Alaska And British Columbia – Inside Passage, Bears And Aleutian Islands (Southbound)

Begin your adventure in the Emerald City

Your expedition cruise starts with an overnight stay in Seattle. If you can, why not arrive early and see what the Emerald City has to offer. Head to the Seattle Aquarium to see sea otters and a giant Pacific octopus. Or for incredible views of Puget Sound and the surrounding mountains, take a stroll through the nine-acre Olympic Sculpture Park, admiring the work of renowned artists as you go.  

 For a feast of the senses, visit the famous Pike Place Market. Operating for over a century, this lively farmer's market boasts everything from buskers and bars to salmon-throwing fishmongers! 

Launch your adventure in historical Nome

Today, we fly you from Seattle to Nome for the start of your expedition cruise.  Set at the tip of the Seward Peninsula, overlooking the Bering Sea, Nome is perhaps the most famous Gold-Rush town in Alaskan history. There are artifacts from this era to be seen everywhere, including abandoned dredges, turn-of-the-century steam engines, and old railroad tracks. 

Nome was also the end point of three of Roald Amundsen's great polar expeditions, including an attempt by air to reach the North Pole in 1926. It's a fitting place to launch your grand Alaska adventure.  

Get ready for adventure and watch for wildlife at sea 

Spend your first day at sea chatting with fellow explorers or just watching the world sail by out on deck. You'll have plenty of time to get to know your expedition ship, so perhaps now's the time to take advantage of its facilities as you settle into expedition mode.  

Along with talks by the Expedition Team about what to expect on the voyage ahead, delve into the books in the onboard library and get to know the Science Centre. Natural wonders abound here, so keep an eye out for humpback whales and seabirds wheeling through the skies. 

Experience this wild, remote and isolated island

Part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, 200 miles from the nearest village, St Matthew Island is wild, remote and isolated. You'll see traces of abandoned buildings between black sand beaches and wildflower-dotted tundra. A few hardy souls have tried – and failed – to make a home here.  

Today, the only inhabitants are birds, including thousands of puffins, murres and cormorants. On our nature landing, if we're lucky, we'll see the rare McKay's Bunting, which breeds almost exclusively here — and listen out for the sound of the singing vole, named after its unusual warning cry.  

Look out for wildlife on the largest Pribilof Island

The windswept island of St Paul is home to the largest Unangan community in the US, numbering around 480. You can visit the historical remains of barabaras here – traditional dwellings built half-underground to protect against the sea winds.  

St Paul is also designated an Important Bird Area, and around 300 species of migrating birds use it as a resting point. Scan for Horned and Tufted Puffins, the Pribilof Sandpiper and the rare Red-legged Kittiwake.  

On the shore, you may find northern fur seals waddling and playing – half the world's population of these charming animals live on these islands. 

Relax and reflect as we cruise along the coast

We'll continue south through the Bering Sea, from the Aleutian Islands and towards our next stop of Dutch Harbor. The Expedition Team will prepare you for our upcoming destinations and continue their lecture series. 

Keep scanning the seas and skies for puffins, auklets, and murrelets, especially closer to the coast. If you're lucky, you might glimpse the Red-legged Kittiwake, only found in this part of the world. 

If you'd like to take it easy, you can take in the panoramic views from our Explorer Lounge & Bar, from the infinity pool or the outdoor hot tubs. 

Learn the fascinating history of America's biggest fishing port

America's largest fishing port, Dutch Harbor is a fascinating place to visit. As we sail towards it you may see Mount Makushin, a sometimes-steaming volcano reaching almost 6,000 ft.  

Here, you'll learn about the local Indigenous Unungan people at the Museum of the Aleutians. Visit the Russian Orthodox Cathedral or tour the WWII museum commemorating the battle that took place here in 1942.  

Scout for Bald Eagles and puffins. Foxes, lemmings and wild horses thrive on land and whales, sea lions and porpoises in the waters. Dutch Harbor is where the reality television series The Deadliest Catch was filmed, following crab fishermen at work under extreme conditions. 

Experience a deserted Alaskan town

Wild and deserted, Unga Village is an abandoned yet picturesque settlement on the southern end of Unga Island.  

It was settled by Aleuts in 1833 but was abandoned in 1969 as subsistence fishing proved insufficient to support living here. Today, the few wooden buildings that remain are the only evidence that people once lived here.  

A carpet of pink lousewort, fireweed and other wildflowers surrounds the abandoned shacks as nature has gradually taken over. Experience the eerie beauty of this place during a nature landing with our small expedition boats. 

Explore rugged scenery in an untamed wilderness

The Alaska Peninsula is an untamed wilderness and a haven for wildlife. The region is characterised by its raw coastal landscapes, towering mountains and secluded bays.  

Join your Expedition Team for close exploration of hidden bays and inlets along the shoreline, offering the opportunity to scout for bears, Bald Eagles, and marine species like sea otters and humpback whales. Learn about the geological evolution of the region, appreciating how natural forces have sculpted the unique topography around you. 

