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Alaska Inside Passage - the Ultimate Adventure

Cruise Alaska

17 Days / 14 locations in United States

Alaska's Inside Passage boasts wildlife-filled fjords and lush island scenery. Receding glaciers reveal a landscape that has been covered with ice for tens of thousands of years. Whales breach and blow as we enter the feeding ground for the largest concentration of humpback whales in the northern hemisphere. Guided walks lead us through the mountain’s majestic forests, and local islanders will share their ancient indigenous cultures. We’ll visit other local highlights including the Alexander Archipelago and Misty Fjords National Monument, and keep watch for brown and black bears, Sitka black-tailed deer, orca, bald eagles and more.

Optional kayaking available at additional cost.

Itinerary

 
Day 1     Seattle

After settling into our group hotel located conveniently in downtown Seattle, you will have time to explore this exciting city. Later this evening you will meet your fellow expedition travelers and your expedition leader for an informal drink and a short briefing on your upcoming expedition.

 
Day 2     Seattle - Ketchikan, Alaska
Meals: Breakfast

After a leisurely breakfast, we transfer to the airport to board our short flight to Ketchikan. Upon arrival you will be transferred to our group hotel, which is located high above downtown Ketchikan, with views over Tongass Narrows and beautiful Deer Mountain. This afternoon you may decide to catch the funicular (cliff railway) from the hotel lobby directly down to historic Creek Street to explore, or take a walk through the Tongass National Forest.

 
Day 3     Ketchikan, Alaska
On Board the Wilderness Adventurer
Meals: Breakfast / Dinner

Welcome to Ketchikan, the ‘salmon capital of the world’! After a leisurely breakfast this morning, you’ll have time to browse the abundant galleries stocked by many of the islands resident artists before re-gathering in the early afternoon for your transfer to the Wilderness Adventurer, our floating base for the next 15 days.

 
Day 4     Tongass National Forest
On Board the Wilderness Adventurer
Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Wake in El Capitan Passage surrounded by the breathtaking Tongass National Forest—the largest national forest in the United States. Today, take a trek through high forest on an old windy logging trail to El Capitan Cave, the largest known cave in Alaska and one of the largest mapped caves in the Americas. It is the first cave in South East Alaska where fossil bones were discovered. El Capitan Cave enlightened the world about the ice age pre-history of SE Alaska.

 
Day 5     Klawock
On Board the Wilderness Adventurer
Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Discover living history in Klawock, one of the most authentic Tlingit villages in Alaska. Learn the importance of carving, gaze up at totem poles coloring the town, and hear their stories. Visit the carver’s shed where the art of carving and restoring totems is passed on. Along with its small fishing fleet, this rustic community continues to thrive on the farthest reaches of the wild Alaska coastline. Explore the area on foot keeping an eye for eagles and sea birds.

 
Day 6     Chatham Strait
On Board the Wilderness Adventurer
Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Today’s discoveries will be within some of the most untouched wilderness of the Tongass National Forest. It’s Captain’s Choice as you explore the intricate passages and shores along Chatham Strait’s Kuiu or Baranof Islands. Enjoy Zodiac exploration and perhaps snorkelling. Hidden beneath the surface lies a magical array of sea life seen only from below.

 
Day 7     Frederick Sound
On Board the Wilderness Adventurer
Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Lush forest, spectacular views and wildlife – they are all in abundance in Frederick Sound. Keep watch along the coastline for birds, wolves, and black bears. With many secluded coves to choose from, we may slip into the waters of Deep Cove, Patterson or Saginaw Bay, or perhaps another hidden gem to explore by Zodiac. This evening enjoy a toast to another spectacular day with a cold brew or cocktail aboard the Wilderness Adventurer.

 
Day 8     Stephen's Passage
On Board the Wilderness Adventurer
Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

There will be plenty of wildlife viewing today. The Brothers, a pair of tiny, rocky islands at the merging of Stephen’s Passage and Frederick Sound, are home to some of Alaska’s most abundant wildlife, including a haul-out for Steller sea lions. The area is also the summer feeding ground for the largest concentration of humpback whales in the Northern Hemisphere. We also keep watch for orca and porpoise.

