Embark Silver Shadow in Vancouver. This large city in British Columbia is surrounded by natural beauty, being enclosed by the Fraser River and the Pacific Coast, and backed by the Rocky Mountains.

Take in the magnificent beauty of fjords and waterfalls along the legendary Inside Passage, which stretches 1000 miles north from Seattle to Skagway. Keep a look out for whales, dolphins, sea lions and bald eagles as the ship passes between beautiful islands and through narrow inlets.

Ketchikan is perched along the edge of coastal mountains and surrounded by water, an ideal spot for travellers who want to experience wilderness and adventure. Ketchikan was known as 'The Salmon Capital of the World' at its height as a salmon canning center. Today it stands in the midst of the Tongass National Forest. It is famous for its superb display of totem poles and clan houses.

Located in the Tracy Arm Fjord framed by over 2,100 metre snowcapped mountains, Sawyer Glacier is the habitat of black and brown bears, wolves, deer, and moose. The glacier calves icebergs of all sizes. This 40km fjord is one of Alaska's most scenic regions. Silver Shadow cruises on to Juneau, Alaska's capital, where the Tongass Rainforest climate provides Juneau with lush terrain and vibrant wildflowers. Early settlers included miners during Alaska's gold rush and Russian fur traders.

The town of Skagway sits at the top of the Inside Passage. Its name is said to mean 'home of the north wind'. At the turn of the century, the Klondike Gold Rush turned Skagway into a boomtown. Experience lively saloons and exciting dance hall revues or perhaps ride through town in a vintage streetcar before shopping for hand-crafted jewellery. Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, downtown, is where shops and saloons founded at the turn of the last century are still open.

Sitka began as a Tlingit Indian village called Shee At?ika. Its gift shops sell native arts and crafts and Russian giftware. The restaurants serve up a varied cuisine, including Russian, Mexican, Italian and Chinese.

Spend the day cruising the Hubbard Glacier, the longest tidewater glacier on the continent. Unlike most glaciers, which are retreating, it has been thickening and advancing.

Disembark Silver Shadow.