Alaska

56° 46′ N 132° 53′ W

Breaching Humpback whale in the Inian Islands, Alaska, USA.
ExpeditionsUi Arrow rightTreasures of the Inside Passage: Alaska and British Columbia

Treasures of the Inside Passage: Alaska and British Columbia

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Highlights

Guests hiking in Alaska, United States
  • Hike the San Juan Islands, and cruise where orcas gather annually to hunt within the isles' inlets and bays

  • By special permit, sail into Glacier Bay National Park and spend a day discovering the grand scale of the mountains, fjords, and active glaciers

  • Stroll through the 100-year-old fishing town of Petersburg and learn about its Norwegian heritage

  • In Misty Fjords National Monument, kayak along sheer cliffs and forested backwaters

  • In British Columbia, explore along the shores of sylvan islands to see whales, dolphins, bears, and eagles

Day by Day

Explore secluded coves and emerald-green archipelagos by kayak and Zodiac, and venture ashore to hike through misty forests. Visit picturesque coastal towns and learn about the native cultures that call this region home. Enjoy opportunities to walk forest paths created by wildlife and spot eagles, bears, whales, sea lions, and more.

Multiple routes available

Some departures follow a modified itinerary. Please refer to departure dates for exact routing of your departure.

Northbound


Starts at

Seattle, Washington

Ends at

Sitka, Alaska

Download Itinerary

Day 1

Seattle, Washington / Embark Ship

Arrive in Seattle this afternoon and embark National Geographic Quest or National Geographic Venture.

Meals Included: Dinner

Day 1

Seattle, Washington / Embark Ship

Arrive in Seattle this afternoon and embark National Geographic Quest or National Geographic Venture.

Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2

San Juan Islands, Washington

Spend a full day exploring the San Juan Islands via Zodiac, kayak, and naturalist-led hikes. Search for orcas, seals, and sea lions in rocky inlets, and marvel at bald eagles while walking through lush forests.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 2

San Juan Islands, Washington

Spend a full day exploring the San Juan Islands via Zodiac, kayak, and naturalist-led hikes. Search for orcas, seals, and sea lions in rocky inlets, and marvel at bald eagles while walking through lush forests.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3

Victoria, British Columbia

Clear into Canada in the charming city of Victoria and choose from several tailor-made options to explore based on your interests. Visit private gardens, bike along the waterfront, take a stroll through history in Old Town, or discover James Bay on an architecture tour. In the evening, enjoy a private reception at The Bateman Gallery while taking in the incredible collection of paintings by famed wildlife artist Robert Bateman.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3

Victoria, British Columbia

Clear into Canada in the charming city of Victoria and choose from several tailor-made options to explore based on your interests. Visit private gardens, bike along the waterfront, take a stroll through history in Old Town, or discover James Bay on an architecture tour. In the evening, enjoy a private reception at The Bateman Gallery while taking in the incredible collection of paintings by famed wildlife artist Robert Bateman.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4

Gulf Islands

Located in the Strait of Georgia, between the mainland of British Columbia and Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands are a kayaker’s paradise. Explore the myriad islets and rocky coasts and keep an eye out for harbor seals and an array of seabirds, shorebirds and birds of prey.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4

Gulf Islands

Located in the Strait of Georgia, between the mainland of British Columbia and Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands are a kayaker’s paradise. Explore the myriad islets and rocky coasts and keep an eye out for harbor seals and an array of seabirds, shorebirds and birds of prey.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5

Alert Bay and Johnstone Strait, British Columbia

Visit the Big House in the First Nations village of Alert Bay, Canada and learn from the Kwakwaka'wakw people as they perform traditional dances of their ancestors. Sail through Johnstone Strait, a waterway cut through a magnificently wild and scenic area of mountains and islands. These ocean waters are also home to extraordinary marine mammals and bird watching.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5

Alert Bay and Johnstone Strait, British Columbia

Visit the Big House in the First Nations village of Alert Bay, Canada and learn from the Kwakwaka'wakw people as they perform traditional dances of their ancestors. Sail through Johnstone Strait, a waterway cut through a magnificently wild and scenic area of mountains and islands. These ocean waters are also home to extraordinary marine mammals and bird watching.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Days 6-7

