Glacier Bay National Park, Inside Passage, and San Juan Islands

Sculpted sandstone formations, lush trails, and emerald waters make this a very special and magical island. Only available by boat, earn bragging rights by visiting this jewel of the Pacific Northwest.

Mountains rise higher. Fjords get deeper. It’s a day of intricate waterways and cruising for critters, keeping watch for black bears on shore, including the elusive spirit bear. Civilization slips away as you enter remote waters leading north through British Columbia. Your captain and crew are on the lookout and give the call of a sighting. 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.

Take your cup of joe to the bow. The world wakes up with you. Bald eagles watch the ship along its course from treetops. Islands to the west, inlet-etched mainland to the east. Your captain and mates navigate twisting passages. Harbor 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 shipmate.

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. 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! Anticipation builds as tomorrow you will start the Alaska portion of the adventure.

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.

Time to get off the boat and stretch your land legs in Ketchikan – the ‘salmon capital of the world’! There’s also a beautiful collection of standing totem poles, so we’ll definitely want to connect with Tlingit leader Joe Williams, or Ka Xesh X’e in his native language. Joe’s storytelling is mesmerizing, as he continues his people’s rich oral tradition.

When you come this far, you’ll want to keep going. This is the way back – backcountry of Alaska’s wilderness seldom seen. Glacial landscapes marked by moraines, mud and a lush Forest. This day is for you to choose your own adventure: kayak or even paddle board in calm protected waters, hike to find a snow-melt waterfall in Cascade Creek. Whatever you decide, you’ll definitely have bragging rights when you return home.

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. Your eagle-eyed guides lead the pack—and pull up the rear.

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. Or both—why choose just one?

There’s a cool factor, and it’s not just coming off the face of the glaciers! This 3.3-million-acre park was covered by ice as recently as 1795. Since then, the park’s receding glacier activity has made it easier to access those inner reaches. Glacial history, retreats, advances, moraines. They come with expert insight from your onboard naturalists, so bring on the questions. Pigeon guillemots, puffins, common murres, and cormorants colonize and nest at South Marble Island. One good whiff and a few loud barks give away one of its mammalian residents—Steller’s sea lions. It’s a full day in the bay exploring Muir’s legacy—all the way to Grand Pacific and Margerie Glaciers

Glacier Bay National Park is 3.3 million acres of stunning wilderness! In Bartlett Cove, the ship will pick up a park ranger to be our guide for the day. Learn the history of glaciers, how they retreat and advance. South Marble Island is for the birds – like the pigeon guillemots, puffins and cormorants. We’ll head all the way into the bay to the Grand Pacific and Margerie Glaciers.

Transfer to the Juneau airport or begin your UnCruise overnight stay or extended land tour.