1. Major Marine Tours & Harbor 360 Hotel


The beauty of Alaska’s Kenai Fjords National Park is on display as part of Major Marine’s seven different national park cruise itineraries. As part of each voyage, passengers cruise through the glaciers, fjords and jagged peaks that welcome many species of whales, porpoises, sea lions and shorebirds. Tours vary in length from 3.5 to 8.5 hours and are available from mid-May to September (dates depend on the cruise).
Contact: Jara Haas | Anchorage, Alaska | majormarine.com
2. Triangle X Float Trips


During its season, which goes from mid-June through the end of August, Triangle X offers three 10-mile float tours (sunrise, afternoon and evening) and a 12-mile dinner cruise that showcase Grand Teton National Park. Each of the 2.5- to 3-hour trips offer groups of 12 per raft the chance to see the Teton range, spruce forests, colorful wildflowers, sagebrush plateaus and a variety of wildlife along the Snake River.
Contact: Lauren Turner | Moose, Wyoming | nationalparkfloattrips.com
3. Canyonlands by Night & Day


This family-owned company has been operating tours in the shadows of the orange-hued walls of its namesake national park in southeastern Utah since 1963. In addition to the daytime and sunset national park cruises along the Colorado River from May to October, the company has developed two specialized offerings in recent years—the Sound and Light Show Jet Boat Tour and the unWine’d & Dine Jet Boat Tour—that are popular with groups.
Contact: Rachel Paxman | Moab, Utah | canyonlandsbynight.com
4. Ottawa Boat Cruise


Sightseeing rides through the Rideau Canal National Historic Site provide a look at the ancient and modern history of the Canadian capital city. As the tour moves from Ottawa’s bustling urban center out to the city’s less-crowded residential areas, groups can see the diversity of landscapes along the shores of the famous canal. The 90-minute national park cruise tours depart multiple times a day, and the 2019 season goes from May 10 to Oct. 7.
Contact: Julia Oliveira | Gatineau, Québec | ottawaboatcruise.com
Top photo: Sightseeing tour on the Colorado River offered by Canyonlands by Night & Day
Photo by canyonlandsbynight.com
Support for Courier articles provided by:
CroisiEurope America
Maid of the Mist
Norwegian Cruise Line