Hot Spots and Cool Discoveries for 2020
- Shela Esterkin
- Jan 20, 2020
- 10 min read
Spring/Summer 2020: Choose Your Next Adventure!
From the Arctic to Alaska, from South Georgia to the South Pacific, choose one of these wild and unique destinations, and actively explore a remarkable corner of the world.
Contact info@familytc.com to find out more information or to book your next vacation!
Alaska:
A REMARKABLE JOURNEY TO ALASKA, BRITISH COLUMBIA & HAIDA GWAII: 15 days in May, August, and September
Day 1: Seattle/ Embark
Day 2: Gulf Islands, British Columbia
Day 3: Johnstone Strait and Alert Bay, British Columbia
Day 4-5: Inside Passage of British Columbia
Day 6-9: Haida Gwaii
Day 10-12: Alaska’s Inside Passage
Day 13-14: Glacier Bay National Park/ Inian Islands/ Chichagof Island
Day 15:Sitka/Disembark/Seattle
ALASKA END TO END: KETCHIKAN TO NOME: 22 days in June and July
Day 1: Ketchikan, Alaska, US/Embark
Day 2: Misty Fjords & Behm Canal
Day 3: Wrangell & Kuiu Islands
Day 4: Exploring Baranof Island
Day 5: Sitka & St. Lazaria Island
Day 6: At Sea /Hubbard Glacier
Day 7: Kayak Island
Day 8: Exploring Prince William Sound
Day 9: College Fjord
Day 10: Seward
Day 11: Exploring the Kenai Peninsula
Day 12: Kodiak Island
Day 13:Katmai National Parks & Preserve
Day 14-15: Alaska Peninsula/Shumagin Islands
Day 16: Baby Islands/Dutch Harbor, Unalaska
Day 17-19: Pribilof Islands/St. Matthews & Hall Islands
Day 20: Provideniya, Russian Federation
Day 21: At Sea/Crossing the Bering Strait
Day 22: Nome, Alaska, U.S./Disembark/Anchorage/Home
BERING SEA WILDERNESS: PRIBILOFS, KATMAI, AND KODIAK: 13 days in July
Day 1: Anchorage/Nome/Embark
Day 2: At Sea/Crossing the Bering Strait
Day 3: Provideniya, Russian Federation
Day 4-6: At Sea/ Pribilof Islands
Day 7-8: Unalaska/Alaska Peninsula
Day 9: Shumagin Islands
Day 10: Katmai National Park
Day 11: Kodiak Island
Day 12: Exploring the Kenai Peninsula
Day 13: Seward/Disembark/Anchorage/Home
EXPLORING ALASKA'S COASTAL WILDERNESS: 8 days in May, June, July, August, and September
Day 1: Juneau, Alaska/Embark Ship
Day 2: Tracy Arm-Fords, Terror Wilderness
Day 3: Petersburg
Day 4: Frederick Sound and Chatham Strait
Day 5: Icy Strait and the Inian Islands
Day 6: Glacier Bay National Park
Day 7: Southeast Alaska’s Islands, Bays and Fjords
Day 8: Sitka/Disembark
TREASURES OF THE INSIDE PASSAGE: ALASKA AND BRITISH COLUMBIA: 14 days in May, August, and September
Day 1: Seattle/Embark
Day 2: San Juan Islands, WA
Day 3: Victoria, British Columbia
Day 4: Gulf Islands
Day 5: Alert Bay and Johnstone Strait, British Columbia
Day 6-7: Inside Passage of British Columbia
Day 8: Misty Fjords, Alaska
Day 9: Petersburg
Day 10: Tracy Arm-Ford’s Terror Wilderness
Day 11: Glacier Bay National Park
Day 12: Inian Islands/Icy Strait
Day 13: Exploring Baranof or Chicago Island
Day 14: Sitka/Disembark/Home
VOYAGE TO GREAT BEAR RAINFOREST: NATIVE CULTURE & WILDLIFE IN THE LAND OF THE SPIRIT BEAR: 8 days in September
Day 1: Ketchikan, AK, USA
Day 2: Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada
Day 3-6: Exploring the Great Bear Rainforest
Day 7: Cruising and Union Passage Provincial Marine Park
Day 8: Ketchikan, AK, USA
WILD ALASKA ESCAPE: JUNEAU TO KETCHIKAN: 6 days in May, June, July and August
Day 1: Juneau/National Geographic Sea Lion
Day 2: LeConte Bay/Thomas Bay
Day 3: Sumner Strait
Day 4: Wrangell Island
Day 5: Misty Fjords National Monument
Day 6: Ketchikan
WILD ALASKA ESCAPE: SITKA TO JUNEAU:6 days in May, June, July and August
Day 1: Sitka/Embark
Day 2: Exploring Baranof or Chichagof Island
Day 3: Icy Strait & the Inian Islands
Day 4: Haines
Day 5: Tracy Arm- Fords Terror Wilderness
Day 6: Juneau
Canada
Day 1: US/St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada/Embark
Day 2: St. Pierre, France
Day 3: Louisbourg & Baddeck, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia
Day 4: Iles de la Madeleine, Quebec
Day 5: Exploring the Gulf of St. Lawrence
Day 6: Gros Morne National Park
Day 7: L’Anse aux Meadows
Day 8: Exploring Eastern Newfoundland
St. John’s/Disembark/U.S.
