Aleutians to Katmai: Wild Alaska Revealed (Northbound)

Set sail from Vancouver

Your adventure begins in Vancouver, a Pacific seaport framed by steep mountains and dense coastal forest. Wander the Victorian streets of Gastown, or walk the seawall past the towering cedar groves of Stanley Park, a first taste of the wilderness ahead. The seafood and farm-to-table dining here is exceptional. We'd recommend arriving a day early to give yourself time to explore the city.

Come evening, your ship awaits. Settle into your cabin, meet the Expedition Team, and attend the safety briefing. Tomorrow, we sail north.

Marine wildlife along the Pacific coast

The Inside Passage is one of the great coastal routes of the world, with over 900 miles of sheltered Pacific waterway, carved by glaciers and fringed by ancient forest. Today we venture beyond its shelter into the open waters of Queen Charlotte Sound and Hecate Strait, where the island of Haida Gwaii lies to the west.

These are productive seas. Keep watch for humpback and fin whales, orcas, minke whales, and Pacific white-sided dolphins. This is a voyage that rewards those who keep their eyes on the horizon.

Ancient rainforests and Łingít culture

These three days carry us deep into the rainforests of the Tongass National Forest. At Misty Fjords, a pristine wilderness of towering evergreens, waterfalls, and snowcapped peaks, we explore by Zodiac or kayak, watching for mountain goats, harbour seals, and bald eagles.

From there, we sail to Klawock on the western shore of Prince of Wales Island, where the Totem Park’s 21 carved poles pay tribute to Łingít tradition.

We end at Sitka: Łingít homeland, Russian outpost, and American purchase, where Mount Edgecumbe volcano rises from the sea and the Russian Orthodox Cathedral stands at the heart of town.

Birdwatching and relaxing at sea

Your cruise continues across the Gulf of Alaska. Enjoy the infinity pool, hot tubs, sauna, gym, or even treat yourself to a spa treatment.

In the Science Centre, the Expedition Team invite you to join lectures on Alaska’s wildlife, geology, glaciology, and history.

From the open deck, scan the horizon for seabirds. Three species of North Pacific albatross inhabit these waters: the laysan and black-footed are regularly spotted, while a glimpse of the rare short-tailed albatross would be the ultimate sighting of the voyage.

The ancestral homeland of the Sugpiaq

Known as the 'Emerald Isle', Kodiak rises from the Gulf of Alaska in a sweep of lush temperate forest and rugged shoreline. This is the ancestral homeland of the Sugpiaq people, whose connection to these islands runs thousands of years deep.

We’ll spend two days here, visiting Kodiak town and a small coastal community to learn about local culture and traditions first-hand. Out on the water, we search for humpback whales, sea otters, and harbour seals. The Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, covering roughly two-thirds of the island, is home to around 3,500 Kodiak brown bears, a subspecies found nowhere else on Earth.

Sailing toward the Aleutian arc

Enjoy a day at sea as we leave the Gulf of Alaska behind and turn west, toward the volcanic chain of the Aleutian Islands.

The sense of remoteness deepens as the coastline drops away and the Pacific horizon opens wide. Attend a lecture on Aleutian ecology and geology in the Science Centre, or take time on deck to watch the ocean. These are cold, productive waters. Watch for seabirds tracing the ship’s route and marine mammals, who surface when you least expect them. The island chain that awaits is unlike anywhere else on Earth.

Ring of Fire

We arrive first at Dutch Harbor on Unalaska Island, the country’s busiest commercial fishing port by volume, set against the looming profile of Mount Makushin, an active volcano reaching 6,680 feet.

You’ll learn about the Unangan people have called these islands home for at least 9,000 years, visit the Museum of the Aleutians, the Russian Orthodox Cathedral, or the WWII museum commemorating the Battle of Dutch Harbor in 1942.

From there, we venture deeper into the chain: a world of volcanic ridgelines, cliff-nesting puffins, sea lions, and coast-skimming seabirds. We land by Zodiac where few ever travel.

After a day at sea, our final stop is Unga Island, where the ghost village of Unga — first settled in 1833 and abandoned in 1969 — stands slowly yielding to wildflowers and tundra. It’s an eerie, affecting place.

Spot brown bears on the Alaskan coast

Katmai National Park spans roughly four million acres of the Alaskan Peninsula. It’s home to around 18 volcanoes, including seven active since 1900, and shelters the world’s highest concentration of protected brown bears: around 2,000 in total.

We scout from the ship deck and in expedition boats, watching bears work the shoreline: digging for clams, fishing in the shallows, moving through the coastal grasses with the unhurried confidence of a species at the top of the food chain. Depending on conditions, we explore Geographic Harbor, Kinak Bay, or Kukak Bay. Patience is richly rewarded here.

Sailing toward Prince William Sound

A final day at sea as we complete our passage along Alaska’s Pacific coast, heading northeast toward Prince William Sound.

The mountains of the Kenai Peninsula are already visible on the horizon. Join the Expedition Team for final lectures and citizen science projects and take time to reflect on your journey over the past two weeks. Alaska often offers a parting gesture from its wildlife… Keep watch for sea otters, seabirds, and whales moving through these cold northern waters.

Disembark in Whittier’s wild fjords

Your expedition ends in Whittier, a small town of a few hundred residents set between soaring mountains and the deep waters of Prince William Sound. This is one of Alaska’s most dramatic settings: glaciers descend from the ranges above, waterfalls cascade down sheer rock faces, and the Sound stretches across 10,000 square miles of fjords, islands, and protected waterways, home to humpback whales, sea otters, and countless seabirds.

From here, a transfer takes you to Anchorage. To make the most of your time in this extraordinary region, we recommend joining our post-voyage programme.