Itinerary

After arriving in Vancouver, take a private transfer to your hotel. Then explore  at your leisure. Often voted among the world’s most desirable places to live, British Colombia’s biggest city is multicultural and biodiverse, with Stanley Park, Granville Island market and Capilano Suspension Bridge just a few of the highlights.

In the evening, check out the restaurants of historic Gastown and enjoy Vancouver’s varied gastronomy.

After breakfast at your hotel, join a guided whistle-stop tour of some of the highlights you may have missed, before being dropped off at the pier and boarding your vessel in time for the safety briefing and departure. Sail past Vancouver Island en route to the Inside Passage.

Sail up the Inside Passage coastal route through the great North American Pacific Fjordland, a protected stretch of water over 930 miles long. While larger cruise liners pass through the Inside Passage at night, your smaller vessel is able to navigate some of the narrower inlets, meaning a day time crossing is well worth while. You may spot humpback, fin and minke whales as well as orcas.

Continue north to Misty Fjords near Ketchikan. Misty Fjords are part of the Tongass National Forest, famous for their beautiful scenery – from snow-capped mountains to crashing waterfalls and forested lowlands. The region has an abundance of wildlife including moose and bears on land, and otters, seals and sea lions in the surrounding waters. You’ll tour Misty Fjords in small expedition boats. Alternatively, explore on a guided kayaking trip.

Continue northwards to Wrangell and discover evidence of some of the early settlers who crossed from Asia to the Americas. Wrangell Island is famous for its ancient petroglyph rock carvings, thought to be over 8,000 years old. The local museum charts the history of the indigenous Tlingit people who still live there today, as well as the influence of Britain, Russia and the USA in Alaska.

Enjoy an exploration day to discover more of the wonderful scenery and cultures of the Inside Passage. Your itinerary may include the small town of Petersburg – which has proud Norwegian heritage and a busy fishing community – or beautiful Frederick Sound. There may be an opportunity to further explore inlets, coves, bays and forests in one of the expedition boats, and seek out wildlife including eagles, bears, otters and whales.

Further north, Holkham Bay encloses two beautiful fjords – Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm, and your captain will decide which offers the best experience on the day. Here you may be able to enjoy the amazing spectacle of fresh icebergs calving from the glaciers into the ocean. Endicott Arm has populations of harbour seals and whales as well as bears, mountain goats and moose on the shoreline. Take advantage of the small expedition boats again to get a closer look at the scenery and wildlife.

Today, you will visit the frontier town of Haines, home of the Chilkat Tlingit people. Famous for their skills in weaving, you’ll be able to see fascinating examples of their work, which weaves mountain goat fur and cedar bark into complex designs.

Explore Haines’ thriving art scene, visiting galleries and workshops exhibiting totem carvings, silverwork and sculptures. The surrounding landscapes have great hiking with wildlife including bald eagles, bears and moose.

Reach William Henry Bay on the edge of the Chilkat Range mountains, and spend today exploring the region. Step ashore and take a guided hike through old-growth forest, and watch in safety for brown and black bears, deer and moose.

On your return to the ship, listen to a lecture from the expedition team, enjoy the views and relax in the hot tubs on deck. You may be able to spot humpback whales passing Point Adolphus on Chichagof Island, one of the best whale-spotting locations in North America.

Sitka is the USA’s largest city by geographical area, but has a population of less than 10,000 people and is accessible only by air or sea. Previously the administrative capital of Russian America, the sale of Alaska to the USA was agreed here in October 1867. Sitka was eventually replaced as Alaskan capital by Juneau during the Gold Rush.

Today, you can still see evidence of the city’s colourful past – from the grey, green and gold of reconstructed St Michael’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral to the preserved Russian Bishop’s House. Before the arrival of the Russians and Americans, The Tlingit people inhabited this region for thousands of years. Sitka National Historic Park is one of the best places to explore Tlingit culture with 20 totem poles, a museum and walking trails through rainforest.

Continue north past Glacier Bay to Icy Bay, meeting point of three huge glaciers – Guyot, Yahtse and Tyndall. Take one of the small expedition boats or kayaks to enjoy the unforgettable experience of watching calving of new icebergs. Sea lions, sea otters and harbour seals are often seen swimming or lazily floating atop the bergs.

Head further north to the east side of stunning Prince William Sound. Located in the Chugach National Forest, the town of Cordova has a spectacular setting at the head of Orca Inlet near the mouth of the Copper River.

Cordova’s coastline has mostly recovered since the notorious Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989. You may be able spot wildlife such as sea otters, eagles, tundra swans, beavers, moose and bears.

Continue today to College Fjord, which boasts five tidewater glaciers and five valley glaciers. The fjord was named by an expedition team in 1899, who also named many of the glaciers after top east coast universities, including Harvard and Yale.

You’ll travel in small expedition boats to get close to the glaciers, and possibly enter the fjord itself for some kayaking. Hopefully, you can catch sight of humpback whales, bald eagles, otters and sea lions.

Your expedition cruise ends today on reaching Seward, the only deep-water ice-free port with road connections to the Alaskan interior.

From Seward, enjoy a transfer through the spectacular scenery of Kenai Fjords National Park. Stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Centre and learn about their work with orphaned and injured animals, including moose, bison, elk, deer, caribou and bears.

On arrival in Anchorage, check into your hotel and explore the city independently in the evening.

Your Alaska adventure ends in Anchorage, a city filled with restaurants, galleries and shops. It’s worth extending your time here for an extra night. Included in your holiday is a guided half-day tour, sampling local cuisine including smoked salmon, sausage and chocolate.

Other highlights of Anchorage include the Alaska Heritage Museum with exhibitions on Alaska’s 11 major First Nations cultures, and Anchorage Museum, which tells the story of the state as well as showcasing some of Alaska’s best artworks. There are some great cycling and hiking trails on the edge of the city, including the steep three-mile hike up Flattop Mountain for fantastic views of the surrounding Chugach State Park.

It’s particularly worth extending your trip with a visit to Denali National Park further north, home to North America’s highest peak, incredible mountain scenery and abundant wildlife across 160 miles of the Alaska Range.

At the end of your holiday, take your private transfer to Anchorage airport.