Ultimate Alaska Solstice (With Glacier Bay National Park) Cruise - R616

San Francisco, on the Californian coast, is one of America’s most attractive cities with its famous Golden Gate Bridge, steep streets that provide panoramic views of the beautiful San Francisco Bay and surrounding mountains, and its eclectic mix of Victorian and modern architecture. Perhaps also famous for the nearby Silicon Valley, this ‘City by the Bay’ has become even more international with large numbers of immigrants from Asia and Latin America. Explore the amazing Fisherman’s Wharf that offers great food, and the numerous boutiques. Read more about San Francisco, USA

Alaska’s ‘first city’ Ketchikan is situated along the shores of Alaska's Inside Passage within the heart of the Tongass National Forest. Evergreen mountains rise out of the water, the lush green landscape nurtured by the abundant rainfall of the temperate rainforest environment. Visitors are presented with a remarkable array of activities and attractions that highlight the town's history, industry and culture, and bring them up close to resident wildlife. Read more about Ketchikan, USA

Endicott Arm is a fjord 80 km south of Juneau in the Inside Passage, and lies inside the largest temperate rain forest in the world - the Tongass National Forest of Alaska, USA. From the entrance of the fjord to the face of Dawes Glacier is almost 60 km. The water is covered with ice spawned from the glacier, from small brash ice to chunks the size of three-storey buildings. Read more about Endicott Arm, USA

Standing out is the scenic beauty of Haines, probably the best of any Alaskan town. It is in the northern part of the Alaska Panhandle, near Glacier Bay National Park. Skagway is 25 km away further along the fjord. Read more about Haines, USA

Built on a narrow shelf between Mt. Juneau and the deep waters of Gastineau Channel, Juneau is Alaska's state capital and a rewarding destination for glacier viewing. Juneau is a blend of fishermen and teachers, legislators and artists, homemakers and lawyers, union workers and frontier entrepreneurs, students and Native elders, all sharing an active port city within an inspiring wilderness setting. Read more about Juneau, USA

Sitka, the fourth largest city by population in Alaska, is nestled on the west side of Baranof Island, and is thought to be the most beautiful of SE Alaska cities. The flora and fauna of Sitka and its surrounding area are notable attractions. Residents and visitors alike enjoy fishing, hiking, wildlife viewing, and simply experiencing all this dynamic town has to offer. Read more about Sitka, USA

Glacier Bay, situated in the SE Alaska panhandle, USA, opens 90km west of Juneau. The Bay is 100 km long, with branches and 1000m mountains on each side, and at its headwaters is Mt Quincy Adams (4150m) on the Canadian border. The Bay was originally a large single glacier of solid ice until early in the 18th century. Read more about Glacier Bay, USA

Hubbard Glacier enters Disenchantment Bay near the top end of the Alaska panhandle. Marching to the beat of a different drum, Hubbard Glacier is advancing while the rest of Alaska's ice rivers are receding rapidly. In 1986 and again in 2002 the glacier protruded forward, blocking off Russell Fjord to create an entirely new lake. Read more about Hubbard Glacier, USA

Valdez is an important ice-free port (pop. 4000) in Alaska, at the head of a fjord 24 km from its mouth at Prince William Sound. It was at the mouth of the sound that Exxon Valdez hit Bligh Reef and spilled 40-120 thousand tonnes of oi in 1989. Read more about Valdez, USA

Seward is the most often used cruise ship port for Anchorage, Alaska. (Whittier is used by Princess Cruises.) It lies at the head of a fjord that enters the Gulf of Alaska in the North Pacific Ocean. Seward is a two to four hour trip by car, bus or train from Anchorage. Read more about Anchorage (Seward), USA

College Fjord is located in the northern sector of Prince William Sound, in the US State of Alaska. It is surrounded by over a dozen glaciers, and some of these glaciers have spruce forests growing right up to the edge of the ice, giving a sense of grandeur that is rarely seen. Also causing wonderment, is the fact that glacier after glacier have a perfectly mirrored reflection on the water. Read more about College Fjord, USA

Alaska’s newest cruise port, Icy Strait Point, is located just down the road from Hoonah, and 35 km S.E. of Glacier Bay National Park. It is the result of collaboration between the local communities and cruise corporations, to attract visitors eager to experience America’s ‘last wilderness.’ Millions of dollars have been invested in creating a facility that offers cruise travellers an authentic and refreshing Arctic experience. Read more about Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), USA

Skagway in Alaska, USA, is an historical city where the past lives on, and a place where the romance and excitement of yesteryear linger around every street corner as well as in every bend of the trail. Gateway to the Klondike and the Gold Rush, visitors can still ride the antique White Pass and Yukon narrow-gauge railway up through silvery-purple rock faces, past Deadhorse Gulch, to see what it was like back then. While in Skagway you can easily walk around town, see all of the historical sites along the back streets and stroll down historic Broadway. Read more about Skagway, USA

Canada's northernmost coastal city and gateway to Alaska, Prince Rupert boasts one of the world's largest natural harbours, ice-free year round. Arriving into port by ship is breathtaking, as you pass hundreds of islands and make your way through narrow, mist-shrouded passageways. Because of its moderate climate and mists, it is not unusual to see several rainbows a day, including double and triple rainbows that span the entire horizon. Read more about Prince Rupert, Canada

San Francisco, on the Californian coast, is one of America’s most attractive cities with its famous Golden Gate Bridge, steep streets that provide panoramic views of the beautiful San Francisco Bay and surrounding mountains, and its eclectic mix of Victorian and modern architecture. Perhaps also famous for the nearby Silicon Valley, this ‘City by the Bay’ has become even more international with large numbers of immigrants from Asia and Latin America. Explore the amazing Fisherman’s Wharf that offers great food, and the numerous boutiques. Read more about San Francisco, USA