Alaska Cruise from Juneau to Ketchikan — 12 Days

Juneau, USA

Juneau is Alaska’s capital, yet no road connects it to the rest of Alaska. Most visitors arrive by sea or air. Set between the Gastineau Channel and steep, forested mountains, the city makes an unusually compact base for exploring Southeast Alaska. From downtown, visit the Alaska State Museum, ride the Mount Roberts Tramway, or travel about 12 miles to Mendenhall Glacier. Whale-watching trips can reveal humpbacks feeding in nearby waters.

• Land Tour (Land Tour)

Glacier Bay, USA

Glacier Bay is Alaska at its most elemental: a vast marine wilderness where tidewater glaciers meet the sea. Cruise ships enter this protected national park, often with a park ranger aboard to interpret the landscape. Watch for calving ice, humpback whales, sea otters and bald eagles. The bay is also the ancestral homeland of the Huna Tlingit, whose connection to this changing coast reaches back generations. Bring binoculars, and stay on deck.

Inside Passage

Alaska’s Inside Passage is not a single port, but a sheltered coastal route threading southeastern Alaska’s islands, channels and fjords. From the ship, watch for bald eagles, whales and mountains rising straight from the water. Calls may include Juneau, Ketchikan or Skagway, each with a distinct story, from Tlingit heritage to Gold Rush history. Bring binoculars; here, the finest moments often unfold between destinations.

Skagway, USA

Skagway is a small Alaska town with a large place in gold-rush history. In 1898, prospectors crowded its waterfront before setting out for the Klondike. Today, restored storefronts and wooden boardwalks preserve the feel of that hurried boomtown. The White Pass & Yukon Route climbs from the harbor through steep mountain scenery on a celebrated narrow-gauge railway. Beyond town, trails and glacier-fed rivers bring the scale of Alaska’s wilderness close.

Endicott Arm Fjord, USA

Endicott Arm reaches nearly 30 miles into Southeast Alaska, between sheer granite walls, hanging glaciers, and waterfalls. At its head, Dawes Glacier sends blue ice into the fjord; bergs often gather in the water below. Within the Tracy Arm–Fords Terror Wilderness, this passage rewards time on deck and a close look at the scenery. Harbor seals rest on ice floes, while mountain goats may appear on ledges above the water.

Petersburg AK, USA

Petersburg sits on Mitkof Island, where fishing boats still outnumber tour buses and Norwegian heritage shapes the town’s character. Walk the compact waterfront to see a working fleet, seafood processors and mountains rising beyond Frederick Sound. Boat trips explore nearby LeConte Glacier, with seals and eagles often spotted along the way. On shore, forest trails and local museums offer a closer look at life in this self-reliant Southeast Alaska community.

Wrangell AK, USA

Wrangell occupies the northern tip of Wrangell Island, where the Stikine River meets the sea. Tlingit heritage and a layered past come into focus at Chief Shakes Island and the local museum. At Petroglyph Beach, ancient carvings appear between tides. In summer, boat trips reach Anan Wildlife Observatory, where bears gather to feed on salmon. Here, Indigenous history and untamed river country remain close at hand.

Misty Fjords (Ask Travel Agent)

Metlakatla, USA

Metlakatla is Alaska’s only federally recognized reservation, set on Annette Island in Southeast Alaska. Founded in 1887 by Tsimshian people who came from British Columbia, it remains a living Indigenous community. Walk the village to encounter Tsimshian culture, including carved poles, alongside views across forested shores and sheltered waterways. Its compact scale invites a slower visit, with local history and coastal scenery close at hand.

Ketchikan, USA

Set on Revillagigedo Island in southeast Alaska, Ketchikan is a working fishing town framed by the Tongass National Forest. Its waterfront rises steeply above the Inside Passage, where fishing boats and floatplanes share the harbor. Walk Creek Street, a former red-light district built over Ketchikan Creek. At the Totem Heritage Center, see Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian art. For wilderness, boat or fly to Misty Fjords National Monument.