Channel Islands
Day 1: Los Angeles, CA/Embark
Day 2: Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands, Channel Islands National Park
Day 3: Santa Rosa Island, Channel Island National Park
Day 4: Catalina Island
Day 5: Los Angeles/Disembark
Pacific Northwest
Day 1: Portland, Oregon/Embark Ship
Day 2: Columbia River Gorge/Hood River
Day 3: Cruising
Day 4: Walla Walla
Day 5: Exploring the Palouse River
Day 6: Clarkston, WA
Day 7: Clarkston/Disembark
Baja
BAJA CALIFORNIA AND THE SEA OF CORTEZ: AMONG THE GREAT WHALES: 8 days in January, February, and March
Day 1: Lorento/San Carlos/Embark
Day 2: Bahía Almejas/Rehúsa Channel/Isla Magdalena
Day 3: Boca de Soledad
Day 4: Hull Canal/Cruising
Day 5: Gorda Banks and Cabo Pulmo
Day 6: Los Islotes and La Paz
Day 7: Exploring the Sea of Cortez
Day 8: Loreto/Disembark
BAJA CALIFORNIA: A REMARKABLE JOURNEY: 15 days in March
Day 1: Loreto/ San Carlos/Embark
Day 2: Bahia Magdalena
Bay 3-4: Laguna San Ignacio
Day 5: At Sea
Day 6-14: Islands of the Sea of Cortez
Day 15: Loreto/Disembark
EXPLORING THE SEA OF CORTEZ: A LIVING SEA AND DESERT ISLES: 8 days in April and December
Day 1: Home/Loreto/Embark
Day 2-7: Exploring the Sea of Cortez
Day 8: Disembark/Loreto/Home
FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TO BAJA: SAILING THE PACIFIC COAST: 12 days in December
Day 1: Arrive Los Angeles/Embark NG Venture
Day 2: Channel Islands National Park
Day 3: Ensenada and the Valle de Guadalupe
Day 4: San Quintin Exploration
Day 5-7: Guerrero Negro/Islas San Benito/Isla Natividad/At Sea
Day 8: Bahia Magdalena
Day 9: Los Cabos and Gorda Banks
Day 10-11: Cabo Pulmo/Los Islotes
Day 12: La Paz/Disembark/San Jose del Cabo
WILD BAJA ESCAPE: SERENITY & SEA LIFE IN THE SEA OF CORTEZ: 5 days in January and December
Day 1: San Jose Del Cabo/La Paz/ Embark
Day 2-3: San Jose Channel/Isla San Jose/Isla San Francisco
Day 4: Isla Partida/Los Islotes
Day 5: La Paz/Disembark/San Jose Del Cabo
WILD BAJA ESCAPE: THE WHALES OF MAGDALENA BAY: 6 days in January, February, and March
Day 1: Loreto/San Carlos/Embark
Day 2: Bahía Almejas/Rehúsa Channel/Isla Magdalena
Day 3: Transit the Hull Canal/Boca de Soledad
Day 4-5: Boca de Soledad
Day 6: Lopez Mateos/Disembark/Loreto
Galapagos
GALÁPAGOS ABOARD NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ENDEAVOUR II: 10 days, year round
Day 1: US/Guayaquil, Ecuador
Day 2: Guayaquil/Galapagos/Embark
Day 3-8: Galapagos Islands
Day 9: Galápagos/Disembark/Guayaquil
Day 10: Guayaquil/Home
GALÁPAGOS ABOARD NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ENDEAVOUR II + PERU'S LAND OF THE INCA: 16 days, year round
Day 1: US/Guayaquil, Ecuador
Day 2: Guayaquil/Galapagos/Embark Ship
