Alaskan Fjords & The Inside Passage

Seward is the most often used cruise ship port for Anchorage, Alaska. (Whittier is used by Princess Cruises.) It lies at the head of a fjord that enters the Gulf of Alaska in the North Pacific Ocean. Seward is a two to four hour trip by car, bus or train from Anchorage. Read more about Anchorage (Seward), USA

The City of Kodiak is situated on the second largest island in the United States, SW of Anchorage in the Gulf of Alaska. Kodiak Island is famous for huge Kodiak brown bears, elk, Sitka deer (black tail), and mountain goats, all of which invite tourists to the Kodiak Archipelago. The magnificent green that the island turns during the summer is why Kodiak is affectionately called Alaska's Emerald Isle. Read more about Kodiak, USA

The charming seaside city of Homer is located on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. Its most distinguishing feature is the Homer Spit, a narrow 7 km long gravel bar that extends into the bay, on which is located the Homer Harbor. It is a nature lover's nirvana where common sights can include moose grazing, a black bear crossing the road, or porpoises playing in the surf. Read more about Homer, USA

Valdez is an important ice-free port (pop. 4000) in Alaska, at the head of a fjord 24 km from its mouth at Prince William Sound. It was at the mouth of the sound that Exxon Valdez hit Bligh Reef and spilled 40-120 thousand tonnes of oi in 1989. Read more about Valdez, USA

Alaska’s newest cruise port, Icy Strait Point, is located just down the road from Hoonah, and 35 km S.E. of Glacier Bay National Park. It is the result of collaboration between the local communities and cruise corporations, to attract visitors eager to experience America’s ‘last wilderness.’ Millions of dollars have been invested in creating a facility that offers cruise travellers an authentic and refreshing Arctic experience. Read more about Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), USA

Standing out is the scenic beauty of Haines, probably the best of any Alaskan town. It is in the northern part of the Alaska Panhandle, near Glacier Bay National Park. Skagway is 25 km away further along the fjord. Read more about Haines, USA

Built on a narrow shelf between Mt. Juneau and the deep waters of Gastineau Channel, Juneau is Alaska's state capital and a rewarding destination for glacier viewing. Juneau is a blend of fishermen and teachers, legislators and artists, homemakers and lawyers, union workers and frontier entrepreneurs, students and Native elders, all sharing an active port city within an inspiring wilderness setting. Read more about Juneau, USA

Wrangell (pop. 2400) is located on the northern tip of Wrangell Island, an island in the Alaska Panhandle. It lies just south of the estuary of the 610 km Stikine River that empties into the Eastern Passage separating Wrangell Island from the mainland. Read more about Wrangell, USA

Alaska’s ‘first city’ Ketchikan is situated along the shores of Alaska's Inside Passage within the heart of the Tongass National Forest. Evergreen mountains rise out of the water, the lush green landscape nurtured by the abundant rainfall of the temperate rainforest environment. Visitors are presented with a remarkable array of activities and attractions that highlight the town's history, industry and culture, and bring them up close to resident wildlife. Read more about Ketchikan, USA

Vancouver is a sophisticated coastal city located to the south of British Columbia, Canada. The city is linguistically and ethnically diverse as reflected in the fact that 52 percent of its inhabitants do not speak English as their first language. Ranked highly in worldwide ‘liveable city’ rankings for many years and being surrounded by nature’s scenery at its best, makes tourism its second largest industry. Read more about Vancouver, Canada