The ports and villages along Alaska's stunning Inside Passage
An Inside Passage cruise is the quintessential Alaskan cruisng experience.
The Alaskan Inside Passage is a protected stretch of coastal water in Alaska's southern panhandle, where a series of islands and fjords create a series of calm channels through which cruise ships pass.
Several of these islands are home to very quaint and historic towns, from Ketchikan at the southern end of the passage to Sitka at the northern end, near the amazing and majestic Glacier Bay National Park.
Ketchikan is an incredibly picturesque fishing village located on a small island close to the mainland.
Ketchikan is home to the famous Creek Street, where historic wood frame buildings overhang a roaring creek that, in late summer, is so crowded with salmon that you could step from one to another.
Heading north along the Inside Passage from Ketchikan, the next stop on most cruise itineraries is usually Alaska's beautiful state capitol, Juneau.
Juneau is located on the picturesque Gastineau Channel, surrounded on all sides by massive, densely forrested mountains and a vast ice field, the largest in North America.
After Juneau, many ships head on north to the Gold Rush town of Skagway.
Skagway was born amidst the famous Yukon Gold Rush around 1899-1900, and as such, the town is filled with historic sites and buildings.
Skagway is also the Gateway to the adjacent Canadian Yukon Territory, and many cruise ship passengers take train and motor coach tours into the Yukon while docked in Skagway.
{Note: alternatively, some north-bound cruises stop first in Skagway and then return to Juneau before continuing on north.]
Sitka is often an alternative to Skagway (or sometimes to Ketchikan).
Sitka is another island fihing village that is most famous for its Russian past, dating back before the U.S. purchased Alaska from Russian.
Sitka is now home to some beautiful Russian era architecture and even a museum dedicated to the region's Russian past.
The newest stop on Inside Passage cruise routes is Icy Straight Point, which is a renovated cannery and starting point for numerous rainforest and marine tours.
Icy Straight Point is a stop on many Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Holland America cruise itineraries.
An Inside Passage cruise takes you through many of these beautiful villages and through amazing natural sites.
It's one trip you are sure to remember for many years to come.
