WILD ALASKA

ABOUT YOUR EXPEDITION

Wild Alaska: Whales, Bears & Ice

Southeast Alaska is one of the most majestic frontiers of North America—pristine, wild, and blissfully quiet. Its biggest city, Juneau, also the capital of Alaska, is surrounded by millions of acres of the Tongass National Forest, stretching from the Saint Elias World Heritage Site to Wrangell—the largest forest in the United States. This is Alaska at its best, where spruce forest and glacial coastlines dominate the horizon, where mountain rivers run full of spawning salmon, and where the islands are more populated with bears than people. This is truly where the wild things are!

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Start your expedition at the southern end of the St. Elias World Heritage Site, an immense swath of protected wilderness known for its high density of glaciers and abundant marine wildlife. Starting in the bush town of Gustavus, you’ll cruise through the electric blue tidewaters to view glaciers and go whale watching at Point Adolphus—a hotspot for humpbacks and orcas—and hike through a mossy spruce forest to a glacial beach. From here, take a short scenic flight in small plane to Juneau where you take an exhilarating helicopter ride onto a glacier. Donning crampons and an ice-axe, you’ll have the chance to walk on its icy surface and learn how to move around its otherworldly crevasses, icefalls, and moraines. Back in Juneau’s historic downtown, dine on local seafood and discover the delights of modern Alaska. Then cap off your adventure in the rugged small town of Wrangell, where we go to a wildlife observatory to watch the bears that return every year to feast on salmon. 

Along the way, you’ll enjoy the authenticity of rustic lodges and inns, hearty frontier fare, and colorful local characters. With jaw dropping scenery, close encounters with wildlife, and professional guides and naturalists to support your journey, you’re sure to have a true Alaskan experience.