Your itinerary
Day 1
Vancouver, British Columbia
Set sail from VancouverYour adventure starts in Vancouver. A bustling and beautiful seaport city set against steep mountains. Vancouver’s various neighbourhoods buzz with world-class farm-to-table cuisine. Wander Gastown, Vancouver’s Victorian quarter or walk around beautiful Stanley Park, which offers a view of the city and a glimpse of the stunning nature you’ll see on the voyage. Why not arrive early and take advantage of everything Vancouver has to offer. Your expedition ship MS Roald Amundsen awaits you at the pier. Settle in and take your time to get to know the ship before listening to the safety briefing.
Day 2
Queen Charlotte Sound
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.
Day 3
Misty Fjords National Monument, Alaska
Revel in a wilderness where wildlife thrives Part of the Tongass National Forest, Misty Fjords is a pristine wilderness of evergreen trees, roaring waterfalls and snowcapped peaks. The revered naturalist 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 explore in a kayak. Misty Fjords is rich in wildlife. As we explore, scan the shores and forests for black and brown bears, as well as moose. These 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.
Day 4
Klawock, Alaska
Discover Klawock’s Native heritageToday we visit Klawock, beautifully situated on the western shore of Prince of Wales Island. The small town has a population of around 700 and is known for its array of totem poles. A centre for Łingít culture, the original name of the island was ‘Taan’ meaning sea lion. At the Totem Park you’ll see 21 exquisitely carved examples, some of them replicas of the originals that stood in the winter village of Tuxecan.
Day 5
Kelp Bay
Embrace the thrill of wild Alaska Start your day looking out for whales in the pristine waters of Frederick Sound. The next two days are exploration days, so the Captain and Expedition Team will use their expertise to choose the best destination. We might go ashore for a nature landing, take to the water in our expedition boats and investigate the secluded coves and forested shorelines of the 150-mile-long Chatham Strait, or sail into Icy Strait, where opportunities for kayaking may present themselves if the conditions are right. Wherever we explore, keep a lookout for wildlife as bald eagles, bears and humpback whales can be spotted in this region. As ever, we will gauge the weather conditions and wildlife spotting opportunities to decide upon the best location.
Day 6
Saint George Island, Alaska
Saint George Island, Alaska
Day 7
Cruising Icy Bay
Spot wildlife in these glacier-fed watersToday is an exploration day in Icy Bay. Three glaciers – Guyot, Yahtse, and Tyndall – each feed ice into the bay’s waters to give it its name. If conditions allow, you’ll explore in our small expedition boats or by kayak, immersing you in the remarkable beauty of this icy landscape. From Icy Bay, you can admire striking, jagged Mt. St Elias. Known for its steep vertical relief, it is the second tallest peak in the US and third tallest in the US and Canada at over 18,000 ft. In the Gulf of Alaska, we’ll scout for humpback whales, orcas, sea otters, and harbour seals which are often seen in these waters.
Day 8
Valdez, Alaska
Learn about the rich history of ValdezToday you’ll see a region that was in the news for all the wrong reasons when the Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in 1989, but which today has made a remarkable recovery. After significant clean-up efforts, the coastline has largely recovered — a testament to what can be done to heal damaged ecosystems. On a visit to the Valdez Museum, you’ll see exhibits of Native Alaskan art and culture as well as artifacts from the Gold Rush era, and learn about the history of Alaska’s Bush Pilots. As we travel around this region, look out for wildlife such as beavers, moose and bears.
Day 9
College Fjord, Alaska
Get ready to experience nature’s raw powerToday is a day all about glaciers. Prince William Sound is home to 150 of these amazing rivers of ice, including 17 incredible tidewater glaciers. Your Captain will choose the best location for the day based on the conditions. We’ll get as close to the glaciers as we safely can, taking our small expedition boats into the fjord or even exploring by kayak if conditions permit. From the water, you might catch sight of humpback whales, Bald Eagles, otters and harbor seals, all of which inhabit this icy wilderness.
Day 10
Whittier
Disembark in WhittierYour expedition cruise ends in Whittier, a small, picturesque fishing town of just a few hundred residents, nestled between towering mountains and the deep blue waters of Prince William Sound. Surrounded by dramatic glaciers, cascading waterfalls, and lush temperate rainforests, it serves as a gateway to the sound – a haven for kayakers, photographers, and adventurers drawn to its pristine fjords and abundant wildlife. From here you will be transferred to the airport in Anchorage.To get the most out of your time here, we recommend joining our -post-voyage option.
What’s included
What’s not included
Additional information
Misty Fjords Expedition Boat Cruise & Wilderness Watch
Explore the mirror-calm inlets of Misty Fjords National Monument by sturdy expedition boat. Glide beneath sheer granite walls striated by ice, pass ribboning waterfalls, and drift through bays where harbor seals rest on rocks and Bald Eagles patrol the treeline.
