Alaska's Glacial Wonders, Glacier Bay & Inside Passage
Seattle to Juneau, Including the Wonders of Glacier Bay National Park.
Embark on the "Alaska's Glacial Wonders" voyage, a 19-night cruise combining the best of Glacier Bay National Park and the entire Inside Passage. This journey offers an unparalleled exploration of Alaska's glaciers, wildlife, and native cultures. Enjoy two full days in Glacier Bay National Park, marvel at tidewater glaciers, and immerse in the natural beauty of Tongass National Forest and Tracy Arm. Experience whale watching, birding at South Marble Island, and hiking in old-growth forests. This adventure, starting at $4400, includes all meals, educational presentations, and a diverse range of activities, promising an unforgettable journey through Alaska's breathtaking landscapes.
INCLUDED HIGHLIGHTS
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Explore volcanic fields
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Beachcomb rocky shorelines and hike beneath a glacier
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Navigate along the least-visited shores in coastal Alaska
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Search for wildlife—whales, orcas, eagles, puffins, sea otters, seals, and sea lions
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Kayak, paddle board, and skiff in hidden coves and narrow fjords
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Dozens of glaciers including Chenega, Columbia, Meares, and Sheridan
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Island discoveries: Knight, Montague
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Visit the tiny fishing town of Cordova
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Explore College and Harriman glacial fjords
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Beachcomb rocky shorelines and hike beneath a glacier
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Navigate along the least visited shores in coastal Alaska
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Search for wildlife—whales, orcas, eagles, puffins, sea otters, seals, and sea lions
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Kayak, paddle board, and skiff in hidden coves and narrow fjords
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B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner
Your day-by-day details | Seattle to Juneau & Juneau to Juneau Roundtrip from $9,200
DAY 1 Seattle – Embarkation
Ah, the Emerald City! Check-in at the hospitality center and later, board your ship and settle in. Depending on your vessel, depart from Downtown Seattle, cruising along the city’s picturesque waterfront. Or from Fishermen’s Terminal and transit historic Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, where it’s a 20 foot drop into the Salish Sea. Adieu, Seattle. (D)
DAY 2 Olympic National Park
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. 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 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. And a waterfall and old abandoned cannery come into view. That’s Butedale. Slow down and take it all in as forested fjords roll by. 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. 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 builds 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 / Traitor's Cove
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. This afternoon, sail into Traitor's Cove. Kayak, skiff tours, or hike? The choice is yours. (BLD)
DAY 8 Wrangell Narrows & Thomas Bay
This morning, your ship winds into the Wrangell Narrows. Abundant bright red and green navigation lights guide the way. It’s nicknamed “Christmas Tree Lane,” of course. In the afternoon, head into Thomas Bay. When you come this far, you might as well go all in. This is way back backcountry of Alaska’s wilderness. Glacial landscapes marked by moraines, muskegs, and mud. In this playground, it’s all an option today. Kayak and skiff in water almost clear as glass. The mirror image of fjord walls plays on the surface. Hike through the outwash of Baird Glacier. Or keep it green on an interpretive walk through a grassy meadow into the forest. (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 1795. 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—Steller’s 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
This crown jewel of America’s national parks covers 3.3 million acres. Most visitors see the same sliver of the park as everyone else. Not you. Today is day two inside the park, and you’re going the furthest and exploring parts that 99% of visitors never go to. 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. 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
Stop over in Juneau, Alaska’s picturesque capital, serving as the perfect interlude on your itinerary. Nestled between the Gastineau Channel and towering mountains, this charming city offers a blend of natural beauty, history, and Alaskan culture. On your break and turnaround day here, you have the opportunity to explore Juneau's top attractions, book a short landside tour with us or explore the many eateries and breweries available, before returning to the ship. (BD)
DAY 14 Icy Strait & Neka Bay
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. (BLD)
DAY 15 Glacier Bay National Park
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. (BLD)
DAY 16 Glacier Bay National Park Continued
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. (BLD)
DAY 17 Chicagof Island
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. (BLD)
DAY 19 Tracy Arm & Sawyer Glaciers |Final Day Juneau
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. (BLD)
The next morining, linger over breakfast 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. (B)
Passport required (non USA citizens). Itineraries are guidelines; variations in itinerary and the order of days may occur to maximize your experience.
DAY 18 Frederick Sound
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. (BLD)
Rates Shown Are Per Person. Charter Rates Not Available This Itinerary.