Day 3-8: Exploring the Galapagos Islands
Day 9: Galapagos/Guayaquil/Lima,Peru
Day 10: Lima/Cusco/Sacred Valley of the Inca
Day 11:Sacred Valley of the Inca
Day 12: Sacred Valley/Machu Picchu
Day 13: Machu Picchu/Cusco
Day 14: Cusco
Day 15: Cusco/Lima
Day 16: Lima/US
GALÁPAGOS ABOARD NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ISLANDER: 10 days, year round
Day 1: US/Guayaquil, Ecuador
Day 2: Guayaquil/Galapagos/Embark
Day 3-8: Galapagos Islands
Day 9: Galápagos/Disembark/Guayaquil
Day 10: Guayaquil/Home
GALÁPAGOS ABOARD NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ISLANDER + PERU'S LAND OF THE INCA: 16 days, year round
Day 1: US/Guayaquil, Ecuador
Day 2: Guayaquil/Galapagos/Embark Ship
Day 3-8: Exploring the Galapagos Islands
Day 9: Galapagos/Guayaquil/Lima,Peru
Day 10: Lima/Cusco/Sacred Valley of the Inca
Day 11: Sacred Valley of the Inca
Day 12: Sacred Valley/Machu Picchu
Day 13: Machu Picchu/Cusco
Day 14: Cusco
Day 15: Cusco/Lima
Day 16: Lima/US
WILD GALÁPAGOS & PERU ESCAPE: 9 days, year round
Day 1: US/Lima, Peru
Day 2: Lima/Cusco/Sacred Valley
Day 3: Machu Picchu
Day 4: Sacred Valley/Guayaquil
Day 5-8: Guayaquil/Galapagos
Day 9: Disembark/Baltra/Guayaquil
WILD GALÁPAGOS ESCAPE: 7 days, year round
Day 1: US/Guayaquil, Ecuador
Day 2: Guayaquil/Galapagos/Embark
Day 3-6: Galapagos
Day 7: Disembark/Baltra/Guayaquil/Depart
Upper Amazon
Day 1: US/Lima, Peru
Day 2: Lima/Iquitos/Nauta/Embark
Day 3-8: Exploring the pacaya-Samiria Reserva
Day 9: Nauta/Disembark/Iquitos/Lima
Day 10: Lima/US
Panama and Columbia
Day 1: Panama City, Panama
Day 2: Gatun Lake
Day 3: Portobelo
Day 4: Guna Yala
Day 5: Necocli, Columbia
Day 6: Santa Cruz del Islote/ San Bernardo Archipelago/ San Antero/ Tuchin
Day 7: Santa Cruz de Lorica/ Cispata Bay
Day 8: Cartagena
Northern Europe
Day 1-2: US/Copenhagen, Denmark/ Embark
Day 3: Lubeck
Day 4: At Sea
Day 5: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Day 6-7: Bruges and Antwerp
Day 8-9: Beaches and Historical Battlefields of Operation Overlord
Day 10: Sark/Alderney, Channel Islands
Day 11: Dover, England
Day 12: London, UK/Disembark/Home
Scotland
Day 1-2: US/Inverness, Scotland/Embark
Day 3: Culloden/Clava Cairns/Loch Ness/Fort Augustus
Day 4: Laggan Locks/Corpach/Glenfinnan
Day 5: Loch Linnhe/Oban
Day 6: Sound of Mull/Iona/Duart Castle/Tobermory
Day 7: Tobermory/Isle of Eigg or Isle of Rum/Inverie
Day 8: Isle of Skye/Kyle of Lochalsh
Day 9: Kyle of Lochalsh/Disembark/Inverness/US
South Pacific
AZURE SEAS FROM TAHITI TO THE MARQUESAS: 17 days, April
Day 1: Depart US
Day 2: Papeete, French polynesia/Rangiroa/Embark
Day 3-5: At Sea/Tuamotu Archipelago
Day 6-7: At Sea/Nuku Hiva, Marquesas
