa, Juice $1-$2 My tour operator included a lunch that I was unaware of, which meant I rushed to eat something at the hotel between the airport drop off and tour pick-up, not having any sense of what food might be available on or during the tour. Since I was already full from my crammed lunch, I went with the option to use my lunch ticket for a boxed lunch which I ended up saving later for dinner, since the boat included donuts, coffee, tea, and salmon samples to tide me over. If I didn't have an included lunch and wasn't already full, that reindeer chili or reindeer dog with chili & cheese on the boat looked and smelled very tasty, and would have been a more filling and hearty option than the boxed lunch! The Trading Post is a sort of catch all gift shop, cafe, restaurant to wander before or after the riverboat tour (but is most definitely part of the total experience) with some exhibits for photos and information if you look between the merchandise for the local gems of info and exhibit. The Riverboat has indoor and outdoor spaces for viewing the tour and highlights that can be utilized no matter the weather, with television screens to help bring the off-board scenery to you inside even if you aren't near a window- or are sitting on the wrong side of what is being mentioned- which is very convenient if you want to stay warm or simply indoors. The dog sled kennel is a river side demonstration where you stay on the ship and watch the demo live from the ship. The Chena native village demonstration happens off the boat and gives you time to walk around, stretch your legs, use a roomy modern bathroom, and see plenty of historic information on local survival. Some of the tour is also about the local architecture, families, and famous people of the town along the way, while riverside home families and pets rush to greet the boat with waving hands and barking dogs. Overall this was one of the best 3hr riverboat tours I've done in my lifetime, and I've done quite a few! Kudos to the family and the locals who participate and contribute to the tour! I hope they keep it going for many more generations ahead! read more

See all

"Big wheel keep on turnin' Proud Mary keep on burnin' And we're rollin' , rollin', Rollin' on the river" (Ike and Tina Turner) The Big Wheel on our riverboat kept turnin' as we rolled down the river on a three hour adventure that was equal parts of a boat ride, museum, seaplane take-off, flyover and landing, demonstration, dog mushing display at the Trail Breaker Kennel, a geography, history, and culture lesson, and so much more. We saw a team of sled dogs race around a course, a slew of reindeer appearing on cue, videos on fishing and native culture, and lessons on salmon smoking and preservation techniques. A highlight was our stop at a Chena Village Living Museum And cultural presentations on the indigenous Athabascan society. Our two young tour guides were fantastic and taught us about the different furs they used (mink, beaver, fox, mink), reindeer, caribou, and other wildlife, boat building, moose hunting, hide tanning, and native ceremonial clothing. The huge boat had a 900 person capacity spread over 3 levels. Complimentary coffee, donuts, and salmon spread with crackers were offered, The home base is Steamboat Landing and they have a big dining hall for a sit down lunch if you want to do that. Or if you care to purchase box lunches you can do that too. The ship does have snack bar for reasonably priced hot dogs and the like. Of course they also have a massive gift shop. read more

See all

"CHARMED" to say the least. Bedazzled now that is more like it!! This was an Authentic Paddle RiverBoat. With a Twin Diesel Detroit 12 cyl Turbo 540HP Engine, and a hydraulic drive system. This system seemed flawless and smooth. Comfortable ride, plenty of seats. Plenty of rest rooms, snack bars with believe it or not reasonable prices?? Living in New York my experience has always been a crack over the head with HIGH PRICES, but not here? Thumbs up RiverBoat . Nice older crowd with thankfully no Riff Raff. My wife and I headed straight for the top deck which is called the Alaska deck. Sitting up against a railing is actually harder to visually see than simply standing up, and that is what we did. We took to the back standing up over the paddle wheel. I actually like the location both in pictures and ambience. Texas, Boiler, and Main decks which they are called have mostly indoor seating with some set up seats around outside decks. The boat made 2 pit stops, one was about kennel dogs and their training the other was a nativity discussion about smoked salmon fish. After that we docked and departed the RiverBoat for a nativity museum. Professional in amperure, enjoyable in nature. Speakers were cheerful and knowledgeable in the rich history we were being presented with. Boat ride 3 hours and can be followed up by a lunch which costs a little extra. My wife and I took the extra. Nice big cafeteria on wooden bench seating and long tables. No individual tables and chairs and no selective menu. Just home made beef stew, potatoes and carrots, greek style salad, bread rolls, iced tea, and a small slice of a brownie. To me the food didn't have the rich taste I was expecting. You have to add your own condiments salt and pepper on the table, and the same for the Iced tea with sugar. The salad was the only meal that I ate the most. This was because the dressing that was on it was delicious and lite. Everything else was blange and no taste. Sorry Riverboat I was a little disappointed and trapped with the food you were offering. No options there. **Final thoughts; the whole experience on the RiverBoat Discovery is STILL worth the ride and experience. Before you decide to add the lunch check their menu. Click my Instagram QR code for videos. *The Review Guru Long Island NY read more

