Itinerary
- Day 1
Vancouver
Start in Vancouver with an overnight stay in this seaport city backed by steep mountains. The neighborhoods have good farm-to-table dining options worth checking out. Head to Gastown, the historic Victorian district, where the Vancouver Lookout gives you 360-degree views of the city and surrounding area.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Overnight accommodation in Vancouver
Optional Activities
- Explore Gastown neighborhood
- Visit Vancouver Lookout for panoramic city views
Landmarks/POIs Vancouver Lookout Gastown - Day 2
Vancouver to Ship
After breakfast at your hotel, take a guided city tour hitting Vancouver's main highlights. Then you'll get transferred to the pier where MS Roald Amundsen is waiting. Board the ship, get settled in your cabin, attend the safety briefing, and join the Expedition Team for a welcome dinner as your Alaskan adventure starts.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Welcome dinner)
Included Activities
- Guided city tour of Vancouver
- Transfer to pier
- Welcome dinner on board
- Safety briefing
- Day 3
Inside Passage
Sail through the Inside Passage, a protected coastal route stretching over 930 miles through North America's Pacific Fjordland. Larger cruise ships usually pass through at night, but you'll see the scenery in daylight from the smaller MS Roald Amundsen, which can access channels other ships can't reach. Keep watching for humpback, fin, minke and orca whales.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Sailing through Inside Passage
- Scenic viewing of fjordland
Optional Activities
- Wildlife spotting (whales, humpback, fin, minke, orca)
Landmarks/POIs Inside Passage - Day 4
Misty Fjords
Work through Misty Fjords, a wild area within Tongass National Forest with evergreens, waterfalls and snow-capped peaks. If weather cooperates, the Expedition Team takes small boats or kayaks for closer exploration. Scan for mountain goats, black and brown bears, and moose. The waters hold Pacific salmon, otters, Steller sea lions, harbour seals, orcas and Dall's porpoises, with herons and Bald Eagles overhead.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Exploration of Misty Fjords in small expedition boats or by kayak
- Wildlife viewing
Landmarks/POIs Misty Fjords National Monument Tongass National Forest - Day 5
Wrangell
Continue toward Wrangell, one of Alaska's oldest harbour towns. Visit Petroglyph Beach a mile out of town to see ancient rock carvings on the sand. Check out the local museum for Wrangell's history under British, Russian and Tlingit rule. Head to Shakes Island to see the Chief Shakes Tribal House and totem poles telling the Tlingit story. Nature trails near Mount Dewey at the rainforest's edge work well for hikers.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit to Petroglyph Beach
- Museum visit
- Visit to Shakes Island and Chief Shakes Tribal House
Optional Activities
- Nature trails at Stikine River and Mount Dewey
Landmarks/POIs Petroglyph Beach Chief Shakes Tribal House Mount Dewey Stikine River - Day 6
Sitka
Reach Sitka, accessible only by sea or air and surrounded by Tongass National Forest. From the deck, you'll see the Sisters Mountains and Mount Edgecumbe volcano. Walk through town to experience its Russian, British and Tlingit heritage. Visit the Russian Orthodox cathedral and Russian Bishop's House, check out ornate Haida and Tlingit totem poles at Sitka National Historical Park, and try the forest walking trail that heads to the ocean.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit to Russian Orthodox cathedral
- Visit to Russian Bishop's House
- Viewing of totem poles at Sitka National Historical Park
- Forest walking trail to the ocean
Landmarks/POIs Sitka National Historical Park Russian Orthodox Cathedral Russian Bishop's House Mount Edgecumbe Sisters Mountains Tongass National Forest - Day 7
Icy Bay
Spend an exploration day in Icy Bay where three glaciers, Guyot, Yahtse and Tyndall, regularly calve into the water. Weather permitting, small expedition boats or kayaks take you closer. Humpback whales, orcas, Stellar sea lions, sea otters and harbour seals rest on floating ice chunks, giving good photography chances.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Exploration of Icy Bay in small expedition boats or by kayak
- Glacier viewing (Guyot, Yahtse, Tyndall)
- Wildlife viewing
Landmarks/POIs Guyot Glacier Yahtse Glacier Tyndall Glacier Icy Bay - Day 8
Relaxation at Sea
Relax and watch for birds as your cruise continues across the Gulf of Alaska. Use onboard facilities like the infinity pool, hot tubs, sauna, gym and spa. Join Expedition Team lectures in the Science Centre covering Alaska's wildlife, geology, glaciology, history and culture. Hang out in the Explorer Lounge and Bar with other guests, or scan for all three North Pacific albatross species including the hard-to-find Short-tailed Albatross.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Use of infinity pool, hot tubs, and sauna
- Use of gym
- Lectures in Science Centre on Alaska's wildlife, geology, glaciology, history and culture
- Access to Explorer Lounge & Bar
Optional Activities
- Spa treatments
- Massage services
Landmarks/POIs Gulf of Alaska - Day 9
Kodiak Island
Explore Kodiak Island, home to the Alutiiq people and called the 'Emerald Isle' for its spruce forests and grasslands. It's the second largest island in the US. Around 3,500 Kodiak brown bears live in the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge covering two-thirds of the island. From a small expedition boat, search for these powerful creatures in their habitat, getting a rare look at their lives against Alaska's rough landscape.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Wildlife viewing expedition for Kodiak brown bears
- Exploration of Kodiak Island
Landmarks/POIs Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge Kodiak Island - Day 10
Katmai National Park
Visit Katmai National Park, a four-million-acre area with over a dozen active volcanoes. More than 2,000 protected brown bears live here, the largest concentration anywhere. With an experienced bear guard, scout for bears from the deck or in small boats. Watch them foraging for berries, digging for clams or catching fish in streams. Depending on conditions, you'll visit Geographic Harbor, Kinak Bay or Kukak Bay.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Brown bear viewing in Katmai National Park
