Alaska & Japan Cruise: Ketchikan, Tokyo & Osaka

Day 1 - Vancouver

Arrive: Thu 05 August 2027 / Depart: Thu 05 August 2027 at 17:00

Snow-capped mountains peak out from behind tall glass skyscrapers on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. Nestled somewhere between eastern culture and western tradition, Vancouver is a study in nature and urbanity coexisting peacefully.

Day 2 - At Sea

Day 3 - Ketchikan

Arrive: Sat 07 August 2027 at 08:00 / Depart: Sat 07 August 2027 at 21:00

Day 4 - Wrangell, Alaska

Arrive: Sun 08 August 2027 at 07:00 / Depart: Sun 08 August 2027 at 14:00

Tucked away in the heart of the Inside Passage lies one of Alaska’s oldest towns. From the native Tlingit people through Russian, British, and American occupation, the town’s history is as rich as its natural beauty is breathtaking. Mountains, islands, rainforests, glaciers are all begging to be explored in a place where outdoor adventure is as abundant as glittering gold nuggets once were.

Day 5 - Haines, Alaska

Arrive: Mon 09 August 2027 at 10:30 / Depart: Mon 09 August 2027 at 17:00

Once a location for Russian fur traders and the site of the Dalton Toll during the Klondike Rush, Haines has long been a traditional stopping place for those on their way to Alaska’s interior or to Canada’s Yukon. With its rugged mountain vistas and seascapes, Haines offers plenty of adventure for outdoor enthusiasts. Hiking, biking, and kayaking are just a few ways you can explore this glacial paradise. For the ultimate experience, grab a snow machine, boat tour, seaplane, or even try heli-skiing and bring your inner adventurer even closer to Haines’s rugged landscape. Also known as the “Valley of the Eagles,” Haines is a birder’s paradise. With nearly 400 bald eagles calling the region home and 260 different species of birds visiting the Chilkat Valley at any given time, you can rest assured you’ve never seen variety like this in the wild.

Day 6 - Sitka

Arrive: Tue 10 August 2027 at 09:00 / Depart: Tue 10 August 2027 at 18:00

In the shadows of the dormant, snow-capped Mount Edgecumbe, sits the quaint city of Sitka. The only community within Alaska’s Inside Passage to skirt the Pacific Ocean, Sitka’s lush green hills and salty ocean air stand in contrast to typical descriptions of the Last Frontier. Sharing an equally important historical connection for the native Tlingit people and Russian settlers, Sitka is both the ancestral homeland of the Tlingit and the former capital of Russian America. A walk around the city’s downtown brings you closer to its history with views of the Blockhouse, Russian Bishop’s House, St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral, and the storied Castle Hill. Sitka’s many museums, art galleries, and cultural centers all offer a more in-depth view of the city’s past and present. Stop into the Sitka Historical Museum, Sitka Cultural Center, and Shee-tka Kwaan Naa Kahidi Community House to see photographs, artifacts, traditional art, and native dance performances. Nearby, Harrigan Centennial Hall showcases regular performances by the New Archangel Russian folk dancers.

Day 7 - Hubbard Glacier

Arrive: Wed 11 August 2027 at 11:00 / Depart: Wed 11 August 2027 at 16:00

Experience the breathtaking expanse and beauty of the Hubbard Glacier. Named after National Geographic’s first society president, Gardiner Hubbard, this frosty-blue glacier is a sight, unlike anything you’ve ever seen. While many of the world’s glaciers are retreating, the 8-mile-wide Hubbard Glacier continues to “gallop” across the Russell Fjord, at times temporarily damning its passage. The longest ice river in North America, this 76-mile stretch of glacier water begins at Mount Logan in Canada’s Yukon and meanders its way through Alaska to the Russell Fjord Wilderness. Witness this awe-inspiring phenomenon from onboard as you cruise through the misty, chilled air of the Gulf of Alaska. See whales, harbor seals, and otters hunting as your ship turns from Yakutat Bay into the narrow Disenchantment Bay to come face-to-face with the towering Hubbard Glacier.

Day 8 - Valdez

Arrive: Thu 12 August 2027 at 13:00 / Depart: Thu 12 August 2027 at 18:00

Day 9 - Seward

Arrive: Fri 13 August 2027 at 07:30 / Depart: Fri 13 August 2027 at 18:00

Seward is one of Alaska’s oldest communities. Lying at the foot of Mount Marathon on Resurrection Bay, this scenic city offers unlimited ways to explore its natural splendor. Founded in the early 20th century as settlers plotted the construction of the northbound rail line, Seward’s ice-free port and crowning Harding Icefield quickly established the city as an important shipping terminal on the Kenai Peninsula and the southern terminus of the Iditarod National Historic trail. Temperate rainforest climate and active glaciers combine to offer countless tidewaters, marine-rich waters, lush forest trails, and a variety of wildlife.

