This 8-day cruise aboard Wilderness Adventurer gives an in-depth exploration of Alaska. Snug-in your kayak, visit the remote bays off of Icy Strait or join the team on a skiff to watch sea lions play. Have your binoculars ready, and look for puffins, Guillemots, gulls, snoozing sea lions, bears, mountain goats, orca and humpback whales in Glacier Bay National Park, Frederick Sound and Chatham Strait. Aside from all these exciting activities, you will also have time to reflect and enjoy the amazing view of Alaska glaciers.
Highlights
Spend a full day in Glacier Bay National Park, joined by a park ranger
Discover orca and humpback whales in Frederick Sound and Chatham Strait
Enjoy wildlife viewing of black and brown bears, eagles, sea otters, harbor seals, sea lions, sea birds
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Arriving in Juneau, you will be transferred from the airport to our hospitality area. Upon boarding, your crew greets you with champagne and smiles. Set sail for a week of scenic channels and secluded wilderness.
Kick start the morning with on-deck yoga stretches and a strong cup of coffee. Energized and snug in your kayak, glide around in remote bays off of Icy Strait through giant bullwhip kelp that can grow to over 100 feet long. Join the gang in a skiff to a rocky outcropping to watch sea lions play. Or, step into mud boots for a forest hike with your top-notch, naturalist guides who have plenty to share about everything Alaska—marine biology, plants, and even geology. On board, soak it all in as you soak in the hot tub.
This crown jewel of America’s national parks covers 3.3 million acres (that’s a tad smaller than the state of Connecticut). Let that sink in. Most visitors see the same sliver of the park as everyone else. Not you. You’re going the furthest and exploring parts that 99% of visitors never go to. And you have two days to do it. Get started! Taylor Bay sea stacks and rocky shores make for good adventure. Or hike the outwash field of glaciers winding down the Fairweather Mountain Range. The cool breeze off the nearby snow and icefields is energizing. If you motor over to Dundas Bay, keep your eye out for bears, humpbacks, and if you’re lucky, a wolf sighting. Kayak the bay. Bushwhack into the forest. Discover Glacier Bay.
Your camera’s memory card needs plenty of room. South Marble Island is abuzz with activity. Rare sea birds, black oystercatchers, and orange-beaked tufted puffins can’t be missed. A colony of raucous sea lions adds to the hubbub. They add a distinct aroma to the air, too. Tucking into silent Tidal Inlet—the stomping grounds for bears, wolves, mountain goats, eagles—the backdrop is spectacular. At the end of the western-most arm of the bay sits Margerie and Grand Pacific Glaciers. And possible views of glacial calving. Take it all in on deck.
Enjoy the top deck for a sunrise or morning stretch. Meander through glacier-carved fjords along the Chichagof coast. Then anchor. It’s a prime time to lower the kayaks and skiffs. Camera in hand, set off on land and sea explorations. Closer inspection by skiff, moss-dripping trees run right down to the water. Any bears in there? With one of the world’s largest populations of bears, it’s possible. Go searching for giant trees and tidal pools. Hiking in the Tongass, it won’t take long to find them. Your eagle-eyed guides lead the pack—and pull up the rear.
Hang out and enjoy the show. You may find yourself in 'whale soup' surrounded by feeding humpbacks swimming these abundant glacial waters. Based on wind and weather, your expedition team has the lineup of adventures all mapped out. Cruise past Five Fingers Lighthouse, Alaska’s oldest light station and The Brothers Islands, where sea lions nap on rocky nobs. Paddle into the deeps of Port Houghton or Windham Bay or head ashore for a hike. Somewhere nearby, carrot-billed black oystercatchers are saying hello. Tonight, toast another big day in Alaska.
Take an early peek out your window. Fjord cliffs reach skyward. Floating ice. And deep u-shaped valleys. There’s no abracadabra here. Mother Nature’s magic is real. Cruise past harbor seals and their pups lounging on chunks of ice. In classic fjord form, Tracy Arm delivers with the cotton candy blue Twin Sawyers glacier of its furthest reaches. Tides permitting, your skiff driver knows the ropes and guides you along. It’s a mashup of towering walls, temperamental currents, and the Coastal Mountains. So many waterfalls. Mountain goats show off fancy foot work on the cliffs, so keep your eyes open. Finish your week with Captain's dinner and post-dinner cocktials watching the week's “photo journal” by your crew.
Linger over breakfast this morning cruising into Juneau. Wish your crew and new friends goodbye. Then it’s off to the airport or begin your UnCruise hotel stay or land tour.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Navigator
Main Deck, cabins 200-208, 210. Queen or twin beds, private bath with shower and view window.
Trailblazer
Observation Deck, cabins 301-302, 307-320. Queen bed or twin beds, private bath with shower and view window
Pathfinder
Observation deck, cabins 303-306. Outside entry, double bed with private bath with shower and view window.
Single
Main Deck, cabin 202. Twin bed; view window; private bath with shower
Notes
Due to the nature of your explorations, itineraries are guidelines and may change in order to maximize wildlife and natural encounters. Variations in itinerary and the order of days may occur.
Our guide and driver were very good with their knowledge and were very helpful with our questions. It was a very pleasant visit that would have been impossible to do on our own. Hotels and restaurants were fantastic. The special places we got to go to, like the kitchens, were great. Enjoyed the entire trip!
The people assisting you have traveled with many of these companies or done the very same trip in the past. That kind of experience in invaluable when selecting a trip for yourself.
Sue Stephens
2 months ago
Mary has kept in regular contact and prepared me for everything so far
Michael Sinner
3 months ago
Very prompt responses. Erin found us the trip we were looking for and gave us good advice.
Nancy Brown-Koeller
3 months ago
I don’t have the words to describe it but the last week has been one of the best I can remember. 6 days of adventure in South East Alaska including trekking through lush rain forest, sitting in silence listening to glaciers calving, up early to see the northern lights, kayaking and stupidly swimming in iceberg frozen waters ! (That actually hurt).
Animal sightings including black and brown bears, Minke and hundreds of Humpack Whales, porpoises, sea lions, mountain goats, harbour seals, bald eagles, salmon and more birds than I can count. Wonderful friends and connections made. A huge shout out to Trevor and his totally amazing crew on the Admiralty Dream whose energy and enthusiasm made this most incredible experience.
DAVID JAMES
4 months ago
From the initial booking all the way through the trip, this was by far our favorite trip. Small boat travel is the only way to see a location. The excursions were so much more than I could explain. The locations were remote and awesome.