Day 8: Hiva Oa, Marquesas
Day 9: Fatu Hiva, Marquesas
Day 10-12: Exploring the Marquesas Islands/At sea
Day 13-14: tuamotu Archipelago
Day 15: Makatea
Day 16-17: Disembark/Papeete/Home
EASTER ISLAND TO TAHITI: TALES OF THE PACIFIC: 20 days, March
Day 1-5: US/Santiago,Chile/Easter Island/Embark
Day 6-10: At Sea/Pitcairn Islands
Day 11-12: At Sea/Mangareva, French Polynesia
Day 13-18: At Sea/ Tuamotu Archipelago
Day 19-20: Papeete/Disembark/US
FRENCH POLYNESIA: BEYOND THE POSTCARD: 10 days in April and May
Day 1: Depart US/Papeete, French Polynesia
Day 2: Papeete, French Polynesia/Embark
Day 3: Bora Bora, Society Islands
Day 4: Raiatea/Tahaa
Day 5: Huahine
Day 6-7: Tuamotu Archipelago
Day 8: Rangiroa
Day 9-10: Rangiroa/Disembark/Papeete/Home
TAHITI TO THE MARQUESAS: FRENCH POLYNESIAN DISCOVERY: 10 days in May
Day 1: Depart U.S./Papeete, French Polynesia
Day 2: Papeete, French Polynesia
Day 3: Papeete/Embark
Day 4-5: Tuamotu Archipelago
Day 6-7: At Sea/Fatu Hiva, Marquesas
Day 8: Nuku Hiva, Marquesas
Day 9-10: Hiva Oa, Marquesas/Disembark/Tahiti/Home
South Georgia
Day 1-2: U.S./Buenos Aires, Argentina
Day 3: Fly to Ushuaia/Embark
Day 4: At Sea In The South Atlantic
Day 5-6: Falkland Islands
Day 7-8: At Sea
Day 9-14: South Georgia Island
Day 15-17: At Sea/Falklands
Day 18-19: Stanley, Falklands/Disembark/Fly to Santiago, Chile/U.S.
Arctic and Iceland
A CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF ICELAND: 11 days, June and July
Day 1:U.S./Reykjavik, Iceland
Day 2: Reykjavik/Embark
Day 3: Flatey Island/Látrabjarg
Day 4: Exploring Northwestern Iceland
Day 5: Ísafjördur
Day 6: Siglufjördur and Akureyri
Day 7: Lake Mývatn and Húsavík
Day 8: Exploring Northeast Iceland
Day 9: Djúpivogur
Day 10: Islands of Heimaey & Surtsey, Westman Islands
Day 11: Reykjavik/Disembark/Home
ACROSS THE BERING SEA: FROM KATMAI TO KAMCHATKA: 22 days, June and July
Day 1: Anchorage/Seward/Embark
Day 2-3: Katmai National Park
Day 4-5: At Sea/Unalaska
Day 6-10: Exploring the Aleutian Islands
Day 11: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Russian Federation
Day 12: Zhupanova River
Day 13-14: Commander Islands
Day 15-19: Exploring the Koryak and Chukotka Coasts
Day 20: Provideniya
Day 21: At Sea, Crossing the Bering Strait
Day 22: Nome/Disembark/Anchorage/Home
ARCTIC EXPLORATION: A VOYAGE TO ICELAND, EAST GREENLAND, AND NORWAY: 17 days in July
Day 1-2: U.S./Reykjavík, Iceland
Day 3: Westman Islands
Day 4: Flatey Island/Látrabjarg
Day 5: Exploring Northwestern Iceland
Day 6-10: At Sea/Exploring East Greenland
Day 11-12: Jan Mayen, Norway/At Sea
Day 13: Lofoten Islands
Day 14: Nordfjorden/Svartisen
Day 15: Tysfjorden
Day 16-17: Tromsø/Oslo/U.S.
