Vancouver, between the Pacific and Coast Mountains, blends urban sophistication with outdoor adventure. One of Canada's most diverse cities, it reflects Asian, Latin American and Aboriginal traditions. Highlights include historic Gastown, Granville Island, and Stanley Park's trails, totem poles and waterfront views. Nearby, Grouse Mountain offers hiking or a tram ride, and Capilano Suspension Bridge Park showcases rainforest walkways and cliffside views.

In Ketchikan, explore Tongass National Forest's fjords and lakes by kayak, canoe, or Zodiac. Known as the "Salmon Capital of the World," it also offers fishing for halibut, rockfish, and Dungeness crab. Take a seaplane or helicopter for stunning views, ride an ATV to Mahoney Lake, stroll Creek Street, and visit totem poles, museums, and Saxman Native Village.

Klawock, on Prince of Wales Island's rugged west coast, offers a glimpse of remote Alaskan wilderness and local Tlingit culture. Visit Klawock Totem Park for its totem poles and possible master carver demos. See black bears and eagles at Dog Salmon Fish Pass, fish for salmon or halibut, and enjoy whale-watching, rainforest hikes, or kayaking on Klawock Lake.

Wrangell, on its namesake island, is a historic town in Alaska's Inside Passage, ringed by Tongass National Forest. Home to the Tlingit for thousands of years, its culture shows in local art, traditions, and shoreline petroglyphs. Its past includes Russian and British outposts and a Gold Rush boom, preserved at the Wrangell Museum. Visitors come for bears at Anan Wildlife Observatory, Stikine River jet boat trips, LeConte Glacier icebergs, Rainbow Falls, and Mount Dewey.

Sitka blends Alaska Native and Russian heritage. At Sitka National Historical Park, see the restored 19th-century Russian Bishop's House and a coastal trail lined with Tlingit and Haida totem poles. Other highlights include St. Michael's Cathedral and Baranof Castle, where Alaska was transferred from Russia to the U.S. in 1867. Beyond town, explore Tongass National Forest by hiking, kayaking, flightseeing, or boat trips to spot whales, sea otters, sea lions, bears, deer, and to fish Sitka Sound.

Prince Rupert is a vibrant coastal city on Kaien Island at the edge of the Great Bear Rainforest. Long home to the Tsimshian Nation, its Indigenous heritage is showcased at the Museum of Northern British Columbia. The restored North Pacific Cannery reveals its salmon-fishing past. As a gateway to BC's North Coast and the Inside Passage, it offers rainforest hikes, kayaking in coves like Kloiya Bay, whale watching, and guided trips to Khutzeymateen Grizzly Sanctuary to see wild grizzlies.

Vancouver, between the Pacific and Coast Mountains, blends urban sophistication with outdoor adventure. One of Canada's most diverse cities, it reflects Asian, Latin American and Aboriginal traditions. Highlights include historic Gastown, Granville Island, and Stanley Park's trails, totem poles and waterfront views. Nearby, Grouse Mountain offers hiking or a tram ride, and Capilano Suspension Bridge Park showcases rainforest walkways and cliffside views.