Alaska & the Inside Passage 2025 Itinerary Vancouver, British Columbia to Seward, Alaska

Table Of Content

• Best Alaska Glaciers
• Featured Alaska Cruise Itineraries
• Inside Passage Cruises
• Cruises Through Inside Passage, Alaska
• Best Small Ship Itineraries

This protected waterway is one of the most scenic in the world and one of the few locations where deep-draft vessels can sail close to steep mountain walls. Massive tidewater glaciers, forest-clad islands, ice-carved fjords, and charming coastal towns such as Juneau, Ketchikan, Haines and Skagway await you here. On small ship cruises, you’ll visit even more intimate ports of call.

Best Alaska Glaciers

Experience the Alaskan wilderness; get up close to a glacier and marvel at the wildlife. Stop into three iconic ports of call and see Alaska’s remote wilderness areas. Read insider tips and recommendations for things to see and do in breathtaking Alaska. We'll match you with a local itinerary expert to help you plan your trip. Itinerary and shore excursions are subject to change and may vary by departure.

Featured Alaska Cruise Itineraries

Air travel is a breeze with a convenient roundtrip and Saturday or Sunday departures. Features Alaska’s most historic ports and scenic natural wonderlands. Located right along the coast of British Columbia, the Inside Passage is the longest sheltered inland waterway in the world. Watch the water for orcas and humpback whales as you cruise the passage to the historic Alaskan ports of Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan.

Inside Passage Cruises

If you’ve never seen a glacier in person, you’ll be amazed at their scale and enormity here. Alaska’s glaciers constantly shift and change, attracting thousands of environmental scientists and nature lovers to the region each year. All passengers regardless of their home country, citizenship or country of residency are responsible for obtaining the proper documentation for travel. This includes passports and visas for any country they may visit during their trip. The Alaska Cruise season begins in late April and continues through September. Whether you cruise when the Inside Passage is blanketed with spring wildflowers or ablaze with fall foliage you'll be awed at Alaska's natural wonders.

Pre- or Post Cruise Options in Seattle or Vancouver

Explore Alaska’s hot springs and glac­i­ers aboard a unique ship that puts you behind the helm and lets you man the sails. This South­east Alas­­ka-based tour oper­a­tor will leave you with a new def­i­n­i­tion of what it means to have a once-in-a-life­­time Alas­kan adven­ture. You’ll explore away from the crowds, get­ting an up-close view of wildlife, scenery, hot springs, and glaciers.

Ask your Alaska Cruise Specialist about this when planning your cruise. During a two-year expedition through uncharted territory, Captain George Vancouver sailed into the still waters of what came to be known as the Inside Passage. Passing by luminous glaciers artfully carved by Mother Nature’s beaming summers and numbing winters, Captain Vancouver and his team charted over 1,000 miles from 1792 to 1794. A Cruisetour gives you the chance to combine your seven-night sailing with a trip inland to remote Alaskan towns, including the breathtaking Denali National Park.

5 best luxury Alaska cruises for 2024 - The Points Guy

5 best luxury Alaska cruises for 2024.

Posted: Mon, 25 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Inside Passage Travel Tips

This roundtrip Inside Passage cruise from Vancouver delivers spellbinding scenery from narrow fjords to scattered islets and towering peaks. Get close to massive glaciers in Glacier Bay National Park and wait breathlessly for ice to calve off and plunge into the ocean. Inside Passage waters are as smooth as it gets, while on shore you’ll find endless thrills and chills. Fish for salmon in Ketchikan, helicopter onto Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, or ride the rails along the rugged White Pass Summit in Skagway.

Alaska’s rich history begins with the Indigenous groups that have lived in the region for thousands of years, including the Iñupiat, Yupik, Aleut, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian. Russian explorers reached the area in the 19th century, and the Yukon Gold Rush attracted thousands of miners to the remote area. Alaska became known as “the Last Frontier,” a place where you could stake a claim on the land and get rich trying. Since the 1960s, the debate over oil rigs in Alaska greatly impacted the region.

Best Small Ship Itineraries

Arrange ground transportation ahead of time and breeze to and from your Mediterranean cruise. Dis­cov­er South­east Alaska’s nat­ur­al won­ders aboard a char­tered sail­boat with Sail­ing Alas­ka. Cus­tomize your pri­vate expe­di­tion with expe­ri­enced cap­tain John Joeright and enjoy all-inclu­sive meals, com­fort­able accom­mo­da­tions, and end­less adven­tures on the 46-foot S/V Sham­rock. Watch whales, hike, fish, vis­it local com­mu­ni­ties, and more — all at your own pace.

Discover this small fishing town or capture views of glaciers by helicopter, boat or kayak. Add a hotel package to your Mediterranean cruise and indulge in an unforgettable overnight departure or arrival city. Stay current with special offers, news and destination-focused content.

After cruising the Inside Passage, you’ll continue on to Juneau, where you can visit the 13-mile-long Mendenhall Glacier or go hiking in the Tongass National Forest during your day in port. This remote capital is also famous for dog sledding and incredible glaciers. With exclusive access to some of the most famous glaciers — including Glacier Bay National Park — Princess offers a close-up, undisturbed view to spectacular scenery and adored wildlife. Sail into sheer serenity amidst the Inside Passage on an Alaska cruise from Princess. Sailing with Princess, you’ll marvel at the breathtaking scenery and encounter ports of call like Gold Rush-era Skagway, Salmon Capital of the World Ketchikan, the capital city of Juneau and British-flavored Victoria. This Inside Passage cruise docks near Vancouver’s biggest attractions, so you can spend more time sightseeing and less time getting from place to place.

Visit a Native village, learn about the triumphs and tragedies of Alaska’s Gold Rush heyday or go dog sledding with a real musher. Touring the Inside Passage on an Alaska cruise is your gateway to the fascinating and colorful culture, history and sights of the Great Land. To learn more about each port of call and our included as well as optional excursions, click on the individual days below. Alaska’s main sources of economic growth and revenue are fishing and tourism. Don’t forget to tip tour providers, bartenders, and restaurant servers during your Alaska cruise.