Southeastern Alaska is a region of Alaska. Sometimes called the "panhandle", it is a thin strip of land and islands between Canada's British Columbia and the northern Pacific Ocean. It contains the Inside Passage, a series of waterways largely protected from the Pacific by islands, providing a safer sea route up and down the coast.

Regions

• Prince of Wales Island

Cities

• Ketchikan
• Thorne Bay, accessible via float plane and ferry from Ketchikan. A beautiful place with great fishing and good lodging available
• Petersburg
• Wrangell
• Gustavus - Gateway to Glacier Bay
• Sitka -- A popular cruise ship stop with Russian colonial history.
• Juneau -- State capital and third largest city. Home to Mendenhall Glacier & a handful of museums.
• Haines - eco-friendly historical town, popular with hikers, fisherman, rafters, and snowmobilers. Very few cruise ships visit Haines making it more quaint.
• Hyder - Only accessible by road from Stewart BC
• Hoonah - small native Alaskan village, home to Icy Strait Point, which is a cruise-tourism attraction offering the worlds longest zip-line and bear watching tours.
• Pelican
• Skagway - Mining town rich in history, is also the main link to the Alcan highway and Whitehorse, BC. Home of the White Pass & Yukon Railroad.
• Yakutat - Gateway to Herbert Glacier

Other destinations

• Glacier Bay National Park - dynamic change in the wake of dramatic glacial movements
• Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park - Gold! Headlines read in 1897, starting the rush north to Alaska
• Misty Fiords National Monument and Wilderness - a segment of coastal temperate rain forest
• Sitka National Historical Park - Alaska's oldest federally designated park was established in 1910 to commemorate the 1804 Battle of Sitka
• Funter Bay
• Alexander Archipelago, a group of 1,100 islands.

Get around

All of Southeast Alaska is land-locked. Due to the high fjords and rocky shorelines, there are very few roads in this part of Alaska. Most villages are linked by State funded ferry service - The Alaska Marine Highway, as well as seaplane and land plane service.

Juneau is the hub for the Alaska marine highway, offering frequent trips to Haines, Skagway, and Sitka; with less frequent ferries to Petersburg, Wrangell, and Ketchikan. Many smaller villages get service only once or twice a month. Haines & Skagway have links to the Alcan Highway, and many travelers opt to drive to these two points to catch the daily ferry to Juneau and then on to other destinations; Prince Rupert also has frequent ferry service (3 times a week) to Ketchikan and Juneau. Ferry service from Bellingham links most of the larger villages/towns, however it only operates twice a month in the winter and three times a month in the summer; space fills up quickly so reservations need to be made far in advance.

Do

• Mendenhall Glacier - free to the public (visitors center has a small entry charge) this is one of the most visited glaciers in the world. Explore the miles of trails around Mendenhall Lake, or get up close by hiking the West Glacier trail. Located in Juneau.
• Mount Roberts Tram - take Southeast's only tram up nearly 2,000 feet above Juneau and enjoy breathtaking views, wine & dine at the restaurant, or hike one of the many trails accessible from the tram at the top. Located in Juneau.

Drink

Juneau has a few popular bars, notably the Viking, Imperial, and Alaskan - all of which are open year round. The Red Dog Saloon, however, is the most popular but is only open during the busy summer season.