Inside Passage of British Columbia

Cruise northward along the pristine coastline in search of whales, dolphins, bears, deer, and other wildlife. Go ashore to explore or kayak among the many bays and inlets.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Days 6-7

Inside Passage of British Columbia

Cruise northward along the pristine coastline in search of whales, dolphins, bears, deer, and other wildlife. Go ashore to explore or kayak among the many bays and inlets.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8

Misty Fjords, Alaska

Enjoy the day soaking up the spectacular scenery of Alaska's Misty Fjords National Monument, a 2.3-million-acre wilderness of shear rock walls, temperate rain forest, and glacier-sculpted waterways. Kayak in the still, forested backwaters of this protected national treasure and discover a pristine habitat for brown bears, bald eagles, harbor seals, and more.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8

Misty Fjords, Alaska

Enjoy the day soaking up the spectacular scenery of Alaska's Misty Fjords National Monument, a 2.3-million-acre wilderness of shear rock walls, temperate rain forest, and glacier-sculpted waterways. Kayak in the still, forested backwaters of this protected national treasure and discover a pristine habitat for brown bears, bald eagles, harbor seals, and more.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9

Petersburg

Search for humpback whales on the approach to picturesque Petersburg, a small fishing village on Alaska’s Mitkof Island that retains much of its Norwegian heritage. Explore a unique Southeast Alaska ecosystem, the muskeg, with stunted trees and carnivorous plants. There is an opportunity to stretch your legs with an optional bike ride around town. This evening, enjoy a crab feast.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9

Petersburg

Search for humpback whales on the approach to picturesque Petersburg, a small fishing village on Alaska’s Mitkof Island that retains much of its Norwegian heritage. Explore a unique Southeast Alaska ecosystem, the muskeg, with stunted trees and carnivorous plants. There is an opportunity to stretch your legs with an optional bike ride around town. This evening, enjoy a crab feast.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10

Tracy Arm-Ford’s Terror Wilderness

Voyage into Tracy or Endicott Arm, both spectacular fjords with waterfalls cascading from glacially carved walls. See the soaring Dawes or South Sawyer Glacier up close and take a cruise in a Zodiac for an unbeatable view among sculpted icebergs. Keep an eye out for harbor seals, harbor porpoises, and arctic terns.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10

Tracy Arm-Ford’s Terror Wilderness

Voyage into Tracy or Endicott Arm, both spectacular fjords with waterfalls cascading from glacially carved walls. See the soaring Dawes or South Sawyer Glacier up close and take a cruise in a Zodiac for an unbeatable view among sculpted icebergs. Keep an eye out for harbor seals, harbor porpoises, and arctic terns.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11

Glacier Bay National Park

Spend the entire day cruising amid the coves, fjords, tidewater glaciers, and majestic mountains of Glacier Bay National Park. See glaciers that end abruptly at the water’s edge and observe them calving, when tons of ice separate and crash into the water accompanied by a thunderous sound. A native Tlingit interpreter joins us on board to provide cultural insights and indigenous knowledge of the region.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11

Glacier Bay National Park

Spend the entire day cruising amid the coves, fjords, tidewater glaciers, and majestic mountains of Glacier Bay National Park. See glaciers that end abruptly at the water’s edge and observe them calving, when tons of ice separate and crash into the water accompanied by a thunderous sound. A native Tlingit interpreter joins us on board to provide cultural insights and indigenous knowledge of the region.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12

Inian Islands / Icy Strait

Cruise among the Inian Islands, where Steller sea lions and sea otters abound. Hike nearby islands, kayak, and search for whales in the nutrient-rich waters of Icy Strait.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12

Inian Islands / Icy Strait

Cruise among the Inian Islands, where Steller sea lions and sea otters abound. Hike nearby islands, kayak, and search for whales in the nutrient-rich waters of Icy Strait.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 13

Exploring Baranof or Chichagof Island

Spend a full day kayaking, hiking, and searching for bubble-net feeding or breaching humpback whales.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 13