 
Day 9     At Sea
On Board the Wilderness Adventurer
Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Snow covered mountains, glowing blues and the white thunder of calving ice take your breath away at the face of Dawes Glacier. As you glide through Endicott Arm you’ll likely find a few seals taking respite on the glaciers smaller ‘bergy bits’. Tides permitting, we may explore the narrow passage of Ford’s Terror.

 
Day 10     Juneau, Alaska
On Board the Wilderness Adventurer
Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Today we’ll visit Alaska’s state capital, Juneau, surrounded by the rich, green Tongass National Forest. Enjoy lunch in town and explore all that the historic town has to offer. In the early afternoon you will return to the vessel and set sail for the Tracy Arm Wilderness.

 
Day 11     Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness
On Board the Wilderness Adventurer
Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

At the end of Tracy Arm, a winding fjord with sheer granite walls, hundreds of cascading waterfalls, and some of the largest icebergs in Alaska, sits the twin Sawyer Glaciers—Sawyer and South Sawyer. The fjord is home to brown and black bears, deer, wolves, harbor seals, and birds such as Arctic terns and pigeon guillemots. Later today, we head back into Frederick Sound, and watch for for humpbacks, orca, and Steller sea lions.

 
Day 12     Thomas Bay, Alaska
On Board the Wilderness Adventurer
Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Today you can choose to hike on a scenic rainforest trail. For the more ambitious, take a round trip 18 kilometre trek to the glacially-fed and rarely visited Patterson Lake for spectacular kayaking in the melt waters of Patterson Glacier. Discover the origin of its ‘Devil’s Country’ nickname during a reading from ‘The Strangest Story Ever Told’, about the area’s mythical, shape-shifting creatures called Kushtaka.

 
Day 13     Wrangell, Alaska
On Board the Wilderness Adventurer
Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Step into the back country of Alaska’s wilderness, in an area known for glaciers and rich in gold and quartz. Explore glacial landscapes marked by moraines (glacial debris) and muskegs (bog). Adventure and natural beauty are sure to please whether you choose to kayak, hike or take a Zodiac cruise. An abundance of bright red and green navigation lights guide us along ‘Christmas Tree Lane’ as we explore the winding Wrangell Narrows this evening.

 
Day 14     Wrangell, Alaska
On Board the Wilderness Adventurer
Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Home to native culture, wildlife, and wonder – Wrangell is one of the oldest towns in Alaska. Before venturing into town, local islanders join you on board for an in-depth presentation on Tlingit and Haida cultures. View recently carved totem poles at Kiksetti Totem Park, and step inside the famed and historically significant Chief Shakes Tribal House.

 
Day 15     Behm Canal, Alaska
On Board the Wilderness Adventurer
Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Wildlife abounds in Behm Canal and the surrounding Tongass National Forest—orca, porpoise, seals, sea lions, brown and black bears, mink, marten, eagles, and otters. We may venture out on an intertidal shore walk or low-elevation trek on the Cleveland Peninsula.

 
Day 16     Misty Fjords National Monument
On Board the Wilderness Adventurer
Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Affectionately called ‘The Yosemite of the North’, Misty Fjords National Monument represents nearly every ecosystem found in Southeast Alaska. Glacial valleys filled with sea water, and sheer 3,000 foot cliffs are a haven for sea birds, brown and black bears, mountain goats, Sitka black-tailed deer, mink, moose, river otters, and other wildlife. We may explore by Zodiac, soaking in the splendour of this largely forgotten corner of the world.

 
Day 17     Ketchikan, Alaska - Seattle
Meals: Breakfast

After a hearty breakfast, we farewell Wilderness Adventurer and transfer directly to the Ketchikan airport for the return flight to Seattle. We’ll farewell our fellow expeditioners before making our onward journey home, or on to your next adventure.

 
Price Includes
Tax and Port Charges
Electronic Voyage Journal
Comprehensive Pre-Departure Material
Medical Services Onboard
Conferences and Shipboard Entertainment
Shore Excursions
All Meals Shipboard With Drinks
Accommodations in Select Cabin Category
Airfare Seattle - Ketchikan
Transfers - Hotel/Airport/Ship
Hotel Accomodation - Per Itinerary
AUR-1269
1.28.15.WP26