Day 1 : Whittier (anchorage)

The town of Whittier is located in the middle of southern Alaska at the top of Passage Canal. The town of Whittier is well known for being ice free year round, marine activities, and port for South-central Alaska. The town is located on a fan-shaped delta that is surrounded by Whittier Creek and a mountain ridge on the eastside. Its shape was derived by the Learnard Glacier, Shakespeare Glacier, and creeks traveling from Portage Pass.

Day 2 : Hubbard Glacier

Seventy-five miles long and covering over 1,350 square miles in area, Hubbard Glacier is the largest tidewater glacier in North America. It is also one of the most impressive, a 500-foot wall of ice rising sheer and jagged from the ocean. You may hear the rumble and see the monumental splash as the glacier breaks off in great ice chunks, known as "calves."

Day 3 : Glacier Bay

Preserved as a National Monument, Glacier Bay is an extraordinary collection of glaciers in a contained region. Only two ships per day are permitted to enter the bay during the summer months, when whales come here to feed. The ice in Glacier Bay fell as snow, hundreds of years ago, on the icefields in the mountains above. Compressed by its own tremendous weight, it slowly flows through valleys to the sea, where in some cases, it breaks off in great chunks called calves, to float free as icebergs and "bergy bits."

Day 4 : Icy Strait Point

Day 5 : Juneau

Alaska's capital can't be reached by road. You fly or sail here to enjoy its greeting of dockside flags and flowers. It is surprisingly urban and cultured for being so remote. Visit the museum for insights into Inuit culture and crafts. Drive up to Mendenhall, the only glacier inside city limits! Or get an aerial view from a helicopter. Fish for silver salmon, or just enjoy some off the grill--then kick back at the Red Dog Saloon.

Day 6 : Ketchikan

Ketchikan is the salmon capital of the world. The canneries are busy, and the stream below Creek Street's rustic boardwalk bustles with life. Visit the ancient grove of Totem Bight, the largest collection of authentic totem poles anywhere. Make a flight to nearby Misty Fjords--a breathtaking vista of Alaska's unspoiled wilderness and America's newest national monument, or, try a little salmon fishing.

Day 7 : At Sea

Day 8 : Vancouver

In Vancouver, you're never out of sight of towering peaks--or of the sea. It is a prosperous city adorned with flowers lining the streets and lush greenery like Stanley Park. Museums offer fine collections of the dramatic Northwest native arts. Vancouver's Chinatown is the second-largest in the world. The waterfront Gastown district recalls the city's colorful past as a premier Pacific port since the days of the Clipper ships.