See all

I thoroughly enjoyed this AMAZING three-hour riverboat tour of Fairbanks. From the customer service before and afterwards, to the narrated boat tour itself, to the stop at the native village (bring bug spray!), to the food and drink onboard, Discovery Riverboat Cruises did a phenomenal job of putting together a fun Alaskan experience. Here's some more detail: Before and after: ticketing was a snap, I got my ticket right before the sailing, and everything was fast and easy. They have a nice gift shop with clean restrooms (plus a small outdoor sitting area) for you to pass the time before boarding the boat. Afterwards, the main tour guide spent a lot of time talking to people and answering questions, which was really great. The boat ride: Loved all the seating options, from the indoor seating (great for colder/rainy weather) to the covered outdoor top deck (awesome views). There was plenty of space to spread out, and ample restrooms for everyone. The narration was great, including some personal stories that were interesting. The airplane demonstration (it flew right next to the boat!) and dog mushing were especially interesting. All in all, it was a super captivating ride that held my attention the entire time. The native village: lots to see and do, including salmon fishing and drying, farming (this was super interesting since Fairbanks is so far north), more dog mushing, and native life. There were also clean bathrooms on shore. Other than the *oppressive* mosquitos (bring bug spray), the time here was really fascinating and fun. Food and drink: the local donuts and coffee were a nice touch and delicious. So was the reasonably priced food and drink at the snack bar (had to get a reindeer sausage, which was tasty and cheaper than on shore). All in all, I would highly recommend this super interesting tour, which is not only really fun, but also a great value! read more

See all

This was a really fun tour! It's a more expensive thing, but it's worth the money. Anywhere you sit will be good, and there is plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Indoor seating is heated. There's some different food counters to buy food, and they have free blueberry donuts and free salmon on crackers as well. The MC was engaging, and they gave video monitors too, with plenty of monitors to see things. They play some information video clips on there too. The bush pilot demonstration was neat! The dog mushing demonstration is cool too. The Native American village is very pretty and informative as well, and you'll get to meet the dogs and dog mushers there too! The gift shop is very solid too... they sell great high quality jackets for cheap! Plenty of parking is available, but there potholes on the road leading to the parking lot. read more

See all

(Fairbanks, Alaska) Great tour! Very informative. Got to see true native Alaskan culture and a float plane taking off from Chena river. read more

Summary: This is simply the best excursion while in Fairbanks that include amazing sights, native culture, a unique dining experience. This was a well spent 3 hours. Experience: There are many components to this experience and I wish their was more time allowed at this site (part of princess cruise land tour) - Dining hall: We got a meal voucher from our tour bus driver, but he was clearly confused and thought we had to pay until the native guide came on the bus and told us she had vouchers for the boat and lunch. I can attest at least on this day you can ask for refills of the food but they try to limit waste and don't give too much each time. The hearty meat stew was mainly vegetables and if your luck to get the pot first most of the meat is in the first few ladles. The salad was amazingly refreshing. The dinner roll was dry and hard. Rustic vegetables was not the corn pictured but a mix of quinoa and root vegetables. Last the brownie was a hit! We did not have enough time to enjoy as we didn't get there until 13:20 and the boat was boarding at 13:45. - Stores/shops: very reasonably priced but we did not have any time to explore given our time limitations. They even have a free 40 below experience where you don't a parka and endure a blast of cold. Of course they take your picture and you can purchase it but we didn't have time to experience it - Riverboat your- Best experience here. Includes seeing a sea plane take off, watch dog sled racing around on land, visiting Chena living village where we learned of native culture by the descendants of Athabascans tribes. There is free blueberry donuts and coffee/water/tea. On return there are samples of salmon spread on crackers. The prices on board for food are very reasonable. Lastly the guide was very funny and informative. The tv screens and cameras allowed you to see all of the sights without leaving your seat. Service: Again super friendly staff wherever you go. I just wish our bus drive got us quicker to the location. Skye was an amazing tour guide through the village Tips (what I wish I knew before): Bring mosquito repellent to the village or you will be eaten alive! Don't be shy about asking for seconds if you didn't get enough food in the dining hall. Sit on the front left if you want a first hand view of the sled dog kennel and the right front if you want to see the sea plane take off. If it is hot sit outside because it is quite stuffy in the boat read more

