Travel south to Valdez, Alaska for this remote kayaking and camping adventure. Explore Prince William Sound and Heather Bay as you paddle around some pristine scenery filled with wildlife. Paddle up to the largest tidewater glacier in Prince William Sound, the Columbia Glacier. Keep your eyes peeled for sea otter and seal sightings. You may even get lucky and spot an orca whale in these waters! Spend two nights camping in this remote area and paddle around exploring at your leisure each day. This Alaska kayaking trip is easily combined with other backcountry camping experiences and time in Anchorage. Or opt to travel the Alaska railway north to visit Denali National Park.
Highlights
Kayak up to the largest tidewater glacier in Prince William Sound
Explore Heather Bay and Columbia Glacier as you camp out along the shore
Spot wildlife in the bay including sea otters, seals, and orca whales!
Activities that provide a reasonable level of physical challenge and elevate the heart rate. Focused on more active pursuits including multisport tours. Travelers may be active 5-7 hours total each day. Recommended for travelers with active lifestyles.
Fly from Anchorage or another connecting town with Ravn Air to Valdez. Settle into your hotel this evening.
Day 2: Heather Bay | Columbia Glacier
1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Meet up with your guide in town this morning for a safety briefing and orientation. From here board the water taxi for a cruise out to Heather Bay, the access point to the majestic Columbia Glacier. This glacier is the largest tidewater glacier in Prince William Sound. Embark on your multi-day kayaking tour today, paddling first through the massive floating icefield among towering icebergs to the island overlooking the glacier. Paddle away from Columbia Glacier keeping watch for a variety of marine mammals including harbor seals, sea otters, and maybe a rare glimpse of an orca! Tonight camp in Heather Bay and settle in for some tasty camp cuisine prepared by the guides.
Day 3: Columbia Bay
1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Set out from Heather Bay again this morning to explore Columbia Bay in more depth. Cross the main channel of ice escaping over the glacier's moraine. Keep your eyes open for wildlife throughout the day, as it is common to see large groups of sea otters or harbor seals hauled out on the ice in this area or spot an orca trying to find his next meal! Paddle the western coastline of Columbia Bay with a visit to Granite Cove. Camp here if conditions allow.
Day 4: Glacier Island
1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Enjoy breakfast this morning and a short hike in the area before setting out on kayaks towards Glacier Island. Explore the bays located along the north side of the island and take advantage of the numerous short hike and beach-combing locations. You can opt to climb one of the ridges for an impressive view of Naked Island, Columbia Glacier, and possibly the snowy peaks of Montague Island. Your guides will prepare a delicious hot meal before camping for the night.
Get an early start today paddling around the corner of Glacier Island to Bull Head. Here you will find a colony of Stellar Sea Lions which can be seen feeding, sleeping and swimming. These great mammals were once thought to be extinct. Also, be on the lookout for puffins and cormorants along the rugged coastline. Stop at one of the beaches for lunch and a hike up through the rainforest. After this break to stretch your legs, paddle off to Chamberlain Bay for more kayaking before your water taxi picks you up to take you back to Valdez this evening. Settle back into Valdez Harbor Inn for the evening.
Day 6: Fly Anchorage | Return Home
Take a local flight this morning to Anchorage. Connect with your flight home or continue with your independent Alaska travels. We would suggest a Denali Backcountry trip to top off your adventures!
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.
$1,8292-3 travelers
Notes
Select a Date
Rates based on pooled small group tour, max 8 people.
Initial deposit is 30%, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days prior to departure by bank transfer, check, or credit card. Final payments by credit card may be subject to a 3% surcharge or a maximum $20,000 charge
The trip was terrific with great planning on your part. Most of the adventures were not mainstream and somewhat off the beaten path which made it especially enjoyable!! We felt taken care of and you all were readily available to respond to questions and issues. I would highly recommend your company and friends have already expressed interest based on our pictures and excitement.
Gale Cantor
TrustScore 4.8 | 175 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 175 reviews on
1 day ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
3 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
4 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