- Guided tour with bear guard
Landmarks/POIs Katmai National Park Geographic Harbor Kinak Bay Kukak Bay - Day 11
Alaska Peninsula
Work through the untamed wilderness of Alaska Peninsula, a haven for wildlife with raw coastal landscapes, towering mountains and secluded bays. Your Expedition Team explores hidden bays and inlets along the shoreline, scouting for bears, bald eagles, sea otters and humpback whales. Learn about the geological evolution of the region and how natural forces shaped its unique topography.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Close exploration of hidden bays and inlets
- Wildlife viewing (bears, bald eagles, sea otters, humpback whales)
- Geology and landscape discussion
Landmarks/POIs Alaska Peninsula - Day 12
Unga Village
Experience Unga Village, a wild and deserted abandoned settlement on the southern end of Unga Island. Originally settled by Aleuts in 1833, it was abandoned in 1969 when subsistence fishing couldn't support life there anymore. Today a few wooden buildings remain as evidence of past habitation, surrounded by pink lousewort, fireweed and wildflowers as nature gradually reclaims the site. Small expedition boats take you to nature landings for exploration.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Nature landing at Unga Village
- Exploration of abandoned settlement
Landmarks/POIs Unga Village Unga Island - Day 13
Dutch Harbor
Visit Dutch Harbor, America's largest fishing port and a fascinating stop. As you sail in, Mount Makushin, an occasionally steaming volcano reaching almost 6,000 feet, comes into view. Learn about the local Indigenous Unungan people at the Museum of the Aleutians, visit the Russian Orthodox Cathedral, or check out the WWII museum. Scout for bald eagles and puffins, while foxes, lemmings and wild horses thrive on land and whales, sea lions and porpoises fill the waters.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit to Museum of the Aleutians
- Visit to Russian Orthodox Cathedral
- Visit to WWII museum
Optional Activities
- Wildlife spotting (bald eagles, puffins, whales, sea lions, porpoises)
Landmarks/POIs Museum of the Aleutians Russian Orthodox Cathedral WWII Museum Mount Makushin - Day 14
Bering Sea Transit
Relax and think as you cruise south through the Bering Sea from the Aleutian Islands. The Expedition Team prepares you for upcoming destinations and continues lectures. Keep scanning for puffins, auklets, and murrelets, with chances to spot the rare red-legged kittiwake found only in this region. Enjoy views from the Explorer Lounge and Bar, infinity pool or outdoor hot tubs.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Expedition Team lectures and briefings
- Use of Explorer Lounge & Bar
- Use of infinity pool
- Use of outdoor hot tubs
Optional Activities
- Wildlife spotting (puffins, auklets, murrelets, red-legged kittiwake)
Landmarks/POIs Bering Sea Aleutian Islands - Day 15
St. Paul, Pribilof Islands
Explore St. Paul, the largest of the windswept Pribilof Islands and home to around 480 residents, the largest Unangan community in the US. Check out historical remains of barabaras, traditional dwellings built halfway underground for protection against sea winds. St. Paul is an Important Bird Area where around 300 bird species migrate through. Scan for horned and tufted puffins, the Pribilof sandpiper and the rare red-legged kittiwake. Watch for northern fur seals as half the world's population lives on these islands.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit to barabaras (traditional dwellings)
- Bird watching and wildlife viewing
Landmarks/POIs St. Paul Island Pribilof Islands - Day 16
St. Matthew Island
Experience St. Matthew Island, a wild, remote and isolated location part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, 200 miles from the nearest village. You'll see abandoned buildings between black sand beaches and wildflower-dotted tundra, evidence of a few hardy souls who tried and failed to make homes here. Today only birds live here, including thousands of puffins, murres and cormorants. During a nature landing, look for the rare McKay's bunting which breeds almost only here.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Nature landing on St. Matthew Island
- Bird and wildlife viewing
Landmarks/POIs St. Matthew Island Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge - Day 17
Bering Sea
Cruise the Bering Sea with Russia to your west and the United States to your east. Natural wonders are everywhere, so keep an eye out for humpback whales and seabirds. It's your last full day at sea, so relax and enjoy time on board. The Expedition Team recaps your Alaskan adventure highlights, and you can continue learning in the Science Center.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Expedition Team recap and final briefing
- Access to Science Center
Optional Activities
- Wildlife spotting (humpback whales, seabirds)
Landmarks/POIs Bering Sea - Day 18
Nome
Arrive in Nome to learn about the town's golden past. Prospectors first came in 1898 and people still hunt for gold today, with abandoned dredges, turn-of-the-century steam engines and old railroad tracks visible everywhere. Nome was the endpoint of three of Roald Amundsen's great polar expeditions, including an attempt to reach the North Pole by air in 1926. Fly back to Seattle for an overnight stay.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Exploration of Nome and Gold Rush history
Landmarks/POIs Nome - Day 19
Seattle
Your Alaskan adventure ends in Seattle, the Emerald City. If time works out before your onward journey, visit the Seattle Aquarium to see sea otters and a giant Pacific octopus, or walk through the nine-acre Olympic Sculpture Park for views of Puget Sound and surrounding mountains. The famous Pike Place Market, operating for over a century, has buskers, bars and salmon-throwing fishmongers for a full sensory experience.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Visit to Seattle Aquarium
- Walk through Olympic Sculpture Park
- Visit to Pike Place Market
Landmarks/POIs Seattle Aquarium Olympic Sculpture Park Pike Place Market