COASTAL WONDERS OF NORWAY, THE FAROE ISLANDS AND ICELAND: 17 days in June
Day 1-2: U.S./Oslo, Norway
Day 3: Tromsø
Day 4: Tysfjorden
Day 5: Lofoten Islands
Day 6-7: Exploring the Fjords of Norway
Day 8: At Sea/Shetland Islands, Scotland
Day 9: Lerwick/Foula
Day 10-11: Exploring the Faroe Islands
Day 12-13: At Sea/Seyðisfjörður, Iceland/Grímsey
Day 14-15: Ísafjörđur/Flatey Island/Látrabjarg
Day 16: Westman Islands
Day 17: Reykjavík/U.S.
EAST GREENLAND: WILD SHORES OF THE HIGH ARCTIC: 22 days in August
Day 1-2: U.S./Oslo, Norway
Day 3: Oslo/Tromsø/Embark
Day 4: Tysfjorden
Day 5: Nordfjord/Svartisen
Day 6: Lofoten Islands
Day 7-9: At Sea/Jan Mayen, Norway/At Sea
Day 10-14: Exploring Northeast Greenland National Park
Day 15-17: East Greenland, Scoresbysund/Exploring
Day 18: Northwest Iceland
Day 19: Flatey Island
Day 20: Reykjavik/Disembark/Home
EXPLORING GREENLAND AND THE CANADIAN HIGH ARCTIC: 18 days in August
Day 1-2: U.S./Keflavík, Iceland/Reykjavík
Day 3: Reykjavík/Kangerlussuaq, Greenland/Embark
Day 4: Greenland’s West Coast & Sisimiut
Day 5: At Sea in Baffin Bay
Day 6-13: Exploring The Canadian High Arctic
Day 14: At Sea In Baffin Bay
Day 15: Disko Bay & Ilulissat
Day 16: Exploring West Greenland
Day 17-18: Kangerlussuaq/ Disembark/ Reykjavík/ Keflavík/U.S.
EXPLORING RUSSIA'S FAR EAST & WRANGEL ISLAND: 13 days in August and September
Day 1: Anchorage/Nome/Embark
Day 2: Provideniya, Russian Federation
Day 3: Cape Dezhnev/Uelen Village
Day 4: Kolyuchin Island & Kolyuchin Bay
Day 5-8: Wrangel Island
Day 9-10: At Sea/Lorino Village
Day 11: Yttygran Island/Provideniya
Day 12: At Sea/Crossing the Bering Strait
Day 13: Nome/Disembark/Anchorage/Home
EXPLORING THE RUSSIAN ARCTIC: FRANZ JOSEF LAND AND THE KARA SEA: 24 days in June
Day 1-3: U.S./Oslo, Norway/Tromsø/Embark
Day 4: Norway’s Fjords
Day 5: Murmansk, Russia
Day 6-7: At Sea
Day 8-10: Novaya Zemlya
Day 11-12: Exploring the Kara Sea
Day 13-15: Severnaya Zemlya
Day 16-19: Franz Josef Land
Day 20-22: At Sea
Day 23: Tromsø, Norway/Oslo
Day 24: Oslo/U.S.
FABLED LANDS OF THE NORTH: GREENLAND TO NEWFOUNDLAND: 17 days in August
Day 1-2: U.S./Reykjavik
Day 3: Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
Day 4: Greenland’s West Coast & Sisimiut
Day 5: Disko Bay and Ilulissat
Day 6: At Sea/Davis Strait
Day 7: Cumberland Peninsula, Baffin Island, Canada
Day 8: Hall Peninsula, Baffin Island
Day 9: South Baffin Island
Day 10: Button Islands, Nunavut
Day 11-14: Exploring The Labrador Coast
Day 15: L'Anse aux Meadows
Day 16: Northern Newfoundland
Day 17: St. John’s, Newfoundland/ U.S.
