A breathtaking expedition to the islands of the 'Pacific Ring of Fire' - one of the most geologically active and visually dramatic parts of the world.

On this 20-day journey from Anchorage to Tokyo you will cruise through the Bering Strait, past the Aleutians to the Kamchatka coast, and on through the wildlife rich, volcanically active Kuril Islands to Japan's northern islands of Hokkaido and Honshu. The sheer number of live volcanoes around this area of the Pacific rim has earned this route the reputation of the Ring of Fire.

The Aleutian Islands - a chain of more than 300 small volcanic islands and 57 volcanoes - form an arc in the northern Pacific Ocean extending west towards the Kamchatka Peninsula. Within this arc, the Shumagin Islands are the most north easterly and you will visit Unga, the largest island of the group. Although human sightings here are rare (the island was abandoned in 1969) wildlife is abundant with Arctic Fox, Bald Eagles and Fur Seals. At Kiska, occupied by Japanese forces for over a year during the Second World War, you will see one of the finest well-preserved harbours in the Aleutians. Also uninhabited, the island is part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. Keep an eye out for large colonies of protected seabirds and marine mammals. Attu is the most remote of the Aleutian Islands; pristine and peaceful, this bird watcher's paradise is home to hundreds of species including Brambling, Tufted Duck and Siberian Rubythroat.

Subject to permissions, the plan is to anchor off Bering Island to show you the large populations of Tufted Puffin, Russian Sea Otters, Arctic Fox and Northern Fur Seals. On the Kamchatka Peninsula you will explore Petropavlovsk, one of the oldest settlements of the Russian Far East established in 1740. With the volcanoes of Avacha and Koryak to the north and majestic Avacha Bay to the south, you have plenty of time to enjoy the city's natural beauty.

A certain air of mystery surrounds the Kurils, an arc of more than 20 volcanic islands stretching from Kamchatka to Japan. These isolated and seldom-visited islands with their dramatic landscapes and smoking volcanoes are largely uninhabited. Many are havens for birds and marine mammals including the world's largest population of Steller's Sea Eagles, Brown Bears, Fur Seals, Sea Otters and Grey Whales. Asian Rosy Finches, Peregrine Falcons and Whiskered Auklets will appeal to the bird watchers.

On arrival in Japan, your first stop will be Kushiro Shitsugen National Park, to see the Sacred Red-Crowned Crane, Yezo Deer and Sakhalin Taimen, the world's most ancient species of salmon. You sail through the spectacular bay of Matsushima featuring 250 tiny islands blanketed in pine trees. A dramatic monument to natural forces, Matsushima has earned recognition as one of Japan's Three Great Sights. Your journey ends in Kobe.