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Kayaks await in Alaska

Hinterlands Cruise

Example 9 Day Cruise aboard Island Spirit
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Board the Island Spirit in Petersberg, Alaska and begin your 9-day small ship cruise through America's Last Frontier. Enjoy visits to local villages such as Kake, Tenakee Spring, & Icy Strait. Interact with locals and learn about their culture and history. Take a scenic cruise through Endicott Arm and Ford's Terror and experience a landscape defined by glaciers. As you sail and explore the pristine wilderness keep your eyes open for wildlife and marine life! 
Kayaking to the glacier!A breaching orcaTravelers exploring a glacier on an Alaska tourView of Mendenhall glacier on an Alaska cruiseKayaks await in Alaska
Highlights
  • Prepare yourself for a special glacial experience visiting Baird Glacier
  • Kayak along Red Bluff Bay and keep a sharp eye out for brown bears
  • See how a quaint Alaskan town lives in the wild at Tenakee Springs
  • Visit the Capitol in Juneau and discover the historic local State Museum
Places Visited
Activity Level: Relaxed
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
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Full Itinerary

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Day 1: Embark in Petersburg

  • Ship
  • 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Board the ship at 12:00pm. Enjoy lunch, meet your crew, and freshen up. After lunch depart the vessel for a tour to the muskeg trail and stop at the local museum. Enjoy the local history and comraderie of this quaint fishing community. Sail later this afternoon at cocktail hour, bound for Thomas Bay, setting your sights on a peaceful night’s sleep and preparing for a big day ahead. Watch for humpback whales in this area.

Day 2: Thomas Bay | Baird Glacier

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Early morning kayaking in Scenery Cove. Prepare yourself for a special glacial experience! Visit Baird Glacier, winding among the ice flows. Bring your camera, this is special! Be careful where you walk, as this is a tern nesting site. This afternoon watch the antics of hundreds of sea lions! Then move on to an evening campfire by the native community of Kake. A native elder joins you for some history and stories of the locals. Anchor tonight in this peaceful bay

Day 3: Red Bluff Bay

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
This morning cruise to Red Bluff Bay. View the red hills around as you enter this beautiful protected bay. Kayaks in the water, enjoy some touring and keep a sharp eye out for brown bears. You are surrounded by Baranoff Island, known for its large coastal brown bears. Cruise around in one of the small boats with your naturalist and learn about the bay. Cruise north this afternoon in search of waterfalls and tranquility.

Day 4: Tenakee Springs

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
This morning make your way to Tenakee Springs. This wonderful village invites the Island Spirit for a visit. It gives you the opportunity to see how a quaint Alaskan town of a hundred or so lives in the wild. Visit the bakery and local merchantile. Later this afternoon watch for whales as you cruise north in Chatham Strait. Anchor tonight by Cape Retreat. View the lighthouse and learn about its history as you cruise by.

Day 5: Juneau, Alaska’s capital

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Cruise this morning to the state capital - Juneau, Alaska. You may choose to join your naturalist for an afternoon visit to the local State Museum. You can also visit the shopping area for an Alaskan memento, as it is the only “tourist trap” you visit. Depart at 7pm for some evening cruising to the anchorage at Taku Harbor.

You may wish to add-on one of the many tours in Juneau: helicopter or flightseeing or zipline adventure to name a few. There’s also a nice interpretive center at Mendenhall Glacier.

Day 6: Taku Harbor | Fords Terror

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Kayaking anyone? Or, a walk around the old cannery ruins? Maybe you’ll find a treasure from years past? Enjoy cruising in some of the most scenic areas of the Tongass National Forest. Watch the ice flows build around you today as you pass your first hanging glacier – Sum Dum Glacier. Later this afternoon enter one of nature's most spectacular places – Fords Terror – a glacial carved fjord. Keep an eye for bears here. Revel in the beauty of tonight's hidden jewel. No other small ship spends a full 24 hours here!

Day 7: Fords Terror | Dawes Inlet

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Brunch is served. Enjoy a full day in Ford’s Terror, beginning the day with brunch, then taking skiff rides with your naturalist, or kayaking to watch nature at its best. Be among a handful on the planet to visit this majestic fjord, one of the most majestic hidden fjords. Dinner cruise among the ice to the anchorage. Cruising SE in Endicott arm, watch for seal pups on the ice flows! Anchor tonight in Dawes Inlet.

Day 8: Dawes Glacier

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Island Spirit is underway early this morning for a great day of sight and sounds…listen for the thunder of calving ice. Spend time up close and personal with Dawes Glacier. Close enough for great views…far enough off to stay safe (chunks of ice hundreds of feet long may break off the face while you visit). After your visit to this tidewater glacier, cruise south toward the final port. Enjoy watching for humpback whales one more time as you make your way to Portage Cove. It’s the final quiet anchorage before going back into the world tomorrow!

Day 9: Disembark in Petersburg

  • 1 Breakfast
This morning arrive in Petersburg around 9am. This morning enjoy your final breakfast aboard the Island Spirit at 8:30am, followed by transfers to hotels or airport. Please note, all guests are required to disembark by 12:00 pm.

Ship/Hotel

Island Spirit

Exterior image of the Island Spirit.
Alaskan Cruise Sightseeing
Alaskan Cruises, up close sightseeing!

Dates & Prices

My Preferred Start Date

Per person starting at
$4,500

Notes

- A fuel surcharge may be added due to fuel price volatility.
- All rates are quoted in USD and are based on double occupancy.
- Limited special single cabins available on first come first served basis for the same rate.
Included
  • 8 Breakfasts, 8 Lunches, 8 Dinners
  • 8 Nights Accommodations
  • Accommodations as listed
  • Ground transportation as listed
  • Activities as listed
  • Meals as listed
  • Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
Excluded
  • Gratuities
  • Travel Insurance
  • Personal Expenses
  • Flight costs (please request a quote)
  • Additional excursions during free time
  • Fuel and transportation surcharges (when applicable)
  • Rubber Boots: Please bring your own. 

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