Where else in the world can you watch grizzly bears catch salmon in glacier-fed creeks, explore temperate rainforests, sail through ice-carved fjords, and learn about the local way of life in Indigenous settlements? Alaska is a state of wondrous beauty, rich culture, and heart-pounding adventure, and now that PONANT is offering complimentary roundtrip airfare from U.S. gateways on a selection of 2024 sailings. Plus, travel advisors will receive one $250 gift card per booking made between January 8 - 31, 2024.
With sailings from Vancouver, Sitka, and Seward, the three itineraries (across eight departures) offer a range of perspectives on Alaska’s vast beauty. The presence of an experienced team of naturalist-guides will give guests a different perspective on the state’s primary forests, jagged mountains, majestic fjords, and wildlife-filled natural corridors.
The nine-day “Emblematic Alaska” itinerary takes travelers from the bright lights and cosmopolitan energy of Vancouver through the Johnstone Strait and the Inside Passage, where you might see humpback whales, orcas, and the region’s famous bald eagle. But the itinerary is as focused on astonishing natural landscapes (think: breathtaking fjords, temperate rainforests, and imposing glaciers) and traditional villages like Petersburg, one of Alaska’s largest commercial fishing hamlets, and the small Tlingit village of Kake, home to the highest totem pole in the world. Rates start at $5,530 per guest.
Setting sail from Sitka, the 11-day “Majestic Alaska” sailing immerses travelers in the heart-stopping beauty of Elfin Cove and the Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, where humpback whales, sea lions, and orcas can be seen swimming a dozen feet from the shoreline. From there, Le Soléal will head to the Tlingit village of Kake to meet the town’s 500 Tlingit inhabitants, and the small settlements of Metlakatla, where travelers will discover local arts and crafts. One final stop in the small wooded island of Cormorant, just off the north coast of Vancouver Island, will give guests the opportunity to discover the Indigenous culture in the small sheltered fishing port of Alert Bay before sailing through the Johnstone Strait en route to Vancouver. Rates start at $7,480 per guest.
The 12-day “Alaska, Nature on a Grand Scale,” which starts in Seward and ends in Vancouver, is ideal for travelers wanting to discover the state in all its grandeur. Not only does it include stops in Alaska’s traditional villages and sightings of all the state’s most exotic wildlife (from grizzly bears to whales), it also includes voyages to awe-inspiring glaciers like those in the Prince William Sound and the Tsaa Fjord, the latter of which is dominated by the legendary 18,000-foot-tall Mount Saint Elias. Other highlights include Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, the Misty Fjords National Monument, and, of course, the wildlife-rich Inside Passage and Johnstone Strait. Rates start at $7,600 per guest.
For more information, visit https://us.ponant.com/alaska-round-trip-airfare-included.
