With a population of more than 17,000, Prince Rupert is located at the western end of the Yellowhead Highway 16. More than 100 charters leave the port, cruising the islands and waterways of the Inside Passage. Cruisers can see orca and gray whales, fish for salmon and halibut, or beachcomb the islands; adventurers can kayak the high seas.
Visitors can also arrive via seaplanes, heading to floating lodges or the backcountry. Ferries travel northbound on the Alaska Marine Highway, south to the isolated village of Bella Bella, before heading to Vancouver Island, and across the Hecate Strait to the fabulous Queen Charlotte Islands. A harbour tour passes Native village sites that date back 5,000 years, up to the first contacts with traders.