A Week Inside the Inside Passage

Take on some of the Inside Passage’s best adventures on this seven-day itinerary that includes ziplining, whale watching, bear viewing, glacier dog sledding, visits to wildlife rehabilitation and rescue facilities, and a chance to learn about the Alaska Native cultures of Southeast Alaska.

Day 1: Ketchikan

Arrive in Ketchikan via commercial jet, cruise ship, or Alaska Marine Highway ferry. On your first day in Alaska, get an introduction to the rich Alaska Native heritage of the Southeast region with visits to the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center, the Totem Heritage Center, Totem Bight State Historical Park, and/or Saxman Native Village. Overnight in Ketchikan.

Day 2: Ketchikan

Let the adventures begin with a flightseeing or boating tour to Misty Fjords National Monument, 2.3 million acres of some of Alaska’s most spectacular scenery. Upon your return, choose between ziplining or an unusual snorkeling tour in the near-coast waters. End your day with a commercial flight to Sitka, where you’ll spend the night.

Day 3: Sitka

You have three incredible wildlife viewing options today: Go whale watching on a day cruise, have up-close encounters with bald eagles and other big birds at the Alaska Raptor Center, or pay a visit to the Fortress of the Bear. The latter is an educational wildlife rescue center, where you can watch orphaned brown bears and black bears in a large natural habitat. Take the evening flight to Juneau, where you’ll spend the night.

Day 4: Juneau

Take to the air for a spectacular bear viewing adventure at nearby Admiralty Island National Monument, which is home to the highest concentration of brown bears in the world. After several hours spent on the ground viewing the bears, you’ll fly back to Juneau. End the day with a visit to the Mendenhall Glacier, one of 38 glaciers that flow from the 1,500-square-mile Juneau Icefield. Spend the night in Juneau.

Day 5: Juneau

Take to the air again, this time bound for a nearby glacier where you’ll have the unusual thrill of riding a dog sled in the middle of the Alaska summer. Or, if you want more wildlife, take a full-day tour into Tracy Arm Fjord. This fjord winds its way through sheer granite walls to some of the most dynamic glaciers in Alaska, and wildlife is abundant in the calm inside waters and along the fjord’s steep walls. Spend one more night in Juneau.

Day 6: Glacier Bay National Park

Take an air taxi, seasonal jet service, or the fast ferry from Juneau to Gustavus, the gateway community to 3.3-million-acre Glacier Bay National Park. Here, you’ll board a fast, stable vessel to explore the magnificent glaciers and abundant wildlife of this unforgettable destination. Calving glaciers, breaching humpback whales, curious sea otters, and lively seabirds are all part of the experience of Glacier Bay National Park. Spend the night in Gustavus.

Day 7: Glacier Bay National Park

Squeeze in one last adventure by taking to Glacier Bay’s immense, wild waters in a guided kayaking tour. Once the tour’s over, it’s time to catch your jet, air taxi, or fast ferry back to Juneau, and from there make your way home.