Alaska & the Inside Passage with Seabourn

Having enjoyed included airport lounge access, fly from the UK to Vancouver, where a private transfer will take you to your five-star hotel for a two-night stay, complete with daily breakfast. Spend the remainder of the day at leisure, allowing time to settle in and explore the city at your own pace.

Stay: The Loden or similar (Deluxe)

Spend today discovering Vancouver at your own pace, or speak to one of our specialists to arrange an optional guided tour or excursion.

Framed by mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Vancouver combines striking natural beauty with bold modern architecture. Its celebrated Stanley Park offers an urban sanctuary of forest trails, seawalls and beaches. In winter, nearby peaks draw skiers, while summer brings opportunities for hiking, cycling and kayaking. A truly multicultural city, Vancouver boasts a vibrant mix of neighbourhoods, each showcasing art, music and a culinary scene that ranges from Pacific Northwest seafood to Asian street food.

Stay: The Loden or similar (Deluxe)

Spend the morning at leisure, soaking up a little more of Vancouver’s vibrant atmosphere. Later, a private transfer will take you to the port to board Seabourn Encore and begin your luxury all-inclusive Alaskan voyage.

This evening, the ship sails through the Seymour Narrows – a dramatic three-mile stretch of the Discovery Channel north of Vancouver Island, famed for its powerful tidal currents and narrow width, averaging just 750 metres.

Stay: Seabourn Encore

Spend today settling into life aboard Seabourn Encore as you cruise through the Queen Charlotte Sound. This broad expanse lies between Queen Charlotte Strait and Hecate Strait, forming part of the famed Inside Passage – a spectacular shipping route stretching from Washington’s Puget Sound to Alaska.

It’s the ideal day to make the most of the ship’s superb amenities. Perhaps relax with a coffee and a good book in one of the elegant lounges, enjoy conversation in Seabourn Square, indulge in a spa treatment, savour fine dining at one of the restaurants, or simply watch the breathtaking scenery drift by.

Stay: Seabourn Encore

Spend today in Ketchikan, a historic gateway to Alaska’s Inside Passage. Founded in 1885 as a salmon cannery, it earned the title ‘Salmon Capital of the World.’ Native heritage is central here, with the Tlingit people preserving centuries of culture. To delve deeper, visit Totem Bight State Park, Potlatch Park, Saxman Native Village or the Totem Heritage Centre, where striking totem poles tell their stories.

Later, cruise through Snow Pass – a scenic channel winding among small islands for close-up views – before continuing through Decision Pass, another picturesque stretch of the Inside Passage.

Stay: Seabourn Encore

The oldest city in Alaska, Sitka occupies a remote spot on Baranof Island, accessible only by air or sea – an ideal setting to experience the beauty of the Last Frontier. Sold by Russia to the United States in 1867, Sitka retains traces of its Russian heritage, most notably in the Cathedral of Saint Michael, which stands alongside traditions of the native Tlingit people in a fascinating cultural blend.

There are countless ways to spend your time here, from salmon fishing and hiking in the Tongass rainforest to exploring the rugged coastline by private vessel or tackling one of Alaska’s most challenging golf courses.

Stay: Seabourn Encore

Spend today unwinding aboard Seabourn Encore, making the most of its superb facilities while enjoying scenic cruising through Yakutat Bay and past the mighty Hubbard Glacier.

This is a day defined by sheer scale. Yakutat Bay spans 18 miles at its entrance, while the Hubbard Glacier – North America’s largest tidewater glacier – towers with a 400-foot face, its shimmering expanse visible from up to 30 miles away. Icebergs drift across the water as seals surface and dive in playful rhythm. To call this simply ‘scenic cruising’ hardly does it justice; it’s nature at its most raw and awe-inspiring.

Stay: Seabourn Encore

Begin the day among the Inian Islands, home to the Inian Islands Institute, which grants access to these protected waters for scientific study. For millennia, the Tlingit people hunted and fished here, and today the area teems with wildlife – from Sitka black-tailed deer and brown bears to sea lions, sea otters, bald eagles and, in summer, humpback whales.

Continue to Icy Strait Point on Chichagof Island, a community created and still owned by more than 1,300 Native Americans to showcase Alaska’s indigenous culture. Dock at the restored salmon cannery, now a museum with cultural performances, Native-owned shops and restaurants. Activities range from sport fishing and whale watching to nature walks and zip-lining, while nearby Hoonah offers local eateries and an acclaimed totem-carving enterprise.

Stay: Seabourn Encore

Haines is a true hidden gem, set along the shores of North America’s longest fjord and famed for its annual state fair – a glimpse into authentic Alaskan life. First visited by Europeans in 1879, it flourished during the Klondike gold rush of 1899. Today, it’s a wildlife haven, home to the world’s largest concentration of bald eagles and grizzly bears drawn to its salmon-rich rivers.

