Vancouver to Seward (Anchorage

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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. Witness Mother Nature at her most dramatic and elaborate along this Alaskan coastline where glaciers groan and creak melodramatically before finally releasing colossal shelves of ice allowing them to free fall into the waters below and explode with angry booms and thunderous splashes. While fundamental displays of nature’s power always awe and amaze it’s the tranquil beauty of this passage – amid still waters splitting only to reveal the smooth backs of breaching humpback whales – that is relentlessly moving. 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.

Ketchikan is famous for its colorful totem poles, rainy skies, steep–as–San Francisco streets, and lush island setting. Some 13,500 people call the town home, and, in the summer, cruise ships crowd the shoreline, floatplanes depart noisily for Misty Fiords National Monument, and salmon-laden commercial fishing boats motor through Tongass Narrows. In the last decade Ketchikan’s rowdy, blue-collar heritage of logging and fishing has been softened by the loss of many timber-industry jobs and the dramatic rise of cruise-ship tourism. With some effort, though, visitors can still glimpse the rugged frontier spirit that once permeated this hardscrabble cannery town. Art lovers should make a beeline for Ketchikan: the arts community here is very active. Travelers in search of the perfect piece of Alaska art will find an incredible range of pieces to choose from.The town is at the foot of 3,000-foot Deer Mountain, near the southeastern corner of Revillagigedo (locals shorten it to Revilla) Island. Prior to the arrival of white miners and fishermen in 1885, the Tlingit used the site at the mouth of Ketchikan Creek as a summer fish camp. Gold discoveries just before the turn of the 20th century brought more immigrants, and valuable timber and commercial fishing resources spurred new industries. By the 1930s the town bragged that it was the “salmon-canning capital of the world.” You will still find some of Southeast’s best salmon fishing around here. Ketchikan is the first bite of Alaska that many travelers taste. Despite its imposing backdrop, hillside homes, and many staircases, the town is relatively easy to walk through. Favorite downtown stops include the Spruce Mill Development shops and Creek Street. A bit farther away you’ll find the Totem Heritage Center. Out of town (but included on most bus tours) are two longtime favorites: Totem Bight State Historical Park to the north and Saxman Totem Park to the south.

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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. Ketchikan has the world’s largest collection, and some of the oldest and most precious totems in existence. This frontier city hasn’t always been so wholesome, however. See the colourful historic street that is built on crooked stilts over Ketchikan Creek, which has a crude history as the main red-light district in the city. The brothels closed in the 1950s, but you can explore this legendarily seedy past at Dolly’s House – a brothel turned museum. See the Married Man trail, a historical route used to enter Creek Street away from prying eyes.

Since Icy Strait Point opened in 2004, Hoonah has attracted more visitors, particularly those who arrive by cruise ship. The port is centered around the restored salmon cannery, which now houses a museum, local arts and crafts shops, restaurants, and a mid-1930s cannery line display. Outside is the world’s largest and highest zip line at 5,330 feet long, featuring a 1,300-foot vertical drop—a thrilling ride with fantastic views of the surrounding mountains and ocean. If you’re looking for more relaxing mountaintop views, book a gondola ride that will whisk you up into the mountains for some leisurely hiking and stellar sightseeing. Icy Strait Point houses several restaurants where visitors can dine on freshly caught seafood while taking in the waterfront views. A range of excursions are available at Icy Strait Point catering primarily to cruise ship passengers, from Alaska Native dance performances to bear viewing and whale watching.

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If there is one word that sums up Alaska it is nature. Mile and miles of it. And Icy Strait Point – one of Alaska’s most unspoilt destinations has – nature in spades. To begin with, Icy Straight Point is stunningly beautiful. It is the Alaska of your imagination: eagles soaring overhead, whales breeching before your eyes. Moody, low-hanging clouds set the scene while velvety green mountains provide the backdrop. Sparklingly clear waters lap at pebbly shores. These are beaches of the adventure kind, you won’t find sun loungers and sombreros here, more like kayaks and canoes, ready for those who want to take their discovery off shore. The village prides itself on being home to “more brown bears than humans”, so expect immersive wilderness experiences, from ATV adventures to zip lining through a canopy of trees! Located on Chichagoff Island, 35 miles west of Juneau and right in the centre of Glacier Bay, Icy Strait Point began life as a salmon cannery business, providing employment for the residents of nearby Hoonah. The cannery has served the community in many ways, including proving housing for employees after a fire in 1944 destroyed many resident’s homes. It ceased to function entirely in 1999 and in 2001, the landing was repurposed as America’s only private cruise ship terminal. The Alaskan owned and operated terminal funnels all its profits back into the local environment and provides employment for around 85% of local residents, many of whom live in Alaska’s largest Native Tlingit village.

