Alaska Experience Cruise 10 nätter • Seattle, Washington till Vancouver, British Columbia • Ovation of the Seas

Sailing out on a cruise from Seattle? Make sure you spend a few a days in the beautiful Emerald City. If you’re a nature lover, this jewel in the Pacific Northwest is the perfect place for you to explore ahead of your cruise vacation. Though it offers plenty of metropolitan delights — think great restaurants, bars, a ton of shopping and lots (and lots) of hip coffee shops — Seattle is a big city with a wild, great-outdoors soul. It’s surrounded by ancient forests, sprawling public parks and, of course, the misty Puget Sound, where you can slow-moving tugboats, sleek kayaks and the occasional pod of whales. Head to Discovery Park for beautiful views of the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges or visit the Olympic Sculpture Park near Elliott Bay. And if you’re craving a drink and a tasty bite to eat, head to one of Seattle’s many rooftop bars and take advantage of those extra-long northern summer days while you sip local brews and expertly crafted cocktails.

Sitka truly offers the best of Alaska. Its small-town appeal stems from a unique blend of Russian, Tlingit and American history. Volcanic Mount Edgecumbe is postcard-worthy and its rare wildlife includes orange-beaked puffins. Whether you’re hiking Baranof Island trails or listening to tribal stories passed down for generations, in Sitka the midnight sun never sets on adventure.

Once the starting point for gold stampeders heading for the promised land of the Yukon, Skagway symbolizes the spirit of Alaska. And now — it’s your turn to hunt for bold. Embark on the trail of the fortune seekers on a vintage train ride with dramatic, sweeping views at every turn. Trek through the dense rainforest and windswept valleys of Chilkoot Trail and follow in the footsteps of Klondike pioneers. Or stroll the charming downtown streets studded with historical buildings. Whatever you get up to in Skagway, it’ll be a day you’ll never forget.

Juneau is the largest U.S. state capital— and one of the hardest to get to. Flanked by mountains, tundra and rainforests, it’s basically inaccessible except by air or sea. Once you arrive you’ll find adventure in every corner. Go dogsledding over Mendenhall Glacier, or prospecting along centuries-old mining trails. In Juneau, the thrills are as endless as the surrounding wilderness.

At 76 miles long and seven miles wide, North America’s largest tidewater glacier makes even the largest ships in the region feel small. Watch massive chunks of Hubbard Glacier’s translucent blue ice crash into the bay with a bang like a cannon shot, a sound the Tlingit people call “White Thunder.”

If you want to hang in Icy Strait Point, you’re going to have to get a little wild. Go whale watching in Point Adolphus and sea lion spotting . Or gear up to go soaring over mountain forests on the world’s longest zip line. Life here is all about the thrill factor.

Dubbed the canned salmon capital of the world, Ketchikan is rich in both fishing and culture. You’ll find more totem poles here than anywhere else in the world, and a Native spirit kept alive by three tribes of Northwest Coastal People. For some outdoor thrills, venture into the surrounding Tongass National Forest— the largest in the United States.

Kick off the afternoon lunching on xiaolongbao buns in Chinatown. Then explore the city’s cultural offerings at the Bill Reid Gallery or Vancouver Art Gallery. Get into some active adventure, whether it’s water-biking False Creek or mountain-biking the North Shore. Evenings are best spent dining and drinking in Yaletown’s hip warehouse district.