Spot brown bears in Katmai National Park

Your adventure continues in the four million–acre Katmai National Park, which has over a dozen active volcanoes. Katmai is also home to more than 2,000 protected brown bears – the largest concentration in the world.  

Accompanied by an experienced bear guard, we'll be safely scouting for bears from the deck or in our small expedition boats. They might be foraging for berries, digging for clams or catching fish in the stream. 

Depending on conditions, we might visit either Geographic Harbor, Kinak Bay or Kukak Bay.  

Explore the home of the Alutiiq people

Kodiak Island got its nickname the ‘Emerald Isle', due to its Spruce forests and grasslands, and it's the second-largest island in the US.

The island's most famous inhabitants are Kodiak brown bears. Around 3,500 of them live in the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, which covers two-thirds of the island.  

We'll search for these powerful creatures in their natural habitat, marvelling at their size and grace from the safety of our small expedition boat. This perspective offers a rare glimpse into the lives of these bears against the backdrop of Alaska's breathtakingly rugged landscape. 

Enjoy a day of relaxation and birdwatching at sea

Your cruise continues across the Gulf of Alaska. It's the ideal time to enjoy onboard facilities such as the infinity pool, hot tubs, and sauna. Go for a run, hit the gym, or enjoy a massage in the spa.  

In the Science Centre, the Expedition Team invite you to join lectures about subjects such as Alaska's wildlife, geology, glaciology, history and culture.  

Relax in the Explorer Lounge & Bar and share a drink with your fellow guests, or just sit back and enjoy the view. See if you can spot all three species of North Pacific albatross. The Laysan and Black-footed Albatross are often sighted, but the Short-tailed Albatross is harder to spot.  

Spot wildlife in these glacier-fed waters

Today is an exploration day in Icy Bay. Three glaciers – Guyot, Yahtse and Tyndall – regularly calve into this bay. If conditions allow, you'll explore in our small expedition boats or by kayak, immersing you in the remarkable beauty of this icy landscape.  

Wildlife abounds in the Gulf of Alaska, offering unrivalled photography opportunities. Humpback whales, orcas, Stellar sea lions, sea otters and harbour seals lazing on floating chunks of ice are often seen in these waters. 

Take in Sitka's views and mix of cultures

Surrounded by Tongass National Forest, Sitka is only accessible by sea or air. Get out on deck for stunning views of the Sisters Mountains and Mount Edgecumbe volcano.  

Inhabited by the Tlingit people for 10,000 years, the town was settled by Russian explorers around the turn of the 19th century before being sold to the United States after Russia lost the Crimean War. Today, Sitka has roots in all three cultures.  

A visit to the Russian Orthodox cathedral and Russian Bishop's House is recommended. Admire ornate Haida and Tlingit totem poles at Sitka National Historical Park and enjoy a walking trail through the forest to the ocean.  

Visit one of Alaska's oldest harbour towns

We continue cruising the Alaskan islands towards Wrangell. Only a mile out of town, Petroglyph Beach is where you'll see ancient rock carvings among the sand. 

Visit the local museum to learn more about Wrangell's fascinating past. Now part of the United States, it was once governed by Britain, Russia and the Tlingit people. Cross to Shakes Island, where the Chief Shakes Tribal House and totem poles tell the story of the Indigenous Tlingit people.  

Hikers will enjoy the nature trails, surrounded by alluring scenery at the mouth of Stikine River, and the foot of Mount Dewey at the edge of the rainforest.  

Revel in a wilderness where wildlife thrives

Part of the Tongass National Forest, Misty Fjords is a pristine wilderness of evergreens, waterfalls and snowcapped peaks. The revered naturalist writer John Muir described the area as one of the most beautiful places he'd ever seen.  

Weather permitting, you'll join the Expedition Team to tour Misty Fjords in our small expedition boats or take kayaks out. 

Misty Fjords is rich in wildlife. You'll scan for mountain goats, black and brown bears and moose as you explore. The waters are home to Pacific salmon, otters, Steller sea lions, harbour seals, orcas and Dall's porpoises. Skywards, you might spot herons and Bald Eagles. 

See sublime scenery as we sail the Inside Passage

The Inside Passage coastal route takes us through the great North American Pacific Fjordland, a protected stretch of water over 930 miles long. Unlike other cruises which pass through at night, you'll be able to view the sublime scenery in all its glory during the day.   

Our smaller expedition ship allows us to reach areas that larger vessels can't, meaning you'll get to explore lesser-travelled channels with breathtaking scenery. Keep your cameras and binoculars at the ready to catch sight of whales, including humpback, fin, minke and perhaps even orca.  

Disembark in British Columbia's iconic city

Your expedition cruise ends in Vancouver, a beautiful city at the foot of the Rockies. Visit Gastown, the city's oldest neighbourhood, and climb Vancouver Lookout for a citywide view overlooking neon-lit Granville Street, the West End beaches, and the towering cedars of Stanley Park.  

Vancouver has a flavour all its own – and so does its global cuisine. Before your onward journey,  we recommend you dine out in Chinatown, Punjabi Market or Little Italy for a taste of the city's buzzing atmosphere.