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Alaska’s Glaciers and the Inside Passage

Program Overview

Join this exploration-style cruise through the Inside Passage from Vancouver to Juneau during optimal long summer days aboard the exclusively chartered, five-star, all-suite small ship Star Breeze. See Misty Fjords National Monument Park and call at Ketchikan, Wrangell, and Sitka. Look for humpback whales at Point Adolphus and navigate isolated inlets inaccessible to larger vessels for superlative views of Alaska’s spectacular scenery. Cruise Tracy Arm Fjord to majestic South Sawyer and Dawes Glaciers. Onboard naturalists provide lectures focused on local wildlife and landscapes. Vancouver and Victoria Pre-Program and Anchorage, Denali, and Fairbanks Post-Program Options.

Program Details

July 14 to 21, 2022 (Star Breeze)
From $4,995 plus air View Terms & Conditions
  • Five-star accommodations, seven-night, exploration-style itinerary—the best way to experience the last of the great American frontiers—available only through Gohagan & Company.
  • Created in Gohagan & Company’s tradition of innovative programming and educational travel.
  • Enjoy an intimate experience aboard the five-star, all-suite small ship Star Breeze, as you are surrounded by the breathtaking Alaskan scenery and the awe-inspiring Inside Passage.
  • Prepare for the unexpected—a pod of whales feeding, seals basking on icebergs, bald eagles soaring above—as your small ship can position or alter course for better wildlife observation.
  • Experience incredible natural wonders every day—wildlife spotting, small expedition vessel excursions up close to glaciers, and narrow fjord cruises.
  • Visits to the Alaskan frontier outposts of Sitka, Wrangell, and Ketchikan.
  • Cruise the narrow fjord of Tracy Arm and see North America’s tidewater glacial jewels, including South Sawyer and Dawes Glaciers.
  • Team of expert naturalists and specially arranged lecturers on board.
  • Vancouver and Victoria Pre-Program Option and Anchorage, Denali National Park, and Fairbanks Post-Program Option.

Day 1 - Depart home city / Arrive in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada / Embark Star Breeze

Day 2 - Cruising the Inside Passage

Day 3 - Ketchikan, Alaska, U.S.

Day 4 - Wrangell

Day 5 - Sitka

Day 6 - Elfin Cove / Point Adolphus

Day 7 - Tracy Arm Fjord / Sawyer Glacier / Endicott Arm / Dawes Glacier

Day 8 - Juneau / Disembark ship / Return to home city

View detailed program itinerary >

Star Breeze

Exclusively Chartered, Five-Star, All-Suite

The five-star, all-suite Star Breeze offers the ultimate small ship cruising lifestyle. Newly renovated in 2021, each of the 156 suites features one queen bed (some convertible to two twin beds), a private bathroom with granite-accented countertops and shower (some with full bathtub), and the amenities of a fine hotel—including luxurious Egyptian cotton linens, individual climate control, and a flat-screen satellite TV with DVD player. Each suite also offers a freshly stocked minibar, safe, hair dryer, dressing table, plush robe and slippers, and complimentary Wi-Fi access (conditions permitting). Complimentary welcome flowers and fruit are provided in each suite upon arrival.

Learn more about the Star Breeze >

Vancouver and Victoria Pre-Program Option

Few cities combine the cosmopolitan verve of a modern metropolis with rich indigenous artistic traditions and an incredible natural setting quite like Vancouver. Visit Vancouver Island, where vast tracts of pristine wilderness and coastal splendor envelop the bijou provincial capital of Victoria. Tour the magnificent Butchart Gardens—one of the most beautiful show gardens in North America—and elegant Victoria, a former British Empire port that retains a charming English accent as well as wonderfully restored 19th-century buildings that ring its picturesque harbor. In Vancouver, see historical Chinatown, world-renowned Stanley Park, and the 19th-century Gastown District, and explore the Public Market and indigenous artisans’ studios at Granville Island. Accommodations for two nights are in the deluxe Westin Bayshore Hotel.

Anchorage, Denali National Park, and Fairbanks Post-Program Option

Further explore the dramatic, untamed beauty of the Last Frontier on this exclusive five-night tour of Alaska’s astonishing interior. Discover the historical cities of Juneau, Anchorage, and Fairbanks, see the mighty Mendenhall Glacier—one of 38 glaciers leading to the Juneau Icefield—and see the home of the famous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Headquarters. Travel from the frontier town of Talkeetna to Denali aboard a domed train offering stunning 360-degree views. Spend two nights in the unspoiled six-million-acre Denali National Park and learn more about Denali’s ecosystem and amazing wildlife. In fascinating Fairbanks, cruise the fabled Chena and Tanana Rivers aboard a traditional sternwheeler, see the incredible Trans-Alaska Pipeline, and visit the Museum of the North, the city’s crowning jewel in style and substance.

