Alaska Cruise: Inside Passage: Juneau Round-Trip (2009)

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Juneau / Embark

Prior to boarding the Safari Explorer, you drive out to the lovely Mendenhall Glacier. Today, you cruise out into the Inside Passage and anchor overnight at Funter Bay.

Day 2: Icy Strait and Elfin Cove

Crossing Icy Strait search for the tell-tale blow of the humpback whale as you cruise today, and later, all the charm of Alaska will greet you as you pull into tiny Elfin Cove, a remote fishing village tucked into Chichagof Island. You'll step ashore to stretch your legs and meet the people who choose to live their lives in this wilderness of forests and islands. This evening, anchor in a remote bay and lower the kayaks and skiff, keeping your eyes open for sea otters and bears nearby. Enjoy another delectable dinner onboard and relax in the hot tub before calling it a night.

Days 3-4: Glacier Bay National Park

Over the two days in the park, you'll travel nearly 60 miles cruising up-bay to Grand Pacific and Margerie Glaciers, which frequently calve huge icebergs into the bay. If conditions permit, you'll lower the inflatable and weave among the icebergs that have fallen from the face of the glaciers. Enjoy evenings at anchor in hidden coves, and mornings paddling your kayaks in the quiet of this majestic wilderness. And what will we find? Here in the bay there are puffins and sea lions, mountain goats and bears, moose, eagles, and scenery more spectacular than any place on Earth. Glacier Bay is at its best when explored over the course of two days in a nimble yacht with glacier and forest hikes inside the bay and wilderness areas.

Day 5: Frederick Sound and Sea Lions

Today, you cruise around wilderness Admiralty Island to more prime humpback-viewing waters in Frederick Sound. You take time for skiff operations and sea kayaking in Saginaw Bay, and cruise up-close to a sea lion colony at the Brothers Islands. Tonight, anchor in a remote and picturesque bay.

Day 6: Admiralty Island - Bears

Tuck into Gambier Bay, a large, island-speckled body of water on the south coast of Admiralty Island National Monument. Use the kayaks and skiff to try to spot the huge brown bears for which Admmiralty Island is famous. Later, watch for humpback whales before reaching your evening's anchorage.

Day 7: Ford's Terror and Endicott Arm

Cliff-walled fjords sliced into the mountainous mainland are on tap today as you tuck into an area widely acclaimed as the most beautiful in all of Alaska. Anchor overnight at Taku Harbor to enjoy the Captain's Farewell Dinner in an utterly lovely setting.

Day 8: Juneau / Disembark

Arrive in Juneau and transfer to the airport or your hotel.