DAY 1 – VANCOUVER, CANADA
Your journey begins in the city of Vancouver. Boasting activities for all interests, including visiting historic Gastown, dining in lively Yaletown, or enjoying a walk on the Stanely Park Seawall. No matter what you choose to do, the Coast Mountains and the Pacific Ocean surround you.
DAY 2 – CRUISE THE INSIDE PASSAGE
Navigate through the intricate outlays of some of Alaska’s most staggering winter scenery, threading a needle between craggy, snow-dusted islands, and slipping glacial giants. To cruise this 500-mile stretch of Alaskan beauty is to sail through a living work of natural art – with perfectly sculpted mountains soaring from the shoreline, and clutches of islands scattered across the dark waters with delicate attention to detail.
A common sailing route due to its calm sheltered waters, gorgeous natural set pieces constantly play out here – whether it’s killer whales accompanying you through the breathtaking icy passages, harbour seals catching a break on floating hunks of ice, or wisps of cloud clinging to distant mountain peaks.
A journey of glaciers, remote hidden villages, and carved fjords – the Inside Passage is a breathtaking voyage through the intricate mesh of Alaska’s fractured, raw and spectacular coastal landscapes.
DAY 3 – KETCHIKAN, ALASKA
The Salmon Capital of the World is a thrilling introduction to wild and wonderful Alaska, sitting at the southern gateway to the Inside Passage’s famed route of larger than life scenery. Cruise through the waters, or 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.
Towered over by steep banks and valley walls, Ketchikan’s ocean inlet is peppered with granite stacks, looming from the waters. Surrounded by glorious landscapes, head to the Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary, which is alive with bald eagles, black bears and remarkable, thick, yellow banana slugs – the squeamish are advised to keep well clear. Visit Ketchikan’s Heritage Centre, where a collection of intricately carved totem poles rise up, preserving the heritage of the indigenous Tlingit and Haida people of these lands.
DAY 4 – JUNEAU, ALASKA
Extraordinary adventures amid nature’s wildest staging await at Juneau. The majestic Mendenhall Glacier sprawls down from Juneau Icefield, which provides an icy cap to the area’s rip-roaring scenery. State capitals simply don’t get more dramatic than this isolated, remote city lost amid the Alaskan wilds. Even the roads eventually peter out, absorbed by forests and viewpoints, firmly underlining the isolated location, hidden behind an impenetrable wall of rigid mountains.
Rise up to Mount Roberts Tramway’s viewpoint, to see the city swallowed by this most colossal backdrop. This is glacier country, and no fewer than 38 ice flows branch off from the main Juneau Icefield, slowly carving out valleys in their wakes. Taku Glacier cuts deep into the mountain, forming a colossal sculpture that is one of the world’s thickest – almost a mile deep. Mendenhall Glacier cascades down, just 12 miles away from downtown, terminating in its own lake and visitor centre.
DAY 5 – SKAGWAY, ALASKA
Feel the same rush of excitement as the gold rush chasers did, when they first arrived in Skagway, intent on finding their fortune. While the gold may now be gone, a treasure trove of natural glory waits to be discovered here. The adrenaline of America’s legendary gold rush still pulses along Skagway’s streets, especially in Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park and the historic downtown area – which sprang up during the heady heights of the 1890’s goldrush.
The jagged mountain ridges – with peaks of white snow above a treeline of soaring pine forests – provide a reward for the ages. Recapture the evocative sense of adventure, as you ride one of the world’s most spectacular railroads. Your engine will puff steam below the precipitous, colossal scenery, while the vintage carriages curve around the White Pass & Yukon Route, alongside tumbling waterfalls and spanning deeply-etched gorges.
DAY 6 – SITKA, ALASKA
A distant land of bears, wild landscapes and icy adventures, sail between glorious islands and witness the diverse wildlife of the Inside Passage. Eagles watch over the scenery overhead, while whales and sea lions add glorious weight to the animal life that thrives and thrashes in these icy seas. With a quintet of Pacific salmon species filling the rich rivers and waterways with life, settle back to enjoy the show, as Sitka’s immense setpieces play out before you.
You might notice the onion-shaped dome atop St. Michael’s Church – a relic of the area’s Russian history. Sitka formed a part of the Russian Empire until a deal was struck in 1867, and the territory was sold to the United States, with the handover ceremony taking place here in Sitka. The native Tlingit culture is an important presence, and elaborate totem poles rocket up in Sitka National Historical Park.
DAY 7 – CRUISE HUBBARD GLACIER, ALASKA
Hubbard Glacier, off the coast of Yakutat, Alaska, is the largest glacier in North America, with a calving front that is more than six miles wide. One of the main sources for Hubbard Glacier originates 76 mi inland. It has been a very active glacier, experiencing two major surges in the past 30 years. This glacier was named after Gardiner Greene Hubbard, a U.S. lawyer, financier, and philanthropist. He was the first president of the National Geographic Society.
DAY 8 – SEWARD, ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
The Voyage concludes in Seward (Anchorage, Alaska), United States. Scenery surrounds you in this remote corner of the world, where glaciers calve and whales cruise through inky waters, before an immense mountain backdrop. Almost totally submerged by the colossal landscapes around it, Seward – and the wonders of Kenai Fjords National Park – offer some of astonishing Alaska’s most thrilling scenery.
Located in a deep gash in the Kenai Peninsula, Seward is a place to immerse yourself in nature’s majesty. Fjords carve into the landscape, while the Harding Icefield – which caps Kenai Fjords National Park – reaches out its icy fingers, with glaciers spilling down between mountain peaks.
Head to Holgate Glacier, to come face to face with a breathtaking stack of intense blue and white ice. Get up close in a kayak or boat ride, to slalom through the discarded confetti of ice chunks, and perhaps even witness the powerful spectacle of an ice ledge creaking and groaning, before plunging to the waters below. The city of Anchorage is easily within reach from here, offering an incongruous contrast to the wild wonders of Alaska.