Exploring Baranof or Chichagof Island

Spend a full day kayaking, hiking, and searching for bubble-net feeding or breaching humpback whales.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 14

Sitka / Disembark Ship / Home

Enjoy breakfast aboard ship. Visit Saint Michael’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral with its picturesque spire and meet eagles up close at the Raptor Rehabilitation Center. Transfer to the airport for flights home.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 14

Sitka / Disembark Ship / Home

Enjoy breakfast aboard ship. Visit Saint Michael’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral with its picturesque spire and meet eagles up close at the Raptor Rehabilitation Center. Transfer to the airport for flights home.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Download Itinerary

Please review the Essential Eligibility Criteria for hiking activities on this voyage.

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Ships

Ship National Geographic Quest

National Geographic Quest

Guests

100

Cabins

50

National Geographic Quest: Designed for Adventure

Built in 2017, National Geographic Quest is ideal for the fast-moving channels and shallow coves of the Pan-American waters. Her design and engineering were informed by our nearly 40 years of experience in the narrow straits of Alaska, the coast of Costa Rica, and into the gray whale nursery lagoons of Baja. 

Examples of features unique to Lindblad Expeditions include twin boarding platforms that enable our team to load two Zodiacs at once, so our guests can get off the ship quickly to take advantage of wildlife sightings and maximize exploring time. She also features a shallow draft, allowing her Captain to navigate the inner reaches and provide more intimate experiences.

Modern, clean-lined, with large expanses of glass to take in the extraordinary views, National Geographic Quest enables guests to see, do, and experience the best of her geographies.

Ship National Geographic Venture

National Geographic Venture

Guests

100

Cabins

50

American-flagged, she and her sister National Geographic Quest are ideal for discovering domestic waters

Following the build of National Geographic Quest at Nichols Brothers shipyard, her sister ship, the 100-guest National Geographic Venture, floated into the bay on Whidbey Island, becoming the fourth ship in the Lindblad fleet built at this storied Pacific Northwest shipyard. Like her sister ship National Geographic Quest, National Geographic Venture has dual boarding platforms, enabling our team to load two Zodiacs at once means guests get off ship quickly, to take advantage of wildlife sightings and maximize exploring time. Modern, cleaned-lined, with large expanses of glass to keep you connected to the extraordinary views, National Geographic Venture enables you to see, do and experience the best of her geographies.

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Expedition Extensions

A Grizzly bear walking the tundra in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Denali National Park Post-Voyage Extension

7 Days

From

$7,790

/ per person

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A Grizzly bear walking the tundra in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Denali National Park Pre-Voyage Extension

7 Days

From

$7,790

/ per person

Explore

Expedition Team

Over 50+ years of exploring, Lindblad Expeditions’ veteran staff and the quality companionship they provide has established the company’s reputation. From expedition leaders to naturalists, most hold advanced degrees and are established authorities in their fields. Some join a few expeditions each year to explore the same sites, some of them spending some time in the field away from rigorous academic work. And others lead expeditions all around the world—with many guests saying, “Where you’re going, we’re going,” and returning time after time to travel with them. Browse our team directory to discover the full cast of expedition staff.

Captain Andrew Cook with guests and Staff on the Bridge of National Geographic Venture, Baja California, Mexico

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Enjoy active exploration amid a dramatic scenery of mountains, fjords, rivers and glaciers along the Inside Passage of Alaska and British Columbia. Led by our Expedition Team of naturalists and experts, learn all the facets of ancient and modern life. See First Nations performances in Alert Bay, Canada; interact with the Kwakwaka’wakw people; explore the charming provincial capital of Victoria; and sail the waters where orcas gather to hunt in Johnstone Strait.

From

$10,960

/ per person

Does not include flight

Book Now
duration
14 Days
Book before Jun 30

$700 AIR CREDIT

See all offers

View our brochure for more details

Talk to an Expedition Specialist

+1.800.397.3348

From

$10,960

/ per person

Book Now
duration
14 Days

View our brochure for more details

From

$10,960

/ per person

Book Now
duration
14 Days
Book before Jun 30

$700 AIR CREDIT

See all offers

View our brochure for more details