fbpx

Cruise Alaska’s Inside Passage

Cruise Alaska’s Inside Passage

INSML
Call for Price

Description

Pristine Wilderness Where the Bigger Ships Can’t Reach
On our Alaska small ship cruises, we explore natural wonders aboard a classic, wooden tugboat designed for the ultimate in guest comfort. Expeditions provide an opportunity to personally connect with the natural and cultural history of Alaska’s rugged Southeast, each day becoming more in tune with the rhythm of the coast. Travel with just a few guests, guided by the expert crew, naturalist, and guides of Maple Leaf Adventures.

Trip Name
Cruise Alaska’s Inside Passage
Days
11
Overview
Vessel Type: Schooner Length: 92f / 28m Passenger Capacity: 8 Maple Leaf is a 92-foot wooden schooner built in 1904, designed for intimate coastal exploration with a maximum of eight guests. She offers a deeply personal, human-scale experience that prioritises direct engagement with the natural world, accessing remote coastlines, rivers and anchorages unreachable by larger ships. Accommodation is simple but warm: four semi-private sleeping areas, shared washrooms, and communal spaces centred on conversation, observation and shared meals prepared onboard. Stability under sail, long range, and a highly experienced crew make her exceptionally capable despite her modest size. Constructed from Douglas fir, yellow cedar and mahogany, Maple Leaf blends working-vessel toughness with Edwardian craftsmanship and modern functionality. Life on board revolves around open decks, zodiac landings, kayaking, wildlife observation and, for those inclined, hands-on sailing under crew guidance. Her long history — from luxury yacht to high-performing halibut fishing vessel to pioneering expedition ship — gives the experience a sense of continuity and authenticity. Travel aboard Maple Leaf is immersive, physically engaging, and deliberately unpolished, favouring depth, access and presence over luxury conventions.

Itinerary



Day 1 - Days 1-3 Welcome Aboard!
Day 1: Depart at Ketchikan, Alaska, to wilderness anchorage, wildlife viewing, shore excursion with introduction to the Easter Pacific Ocean and the Wester coastal temperate rainforest.Day 2: Motor-sailing on route and wildlife viewing. Birdwatching, look for whales. Shore excursion in zodiacs to explore and discover the intertidal, wilderness anchorage.  Day 3: Cruising and exploring ashore in South Etolin Wilderness. Bears, intertidal life, island & islet exploration. Visit remote coves and estuaries. Evening kayaking.
Day 2 - Days 4-6 Wrangell Narrows
Day 4: Sailing, Wrangell, Wrangell Narrows.Day 5: Rainforest hike/walk, whale watching, sea lions. Anchor at fjord entrance with view of ice bergs. Beach time. Day 6: Cruising spectacular fjord to tidewater glacier, ice bergs, wildlife viewing. Option to zodiac, kayak and/or walk, exploring glacier, ice bergs in this awesome ice world.  
Day 3 - Days 7-11 Admiralty Island
Day 7: Explore from aboard, around Admiralty Island’s Glass Peninsula and into wild brown bear habitat, estuary shore excursion and Brown Bear viewing.  Day 8: Cruising to Warm Springs Bay, visit small Alaskan coastal hamlet. Rainforest / bog walk and natural hot springs. Cruising the waterfall coast of Baranof Island. Day 9: Chatham Strait & Fredrick Sound humpback whales. Wilderness anchorage.  Day 10: Cruising and sailing through Tongass National Forest. Seabird viewing.  Day 11 Cruise to Petersburg for disembarkation.
Day 4 - Please note:
Itineraries are subject to change. 

Trip Dates

StartEndPrice FromRoom Type

Inclusions

    • Alaska’s Most Unique Cruise Experience Alaska from the decks of a ship that has traversed its natural wonder for more than a century.
    • Adventure Set to Glacial Pace Journey through sheer-sided glacial fjords, reaching the foot of tidal glaciers. Witness spectacular calving events.
    • Giants of the Deep Cruise into Fredrick Sound, a renowned feeding ground for whales. Look out for breaching humpbacks or the playful splash of an orca calf.
    • World-Class Bear Viewing Enjoy special access to remote and protected areas like Salmon Creek & Pack Creek, where brown bears gather to feed.

Map