The vast Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve covers 3.3 million acres of mountains, glaciers, rainforest, coastlines and fjords.
The park is one of the highlights of Alaska’s Inside Passage and is on most cruise itineraries.
Map: Alaska cruise
The highlights of the 49th state. Places marked in red feature on standard cruises, while those in green are only visited on longer itineraries
Inside Passage
The Inside Passage is a winding network of waterways that cut through fjords and temperate rainforests along the beautiful coast of southeast Alaska.
The region is renowned for its beauty and abundant wildlife. Grab a pair of binoculars and look out for humpback whales, bald eagles and orcas.
xKetchikan
Ketchikan, Alaska’s so-called ‘first city’, has long been a mecca for those wanting to fish for salmon. Visitors can cast off if they want to try and land one, or head to a local restaurant if they would rather skip the hard work.
Ketchikan is also one of the best spots along the Inside Passage to explore Native Alaskan cultures such as the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian with a visit to the Totem Heritage Center.
Juneau
Juneau is the most remote state capital in the United States – and has kept much of its frontier spirit. The city’s 32,000 population is mostly made up of fisherman and small business owners – welcoming more than one million cruise passengers per year.
Visitors can hike a glacier, eat freshly-caught fish and tour the Alaska State Capitol Building all in one day.
xSkagway
The town of Skagway become legendary during the Klondike Gold Rush, where it served as a gateway to the gold fields where prospectors went to make their fortune.
While it no longer accommodates the bawdy pan handlers of the past, you’ll now find a new kind of explorer on the town’s streets.
xAnchorage
Typically available on longer sailings, Anchorage might be Alaska’s largest city, but it is also a good place to spot some of the wildlife that Alaska is famous for, from bears to beluga whales. It’s not unheard of to see a moose walking through the streets.
xKodiak
Kodiak is a call that is typically on longer (often 14-night) sailings and is all about one thing: bears. It’s estimated that roughly 3,500 of the huge Kodiak bears (which weigh up to 600kg and can be three metres tall on their hind legs) live on this tiny island.
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