A Journey Of Wild Canadian Shorelines, Indigenous Discovery & Alaskan Wonder

Surrounded by mountains, vibrant Vancouver is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts and cosmopolitan adventurers alike. Meandering oceanside pathways surround eclectic neighbourhoods – Stanley Park, the West End, Gastown, Yaletown, Chinatown.

A major global city, it is renowned for its cultural diversity and thriving art, theatre, music and food scenes. Its perfectly picturesque setting makes it popular filming location – with old-growth cedar forests, mountains covering 75% and two-thirds of Canada's bird species and land mammals. A big, bustling city perched on the edge of wilderness.

With more time to reflect, rejuvenate, and embrace the Ocean State of Mind, days at sea with Explora Journeys invite moments of unhurried exploration. Against a backdrop of endless blue, indulge in a varied programme of wellness, dining and entertainment, enriching the mind and indulging the senses, designed to satisfy even the most curious of minds. These moments at sea offer a rare chance to disconnect from the outside world and reconnect with yourself and your loved ones. With so many onboard experiences, each day at sea is unique and memorable.

The terrain is big and the crowds are small in this lesser travelled wonder that wholly embraces the ‘Last Frontier' spirit. Primal nature reigns in the Anan Bear & Wildlife Observatory, where both brown and black bears feast on pink salmon during a few frenzied weeks each year.

Cosy comforts of town open to adventures beyond: follow a boardwalk to Rainbow Falls; take a jet boat into the great Stikine River; spy Bald Eagles riding air currents between craggy glaciers and jagged peaks. Then ponder the history and mystery of 3,000-year-old messages at Petroglyph Beach, left by the indigenous Tlingit peoples.

Alaska's Hoonah Island is an epic land of humpback whales, bountiful bears and legends of the indigenous Tlingit told for thousands of years. A rugged paradise big on nature, you can kayak the coast, hike the Tongass National Forest, flight-see Glacier Bay and eye the waves for pods of orca and sea lions on scenic sailings. Cook up a feast with coho salmon or king, snow and Dungeness crab, and take in an eagle's-eye-view of the world while ziplining over the forested slopes of Mount Hoonah.

Rush into Skagway to discover the great Yukon and Klondike goldfields; strike it rich with adventure in this tiny frontier town that sits at the base of the great Coastal Mountains. Nuzzle with sled-dog teams and learn to lead with the call of ‘mush' then pan for nuggets of history at the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. Hike the Chilkoot Trail; bike a coastal rainforest along the Taiya River; ride the rails on a real gold-rush era, narrow-gauge rail¬road into the heart of the White Pass and Yukon Route. Bald eagles, brown bears, and an astonishing history that includes the illustrious Wyatt Earp.

A visually potent elixir of Mother Nature, the Tracy Arm Fjord is a magical mix of steep cliffs, glacier-blanketed mountains, and the last intact temperate rainforest in the US. Slipping through the narrow 48-kilometer waterway, spy nimble goats upon craggy precipices, eagles riding wind currents overhead, icebergs bobbing, and ice shards where fat baby seals slumber. If conditions prevail, we reach the rarely seen twin Sawyer Glaciers, an electric blue marvel that holds thousands of years of secrets in its dense ice.

In Ketchikan, we step back into thousands years of history and discover a landscape that is alive beneath our feet and find moose and mountain goats, brown bears and black-tailed deer; a micro world that reminds us what it is to be wild and free. First steps lead to the picturesque Creek Street Historic District, where bridges cross creeks teeming with salmon during spawning season.

Thrills go far beyond: soar in a seaplane to Misty Fjords National Monument, a seldom‑seen American national treasure with awe‑inspiring topography of sheer walls of granite plunging 3,000 feet into the fjords, lush forests of spruce, hemlock, and cedar clinging to snowcapped peaks of rugged grandeur. Scout some of the oldest and most beloved Totems of indigenous Tlingit and Haida people.

Welcome to the ancestral lands of northwestern Canada, where grizzly bears roam the hillsides and maritime history echoes along every inlet. Wild and beautiful, this corner of British Colombia inspires adventure.

Hike coastal trails from bustling Cow Bay, where century-old fisheries house restaurants and boutiques, and discover the history of the indigenous Ts'msyen at museums and galleries. Paddle the waters of Prince Rupert Harbour; cast raging rivers for steelhead and wild salmon; or take a seaplane flight or boat ride into the heart of Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary.

With more time to reflect, rejuvenate, and embrace the Ocean State of Mind, days at sea with Explora Journeys invite moments of unhurried exploration. Against a backdrop of endless blue, indulge in a varied programme of wellness, dining and entertainment, enriching the mind and indulging the senses, designed to satisfy even the most curious of minds. These moments at sea offer a rare chance to disconnect from the outside world and reconnect with yourself and your loved ones. With so many onboard experiences, each day at sea is unique and memorable.

On the rugged southern edge of Vancouver Island, Victoria, bustling capital of British Columbia, dynamically harmonizes with the magnificent Olympic Mountains. Victoria's history dates to pre-colonial time when native peoples inhabited the area. In 1849, Vancouver Island became a British crown colony, widely evident in Victorian architecture, including the majestic Craigdarroch Castle.

Indigenous Peoples' legacies live on in festivals, ceremonies, dances, and art. Along the rugged Pacific coastline, lush rainforests, gardens, lakes, waterfalls, and charming fishing villages. Majestic mammals and marine wildlife abound in its waters, including four species of whales. Vibrant and verdant, you too will blossom in its perfect climate.

Surrounded by mountains, vibrant Vancouver is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts and cosmopolitan adventurers alike. Meandering oceanside pathways surround eclectic neighbourhoods – Stanley Park, the West End, Gastown, Yaletown, Chinatown. A major global city, it is renowned for its cultural diversity and thriving art, theatre, music and food scenes. Its perfectly picturesque setting makes it popular filming location – with old-growth cedar forests, mountains covering 75% and two-thirds of Canada's bird species and land mammals. A big, bustling city perched on the edge of wilderness.