Hear how glaciers carved these U-shaped valleys within the Tongass National Forest, the world’s largest temperate rainforest. Naturalists help identify black bears foraging along tide lines and salmon thrashing upstream, while you capture the fjords’ quiet acoustics and moss-scented air.
Klawock Totem Park & Tlingit Cultural Heritage
Visit Klawock Totem Park to view an evocative collection of carved totem poles set against spruce and cedar. Guides explain crest figures, clan histories, and the artistry behind Tlingit (Lingít) carving traditions, from adzes to natural pigments.
Discover how these poles—many replicated from Tuxecan village originals—encode lineage, alliances, and potlatch stories. This intimate community encounter deepens understanding of Southeast Alaska’s living Indigenous culture and the stewardship linking people, forest, and sea.
Chatham Strait Nature Landing & Zodiac Exploration
Come ashore with the Expedition Team for a guided ramble through Tongass rainforest, then board robust Zodiacs to nose into secluded coves along Chatham Strait. Trace brown bear tracks on tidal flats and study intertidal life—kelp forests, sea stars, and scuttling crabs—at eye level.
Learn how Sitka spruce and western hemlock thrive in this moist, maritime climate, and why nutrient-rich estuaries attract eagles and salmon. The experience blends quiet shoreline walking with agile boat exploration for varied perspectives on wild Alaska.
Frederick Sound Whale Watch from Deck
Take your post at the rail as the ship transits Frederick Sound, a renowned summer feeding ground for humpback whales. Scan for pluming blows, tail flukes, and cooperative bubble-net feeding as birds wheel above the action.
Naturalists detail how cold currents concentrate krill and herring here, drawing whales from Hawaii and Mexico. With cameras ready, you’ll feel the deck hum underfoot when a fluke lifts—and share the stillness between surfacings under mountain-framed skies.
Saint George Island Seabird Cliffs Zodiac Cruise
Approach the basalt ramparts of Saint George Island by expedition boat for a close look at towering bird cliffs. Watch puffins, murres, and kittiwakes commute between ledges while northern fur seals haul out on wave-washed shores.
Guides interpret this Bering Sea outpost’s geology and why its nutrient-laden waters fuel such dense rookeries. The soundtrack—wind, surf, wingbeats—amplifies the scale of the colony, offering rare perspectives for keen birders and photographers alike.
Icy Bay Glacier Front Zodiac Exploration
Venture by Zodiac among the blue ice of Icy Bay, where the tidewater faces of Guyot, Yahtse, and Tyndall Glaciers calve into steel-blue water. Thread past bergy bits as harbor seals rest on floes and kittiwakes patrol the meltwater edge.
Hear how the Malaspina and St. Elias ranges feed this frozen world and look up to the serrated skyline of Mt. St. Elias. The echoing crack of calving ice punctuates a landscape still sculpted by climate and time.
Valdez Museum & Gold Rush Heritage
Explore the Valdez Museum, tracing stories from Gold Rush port days to the era of Bush Pilots and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Exhibits of Native Alaskan art and local artifacts reveal how this port rebuilt after natural and industrial upheavals.
Gain perspective on Prince William Sound’s resilience following the 1989 spill and how marine and coastal ecosystems recovered through science and stewardship. A short heritage stroll frames mountains, harbor, and working waterfront.
College Fjord Glacier Country by Expedition Boat
Navigate into College Fjord by expedition boat to face a procession of tidewater giants named for East Coast schools—Harvard, Yale, Wellesley, and more. Drift at a respectful distance to watch glacier calving send ripples across a brash-ice mosaic.
Naturalists decode bands of ancient blue ice, medial moraines, and the wildlife adapted to this cold realm—otters rolling in kelp, Bald Eagles perched on bergs, and harbor seals nursing on quiet floes. Cameras capture silver light and icy textures from the waterline.
Guided Sea Kayaking in Fjords and Straits
Slip into a small group of kayaks to paddle beneath glacier-carved walls, tracing kelp forests and glass-smooth fjord inlets while seabirds wheel overhead. Under the guidance of the Expedition Team, you’ll hug quiet shorelines and pause to listen for distant icefalls.
Route and location vary by conditions—popular venues include Misty Fjords, Icy Bay, or sheltered sections of Chatham Strait. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, with all equipment provided and no prior kayaking required.
Queen Charlotte Sound & Hecate Strait Wildlife Watch
Scan the horizon with the Expedition Team as the ship traverses the open waters of Queen Charlotte Sound and Hecate Strait. Keep eyes peeled for humpback and fin whales, orcas, minke whales, and Pacific white-sided dolphins riding the bow wave, with soaring seabirds overhead on the edge of the Inside Passage.
Learn how rich upwellings create a marine buffet that draws migrating giants each summer. The seas west toward Haida Gwaii are famed for biodiversity; guides share spotting tips and natural history while you pause for photos and reflection from wind-sheltered decks.
