Awaken and inspire your sense of adventure as you sail north through Canada’s Inside Passage to Alaska along the same waterway frequented by prospectors and fortune-seekers more than a century ago. Visiting the Alaskan towns of Wrangell, Sitka, and Haines offers a journey through stunning landscapes, rich history, and unique wildlife, each town providing a distinct and unforgettable Alaskan experience. Admire the glaciated slopes and ice floes of Alaska’s Misty Fjords, Tracy Arm and Kenai Fjords, but keep a weather eye on the horizon for the telltale spray and black fins of orca pods. Disembark in Seward and ride inland to Fairbanks and scenic Denali National Park. Caribou, foxes and Dall sheep observations are nearly certain, but even the locals grow excited about grizzly and wolf pack sightings. A detailed float along the Chena River provides additional opportunities for ursine encounters prior to your transfer to Fairbanks Airport and your reentry into the predictabilities of a less-adventurous modern civilization.

Vancouver’s location at the mouth of the Fraser River and on the waterways of the Strait of Georgia, Howe Sound, Burrard Inlet and all their tributaries makes this busy seaport an easy place for meeting. It is one of Canada’s most populated, most ethnically diverse cities that is a popular filming location. Visit the interesting neighborhoods of Gastown, Granville Island and Chinatown. Walk across the Capilano Suspension Bridge and stroll through Stanley Park. See the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Museum of Anthropology. There is an amazing variety of things to see and do here.

Dubbed the Salmon Capital of the World, Ketchikan is the southeastern-most town in Alaska and is home to the world’s largest collection of standing totem poles that are found throughout the city and at four major locations: Saxman Totem Park, Totem Bight State Park, Potlatch Park, and the Totem Heritage Center. Other attractions of Ketchikan are Creek Street, a boardwalk road built on pilings over Ketchikan Creek and the Waterfront Promenade that skirts the bustling shoreline with inviting whale-tail benches to take in the view.

Cruising Misty Fjords/Rudyerd Bay in Alaska offers an awe-inspiring adventure through one of nature’s most pristine landscapes. Towering granite cliffs rise dramatically from mirror-like waters. The mist-shrouded environment evokes a sense of ancient mystery and tranquility, while diverse wildlife, including seals and eagles, adds to the experience. Navigating these majestic fjords provides an unforgettable glimpse into Alaska’s raw, untouched beauty, where every turn reveals a new, breathtaking vista

One of the oldest towns in Alaska, Wrangell is located near the mouth of the Stikine River. Much of its history can be seen in the impressive collection of totems scattered throughout the town. Highlights here are the amazing Petroglyph Beach State Historic Park where you can find primitive rock carvings and just 30 miles away is the Anan Wildlife Observatory with the largest pink salmon runs in the Inside Passage, and a platform from which you can look for eagles, harbor seals and black bears.

Depending on the day’s conditions, you will cruise Tracy Arm or Endicott Arm. Both glacial fjords feature icebergs drifting serenely by and towering granite cliffs, carved by millennia of glacial activity. Here, you can witness impressive calving events as icebergs thunder into the water. The surrounding wilderness, with its rugged terrain, offers a pristine backdrop for spotting wildlife like seals and mountain goats.

Haines is one of the most popular Alaska cruise ports and one of the best places for hiking, fishing and wildlife viewing, especially bald eagles.  Within the Haines city limits Fort William H. Seward is a nationally recognized historic landmark, with some of its structures open to the public. Other cultural offerings in Haines include the Alaska Indian Arts Center where traditional craftsmen offer demonstrations of their work, the Sheldon Museum & Cultural Center where local Tlingit people are featured, the Hammer Museum, dedicated to the history of the hammer and the Tsirku Canning Company Museum with memories of Haines’ salmon canneries.

Located on the Gastineau Channel in the Alaskan panhandle, Juneau sits at sea level below steep mountains between 3,500-4,000 feet high. Atop these mountains is the Juneau Icefield, a large ice mass from which about 30 glaciers flow, and two of them – Mendenhall Glacier and Lemon Creek Glacier are visible from the local road. A unique feature of Juneau is that it is the only U.S. capital that has no roads connecting it to the rest of the state.

Sitka is one of the oldest and most culturally significant communities in Alaska, filled with rich Tlingit, Russian, and early American settler history. Sitka is famous for its spectacular scenery, abundant wildlife, the copper-domed St. Michael’s Cathedral, the Pioneer Home and the Russian Bishop’s House. It contains 22 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is where the contract of sale was signed transferring Alaska from Russia to the United States.

As you navigate through the park's pristine waters, you'll sail by majestic glaciers, where stunning ice formations and calving events captivate the eye. Towering cliffs frame the fjords, creating a dramatic contrast with the glacial blues. Wildlife enthusiasts will delight in spotting marine life against this stunning backdrop.

Seward, (Anchorage’s gateway) is sandwiched between the Kenai Mountains and the Kenai Fjords National Park. It is one of Alaska’s oldest and most scenic communities, with Mount Marathon rising majestically behind the town. Even though Anchorage is Alaska’s largest city, it is also home to 1,500 moose, surrounded by national parks full of wildlife.

Incredible views of Turnagain Arm and the Kenai Mountains help soothe your sadness over leaving your small ship. Explore native cultures at the Anchorage Museum before proceeding to tiny Talkeetna for a Welcome Reception and informative talk about the town’s colorful past.

(Includes overnight at Talkeetna Hotel and Welcome Reception)

Stretch your legs and enjoy the scenery from your deluxe domed railcar as your train makes its way to Denali. Tonight, get your bearings with a Welcome to Denali Talk, followed by an all-you-can-eat salmon and barbecue ribs dinner and a show at Alaska Cabin Nite Dinner Theater.
 
(Includes overnight at Denali Lodge, Breakfast, Cabin Nite Dinner)

Your 5-hour Tundra Wilderness Tour takes you deep into the park for the best opportunities to see both Denali’s famous wildlife and the iconic mountain. Back at the lodge, there’s time for an optional tour, or just relax and enjoy the lodge and scenery.

(Includes overnight at Denali Lodge, Breakfast, Bag Lunch and Snack)

Head north to the Golden Heart City of Fairbanks, a city shaped by gold and oil. Board the Riverboat Discovery for a cruise on the Chena River, sampling frontier life at an Athabascan village and meeting some powerful Iditarod huskies. Recount your favorite experiences with friends over a delicious Farewell Dinner.

(Includes overnight at Fairbanks Hotel, Breakfast and Dinner)

Today is yours to explore as you will. Various attractions let you pan for gold, or browse a goldmine of history at the Museum of the North before your flight home.

(Includes Breakfast)