Inside Passage and Glacier Bay

Day 1 : Seattle

Ah, the Emerald City! Check-in at the hospitality center and later, board your ship and settle in. Depending on your vessel, depart from downtown Seattle, cruising along the city’s picturesque waterfront. Or from Fishermen’s Terminal and transit historic Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, where it’s a 6 metre drop into the Salish Sea. Adieu, Seattle.

Day 2 : Olympic National Park

Hike in Olympic National Park—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—surrounded by rainforest, old-growth forest, and top of the world 360-degree views. Then, you’ll either trek at Hurricane Ridge or explore Lake Crescent. On a clear day, you can see Canada across to the Straits of Juan de Fuca..

Day 3 : Canada’s Inside Passage

Mountains rise higher. Fjords get deeper. It’s a day of intricate waterways and cruising for wildlife, keeping watch for black bears on shore, including the elusive spirit bear. Civilisation slips away as you enter remote waters leading north through British Columbia. Surf-happy dolphins and porpoise like to catch a ride on the bow wave. Your captain and crew are on the lookout and give the call of a sighting. And a waterfall and old abandoned cannery come into view. That’s Butedale. Slow down and take it all in as forested fjords roll by. Aiming to entertain and educate over the next days, your expedition team is at the ready. Natural history, Native influences, and their favorite trivia games, too.

Day 4 : Canada’s Inside Passage

Take your cup of coffee to the bow. The world wakes up with you. Bald eagles watch the ship along its course from tree tops. Islands to the west, inlet-etched mainland to the east. Your captain and mates navigate twisting passages. Harbour seals spend their days on rocky islets. Breathe in the fresh air and take in miles of forested wilderness. In the lounge, your bartender mixes up the daily special. Take the challenge and play a few friendly hands of cards with your shipmates.

Day 5 : Canada’s Inside Passage

Today, you sail through the northern-most portion of Canada’s wild Inside Passage and enter Alaska’s. Check out the bridge–it’s an ideal spot to look for whales and other wildlife including the elusive blonde Spirit Bears. Also see what the crew has in store today. Maybe a cooking or cocktail demonstration or a galley tour. Or maybe learn more about navigation from the crew, and try your hand at tying knots! This evening, we cross the border into Alaska.

Day 6 : Misty Fjords National Monument

There are places on the planet that completely overcome you. This is one of them. The beauty. The peace. The sense of place you feel. Misty Fjords National Monument represents nearly every ecosystem found in Southeast Alaska. And that alone is a lot to consider. Glacial valleys filled with sea water. Sheer 3,000-foot cliffs. Sea birds, brown and black bears, mountain goats, Sitka black-tailed deer, all find safe haven here. Kayak in Walker Cove or Rudyerd Bay and you find it’s just as easy to paddle and go, as it is to sit and float and take it all in. Or skiff to the base of a waterfall for a fjord-released shower. The area’s affectionate nickname, “The Yosemite of the North,” is deserved.

Day 7 : Ketchikan

In Ketchikan, connect with the Tlingit Culture. Tribal leader and local legend Joe Williams, known as Ka Xesh X’e in his native language, guides you on a walking tour. With a rich oral tradition, the Tlingit passed stories from generation to generation—and Joe’s storytelling is captivating! Amble through the surrounding forest on a moderate to easy trail or challenge yourself to a hard-charger hike along trails and boardwalks past cedar, spruce, streams, and waterfalls.

Day 8 : Wrangell Narrows & Thomas Bay

This morning, your ship winds into the Wrangell Narrows. Abundant bright red and green navigation lights guide the way. It’s nicknamed “Christmas Tree Lane,” of course. In the afternoon, head into Thomas Bay. When you come this far, you might as well go all in. This is way back backcountry of Alaska’s wilderness. Glacial landscapes marked by moraines, muskegs, and mud. In this playground, it’s all an option today. Kayak and skiff in water almost clear as glass. The mirror image of fjord walls plays on the surface. Keep it green on an interpretive walk through a grassy meadow into the forest.

Day 9 : Chichagof Island

Spend some time on the bow as you glide through glacier-carved fjords along the Chichagof coast. Then anchor for more activities. Time to lower the kayaks and skiffs and get up close and personal with a sea otter or wildlife watching from your kayak. Camera in hand, set off on land and sea explorations. Closer inspection by skiff, moss-dripping trees run right down to the water. Any bears in there? With one of the world’s largest populations of bears, it’s possible. Go searching for giant trees and tidal pools. Hiking in the Tongass, it won’t take long to find them.

Day 10 : Icy Strait Whale Search

Bull whip kelp threads through nearby channels like deep, twisted mangroves. And you know better, but orange and purple starfish and jellyfish make it hard to believe you’re not in the tropics. Follow the currents out to where the sea lions flock to remote rock formations. Your captain is on the bridge, the expedition team on deck, and all eyes are on the water and the shore. Everyone is on-watch for the telltale blow of humpbacks. Come closer to the shoreline by skiff, kayak, or on foot. Sometimes the smallest things are the biggest wonders. Take in the evening solitude from the bow, or the hot tub.

Day 11 : Glacier Bay National Park

Welcome to our second National Park of the trip. The crown jewel of Southeast Alaska – we begin our visit in the rarely visited wilderness areas of the park. Less than 1% of the visitors to the park get the chance to go on land, and that’s just what we’ve written up. Hike Gloomy Knob, kayak the placid waters of North Sandy Cove, or explore the meadows of Beartrack Cove – your expedition leader picks today’s location based on recent wildlife sightings and weather conditions. After a full day, get out on deck for the evening cruise. The snowcapped mountains of the Fairweathers peek over the clouds as we make our way north. Ice begins to appear in the water…

Day 12 : Glacier Bay National Park

It’s 6:00 AM. You were told this was going to be an early morning, and your alarm clock is the metallic sound of ice sliding past the hull of the ship. Grab a cup of coffee and a warm jacket; directly off the bow is either Johns Hopkins Glacier or Margerie Glacier, depending on the season and ice condition. The quiet of the morning is only interrupted by the thundering crash of the glacier as 10 story-buildings of ice crash into the sea in the soft light of sunrise. Grab a pastry and a big breakfast, today is going to be a banner day. The captain drops the anchor deftly at Lamplugh Glacier – the morning is your choice of how you want to experience the glacier. Kayaks, ridge hikes, and ice garden explorations are all at your fingertips. The afternoon is spent singularly focused on the wildlife of the park. Get your binoculars out and spot Mountain Goats at Gloomy Knob and Tufted Puffins at the birder’s paradise of South Marble Island. This is our final day in the park – take it all in.

Day 13 : Juneau

Disembark after breakfast. Transfer to the Juneau airport.

*Itinerary also operates in reverse.