Arrive in Vancouver and make your way to the ship to board your cruise.

At sea

Cruises to Ketchikan open the gateway to Alaska’s cultural, historical, and natural treasures. For a more structured day, head to the visitor’s center to book tours for fishing, kayaking, hiking, the delightful lumberjack show, and more. To continue exploring, walk down the wharf to Creek Street, where you’ll find shops and restaurants packed with salmon products, winter jackets, native arts and crafts, and similar souvenirs. At your leisure, follow the signposts to the Cape Fox Funicular, a tram that trundles you up the hill to a delightful café with panoramic vistas. You can catch the tram back down or meander down the hillside, taking in the rainforest’s ambiance. On the way down, you’ll pass the traditional lands of the Taant´a Kwáan and Sanyaa Kwáan of the Tlingit First Nations. Pop in at the Totem Heritage Center and stand in awe of Alaska’s largest collection of 19th-century totem poles. A little further on is the “married man’s trail,” which takes you along the creek, past the fun “fish ladder,” rapids where salmon jump upstream, and ends at the infamous Dolly’s House Museum.

If you want to hang in Icy Strait Point, you will have to get a little wild. Go whale watching in Point Adolphus and sea lion spotting. Or gear up to soar over mountain forests on the world’s longest zip line. Life here is all about the thrill factor.

Sitka truly offers the best of Alaska. Its small-town appeal stems from a unique blend of Russian, Tlingit, and American history. Volcanic Mount Edgecumbe is postcard-worthy, and its rare wildlife includes orange-beaked puffins. Whether you’re hiking Baranof Island trails or listening to tribal stories passed down for generations, in Sitka, the midnight sun never sets on adventure.

Once the starting point for gold stampeders heading for the promised land of the Yukon, Skagway symbolizes the spirit of Alaska. And now — it’s your turn to hunt for gold. Embark on the trail of the fortune seekers on a vintage train ride with dramatic, sweeping views at every turn. Trek through the dense rainforest and windswept valleys of the Chilkoot Trail and follow in the footsteps of Klondike pioneers. Or stroll the charming downtown streets studded with historical buildings. Whatever you get up to in Skagway, it’ll be a day you’ll never forget. 

At 76 miles long and seven miles wide, North America’s largest tidewater glacier makes even the largest ships in the region feel small. Watch massive chunks of Hubbard Glacier’s translucent blue ice crash into the bay with a bang like a cannon shot, a sound the Tlingit people call “White Thunder.” 

Ride in your deluxe motor coach to Anchorage, where you’ll have free time to stroll around downtown and have an early lunch before traveling into the wilds. 

The day begins with going deep into Denali National Park to scout the forest and tundra for wildlife on the Denali Natural History Tour. Then see more of Alaska’s spectacular landscapes from the glass-domed cars of the Wilderness Express on the train ride to Fairbanks. 

Discover local heritage on a city highlights tour, then explore gold-rush history while panning for gold at the landmark Gold Dredge 8 mining operation. 

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