Explore Canada's Arctic Region & Alaska

Cruise passengers who visit Alaska's "Inside Passage" can get a tiny glimpse of the vast Canadian Arctic.

But there's another option: "The Arctic Odyssey," It is a 10-day/9-night adventure that takes you from Canada's new territory of Nunavut, into the legendary Northwest Territories and west to the "Inside Passage."

This extraordinary adventure lets you examine the cultures, history and uncommonly beautiful scenery of the Canadian Arctic.
It is offered by The Great Canadian Travel Company, a specialist in travel to the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Alaska, Iceland, Greenland and other northern destinations.

Visit the East Coast of Baffin Island

The journey begins in Ottawa, Canada's capital, with a morning flight to Iqaluit, on the east coast of Baffin Island, one of the world's largest islands, an ideal spot for viewing polar bears, witnessing the beautiful Northern Lights and kayaking between ice flows.

A short flight west brings you to Rankin Inlet, the administrative center of the vast Kivallik region, for a tour of the community. This is the spot to go fishing in Hudson Bay or in nearby rivers and lakes and also to learn about 19th century whalers lost in these waters.

There is also a stop at Yellowknife, capital of the Northwest Territories, and then a floatplane ride to Blachford Lake for a luxurious stay at a remote lodge with time to fish, explore the idyllic lake, hike in the woods or simply to relax and enjoy the solitude.

See Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory

The odyssey continues with a two-night visit to Whitehorse, in the Yukon Territory. Diversions here include a cruise on the Yukon River, shopping for Inuit and Native Indian arts and crafts and taking in a campy 1890s-style revue complete with dancing girls and Robert Service poetry.

Completing the journey "from sea to shining sea" is an excursion on the narrow-gauge railway, the White Pass & Yukon Route, that winds through scenic mountain passes on a 1-1/2-hour journey between Fraser, British Columbia, and Skagway, Alaska, a port on the fabled "Inside Passage."

Skagway, "Gateway to the Klondike"

The oldest incorporated city in Alaska (dating from 1900), Skagway is dubbed "Gateway to the Klondike" because it was a staging ground for the gold rush of 1898. There's time to explore Skagway's downtown historical district with its false-fronted buildings and boardwalks before a four-hour journey by coach back to Whitehorse for an overnight stay and an air connection back to Yellowknife and on to Edmonton, Alberta, where you will overnight before departure on your homeward journey.

"The Arctic Odyssey" package includes airfare from Ottawa to Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet, Yellowknife, Blachford Lake Lodge, Whitehorse and Edmonton. Also included are accommodations for nine nights, plus a tour in Iqaluit and the train excursion to Skagway. Cost is US$4,239 per person (based on double occupancy). There are departures year-round.

Reservations, copies of a full-color "Top of the World" catalog and additional information are available from The Great Canadian Travel Company Ltd., at (800) 661-3830, or visit www.greatcanadiantravel.com.