See all

The tour was nice enough, we enjoyed the dog team stuff and the native village tour. The included lunch was weird ... family style beef veggie soup (it's August, who eats hot soup in August?) with maybe 1 chunk of meat per person, a dish of over cooked roasted veggies, roll, salad brownie. We were all squeezed together with strangers (no elbow room) with everyone digging into the family style bowls, with lots of old people and coughing... (gross) we had to flag down wait staff for refills when someone new showed up (they wouldn't bring a new dish of food seeing that new people showed up) and they would only refill -half- of the container of soup or salad. It was ridiculous and not worth the money or time. read more

Couple of negatives - it's crowded with older tourists so I went into it with a pretty negative attitude but was impressed with the production quality & the overall experience - check some of the videos below and see for yourself! If you don't mind larger crowds and waiting in lines to get on and off the ship then definitely book the experience. If you usually like smaller private tours, you should still consider booking this one as it has something for everyone on the family: beer, boats, fishing, history, dogs, etc. read more

This was an unexpected treat. This was part of a Princess Cruises Land Tour package. the other reviewers are spon on. We were dropped off at the Riverboat tour terminal which has an excellent gift shop. It also has snacks you can buy if you need a sandwich lunch. The three tory paddle wheel boat can handle well over 600 passsengers so realize that you should get in line early. The only complaint was that the line had to wrap around itself and made it confusing to determine where the end of the line was. Some folks were not too kind about it. The crew was professional, well kept and polite. Getting on board was easy, it was raining lightly on and off. The blueberry donuts were to die for. You cannot eat just one. The cruise was smooth and the tour of the riverside homes nice. The narrator (sorry, i did not get the gentlemans name) was superb. Knowledgeble, well spoken, just the right amount of jokes and he took pride in this decades long family company. They have a floatplane that will take off and land several times giving you insight into how that country lives by bush pilots. The stopping by Susan Butchers home and seeing her dog sled kennels well run by her daughter was a great legacy passing on the history of the four time female Iditarod winner. It was raining but the staff gave us 110% in the demonstration. The native crew taught us much about their culture, especially the furs and clothing of their people. The village set up o teach us more was especailly well presented. Again, it was raining, but they had staff with several hundred umbrellas to hand out so yu could enjoy and learn. Don't be put off by the price, it is probably one of the most bang for your buck tours and it was worth every penny. read more

Late Post Aug 23' Riverboat Discovery was an added land/tour excursion by Princess at our final destination in Fairbanks, Ak. The bus ride from Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge to Fairbanks, Ak was about 2 hours 15 mins with a stop in Nenana, Ak. (Nenana Artisan Market - Check out review) . We arrived to the home stop of the Riverboat Discovery where one can purchase souvenirs, drinks, soda, chips, boxed lunch, salmon jerky and, Harley Davidson stuff. We probably waited 45-1 hour before boarding, it was quite warm out so we decided on the 3rd level of the boat and decided to sit Dock side... (Our driver said that side was better but to be honest both sides were pretty sufficient) When we first got off the dock there was a float plane flying on the other side, it was hard to see, going back to seating doesn't matter... My partner and I love puppies and wanted to see and hear the story of Susan Butcher and Granite. Tekla, Susan's daughter gave us quick show and the dock side was best for the view. We also got to visit the Chena Village Living Museum where we saw how the native Alaskan Athabaskans lived. Overall, it was a nice addition to our excursion! I would highly recommend Riverboat Discovery if you are ever in Fairbanks! PACK OR BUY MOSQUITO REPELLANT (only if you are wearing shorts and T Shirts)- use it prior to getting off at Chena Village, you'll thank be later! read more

