Velkommen! Petersburg, nicknamed “Little Norway,” has its fair share of charm. Take a peek at the fishing harbor bustling with action from trollers, seiners, longliners, and crabbers. Take in the views of the Coast Mountains and Devil’s Thumb looming from across the bay before a warm welcome aboard the Safari Quest. Settle in with champagne for an evening sail into whale-loving Frederick Sound.

At the northwest end of Kupreanof Island, dancing, legends, and totems tell the Tlingit story. Tribal members share Kake’s history—settle in, it goes back thousands of years. Ambling along, black bears. Eyes peeled on the woods and the shore. Look up now and again for bald eagles. Across the water, the Keku Islands dot Keku Strait. Slide into a kayak or skiff and glide along the fingerling islets and passageways. Make for shore on a tidal zone stroll turning up sea life clinging to rocks. Back on board, you’re greeted with a Viking handshake and a belly-warming cocktail.

Into the wild you go, on the western shore of Kuiu Island. Just shy of 67,000 acres of islands, islets, and forest sits in the Tebenkof Bay Wilderness Area. And a little farther north, the Bay of Pillars. Either primed for exploration. Rubber boots at the ready—muskeg, woods, and tide pools set the stage for guided hikes. Kayaks and skiffs bring on the search for seaweed, kelp, harbor seals, sea stars, and jellies. Or try your hand at paddle boarding. Balance not quite so steady? The crew has a dry towel and hot toddy ready if you take a “polar plunge” by choice or by accident.

Cruising through Frederick Sound, pass by The Brothers Islands—sea lion haul outs, sea birds, and humpback whales on all sides. Search and stop for it all. At Admiralty Island National Monument kayak, skiff, and weave in and out of the bays and islets keeping your eyes out for Alaska brown bears and nesting bald eagles. Tlingit call the island Kootznoowoo, meaning “Fortress of the Bear” and Admiralty Island has a higher density of bald eagles than all the other states combined. After another big day, pop up to the bridge to look over charts with your captain and mates.

A skiff up Endicott Arm rushes through turquoise water dotted with bergy bits. The driver pauses for seals lazing on ice bergs—the more inquisitive ones periscoping out the water, watching you with their big, black eyes. “Oohs” and awe all around. It’s true. You really do pause for wildlife and a “taste” of the area. Your guide plunges her net in the water pulling out a hunk of glacial ice to touch and taste if you’re feeling adventurous. Zipping further up the Arm, pass deep, U-shaped valleys carved by glaciers before spotting the main attraction: Dawes Glacier—its icy blue magnificence more moving than you imagined.

When you come this far, you might as well go all in. This is the way back backcountry of Alaska's wilderness. In this playground, it’s all an option day. Kayak and skiff in water almost clear as glass—the mirror image of fjord walls playing on the surface reflecting your week of adventure. Take it all in. A seal pup could pop up at any moment to “break the ice.” Trekkers get even closer to the mountains. Hike alongside the fjord walls as Cascade Creek falls in a rush beside and beyond your footsteps. Immersed in this hidden wilderness, recreation has never felt more remote yet in the middle of it all.

Alaska wilderness delivers! Flowing a little slower than your typical river, you find a river of ice and the southern-most tidewater glacier—LeConte. It’s a grand finale of a day. Tides and currents decide your LeConte Bay adventures. Drop anchor in Ideal Cove and hike along the Three Lakes trail. High tide? Pass bergy-riding seal pups as you motor through the glacier’s ice gardens. Low tide? Walk among icebergs caught in the glacial outwash field. Cap off your week with a celebratory Farewell Dinner and slideshow.

Truth, all good things must end. After one last breakfast with new friends, transfer to the airport for your flight home.