Located at the northern terminus of the Inside Passage, Skagway is a one-hour ferry ride from Haines. By road, however, the distance is 359 miles, as you have to take the Haines Highway up to Haines Junction, Yukon, then take the Alaska Highway 100 miles south to Whitehorse, and then drive a final 100 miles south on the Klondike Highway to Skagway. North-country folk call this sightseeing route the Golden Horseshoe or Golden Circle tour, because it passes a lot of gold-rush country in addition to spectacular lake, forest, and mountain scenery.The town is an amazingly preserved artifact from North America’s biggest, most-storied gold rush. Most of the downtown district forms part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, a unit of the National Park System dedicated to commemorating and interpreting the frenzied stampede of 1897 that extended to Dawson City in Canada’s Yukon.Nearly all the historic sights are within a few blocks of the cruise-ship and ferry dock, allowing visitors to meander through the town’s attractions at whatever pace they choose. Whether you’re disembarking from a cruise ship, a ferry, or a dusty automobile fresh from the Golden Circle, you’ll quickly discover that tourism is the lifeblood of this town. Unless you’re visiting in winter or hiking into the backcountry on the Chilkoot Trail, you aren’t likely to find a quiet Alaska experience around Skagway.

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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. Wander historic trails like the Chilkoot Trail Hike to walk in the well-trodden footsteps of the gold seekers. Set on the northern tip of the Inside Passage Skagway luxuriates in a remarkably beautiful and dramatic landscape. Explore mighty rivers teeming with thick salmon leaping over rapids and see brown bears edging from the shelter of the trees. Endless forests spread as far as the eye can see while bald eagles perch on treetops surveying the surroundings from above. Whales roam offshore and glaciers creak and calve nearby in this magical natural kingdom.

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Formed by the retreat of the Guyot, Yahtse, and Tyndall Glaciers, Icy Bay lives up to its frigid name. Sapphire blue waters are strewn with blocks of ice and the whole feeling is one of eerie, silent solitude. Yet, despite Icy Bay’s timelessness, it is a relative new comer to the planet. Icy Bay as we know it is just 100 years old, although the area is of course much older. The Vancouver Expedition passed through the area on 4th June, 1794 and noted that the bay was blocked by “the giant tidewater Malaspina Glacier that calved icebergs directly into the Gulf of Alaska”. Described as “an indentation of the glacier face” by Captain Vancouver, the 30-mile strait was named but not recorded on any maps. Geographically located 66 miles off northwest of Yakutat, Icy Bay lies within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska.Today, it would almost unthinkable to not visit the superlative beauty of Icy Bay during a voyage to Alaska. The chilly waters are fed by a stream from the Saint Elias Mountain Range, making the surrounding scenery some of the most spectacular on Earth. Fjord-like conditions have proved a boon for migrating wildlife; expect harbor seals hauled out on bright-blue ice, a plethora of sea birds and marine mammals and even the odd grizzly perched on the side of the water.The weather might not always be on your side (Icy Bay’s temperature in August is just 11˚C or 50˚F) but if you like big, bold, beautiful coastline then wrap up warm and experience Mother Nature at her very best.

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Valdez, Alaska’s ‘Little Switzerland’, is surrounded by the 5,000-foot-high (1,525-metre-high) Chugach Mountains and numerous glaciers. This scenic port community is situated on the shore of Prince William Sound, less than 25 miles (40 kilometres) east of the Columbia Glacier. It is the southern terminus of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. As the most northerly ice-free port in the Western Hemisphere, Valdez experienced a boom in 1897-98 when gold seekers arrived looking for what was being advertised in the lower 48 states as the ‘All-American Route’ to Alaska’s interior and the Klondike gold fields. The town was nearly destroyed by the Earthquake of 1964, and subsequently rebuilt about four miles (6.5 kilometres) from its original location. During the 1970s, construction of the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline terminal and other cargo transportation facilities brought rapid growth to Valdez. Today, Valdez’s economy is comprised of a mix of oil, tourism, commercial fishing, seafood processing, and shipping. It offers visitors such outdoor activities as fishing, hiking, white-water rafting, kayaking, and glacier trekking, and is also quickly becoming a popular winter sports destination.

It is hard to believe that a place as beautiful as Seward exists. Surrounded on all sides by Kenai Fjords National Park, Chugach National Forest, and Resurrection Bay, Seward offers all the quaint realities of a small railroad town with the bonus of jaw-dropping scenery. This little town of about 2,750 citizens was founded in 1903, when survey crews arrived at the ice-free port and began planning a railroad to the Interior. Since its inception, Seward has relied heavily on tourism and commercial fishing. It is also the launching point for excursions into Kenai Fjords National Park, where it is quite common to see marine life and calving glaciers.

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Monumental 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. A place where deep-sea fishermen bump shoulders with businesspeople on the 9-5, it’s a fascinating, remote city. Home to almost half of the Alaskan population, Anchorage and its humble skyline is dwarfed by the snowy peaks of the wilderness beyond. Don’t miss the opportunity to immerse yourself in the unique culture, traditions and heritage of the First Nation people of these lands too.