See all

It was an awesome experience. Got to eat reindeer sausage, see real Iditarod sled dogs, meet locals, experience authentic Athabaskan culture and lifestyle, and had fun all . I'm a well heated and clean steamboat. I learned a lot and had a lot of fun. read more

The riverboat tour is definitely worth taking. The narration is excellent going through history of the paddle boat, the houses along the river, how the indigenous people once lived. At the start of the tour there is free coffee and/or tea and blueberry donuts. There are other drinks available for a small fee. Lunch is available- reindeer chili, reindeer hot dogs, chips, and chili dogs. All were delicious! There was a land portion of the trip that included talks about how preserve salmon for the sled dogs, how the housing was built, and how families prepared for winter. On the way back to the landing the crew prepared and served smoked salmon dip. The whole experience was very nice. read more

Riverboat Discovery - Log cabin open for viewing during the boat tour. - Boat Tours Near Me - Fairbanks, Alaska

See all

I'm glad this place was an included part of or land tour. At first, I thought it was going to be slow and boring, but they certainly proved me wrong. Before boarding, we were treated to a wonderful lunch of bottomless beef stew, salad, and rolls served family style with pitchers of tea and water. The stew was savor and tender with chunks of tasty meat and vegetables. The sauce was good for dipping the rolls in, and the salad was light. To finish the lunch was a rich slice of german chocolate cake. The tour was exciting. We saw bald eagles perched on the trees and a sea plane land and take off. One of the stops was at a dog sled kennel. The pups learning were so cute. Then, the moment the dogs were waiting for; getting harnessed to the sled and run around the track. The living village was nice to walk through. We got to see the smoking shed for the fish and the reindeer in its corral. There were a few retired sled dogs happy to meet people as well. Lastly, we were treated to their own smoked salmon spread. It was so good, we had to get some of their salmon for ourselves. read more

See all

By far better than any similar riverboat tour experience we've ever had. Every attention was paid to detail during almost every minute of our experience...from the excellent lunch at the dining hall before boarding...to the free blueberry donuts on board...to the superb and entertaining narration throughout the experience...to the many perfectly timed experiences to view off the boat such as the water plan take-off and landing, to the Iditarod dog racing demonstration, to the release of the caribou, as well as the stop at the Chena village. We loved every moment of this...we're never bored. it's far more than just a scenic relaxing cruise down the river. It's a deep dive into the history of the river, the native peoples, and the culture of the region. Definitely do this. read more

Everything was quite impressive! You won't be disappointed. Great use of technology for conveying information feom shore to boat.

Giant paddle boat tour is a must-do. Tour guide is hilarious. Tour includes sea-plane take-off, dog mushing demonstration, and demonstration village tour. Free blueberry donuts too! read more

Riverboat Discovery - The boat! - Boat Tours Near Me - Fairbanks, Alaska

This is our second time on the riverboat! We had lunch before our tour. We had excellent service, but the table next to us had to ask for each and every dish. We passed them some of ours and we all ended up pretty happy. I liked the stew and the salad. I did the 40 below experience in a t-shirt ... without windchill, it's really not bad. The riverboat was fun. If you want the free blueberry donuts, go early, because they ran out. The weather was good. A bush pilot/plane came and did some takeoff/landings on the river for us. Trail Breaker Kennel of Susan Butcher/Granite fame had ... PUPPIES! (Don't know the story? Buy the book in the shop on deck 2 and have either Dave or Tekla sign it for you at the living museum!) Cecily was a great tour guide for us! The living museum area was smaller the second time around, once I knew where everything was. Mary Binkley, one of the people who started the fabulous riverboat tour, waved at us from the bank as we went by. (Intentional Philip José Farmer reference) Oh yeah, there's a Pokemon Go gym at each of the landing sites. read more

Riverboat Discovery - Tekla and a PUPPY at Trail Breaker Kennel - Boat Tours Near Me - Fairbanks, Alaska