Pre-Program and Post-Program Options are available at additional cost. Details will be provided with your reservation confirmation.

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Program Itinerary

Day 1 Depart Home City / Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Arrive in dynamic Vancouver, originally built as a small 19th-century timber milling settlement and today the cultural and financial heart of Canada’s Pacific Northwest. Embark the five-star, all-suite Star Breeze.

Day 2 Cruising the Inside Passage

Experience the Inside Passage, one of the most scenic waterways in the world, from our small ship. Cruise amidst countless islands, thickly blanketed forests, hidden bays and coves, sandy beaches, and lofty waterfalls flowing from mountain cliffs. Be on deck to watch for cavorting sea lions and breaching orcas in the deep waters and look for Sitka black-tailed deer, mink, and river otters roaming the shores and mountainsides. 

Attend the Captain’s Welcome Reception on board the ship this evening.

Day 3, Morning Misty Fjords National Monument

Enjoy the rare opportunity to cruise the glacier-sculpted inlets of Misty Fjords (weather permitting), an American treasure filled with awe-inspiring scenery and wildlife. Observe the running streams flowing through stands of evergreens, merging into mighty waterfalls plunging down 3,000-foot, near-vertical, granite-faced cliffs.

Day 3, Afternoon Ketchikan, Alaska, U.S.

Backed by the forested slopes of Deer Mountain, the fishing city of Ketchikan is the “salmon capital of the world.” Stroll the Gold-Rush-era boardwalks of Creek Street and watch spawning salmon swimming upstream along the well-known “Salmon Ladder.” A rich profusion of indigenous Haida, Tlingit, and Tsimshian arts harmonize the town’s cultural facets. See the art of Potlatch Totem Park, where a master craftsperson demonstrates the ancient technique of hand carving a totem pole.

Day 4 Wrangell

One of the oldest towns in Alaska, picturesque Wrangell is the only Alaskan town to have flown the flag of three nations—Russia, Great Britain, and the U.S. Walk through its quaint downtown to Kiks.ádi Totem Park and hear a compelling interpretive narration of the history of these intricately carved totem poles. Admire traditional historic churches dotting the landscape en route to Petroglyph Beach, designated a state historic beach and home to rock carvings created 8,000 years ago.

Visit the Wrangell Museum displaying over 5,000 historical photos, artifacts, petroglyphs, and exhibits displaying the local trades in Alaska—fishing, mining, and logging.

Day 5 Sitka

Situated on the edge of Baranof Island, Sitka dominates one of Alaska’s most stunning regions and proudly wears its aboriginal and Russian history. The city flourished as a Russian fur trading hub until its 1867 transfer to the U.S.

Visit the Alaska Raptor Center, Alaska’s foremost bald eagle habitat, where more than 100 injured eagles are rehabilitated and released each year. Explore the Tlingit culture while conversing with local artisans in Sitka National Historical Park, where trails are lined with totem poles, a lasting memorial to the ancient art form. Marvel at the collection of icons in St. Michael’s Cathedral, North America’s first Russian Orthodox church.

Day 6, Morning Elfin Cove

Go ashore to explore pristine Chichagof Island and visit the small fishing community of Elfin Cove. Situated across from Glacier Bay National Park and with only 20 permanent residents, this hamlet flourishes in summer with fishing enthusiasts.

Day 7, Early Morning Tracy Arm Fjord / Sawyer Glacier

Cruise into the deep and narrow fjord of Tracy Arm, where waterfalls cascade from bluffs, forests fade to sheer rock, and icebergs glint in the sunlight. At the remote end of Tracy Arm, listen to ice calving off the soaring South Sawyer Glacier.

Day 7, Mid-day Endicott Arm Fjord / Dawes Glacier

In Endicott Arm Fjord, look for harbor seals hauled out on ice platforms, and inquisitive whales and bears hunting for fish. Venture to the edge of Dawes Glacier aboard smaller expedition vessels.

Attend the Captain’s Farewell Reception on board the ship this evening.

Day 8 Juneau / Return to Home City

Disembark in picturesque Juneau, the sole American state capital accessible only by air or sea. Continue on the Denali, Fairbanks, and Anchorage Post-Program Option or transfer to the airport for your return flight home.