This afternoon, cruise the Lynn Canal – a 90-mile inlet named after King’s Lynn in Norfolk. Linking Haines and Skagway with Juneau and the Inside Passage, it’s a vital shipping route and, at over 600 metres deep, ranks among the world’s longest and deepest fjords.

Stay: Seabourn Encore

Encircled by rugged mountains, Alaska’s capital Juneau is accessible only by air or sea, yet has been a world-class destination since the early 20th century. While founded by pioneers, its roots run deep with the Tlingit people, originally settled by the Auke tribe. Their traditions endure, with descendants still gathering clams, sea urchins and gumboot chitons along the shore.

To experience Juneau’s natural splendour, hike the Perseverance Trail or explore Mendenhall Glacier, join a whale-watching cruise, or take to the skies by helicopter for sweeping views of the mountains and the vast Juneau Icefield.

Stay: Seabourn Encore

Spend the morning exploring the Tracy Arm–Fords Terror Wilderness, divided into Tracy Arm to the north and Endicott Arm to the south, each ending in spectacular glaciers – North and South Sawyer in Tracy Arm and Dawes Glacier in Endicott Arm. These glaciers calve regularly, filling the fjords with icebergs, while the surrounding wilderness is home to brown and black bears, wolves, deer, mountain goats, seals and seabirds.

This afternoon, cruise Stephens Passage – a prime spot for wildlife viewing from the deck. Admiralty Island, where bears outnumber people, brings its forests right to the water’s edge. The surrounding waters host vast colonies of Steller sea lions and rank among Alaska’s best locations for whale watching.

Stay: Seabourn Encore

This morning, transit Decision Passage once more en route to Wrangell Island, set in the heart of the Tongass National Rainforest. Wrangell is a true Alaskan frontier town near the Stikine River, steeped in Tlingit heritage, the fur trade and gold rush history. The river drew native peoples here thousands of years ago, a legacy visible in the petroglyphs at Petroglyph Beach State Historic Site and Totem Park. Other highlights include the Stikine River, Shakes Glacier and the Anan Creek Bear Observatory. Later, cruise the Stikine Strait – a scenic channel near the mouth of the river, offering serene views as you continue your journey through Alaska’s wilderness.

Stay: Seabourn Encore

Cruise the Behm Canal this morning en route to Rudyerd Bay, gateway to the Misty Fjords. Shrouded in near-constant mist, this vast wilderness is defined by sheer granite cliffs rising 900 metres above sea level and plunging 300 metres below the waterline. Receiving almost four metres of rain annually, its shores are cloaked in lush vegetation and alive with wildlife – bears, mountain goats, coastal wolves, bald eagles, sea lions, orca and humpback whales.

Misty Fjords National Monument spans over two million acres of deeply carved fjords framed by forested peaks. Glide past waterfalls and towering mountains, with optional excursions offered by the onboard team, from kayaking to a scenic floatplane flight for a bird’s-eye view of this pristine landscape.

Stay: Seabourn Encore

Framed by coastal mountains, Prince Rupert offers a wealth of highlights, from the charming Cow Bay district with its boutiques and eateries to the Museum of Northern British Columbia, the serene sunken gardens and the traditional totem carving house.

Wildlife experiences abound, whether you choose a whale-watching cruise, a hike to the Butze Rapids or a scenic flight over the rugged landscape. Nearby, the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary – Canada’s first protected area dedicated to grizzlies – is home to North America’s highest concentration of these magnificent creatures.

Stay: Seabourn Encore

Enjoy a full day of scenic cruising. Share stories with fellow travellers in Seabourn Square or take in sweeping views from the deck as you sail Grenville Channel, flanked by mountains on both sides. Midway, look for Mount Batchellor to the east and Mount Saunders on Pitt Island to the west. Continue through Whale Channel, a picturesque waterway framed by snowy peaks and rich in marine life.

Finally, glide along Princess Royal Channel, passing the untouched wilderness of Princess Royal Island. Wildlife sightings are plentiful here – from Kermode bears, deer, wolves and foxes to golden and bald eagles and the rare marbled murrelet. In the surrounding waters, seals, dolphins, whales and orcas add to the spectacle.

Spend the morning in Alert Bay, Vancouver’s oldest northern settlement, set within the traditional territory of the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nation. Today, it blends Indigenous heritage with pioneer history. Stroll along the shoreline to uncover its past, admire sweeping views and watch for wildlife, from seabirds to humpback and grey whales and orca. Don’t miss the U’mista Cultural Centre – Canada’s longest-running First Nations museum.

Later, cruise Johnstone Strait and transit the Seymour Narrows once more. With no towns along its length, Johnstone Strait is a pristine waterway that every summer attracts a large pod of resident orcas – so keep your eyes peeled from the deck.

Stay: Seabourn Encore

After breakfast on board, disembark your Seabourn cruise in Vancouver and take a private transfer to the airport for your overnight flight home, arriving back in the UK the following day.