ICELAND'S WILD WEST COAST TO EAST GREENLAND: 13 days in September
Day 1-2: U.S./Reykjavik, Iceland/Embark
Day 3: Flatey Island, Iceland
Day 4: Crossing the Denmark Strait
Day 5-10: Exploring Scoresbysund and NE Greenland
Day 11-12: Crossing the Denmark Strait/Exploring the Westfjords, Iceland
Day 13: Reykjavik, Iceland/Disembark/Home
LAND OF THE ICE BEARS: AN IN-DEPTH EXPLORATION OF ARCTIC SVALBARD: 11 days in April, May, and June
Day 1: U.S./Fly Overnight to Oslo
Day 2: Oslo, Norway
Day 3: Oslo/Longyearbyen/Embark Ship
Day 4-9: Exploring Svalbard
Day 10: Longyearbyen/Disembark/Oslo
Day 11: Oslo/U.S.
LEGENDARY NORTHERN ISLES: SCOTLAND, FAROES, & ICELAND: 14 days in June
Day 1-2: U.S./Bergen, Norway/Embark
Day 3: Orkney Islands, Scotland
Day 4: Shetland Islands
Day 5-7: The Faroe Island Archipelago
Day 8: Djúpivogur, Iceland
Day 9: At Sea/Grimsey
Day 10: Lake Mývatn/Akureyri
Day 11: Ísafjördur
Day 12: Western Iceland
Day 13: Surtsey & Heimaey, Westman Islands
Day 14: Reykjavík, Iceland/Disembark/Home
NORTHEAST PASSAGE: AN UNFORGETTABLE VOYAGE FROM NORWAY TO ALASKA: 26 days in July and August
Day 1-2: U.S./Oslo, Norway
Day 3: Oslo/Tromsø/Embark
Day 4-6: Exploring Norway's Fjords
Day 6-25: Exploring the Russian High Arctic, Siberian Coast, and Russian Far East
Day 26: Disembark/Nome, Alaska/Anchorage/U.S.
NORWAY'S FJORDS AND ARCTIC SVALBARD: 17 days in May
Day 1: U.S./Bergen, Norway
Day 2: Bergen, Norway/Embark
Day 3: Nordfjord
Day 4-6: Exploring the Fjords of Norway
Day 7: Lofoten Islands
Day 8: Tysfjorden
Day 9: Tromso
Day 10: Bear Island
Day 11-15: Exploring Svalbard
Day 16: Longyearbyen/Oslo
Day 17: Oslo/Home
NORWEGIAN DISCOVERY: SVALBARD AND THE NORTHERN FJORDS: 11 days in June
Day 1-2: U.S./Oslo, Norway
Day 3: Oslo/Longyearbyen
Day 4-6: Exploring Svalbard
Day 7: Bjørnøya (Bear Island)
Day 8: Sørøya Island
Day 9: Senja Island
Day 10: Tromsø
Day 11:Oslo/U.S.
NORWEGIAN FJORDS AND SCOTTISH ISLES: 9 days in May
Day 1-2: U.S./Bergen, Norway/Embark
Day 3: Hardangerfjorden
Day 4: Hidra/At Sea
Day 5: Shetland Islands, Scotland/Isle Of Noss/Lerwick
Day 6: Unst
Day 7-8: Orkney Islands
Day 9: Disembark/Edinburgh/U.S.
SVALBARD IN SPRING: POLAR BEARS, ARCTIC LIGHT & EPIC ICE: 11 days in April
Day 1-2: U.S./Oslo, Norway
Day 3: Oslo/Longyearbyen/Embark
Day 4-9: Svalbard
Day 10: Longyearbyen/Disembark/Oslo
Day 11: Oslo/U.S.
WILD ICELAND ESCAPE: 6 days in June and July
Day 1: U.S./Fly To Reykjavik, Iceland
Day 2: Arrive Reykjavík, Iceland/Embark
Day 3: Djúpavík
Day 4: Arnafjörður and Látrabjarg Cliffs
Day 5: Islands of Surtsey & Heimaey, Westman Islands
Day 6: Reykjavík, Iceland/Disembark/Home
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