The Inside Passage And Gulf Of Alaska

Alaska is America's final frontier, a land of mountains, forests, glaciers, and wildlife just remote and harsh enough that it remains mythic, even if its "frontier" towns now have Starbucks. Most cruises stick to Southeast Alaska's Inside Passage, sailing round-trip from Seattle or Vancouver or going north- or southbound between Vancouver and Seward or Whittier, Anchorage's main port towns. The north/south option gives you a chance to see natural areas along the Gulf of Alaska, or to join a land tour into the Interior.

In the Inside Passage, ships divide their days between natural wonders and port towns. Glacier Bay National Park is a 65-mile ecosystem of wildlife, whales, and vegetation that didn't exist 200 years ago, when the whole area sat beneath a huge ice field. Today, that ice has receded into inlets headed by 11 tidewater glaciers.

Farther south, the dramatic fjords of Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm reach far back into the Coastal Range, their sheer mountain walls cut by cascading waterfalls. At their heads, the Sawyer and Dawes Glaciers are constantly calving off chunks, filling the waters with brash ice and bergs. At the northernmost point of Southeast Alaska, Hubbard Glacier is North America's largest tidewater glacier, with an ice face six miles across. College Fjord, in Prince William Sound (off the Gulf of Alaska), contains more than a dozen glaciers.

In Ketchikan, the Totem Heritage Center and Totem Bight State Historical Park both present great collections of Alaska Native totem poles. Top nature-tour pick is an excursion Misty Fjords National Monument, whose 3,000-foot volcanic cliffs and dense forests look like something from Lord of the Rings. The big draw for Juneau, the state capital, is excursions to nearby Mendenhall Glacier and helicopter tours that land on the ice for glacier treks.

The narrow-gauge White Pass & Yukon Route Railway in Skagway offers steep, dramatic rides to the U.S.-Canada border. Hiking, biking, and rafting trips also get you into the woods.

Best Time to Go: The Alaska season is mid-May through mid-September, with high season throughout June, July, and August. The month of May is gorgeous time to sail. September is also quieter, though there's a slightly higher chance of rain.

Cruise Lines: Princess Cruises, Celebrity, and Royal Caribbean are great picks if you want to tag on a land tour to Denali National Park. Ditto for Holland America, which also offers land tours into Canada's Yukon Territory. Opting for a small-ship cruise will allow you to see more of the real, natural Alaska. Top small-ship picks include Lindblad Expeditions, American Safari Cruises, and InnerSea Discoveries, which operate boats carrying 100 or fewer guests.