Alaskan Luxury: Coast to Coast

Touch down in Juneau, located along the banks of Gastineau Channel. Not accessible by road, Juneau offers rugged wilderness and scenic coastal views. Your private driver/guide will greet you and transfer you downtown to your accommodations. Tonight, you might sample a local brew or dig right in with some king crab along the wharf.

Overnight in Juneau, Alaska’s state capital.

Today’s adventures begin with a privately guided food tour with Juneau’s own food blogger, Midgi Moore. Midgi will take you to some of Juneau’s best and unique food spots. Sample fresh caught seafood, locally cured meats, and wash them down with locally brewed beer.

Hop aboard a small ship for the start of your week-long adventure cruising in Alaska’s infamous Inside Passage. On board you will be greeted with a glass of champagne and there will be time to settle into your comfortable cabins. Over dinner learn about tomorrow’s activities as you begin to sail through scenic channels and secluded wilderness.

Overnight on a wilderness vessel, your home for the next seven nights.

You awake this morning to find yourself in a deep, glacier-carved valley with the banks of fjords jutting skyward. In this pristine wilderness, you will truly feel the magic of mother nature. Harbor seals and their pups relax on icebergs as you sail up different fjords. Hop off the vessel to explore the towering walls and coastal mountains by skiff. With luck you may have the opportunity to stop at a waterfall.

Back onboard, enjoy a glass of wine as you look for mountain goats on the mountain sides, showing off their fancy footwork.

Begin your day on the deck with a cup of coffee while keeping an eye on the horizon for humpback whales to make their appearance in the calm waters surrounding the ship. These whales thrive here feeding on krill, zooplankton, and herring each summer. Your captain will point out Five Fingers Lighthouse, Alaska’s oldest light station, and The Brothers Islands, where sea lions may be stretched out on the rocks, enjoying the sunshine. Enjoy a kayak paddle through these calm waters.

This morning, awake to find yourself in the kelp-lined channels lined with hemlock and spruce forests of Icy Strait. Mother nature guides your explorations today! Take a skiff to meet seals and sea lions enjoying nearby rocky outcrops and learn about their behaviors and habitat. Continue on to explore the rugged shoreline with your guides all the way along the Strait to George Island. You can also choose to paddle yourself into these waters by kayak or paddle board, or get behind the wheel of a skiff yourself. Your guides will share with you all this area has to offer.

Tonight soak in the hot tub after a long day of adventures as you take in the serene sites around you.

Glacier Bay National Park is one of the crown jewels of America’s national parks and covers 3.3 million acres. Today you will have the opportunity to see parts of this park unexplored by the masses. In fact, with so much to see and a landscape so vast, two days are needed to explore it all!

You’ll visit the sea stacks of Taylor Bay and hiking nearby rocky shores makes for good adventure. You can also choose to hike the outwash field of glaciers winding down from the Fairweather Mountain Range. The cool breezes off the nearby snow and icefields are energizing. And if you motor over to Dundas Bay, make sure to keep your eye out for bears, humpbacks, and if you are lucky, you might even spot the occasional wolf. You can also chart your own course through Glacier Bay by kayak or by hiking trails on shore through Glacier Bay National Park’s thick forests.

Continue your exploration of Glacier Bay National Park today in search of wildlife and glaciers. Your captain will tuck you into Tidal Inlet, a popular stomping ground for bears, wolves, mountain goats, and bald eagles. Then you’ll sail down the western waterways of the park to discover Margerie and Grand Pacific Glaciers. You will have front row seats to the glaciers calving. The sights and sound of glaciers calving will take your breath away as chunks of ice dramatically break away and fall into the sea right in front of you. During your day, make sure to keep a lookout for black oystercatchers and orange-beaked tufted puffins.

Join your captain on the bridge (or your guides on the bow) of your ship, and watch for whales and other wildlife before tucking into Port Frederick or another inlet in the Tongass National Forest. There lots of places to stop for adventure in Chatham Strait. Hike, paddle, or skiff your way through this remote corner of the Park spotting bears on the shoreline, seals bobbing on the surface of the water, and welcoming boughs of moss hanging in the forest’s trees. This remote wilderness is yours to explore as you choose.

Back on the boat, there’s a final treat in store – a Farewell Dinner with some special memories for you from your crew.