The cruise was enjoyable and educational. We enjoyed it. Could have stopped there. Our tour herded into a tourist trap of store and cafe. We were crammed into "family style" dining with subpar food. The stew ran out before it got to our end of table. The "endless refills" came well after dessert. By the time it got to me it was broth - so I had no stew. Store was cheap and touristy. Go to the cruise and stop there. read more

Did not know what to expect on this boat tour. Seeing the large tourist gift shop upon arrival made me think twice on this booking. However, loading was fairly efficient with people taking prime locations first. Boat is a true paddle wheeler so pace is slow. First, stop on the River is seeing Susan Butcher's place on the River with a great demo and talk about the dogs. Got to see them pull an ATV with no engine around the facility at full speed. You do not get off the boat! Next stop was the Native American village where we got off the boat and attended three demonstrations of Native American life in the old days. Very interesting! Very suitable for children of all ages. There are refreshment stands on the boat that serve colas, free donuts, and adult beverages with very reasonable prices. One of the highlights of the tour was the tour guide who was informative and entertaining. read more

This riverboat cruise was so much more than expected! We were booked as part of a post-cruise land package so we weren't sure what exactly we were in store for, or what was included. The ship was huge with 4 levels and you get to choose your own seats. (Seating is kind of waiting room style & chairs are not moveable. Some are full shade, and the ones closer to the water on the upper decks are pretty much full sun.). As you board there are several hostesses serving delicious fresh baked blueberry donuts and coffee.....yum!). The entire trip is narrated and the host began by introducing the entire staff and giving a little bit of history about the ship and its owners. There were lots of cool things to see and learn about on our voyage. First, a sea plane took off and landed right next to us while the pilot shared some details about landing on water. Next we stopped next to a kennel where sled dogs are bred/trained and we got to learn about mushing and watch a summer sled ride on the shore. Our last stop, where we actually disembarked for about an hour, was at a representation of a Native American village. Here we rotated through stations where our Native American hostesses from the boat taught us about Anabathskan hunting, homes, dress, and daily life. We also got to see caribou, (reindeer,) up close and have a Q & A session with a dog musher and pet some of the actual dogs. They also had a small gift shop on board, and a small bar that featured snacks & drinks including beer and wine for sale. I tried a HooDoo beer, brewed in Alaska, and it was surprising only $5. My husband tried a reindeer hot dog, also a bargain at $3.50. For the way back they offered complementary salmon dip/crackers. (They sold this on board, so they wanted passengers to sample it, but you could have as many helpings as you wanted.) We had absolutely beautiful weather for our afternoon cruise in June. There was a huge gift store and visiting center that I wish we'd had more time to explore before our sailing. (We did experience the 40 Below Room....which was literally very COOL! And also free!). We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise and would definitely recommend it to any travelers visiting Fairbanks. read more

See all

What a great experience! So much history shared and seen. Able to walk around an authentic village in addition to the boat ride. Highly recommend read more

I've been on many cruises and this is absolutely one of the best excursions. Highly recommend it!

A nice educational tour, marred by a few hiccups. We got there a few minutes just as boarding was to begin at 2pm Monday. I was the first to board from our tour bus. Every interior window seat and adjacent seat on the first two decks were taken, and all the middle seats away from the window empty. Kind of like finding the only airline seats left were the middle seats! Those groups who buy the $10 boxed lunch, including Holland America, which is affiliated with Princess Cruises, apparently get to board early before others. Kind of like patrons who stay at Disneyland hotel get to go into Disneyland an hour early. Even on the outside, the prized forward port side seats were all taken, as were the top deck seats. And hundreds boarded after us. Would find out later that 14 busloads of tourists came on board -that's 560 people! Ship was spacious, with lots of room between the aisles. Outside was extremely windy, so windy that the wife got up and went inside for the rest of the cruise -with me following. You know who wears the pants in the house! Would find out that most of the tourist attractions and performances occurred on the front left side of the boat. Excellent and hilarious commentary by former radio announcer, as we passed by homes of the rich and famous. First performance was seeing a sea plane with floats, taking off and then landing on the river. Second performance was watching dogs training for the Iditarod by pulling a 4 wheeled ATV at full speed around the corners of a training course on the side of the river. Third performance was a very small fenced off section of caribou on the side of the river. Fourth performance was demonstration of how salmon caught, skinned, filleted , prepared for drying and smoking. Free coffee, tea, and blueberry donuts served throughout the cruise. $2.50 beef hot dogs, and $1 sodas. Shortage of bathrooms, with only a handful for 600 people. Of course they were all unisex, and I ended up waiting for women to finish ahead of me. Never happened with separate bathrooms by gender! Major excursion at the halfway mark, with visit to a reconstructed native village. Saw caged reindeer close up face to face -you could smell them across the stage! Saw a stuffed full sized moose, with ladies demonstrating the moose call, how the moose was killed with a long bone type spear by a brave warrior. Dog section with retired Iditarod dogs responding to commands of the trainer in a fenced off circular course, complete with small dog houses. Too small for humans sentenced to the dog house! 3 hours of travel, with lots of filler, humorous commentary by the professional radio announcer, who raved about the canned salmon dip on sale. Ok to do once, but reminds me of similarities to Walt Disneys' jungle cruise! At the end of the cruise, a 90 year old lady waves to us from the lawn in front of the mansion on the river. Apparently wife of one of the original tour sponsors! . . read more

