Columbia and Snake Rivers

Since it was incorporated in 1851, Portland has long been a hub of arts, culture and welcoming residents eager to showcase the city's diverse offerings. Discover "North America's best Big City" on a three-hour motor coach excursion with a local expert guide. Highlights include Portland's exciting downtown, multiple river bridges, the International Rose Garden, and the Japanese Test Gardens.

*Tour only offered on cruises ending in Portland, OR.

Enjoy a city tour of Astoria and learn the history of the area while visiting two historic sites. The first stop will be at the Astoria Column, where you will have the opportunity to climb 164 steps to the top of the column to see the majestic views of the countryside. The tour will then proceed to Fort Clatsop, a replica of the original site where the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery camped during the winter of 1805-1806.

The Columbia River Maritime Museum is one of the premier maritime museums on the West Coast and is the official maritime museum of the state of Oregon. As your guide leads you through the museum, experience what it is like to pilot a tugboat and participate in a Coast Guard rescue. The museum features a new exhibit called Crossing the Bar. This exhibit takes a look at the legendary Columbia River entrance, where the forces of the mighty Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean meet.

A scenic bus ride takes you to the Mount St. Helens Johnston Ridge Observatory. The observatory sits on a bluff overlooking the crater and offers views of Mount St. Helens' lava dome, pumice plain and landslide deposit.

Learn about fisheries and hydropower on a guided tour of the Bonneville Dam. After the tour, take a short bus ride to the Bonneville Fish Hatchery, where you can participate in a self-guided tour through the Spawning Room, Adult Fish Holding Ponds, Rearing Ponds, Rainbow Trout Ponds Outdoor Sturgeon Ponds, Underwater Viewing Center and the Gift Shop. While on this tour, be sure to visit Herman the Sturgeon. Herman is 10 feet long, 425 pounds and over 65 years old.

Eighty miles long and up to 4,000 feet deep, the Columbia River Gorge is a spectacular river canyon cutting the only navigable route through the Cascade Mountain Range. Visit magnificent Multnomah Falls, one of over 70 waterfalls found along the Gorge. Plummeting 620 feet, it is the second highest waterfall in the United States. You can enjoy the falls from the Visitor's Center, or walk the paved trail to Benson Bridge, where you can get an up close view of the falls.

After viewing the falls, visit the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center, where you will learn about the bountiful life of the Gorge. The Interpretive Center also displays the natural and cultural history of the region.

Experience a trip underground and into Pendleton's intriguing and entertaining past. The Pendleton Underground Tour shows you the secrets that lie beneath the streets of this lively town. A network of hidden basalt-rock tunnels link restored buildings, allowing you to see the way they were constructed in the 19th century.

Visit the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute, which plays tribute to the Umatilla, Cayuse and Walla Walla Indians. These three distinct peoples have melded together over the past 150 years in an alliance called the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The facility also includes interactive exhibits, significant artwork, a living culture village, and a raptor program about birds of prey.

Visit the Pendleton Woolen Mill and Museum to learn about the town's renowned weaving process during a guided tour. Pendleton Mills has been producing world famous woolens since 1901, including Native American blankets inspired by ancient designs and legends. There will be time after the tour to visit the gift shop where you can purchase woven goods produced on site.

Known as "The Heart of Washington Wine Country," the Tri-Cities region houses more than 160 wineries within a 50 mile radius. Sample award-winning wines and enjoy breathtaking views of beautiful vineyards on this narrated winery tour. Sharing the same latitude as the world-famous Burgundy and Bordeaux regions of France, the Columbia Valley has the perfect soil conditions and temperatures for producing great wines. The Tri-Cities' area wineries offer a comfortable setting to experience world-class wines. Visit the Columbia Valley and discover the Heart of Washington Wine Country.

Climb aboard a jet boat for a safe, yet exhilarating adventure into Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. Your United States Coast Guard certified captain will narrate as you travel across the Snake River through the pristine wilderness of Hells Canyon – the deepest canyon in North America. Along the way, you’ll stop to view 7,000-year-old petroglyphs, foraging big horn sheep and rock formations sculpted over a million years ago.

This is a premium tour. Please call (800) 460-4518 for more information.
*Tour only offered on cruises ending in Clarkston, WA

Located in Spalding, ID, the Nez Perce National Historic Park commemorates the contributions the tribe has made. It also helps preserve the sites, stories and artifacts associated with their history and culture. At the park, you will learn about the rich history of the Nez Perce Native American tribe, also remembered for having saved the Lewis and Clark expedition team from starvation following its harrowing journey through the Bitteroot Mountains.

*Tour only offered on cruises ending in Clarkston, WA