A journey through some of the most pristine and untouched landscapes in Alaska.

Day 1: Vancouver
Join your cruise ship this afternoon for an early evening departure from Vancouver.
7 nights: Ms Volendam

Day 2: Cruising the Inside Passage
The fabled Inside Passage is one of the most scenic sea-lanes in the world and one of the few where cruise vessels can sail close to the shoreline. The scenery is quite simply spectacular. The steep mountain walls are clad with forests in a multitude of shades of green and the icy sheen of turquoise hued glaciers glistens as they tumble seawards, flanked by waterfront villages filled with history. Most of Southeast Alaska is only accessible by water or aeroplane which makes the Inside Passage a lifeline to the outside world.

Day 3: Juneau
A day of two halves. The morning is spent cruising the narrow, 26-mile long fjord of Tracy Arm, a most dramatic glacier setting. The rainforest parts to reveal a stunning canyon of bare rock surrounded by a panorama of 7,000 foot mountain peaks and vertical cliffs. Waterfalls cascade at every turn and icebergs of every shape and size make their way slowly to the sea. At the end of this incredible waterway, two active reminders of the Ice Age remain – the twin Sawyer Glaciers calving their icebergs into the jade coloured inland sea. Kittiwakes and mountain goats are commonly sighted and you may even spot bears and whales. This afternoon takes you to Juneau, set at the foot of soaring mountain peaks on the Gastineau Channel. The immense Juneau Icefields and the Mendenhall Glacier are close by ensuring this is a place where there is no end to the adventure.

Day 4: Skagway
The pavements are all but rolled up in Skagway come winter, so you can only image the hardships endured by the gold prospectors who passed through enroute to the Yukon. Summer visits to this frontier, gold rush town require nothing of the sort but you can still ride the White Pass & Yukon narrow-gauge railway through the silvery-purple rock faces past places with curious names such as Deadhorse Gulch to see what it was like back then.

Day 5: Glacier Bay National Park
This Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site protects a unique ecosystem of plants and animals that live in harmony with an ever changing glacial landscape. Have you ever wondered what it sounds like when a chunk of ice splits away from a glacier and crashes into the sea? The sound is like thunder and the impact shoots water hundreds of feet into the air. Trying to catch the moment on film – don’t worry it will happen again and again. Glacier Bay has more actively calving glaciers than anywhere else in the world.

Day 6: Ketchikan
Built out over the water and climbing weathered stairways, Ketchikan clings to the shore of the Tongas Narrows and drapes the mountains with a cheerful air. Explore the Totem Heritage Centre, home to the world’s largest collection of totem poles, see Creek Street and the Saxman Village. Optional shore excursions include a flight seeing trip to the Misty Fjords National Monument and sea kayaking.

Day 7: Inside Passage
Cruise back through the quiet web of peaceful islands and tranquil fjords shaped by glaciers millions of years ago. Keep your eyes peeled for whales, sea lions, seals, bears, deer and bald eagles all of which make this region their home.

Day 8: Vancouver
Your Alaskan adventure ends as you arrive back into Vancouver this morning.

From £669 per person, twin share based on an H grade cabin.