See all

Love this boat and the hospitality is in matched the views are amazing I even seen a guy catching a king from his house deck on the way down the river read more

Our first tour in Alaska. Having traveled from Naples, Fl. to Fairbanks by air, we were going on a bus tour, for a riverboat tour. I never until now mention critical reviews. But to say this is for old people from a cruise ship is just wrong. I had not gone on the cruise as yet. :) Beautiful paddlewheeler which loads from the bow and the stern. So we got on off the boat fast. Quick hint if possible sit outside on the left side of the tour. You will see Susan Butcher's dog camp and descendants of her champion sled dogs. Along the way you see a seaplane take off, moose, sled dogs, Eskimo village, how to smoke salmon, and lectures on Eskimo survival in a harsh environment. This is run like a well oiled machine and if you appreciate a company that does things well you will like this tour. read more

Riverboat Discovery - Disco 3 - Boat Tours Near Me - Fairbanks, Alaska

See all

This was one of the best riverboat tours! You send about 3 hours learning the wonderful culture and history of Alaska. Please get the complimentary coffee and blueberry donuts. 10 out of 10 recommend! read more

See all

We were in Alaska 10 days and this would be one attraction near the top of my memories. It was a cloudy and cool day, but the inside seating on the boat was very comfortable. I kind of wished the boat was a bit smaller and had a few less passengers. We had a clear view of the TV monitor of the gentleman telling about what sites we were seeing. Prices on the ship seemed very fair. I was shocked when a decent glass of soda was $1...somewhat unheard of in the land of tourist traps. The free donuts were good too. I would avoid the salmon on crackers only because it is a very tiny portion and not worth the effort. One of the few attractions in the area totally worth my time and dollars. read more

Great experience even though it was rainy and they had to modify the trip. Wasn't crazy about the communal meal. Such good narration on the boat and interesting information along the way...sled dogs, village, etc. read more

This was part of our land tour package and we were surprised that we actually enjoyed ourselves and learned a lot while on the riverboat. We were shuttled from our lodge to the Riverboat and we were given two tickets (board the boat and for lunch). My husband and I chose to sit on the very top deck (on our left side). Highlights of the Riverboat: -Learning the history of Fairbanks -Float plane demonstration -Famous dog sledder, Susan Butcher (her husband and children will be at the riverside and will actually give a demonstration of dog sledding) -Learning about salmon and how-to dry salmon -A guided tour around a historical village of Fairbanks -Free coffee and blueberry donuts -Group style lunch consisting of veggies (corn cob, red potatoes, peppers, onions); rolls; salad (with cranberries, feta cheese, dressing); stew (not Dinty Moore); dessert; beverage (coffee, ice tea or water) -The possibility of spotting wildlife (i.e., eagles, caribou) -Beautiful scenery that you will only see on the last frontier! -Huge gift store that is actually reasonably priced (Note: There is also a gift store on the boat) Recommend: Highly read more

See all

Wonderful ride down the Chena River learning about some cultural heritage of inner Alaska and the Athabaskan people.