Japan & Alaska Transpacific Combination Cruise: Tokyo, Kodiak & Victoria

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.

Located on Hokkaido, the northernmost island in Japan, Hokadate sits under the vast 334m-high Mount Hakodate. Hop on a tram that can take you from one end of the city to the other in just 45-minutes or enjoy a leisurely stroll through the area that takes you past historical buildings. Looking for a break and some soothing relaxation? The Yunokawa Onsen is a spa resort area offering up many hot spring hotel and inn options.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Located on Chichagof Island, Icy Strait Point is built on the site of the former Hoonah Packing Company salmon cannery. The facilities restored outbuildings now house a variety of restaurants, a museum, and local arts and crafts shops. More than just a tourist destination, the port is a cultural hub for the original inhabitants of the area—the Huna people. In addition to modern amenities, you can enjoy a variety of activities indigenous to the area including native dance performances, brown bear viewings, and whale watching.

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 Centen…

A drizzly little city bordered by the Tongass National Forest, Ketchikan was once a native fishing village that has evolved and grown through its years in the logging and salmon canning industries. Surrounded by lakes, rivers, and streams, the “Salmon Capital of the World” is an angler’s paradise. Cast a line on your own, or hop on a charter to reel in salmon, halibut, red snapper, even trout. Keep an eye out for Ketchikan’s other marine residents, which include orca and humpback whales, sea lions, seals, otters, and porpoises. Zipline between cedars over a lush forest of Sitka spruce, hike Married Man’s Trail to surrounding waterfalls, kayak the twist of waterways along the Misty Fjords, or board a seaplane for a bird’s eye view of it all.

A sweet Canadian city tucked into the east coast of Vancouver Island, only 55 km across the Strait of Georgia from Vancouver, British Colombia. Surrounded by water and spectacular ocean views, it’s a growing urban center where sea lions play and seaplanes take flight. Nanaimo was originally established as a Hudson Bay Company trading post, later becoming known for coal exports. A harbor sheltered by islands, Nanaimo used to be considered mostly at gateway to the mainland but has evolved into a growing vibrant urban center that has lots to offer.

Sitting at Mile 0 of the Trans-Canada Highway, Victoria is your entrance way to the beautiful province of British Columbia. Located on Vancouver Island’s Saanich Peninsula, this picturesque city framed by the Olympic Mountains offers quaint, English architecture fringed by some of the tallest and oldest trees in the world.

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.