Itinerary

Arrive in British Columbia’s biggest city and check into one of Vancouver’s most beautiful boutique hotels right in the heart of downtown.

Set amid temperate rainforest between snow-capped mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Vancouver is one of the world’s greenest and most beautiful cities – so don’t hesitate to head out and explore. A gondola ride up Grouse Mountain will give you a sweeping overview of Vancity, or if you fancy a relaxed stroll, head for Gastown, the city’s oldest district with cobbled streets and the famous Steam Clock. You’ll find a great place for dinner here too.

Today is free to do as much or as little as you wish, but we recommend exploring the 1,000-acre urban rainforest of Stanley Park. Explore the gardens, see the totem poles at Brockton Point, walk along the famous Sea Wall or take a bike tour to see the whole park.

After working up an appetite, visit the Chinatown and Japantown districts adjacent to Gastown – you’ll find some of the best cuisine in the city here.

This afternoon you’ll be boarding your Alaska Cruise, so spend the morning sightseeing in Vancouver. Explore more around downtown, or if you’re up early, take a trip to the famous Capilano Suspension bridge for a breath-taking nature walk.

Your cruise will depart in the early evening, and as soon as you step onboard, you’ll be greeted by warm, personalised service, world-class accommodation and shipboard conviviality. Drop off your luggage, get settled in and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime.

This first day you’ll be travelling up a legendary stretch, so keep your cameras ready for action throughout the journey. Sheltered from the open Pacific by scattered islands, the Inside Passage is a remarkable journey through the immense wilderness of the North American Pacific fjord-land. Stretching from the glass sky scrapers of Vancouver to the towering totem poles of Ketchikan, you’ll pass islands of spirit bears, soaring snow-dusted mountains and breaching whales; while vast hordes of seabirds gather and bald eagles circle above.

Cruise the 500 miles through this pristine, awe-inspiring scenery, breathing in the clean, crisp air of vast temperate rainforest-covered shores. Along the way, you’ll also encounter the Johnstone Strait, a waterway where pods of orcas hunt plump salmon, and closer to Alaska, you’ll get to learn more about First Nations heritage, as Princess Royal Island and Pitt Island rise alongside you.

Today you’ll have your first introduction to Alaska with the ship docking in the state’s “First City” of Ketchikan – where the town clings to the banks of the Tongass Narrows, flanked by green forests nurtured by abundant rain.

Long considered one of the most important hubs of the salmon-fishing and packing industries, Ketchikan is also one of the best spots along the Inside Passage to explore the rich cultural sights of Native Alaskan nations like the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian. You can see intricately carved totem poles at the Totem Heritage Centre and Totem Bight State Park, while the attractions of Saxman Village just outside of Ketchikan offers the chance to see Tlingit culture in action, with working carvers and a dance show in the clan house.

Cruise through the waters, or take an optional flight and soar just above in a sightseeing plane, to take in the full majesty of the magnificent Misty Fjords National Monument. Home to grizzly and black bears – as well as cruising whales and swimming seals – the wildlife spotting opportunities in this majestic corner of the world are nothing short of spectacular.

The town itself, boasts the historic Creek Street, a boardwalk built over the Ketchikan Creek, where you can shop for souvenirs, smoked salmon and local art, and the opportunity to explore gold rush–era tourist attractions like Dolly’s House Museum. No matter what you choose to explore, you’ll find an exciting range of included and optional excursions to take part in once ashore.

State capitals simply don’t get more dramatic than this isolated, remote city amid the Alaskan wilds, and today you’ll get to see what makes it so special.

Named after the gold prospector who founded the city in 1880, Juneau is filled with diverse wildlife and surrounded by stunning glacial landscapes, including the famed Mendenhall Glacier. Visit it on a guided hike or witness its extraordinary panorama on an optional flightseeing tour.

Take the Mount Roberts Tramway 500 metres above the city to see even more spectacular views and the surrounding Chilkat Mountains, and make sure to spot some animals while you’re here. Juneau has large populations of black and brown bears, which often patrol the riverbanks, and bald eagles can often be seen circling in the sky. The waters around Juneau are home to humpbacks, orcas, sea lions and porpoise, so why not take an optional whale-watching tour too?

Whether you decide to power across the ice in a snow-sledge, kayak just below glaciers or take a guided photo safari, you’ll find plenty to immerse yourself in.

Next you’ll be continuing on to the town of Skagway where, at the height of the Klondike Gold Rush, the port town served as the primary gateway to legendary gold fields, and quickly grew into Alaska’s largest settlement. Once a popular frontier town packed with trading posts, saloons and guesthouses, today it has been reinvigorated as a gateway for those looking to explore Alaska’s colourful history, pristine wildlife and unrivalled natural beauty.

Once you disembark, you’ll find yourself immersed in gold rush lore, from the infamous Red Onion Saloon that still keeps a pistol that Wyatt Earp left behind en route to the Klondike, to the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad, a classic narrow-gauge railway that traverses rugged mountains and passes cascading waterfalls and towering glaciers as it connects Skagway to Whitehorse deep in the Yukon. Known as the “Garden City of Alaska,” Skagway is filled with beauty and nature.

Excursions aside, the town itself is home to a vibrant local community, a rich collection of local galleries, curio shops and restaurants serving seafood plucked fresh from nearby waters.

Today you’ll be visiting Alaska’s former capital, Sitka. Boasting a rich history, from the millennia-old Tlingit culture to the 1799 Russian fur-trading post, Sitka sits on Baranof Island, backed by the snow-capped peak of Mount Edgecumbe.

An incredible location filled with wildlife and wild landscapes, you can go hiking in the stunning surroundings, kayak on the nearby lakes and inlets or fish for salmon and halibut. The Alaska Raptor Centre is a fascinating visit for birds of prey and the Pacific waters are home to sea otters, sea lions and humpback whales. Once ashore you’ll find there’s no shortage of ways to experience Sitka’s natural wonders.

Today you will be cruising by the largest glacier in North America: the Hubbard Glacier, named after the first president of the National Geographic Society.

Situated off the coast of Yakutat, Alaska, the Hubbard Glacier flows over 75 miles and has a calving front that is more than six miles wide. One of the most active glaciers in the world with no less than two major surges in the past 30 years, today’s excursion offers a rare opportunity to see one of the most impressive natural wonders of the Northern Hemisphere.

Your cruise will end this morning with your ship docking in the town of Seward, known for its breath taking natural landscapes, rich maritime heritage and numerous opportunities for adventure. It’s also considered the gateway to the renowned Kenai Fjords National Park.

You will have some time in this photogenic region before heading on a two-hour drive north to Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage, where you will say goodbye to your fellow passengers and transfer from the drop off point at the airport for a two-night stay in the centre.

Boasting a dramatic location between the Chugach Mountains and the Cook inlet leading to the Gulf of Alaska, Anchorage is an ideal base to discover some of Alaska’s incredible glacial scenery and native wildlife as well as gain insight into Alaska’s First Nation cultures.

Make the steep three-mile hike up Flattop Mountain for fantastic views, cycle along the scenic Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, or spend a few hours at the Alaska Heritage Museum. Just outside of Anchorage is one of the state’s most easily-accessible glaciers: Portage Glacier. And right next door is the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Centre – a must for any animal lover.

Transfer to the airport for your flight home, or to continue your travels in North America.