The scenic highlights along the Alaskan Inside Passage
An Alaska Inside Passage cruise takes you through some of the most amazing, jaw-dropping scenery anywhere on Earth.
From Misty Fjords National Monument near Ketchikan in the south to the utterly spectacular Glacier Bay National Park in the north, the Inside Passage is non-stop visual splendor.
The region contains the world's most active tidewater glaciers and many of the most dramatic fjords to be found anywhere.
Misty Fjords National Monument is the least visited of the three major natural attractions in the region, but it is no less spectacular than the other two parks, Tracy Arm Fjord and Glacier Bay.
Misty Fjords is accessible via float plane tour and boat trip from Ketchikan. Some cruises also head into this national monument.
Tracy Arm is another spectacular fjord, with steep, verdant cliffs on either side which are decorated with numerous waterfalls.
Tracy arm is also home to a spectacular glacier, which is the ultimate destination of all Alaska Inside Passage cruises which head into the fjord.
Heading further to the north, past Juneau, is the small town of Skagway, from which many cruise passengers venture into the spectacular Yukon Territory.
Then, at the very northern end of an Inside Passage cruise is the wolrd famous Glacier Bay National Park.
Glacier Bay is home to numerous spectacular glaciers, which wind their way down the slops of mountains that rise an astonishing 15,000 feet or more up from the fjords below.
The park is literally covered with waterfalls, large and small, and filled with all sorts of wildlife and marine life, from mountain goats to orcas and whales.
If you have the choice, pick a cruise that heads into Glacier Bay. Since the number of ships allowed in the park is capped at 2 per day, many cruise companies instead visit either Tracy Arm or Misty Fjords.
Whever your cruise stops, you are sure to enjoy the coastal towns and natural beauty of the Inside Passage.
It is simply one of the most breathtaking areas on Earth.