Say goodbye to Southeast Alaska and its rich culture and history today as you disembark your vessel. A private transfer will bring you to the Juneau Airport in time for your departure flight to Anchorage for the next segment of your Alaska adventure. Touch down in Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage and take the afternoon to explore this buzzing community perched on the edges of vast wilderness. Your private driver/guide will provide a transfer to your Anchorage hotel, conveniently located near shops, restaurants, and city-based adventures.

Overnight in downtown Anchorage.

After breakfast at your hotel, you’ll depart Anchorage in a truly Alaskan way, by floatplane! These small planes provide convenient access to areas not reachable by road, which of course means most of Alaska! Your scenic flight will take you over the rolling tundra hills to the edges of the Alaska Range. You’ll land on the lake in front of Winterlake Lodge and be greeted by lodge staff before settling into your cabin.

That afternoon you may choose to relax on the lodge deck with a glass of wine or set out for a paddle along the shores of the lake. At night, you’ll join your travel companions for a delicious gourmet meal prepared by the lodge chef while you share stories from your day of adventure.

Overnight in your private cabin at Winterlake Lodge. Don’t forget! One of your nights, make sure to leave time for your complimentary lodge massage before dinner.

Chat with your lodge guides today about how you can maximize your time exploring and adventuring through the diverse areas near Winterlake Lodge. Take off by helicopter for superb flightseeing showcasing the landscapes of the Alaska Range. Perhaps you want to catch your lunch today fly fishing at a remote river? Your lodge chef will cook up your catch, riverside, while you kick back with a local brew. Ever hiked along on a glacier? Today is your chance to explore these unique ice formations, created thousands of years ago. Other possibilities for adventure include alpine hiking, river rafting, and even heli-biking.

Tonight, relax after your epic adventures in the lodge’s hot tub with a glass of wine. And you are always welcome to join the lodge chefs in the kitchen to learn a few culinary tricks for preparing a gourmet meal.

Sleep in this morning or get an early start with a morning stretch class. The lodge chef will get you fueled up for another active day enjoying the wilderness areas surrounding Winterlake Lodge. With your experienced guide, hike along the official Iditarod trail used by dogsledding teams every February in search of wildlife. Or perhaps you’ll choose to take to the lake for a guided paddle by canoe or kayak.

Tonight watch the sunset across the lake during your final night at the lodge.

After a final breakfast at Winterlake, wave good-bye to your lodge hosts as you take off by private floatplane for your final site for adventure – Tutka Bay Lodge. Watch below as rolling hills turn into coastal plateaus. Fly over Cook Inlet, keep an eye out for the resident beluga whales that navigate these waters. You’ll land in Tutka Bay and be welcomed by the lodge’s staff who will provide you with a brief orientation to the property.

Tonight enjoy lively conversation with your companions over dinner.

Overnight Tutka Bay Lodge, your home for the next 3 nights.

Take to the water this morning and look for sea otters as you navigate the rocky shores by kayak. A variety of birdlife resides in this area and you may see bald eagles perched above looking for their next catch.

This afternoon, stretch out on one of the many lodge decks with a yoga class. Or you can choose to continue your exploration of the nearby areas around the lodge and along the shore as you enjoy tidepooling and hiking.

That night, warm up around a bonfire on the beach with your friends. S’mores, all ingredients made in house courtesy of the lodge chef, provide the perfect end to a perfect day in Alaska.

Your stay at the lodge includes a complimentary premium adventure, and there are lots of opportunities to choose from. You might want to be whised away by helicopter for glacier trekking. Or, hike coastal shores with your guide in search of bears. How about reeling up a barn-sized Alaskan halibut? You can also choose to launch off on a scenic marine cruise in search of local marinelife and wildlife. Whatever you choose to do today you are guaranteed to take home memories of a lifetime.

Tonight share your stories with your companions over a cocktail, then settle into your cozy cabin for a long nights rest.

After your last delicious breakfast at Tutka Bay, bid farewell to your lodge hosts. As you fly above Lake Clark National Park, you’ll see dramatic mountains jutting out of the ocean below. Touch down on Lake Hood near Anchorage, North America’s busiest floatplane base. Your private driver/guide will greet you at the dock and is ready to help you plan your last day in Alaska, tailored to your interests.

Enjoy lunch at one of the country’s most popular pizzerias in Anchorage, hike to the top of Flat Top, or go shopping for Alaskan keepsakes in the many locally owned shops downtown. You’ll end your day by transferring back to the Anchorage Airport for your flight home.