Alaska cruises offer some of the world’s most dramatic coastal views during your days at sea. There’s plenty of opportunity for adventures ashore too – from walking tours and wintry 4x4 safaris, to more active excursions like kayaking and zipline rides. You could see snowy mountain peaks and vast blue-ice glaciers on a helicopter tour, and even grizzly bears fishing for salmon deep in their natural habitat.

 

Fishing is a big part of life in Alaska, and cruises here offer plenty of opportunity to get involved. Tour visitor centres dedicated to the local fishing industry, or take a trip on a trawler where you can get involved in landing the catch. Or to get your pulse racing you could try dog sledding, for an unforgettable Arctic experience during your time in this wild state.

 

You’ll also find museums in many towns, along with collections of artefacts that tell the story of each local culture. See the biggest collection of totem poles anywhere in the world, or the history of the gold rush in the coastal region around Skagway and Juneau.

Many ships on cruises to Alaska include the Tracy Arm Fjord on their itinerary. Lying around 40 miles south of Juneau, the region is home to wolves, bears, seals and deer, especially around the impressive twin arms of the Sawyer Glacier. Jagged bodies of ice often shear away from the blue glacier walls here, and crash down into the water to float by – and beyond, pine forest covers the steep mountain slopes that surround the fjord.

The frontier town of Ketchikan is one of the most popular ports to visit on Alaska cruises. Sitting on an island off the southernmost coast of the mainland, the timber houses here stand on stilts overlooking the peaceful bay – backed by thick pine forests that stretch out to cover the mountains beyond. Come ashore here, and you can find out first-hand just how important fishing is to a typical Alaskan town – and learn the significance of carved totem poles in the area’s native history.

Alaska’s capital and largest town is another popular port of call on cruises here. Juneau once lay at the heart of the Alaskan gold rush, and it’s one of the most developed places you’ll find in this vast, wild country. For all its modern buildings and tourist-friendly facilities, though, the wilderness still definitely holds sway out here. Ice-capped mountains dwarf the town below, and whales and eagles live out in the bay – here the wild is never very far away.

Another of Alaska’s gold rush towns, Skagway is a place out of history. Walk down the high street here and you’ll be surrounded by wooden-fronted stores right out of a western – and the town is suitably proud of its pioneer heritage. Kayak in the bay, take a helitour or visit the mines and railway that illustrate the town’s ambitious origins – and get to the heart of the gold rush spirit.

The area surrounding Anchorage is a hiker’s paradise. Forests and grasslands stretch on as far as the eye can see, and the snowy mountain range backs the tall buildings in the port itself. Anchorage is the northernmost US city, and despite its remoteness it has won the All-America City award several times for its embodiment of the American spirit. Anchorage is a real slice of frontier America – having grown out of the railroad industry, followed by military interest during the 1950s thanks to its proximity to Russia, and later booming as an oil town.

 

If you’re looking for a wilder and more secluded vision of life in Alaska, cruises to quiet ports like Haines or Sitka could be perfect for you. You might see otters during your time in Sitka, drifting belly-up in the bay while they eat. Mountain ranges tower over the town, and totem poles lie hidden in the pine forests that surround it. Haines, meanwhile, is known as the adventure capital of Alaska – with rafting, kayaking and jetboat rides out on placid Chilkoot Lake. Wildlife hikes and fishing trips are available too; perfect choices for a true Alaskan adventure.