Explorer, 7 Nights Glacial Wonders In Alaska ex Vancouver to Seward

Seven Seas Explorer® took luxury cruising to the next level, from the palatial Regent Suite to the hand-picked art accentuating her halls.

Juneau, Alaska
In 1880, Joe Juneau and Richard Harris were prospecting for gold with the help of Indian guides. Here they discovered nuggets “as large as beans” at the mouth of the aptly named Gold Creek. Out of their discoveries came three of the largest gold digs in the world where more than $150 million in gold was mined. Juneau’s surrounding beauty and natural wonders have attracted cruise ship travelers for over a century, with steamship companies bringing tourists here since the early 1880’s.

Skagway, Alaska
Beginning in 1897, this frontier town at the northernmost point of the Inside Passage was the starting place for more than 40,000 gold-rush stampeders who headed to the Yukon primarily by way of the Chilkoot Trail. Immerse yourself in the colorful history and characters of the Klondike Gold Rush era in downtown Skagway, where over 20 historic buildings have been preserved and locals in period costumes detail the town’s bawdy history. Ride the historic narrow-gauge White Pass & Yukon Route Railway as it climbs 3,000 feet high into immensely picturesque mountains, taking in views of Bridal Veil Falls and the peaks of Inspiration Point.

Sitka, Alaska
Founded by Russian fur traders as New Archangel in 1799, Sitka was the historic center of Russia’s Alaskan empire. The Russian flag was replaced by the Stars and Stripes when the United States purchased the Alaska territory in 1867. Today, picturesque Sitka, is known for its fishing industry, an annual summer classical music festival and, of course, its many historic visitor attractions. On a clear day Sitka, the only city in southeast Alaska that actually fronts the Pacific Ocean, rivals Juneau for the sheer beauty of its surroundings.

Seward, Alaska
Seward was originally founded in 1903 as the southern terminus for the Alaska Railroad, a distinction it still holds today. The picturesque harbor with its colorful wood-frame houses and background of soaring cliffs looks out on Resurrection Bay, so named by a band of Russians explorers who found this calm spot along the storm-tossed Gulf of Alaska on Easter Sunday. From downtown Anchorage you can view two active volcanoes, the highest point on the continent of North America (Mount McKinley), and six major mountain ranges.