All the major Inside Passage towns are separated by water or mountainous coastlines, with planes, state ferries, and cruise ships providing the connections. This limitation is a blessing in disguise: A long ferry ride north allows time to soak up the scenery and plan adventures in the next port.
Anyone traveling with a vehicle is limited to ferry travel, while others can mix and match ferries or plane flights with local car rentals when needed. Cruise ships, of course, offer the “leave the drive to us” version.
Plan on at least a week in Southeast Alaska [1]—and preferably more—unless you are simply taking the Alaska Air jet to Sitka [2] (or another town) and stopping for a few days of exploration.
Rain-soaked Ketchikan [3] is the southernmost port and a very popular destination for travelers of all ages and incomes. Downtown’s Creek Street [4] forms a picturesque stop, while totem poles and Tlingit (KLINK-it) culture are the big draws at Saxman [5] and Totem Bight State Historical Park [6]. Day trips by air or sea to Misty Fiords National Monument [7] provide a great introduction to a dramatic wilderness of high cliffs and deep inlets.
Nearby Metlakatla [8] and Prince of Wales Island [9] are off-the-beaten-path destinations, and to the north lie the fishing towns of Wrangell [10] and Petersburg [11], with the mighty Stikine River [12] (popular for jet-boat trips) heading into the mountains of British Columbia [13].
Stop in the old Native Alaskan and Russian town of Sitka [2] with its gemlike setting, Sitka National Historical Park [14], and the Alaska Raptor Center [15].
Juneau [16] is not just the state capital and third largest city but also home to a fun tramway up Mt. Roberts [17], the Alaska State Museum [18], and famous Mendenhall Glacier [19]. Boat tours to the deep fjords and calving glaciers of Tracy Arm [20] are popular day trips from Juneau, as are boat tours (and kayaking trips) into magnificent Glacier Bay [21].
The quiet town of Haines [22] is home to Fort Seward [23], where century-old homes surround the old parade grounds.
The touristy town of Skagway [24] has a gold-rush aura courtesy of the many buildings preserved within Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park [25]. Especially popular here are narrow-gauge train rides aboard the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad [26].
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/southeast-alaska
[2] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/southeast-alaska/sitka
[3] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/southeast-alaska/ketchikan
[4] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/southeast-alaska/ketchikan/sights/downtown-ketchican
[5] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/southeast-alaska/ketchikan/sights/saxman
[6] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/southeast-alaska/ketchikan/sights/totem-bight
[7] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/southeast-alaska/ketchikan/excursions-ketchikan/misty-fiords-national-monument
[8] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/southeast-alaska/ketchikan/excursions-ketchikan/metlakatla
[9] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/southeast-alaska/prince-wales-island
[10] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/southeast-alaska/wrangell
[11] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/southeast-alaska/petersburg
[12] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/southeast-alaska/wrangell/sights/the-stikine-river
[13] http://www.moon.com/destinations/british-columbia
[14] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/southeast-alaska/sitka/sights/sitka-national-historical-park
[15] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/southeast-alaska/sitka/sights/alaska-raptor-center
[16] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/southeast-alaska/juneau
[17] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/southeast-alaska/juneau/sights/mt-roberts-tramway
[18] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/southeast-alaska/juneau/sights/downtown-juneau
[19] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/southeast-alaska/juneau/sights/mendenhall-glacier
[20] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/southeast-alaska/juneau/tracy-arm-fords-terror-wilderness
[21] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/southeast-alaska/glacier-bay-national-park/sea-kayaking
[22] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/southeast-alaska/haines
[23] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/southeast-alaska/haines/sights/fort-seward
[24] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/southeast-alaska/skagway
[25] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/southeast-alaska/skagway/sights/klondike-gold-rush-national-historical-park
[26] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/southeast-alaska/skagway/sights/white-pass-yukon-route-railroad