Day 10 - Kodiak, Alaska

Arrive: Sat 14 August 2027 at 08:30 / Depart: Sat 14 August 2027 at 16:00

Referred to by locals as the Emerald Isle for its rolling green mountains, Kodiak is a verdant paradise. Nearly leveled by the Good Friday Earthquake, today Kodiak has fully recovered as one of the top fishing ports in the US for salmon, halibut, crab, and more. Originally inhabited by the Alutiiq natives, Kodiak has been both a site for Russian fur trading and a naval base during World Word II. Remnants of each of these influences can still be seen today as you walk the streets of Kodiak. From the blue cupolas of the Holy Resurrection Orthodox Cathedral to the Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park, Kodiak is a history buff’s dream. Step into the Alutiiq Museum and Archeological Repository to explore the largest collection of Alutiiq artifacts in the state, or stroll along the docks at St. Paul Boat Harbor and explore the Kodiak Maritime Museum.

Day 11 - At Sea

Day 12 - Dutch Harbor, Alaska

Arrive: Mon 16 August 2027 at 09:00 / Depart: Mon 16 August 2027 at 17:00

Nestled between the Pacific Ocean to the South and the Bering Sea to the North, Dutch Harbor’s position between Alaska’s mainland and Russia has endowed the port with a unique heritage and history as the only American port besides Pearl Harbor to be bombed during World War II. Today Dutch Harbor is one of the richest fishing ports in the US, bringing in huge harvests of pollock, cod, and most famously, Alaskan king crab, as documented on the hit series Deadliest Catch. The vast marine life of this area attracts more than 40 million seabirds to the region, making Dutch Harbor a birder’s paradise. Bald eagles, short-tailed albatross, and horned puffins—all share the bounty of these waters with sea lions, sea otters, harbor porpoises, and humpback whales. Take a charter boat to see these majestic creatures for yourself, or take to the water in a sea-kayak for an up-close look.

Day 13 - At Sea

Day 14 - At Sea

Day 15 - International Dateline

Day 16 - At Sea

Day 17 - At Sea

Day 18 - At Sea

Day 19 - At Sea

Day 20 - Miyako,Iwate, Japan

Arrive: Tue 24 August 2027 at 08:00 / Depart: Tue 24 August 2027 at 17:00

Day 21 - Oarai, Japan

Arrive: Wed 25 August 2027 at 08:30 / Depart: Wed 25 August 2027 at 18:00

Day 22 - Tokyo

Arrive: Thu 26 August 2027 at 06:30 / Depart: Thu 26 August 2027 at 19:00

It’s hard to imagine Tokyo as a tiny fishing village named Edo. Tokyo is now the largest metropolitan area in the world, an exciting city with a seemingly unlimited choice of shopping, restaurants, museums, temples, and gardens to visit.

Day 23 - Shimiju, japan

Arrive: Fri 27 August 2027 at 08:00 / Depart: Fri 27 August 2027 at 20:00

Mount Fuji, Japan’s tallest peak, overlooks this beautiful port town at the Northern end of the Izu Peninsula. One of Japan’s “Three Holy Mountains,” Mount Fuji is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a Special Place of Scenic Beauty, and is one of Japan’s official Historic Sites. Shimizu’s mild climate makes it perfect for exploring nature, like Miho-no-Matsubara, four miles of pine grove on the town’s seashore.

Day 24 - Nagoya

Arrive: Sat 28 August 2027 at 08:00 / Depart: Sat 28 August 2027 at 17:00

Day 25 - Osaka

Arrive: Sun 29 August 2027 at 09:00

Osaka is a large port city and commercial center on the Japanese island of Honshu. It's known for its modern architecture, nightlife and hearty street food. The 16th-century shogunate Osaka Castle, which has undergone several restorations, is its main historical landmark. It's surrounded by a moat and park with plum, peach and cherry-blossom trees. Sumiyoshi-taisha is among Japan’s oldest Shinto shrines.

Day 26 - Osaka

Depart: Mon 30 August 2027 at 18:00

Osaka is a large port city and commercial center on the Japanese island of Honshu. It's known for its modern architecture, nightlife and hearty street food. The 16th-century shogunate Osaka Castle, which has undergone several restorations, is its main historical landmark. It's surrounded by a moat and park with plum, peach and cherry-blossom trees. Sumiyoshi-taisha is among Japan’s oldest Shinto shrines.

