A Journey Of Spectacular Nature & Wild Adventure

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.

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.

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.

Massive and magical, Hubbard is considered the mother-of-all tidewater glaciers in North America. Taller than a 30-storey building (above water). Larger than the state of Rhode Island. The marvel is also the most active, with ice chunks regularly sloughing off in massive dimensions. The thunderous roar of cracking ice echoes against a stellar backdrop with five of the ten tallest peaks in America. The most magical moment you'll ever enjoy on deck.

Since time immemorial, bears and bald eagles have gathered in Haines, where the great Alaskan wilderness meets the fjords and glaciers of the Inside Passage. Humans too now join the migration to fish for sockeye and chinook in paradisical streams or float and hike riverside trails in Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, where feathered councils congregate all year round. Chart mankind's arrival in this northern wilderness in the galleries of Fort William H. Seward and pause to gorge on Alaskan scenery around the lakes and rivers of Chilkoot State Park.

Juxtaposed between baby-blue Mendenhall Glacier and rocketing jade mountains, Juneau is an eclectic capital city on the edge of unbridled nature. All the senses are arrested exploring Mendenhall Glacier and hearing the thundering song of Nugget Falls. Follow snowy peaks skyward on the Goldbelt Tram and see the world open atop Mount Roberts. Skirt around islands and ice floes in search of humpback and orca whales, which are regular guests in Juneau's placid waters. Taste the saltiness of the sea with the freshest fish, smell the pine-scented forests, and ponder totem pole trail lining the sea walk.

Endicott Arm is mystic; a wild fjord extending inland some 48 kilometers (30 miles); a photographer's paradise, a naturalist's Valhalla, and an escapist's Utopia. Sailing between towering rock walls, we slip past unconquered mountains, the tumbling mirth of waterfalls, and forests without footpaths or blemish of an axe. Our quest at the fjord head is the daunting Dawes Glacier— over 182 meters tall (600 ft)—slowly shouldering her way from the Stikine Icefield. She sparkles with an other-worldly blue hue and, with regularity, dramatically calves huge, hulking icebergs into the fjord. Here, Mother Nature presides in all her dignity.

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.

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.

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.