Inside Passage with Olympic National Park & 2 Days in Glacier Bay

Seattle to Juneau (or reverse) from $6,100

   

Whales and wildlife, kayaking and hiking. Thirteen days take you through Canada’s Inside Passage and Southeast Alaska—plus remote wilderness, native culture, and Pacific Northwest natural history.

   

Included Highlights:

  • Two full days in Glacier Bay National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Visit Grand Pacific, Margerie, Johns Hopkins, Lamplugh and Reid Glaciers
  • Full day in Olympic National Park
  • Cruise the Inside Passage with two to three days traversing Canada
  • Visit Ketchikan, famously known as the “Salmon Capital of the World"
  • Full day in Misty Fjords National Monument
  • Navigate Wrangell Narrows, locally known as Christmas Tree Lane due to the amount of navigation lights needed for traveling this scenic pass
  • Hike and Kayak Thomas Bay, the land of the Kushtaka a half man, half Sea Otter
  • Whale watching in Fredericks Sound, Stephens Passage, Chatham & Icy Straits
  • Search for wildlife—bears, sea lions, seals, sea otters, porpoises, eagles and more
  • Bushwhack and hike in old-growth forest and glacial outwash fields
  • Visit Juneau, Alaska’s Capital, and home of UnCruise Adventures

   


NAV = Navigator Cabin, TRB = Trailblazer Cabin, PAT = Pathfinder Cabin, ADM = Admiral Cabin, JCO = Junior Commodore Suite, COM = Commodore Suite, SGL = Single Cabin


Day-by-Day Details

B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner

Day 1: Seattle Embarkation

Ah, the Emerald City! Check-in at the hospitality center and later, board your ship and settle in. Fishermen’s Terminal, UnCruise's home in Seattle, you travel through the historic Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, where it’s a 20 foot drop into the Salish Sea. Adieu, Seattle. (D)

Day 2: Olympic National Park

Hike in Olympic National Park—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—surrounded by rainforest, old growth forest, and top of the world 360-degree views. Visit Lake Crescent, an iconic landmark that was formed during the last Ice Age by glaciers carving out the surrounding valleys. Gaze into the crystal-clear water and enjoy views of the surrounding mountains and forests. (BLD)

Day 3: Canada's Inside Passage

Mountains rise higher. Fjords get deeper. It’s a day of intricate waterways and cruising for critters, keeping watch for black bears on shore, including the elusive spirit bear. Civilization slips away as you enter remote waters leading north through British Columbia. Surf-happy dolphins and porpoise like to catch a ride on the bow wave. Your captain and crew are on the lookout and give the call of a sighting. Aiming to entertain and educate over the next days, your expedition team is at the ready. Natural history, Native influences, and their favorite trivia games, too. (BLD)

 

Day 4: Canada's Inside Passage Continues

Take your cup of joe to the bow. The world wakes up with you. Bald eagles watch the ship along its course from tree tops. Islands to the west, inlet-etched mainland to the east. Your captain and mates navigate twisting passages. Harbor seals spend their days on rocky islets. Breathe in the fresh air and take in miles of forested wilderness. See a waterfall and old abandoned cannery that come into view. That’s Butedale. Slow down and take it all in as forested fjords roll by. In the lounge, your bartender mixes up the daily special. Take the challenge and play a few friendly hands of cards with your shipmate. (BLD)

Day 5: Canada's Inside Passage Day at Sea

Today you sail through the northern-most portion of Canada's wild Inside Passage and enter Alaska's. Check out the bridge - it's an ideal spot to look for whales and other wildlife. See what the crew has in store today. Maybe a cooking or cocktail demonstration or a galley tour. Or maybe learn more about navigation from the crew and try your hand at tying knots! Anticipation bulids as tomorrow you will start the Alaska portion of the adventure. (BLD)

Day 6: Misty Fjords National Monument

There are places on the planet that completely overcome you. This is one of them. The beauty. The peace. The sense of place you feel. Misty Fjords National Monument represents nearly every ecosystem found in Southeast Alaska. And that alone is a lot to consider. Glacial valleys filled with sea water. Sheer 3,000-foot cliffs. Sea birds, brown and black bears, mountain goats, Sitka black-tailed deer, all find safe haven here. Kayak in Walker Cove or Rudyerd Bay and you find it’s just as easy to paddle and go, as it is to sit and float and take it all in. Or skiff to the base of a waterfall for a fjord-released shower. The area’s affectionate nickname, “The Yosemite of the North,” is deserved. (BLD)

Day 7: Ketchikan

In Ketchikan, connect with the Tlingit Culture. Tribal leader and local legend Joe Williams, known as Ka Xesh X’e in his native language, guides you on a walking tour. With a rich oral tradition, the Tlingit passed stories from generation to generation—and Joe’s storytelling is captivating! Amble through the surrounding forest on a moderate to easy trail or challenge yourself to a hard-charger hike along trails and boardwalks past cedar, spruce, streams, and waterfalls. (BLD)

Day 8: Wrangell Narrows & Thomas Bay

When you come this far, you'll want to keep going. This is the way back - backcountry of Alaska's wilderness seldom seen. Glacial landscapes marked by moraines, mud, and a lush forest. The day is for you to choose you own adventure: kayak or even paddle board in calm protected waters, hike to find a snow-melt waterfall in Cascade Creek. Whatever you decide, you'll definitely have bragging rights when you return home. (BLD)

Day 9: Chichagof Island

Spend some time on the bow as you glide through glacier-carved fjords along the Chichagof coast. Then anchor for more activities. Time to lower the kayaks and skiffs and get up close and personal with a sea otter or wildlife watching from your kayak. 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. (BLD)

Day 10: Icy Strait Whale Search

Bull whip kelp threads through nearby channels like deep, twisted mangroves. And you know better, but orange and purple starfish and jellyfish make it hard to believe you’re not in the tropics. Follow the currents out to where the sea lions flock to remote rock formations. Your captain is on the bridge, the expedition team on deck, and all eyes are on the water and the shore. Everyone is on-watch for the telltale blow of humpbacks. Come closer to the shoreline by skiff, kayak, or on foot. Sometimes the smallest things are the biggest wonders. Take in the evening solitude from the bow, or the hot tub. Or both—why choose just one? (BLD)

Day 11: Glacier Bay National Park

There's a cool factor, and it's not just coming off the face of the glaciers! This 3.3-million-acre park was covered by ice as recently as 1975. Since then, the park's receding glacier activity has made it easier to access those inner reaches. Glacial history, retreats, advances, moraines. They come with expert insight from your onboard naturalists, so bring on the questions. Pigeon guillemots, puffins, common murres, and cormorants colonize and nest at South Marble Island. One good whiff and a few loud barks give away one of its mammalian residents: Stellar sea lions. It's a full day in the bay exploring Muir's legacy, all the way to Grand Pacific and Margerie Glaciers. Celebrate with a toast to nature's handiwork. (BLD)

Day 12: Glacier Bay National Park Continued

Most visitors see the same sliver of the park as everyone else. Not you. Today is day two in the park, and you're going the furthest and exploring parts that 99% of visitors never go to. 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 Tidal Inlet, keep your eye out for bears, humpbacks, and if you're lucky, a wolf sighting. Kayak the bay. Bushwhack into the forest. Tonight, join your captain for the farewell dinner. As a special treat, your expedition team shares a slideshow of your journey. (BLD)

Day 13: Juneau Disembark

Spend time exploring Alaska's capital city of Juneau before departing for inluded transfer to the airport or enjoy an extended stay at our downtown hotel. (B)

   

Itineraries are guidelines; variations in itinerary and the order of days may occur to maximize your experience.