Day 27 - Hiroshima

Arrive: Tue 31 August 2027 at 08:00 / Depart: Tue 31 August 2027 at 20:00

This "city of water and peace" is built in one of the most sheltered harbors on the Seto Inland Sea and is much more than the painful past it both honors and defies. Reflect and ring the bell of peace at Peace Memorial Park, then ferry to the holy island of Miyajima, famed for its Itsukushima Shrine and floating torii.

Day 28 - Kitakyushu, Japan

Arrive: Wed 01 September 2027 at 08:00 / Depart: Wed 01 September 2027 at 20:00

Merged from five smaller cities in 1963, Kitakyushu is the gateway between the islands of Honshu and Kyushu—where the city sits on its northern tip. During WWII, the fate of the city could have been forever changed, if not for bad weather and smoke from the previous day’s bombing. It was the intended target of the Fat Man atomic bomb, but was passed over due to poor visibility in favor of Nagasaki.

Day 29 - Busan, South Korea

Arrive: Thu 02 September 2027 at 08:00 / Depart: Thu 02 September 2027 at 22:00

It is Pusan's premier trading port, adjacent to the Korean Straits and Japan, that makes it an international metropolis but its beautiful sea vistas that make it a charming place to unwind. Experience the serenity of Beomeo-sa Temple, climb the Busan Tower in Yongdusan Park and rejuvenate at Hushimchung Spa.

Day 30 - Sakaiminato

Arrive: Fri 03 September 2027 at 13:30 / Depart: Fri 03 September 2027 at 20:00

Sakaiminato’s history is steeped in fishing tradition. Now the base of Western Japan’s fishing industry, Sakaiminato has been an open trading port with the U.S. and U.K. since 1899. Today the port town continues to be a haven for seafood lovers with fish markets and world-class restaurants scattered along its streets, making it the perfect place for visitors to taste the catch of the day.

Day 31 - Kanazawa

Arrive: Sat 04 September 2027 at 09:00 / Depart: Sat 04 September 2027 at 18:00

Tucked in between the Sea of Japan and the Japanese Alps, flanked by the Sai and Asano rivers, Kanazawa might be an unfamiliar destination, but it’s sure to become an unexpected favorite. Translated literally Kanazawa means "marsh of gold," and the city produces approximately 98% of the gold leaf in Japan. Find a small jar to take home or try it sprinkled on ice cream. Gold aside, Kanazawa is also a jewel in Japan’s historical crown. Founded in the late 1500s as a castle town, the city has been relatively untouched from the ravages of World War II and natural disasters. Once a powerful and strategic city for the Maeda clan, it is now a comparatively small city with a calm, comfortable feel.

Day 32 - Niigata, Japan

Arrive: Sun 05 September 2027 at 07:00 / Depart: Sun 05 September 2027 at 19:00

A perfect contrast of old and new, where ancient traditions meet modern experiences—you’ll find Niigata prefecture, the largest city on Honsh?'s Sea of Japan coast. Start your journey with a relaxing stroll through Niigata’s first citizen park, Hakusan-k?en. Well-manicured gardens, two large koi ponds, the most vibrant cherry blossoms, and the ancient Hukasan Shrine. An inviting space—you’ll find no reason to be “koi” here. Make your way to the bustling Bandai City where you can catch a 360-degree view Niigata and its distant snow-capped mountains from the 20th floor of the Nipp? observation deck.

Day 33 - Akita, Japan

Arrive: Mon 06 September 2027 at 07:00 / Depart: Mon 06 September 2027 at 18:00

Akita Prefecture is situated in the north-eastern part of the Japanese main land, east of the Sea of Japan, flowing rivers, and expanses of fertile farmland. Majestic mountain ranges, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Shirakami - Sanchi Mountains, surround the northern, southern, and eastern sides and make for incredible views.

Day 34 - Aomori

Arrive: Tue 07 September 2027 at 08:00 / Depart: Tue 07 September 2027 at 16:00

Found on Japan’s main island, Honshu, Aomori City spends most of the year offering visitors a taste of a sleepy, seaside city mixed with forward-looking developments and modern art. Combining the history of an established port town with modern facilities and attractions, the city has been called the economic and cultural center of the area.

Day 35 - At Sea

Day 36 - Tokyo

Arrive: Thu 09 September 2027 at 06:00 / Depart: Thu 09 September 2027

It’s hard to imagine Tokyo as a tiny fishing village named Edo. Tokyo is now the largest metropolitan area in the world, an exciting city with a seemingly unlimited choice of shopping, restaurants, museums, temples, and gardens to visit.