Adjacent to Kachemak Bay State Park on the Kenai Peninsula, the secluded Tutka Bay Lodge is nestled at the base of the glacier-studded Kenai Mountains. Surrounded by water, the lodge treats guests to beautiful accommodations and world-class cuisine combined with diverse opportunities for adventurous excursions by day.
Upon arrival in Anchorage a private transfer will be provided to your hotel. Depending on your schedule, there may be time for a city tour including a visit to the Anchorage Museum. Your private driver will determine your interests and make recommendations so you can take the best advantage of your time here.
Overnight Anchorage.
Breakfast is included this morning before meeting your private driver for transfer to the Lake Hood floatplane base. Your pilot also serves as your guide as you board the plane for the scenic 90-minute flight to Tutka Bay Lodge, located in Alaska’s Kachemak Bay. The pilot will pull the plane up to the lodge dock where your lodge hosts will be waiting to greet you. Enjoy an orientation tour of the property and lunch with your guides as you discuss the next days’ adventures. Your first cocktail reception will take place this evening, followed by a gourmet dinner before turning in for the evening.
Overnight four nights at Tutka Bay Lodge
Begin your morning with a yoga class out on the deck before breakfast. Your stay includes your choice of premium excursions, which include something for everyone.
Fly-Out Bear Viewing
Nearby Katmai Peninsula is home to one of the largest population concentration of brown bears in the world. Depending on the season, weather, and bear activity you will depart by either a wheeled plane from Homer, or by float plane from the lodge. During the day you will experience Alaska brown bears in their natural habitat. This is a wilderness excursion; you will walk along the same trails and sit on the same river banks as the bears do. Depending on the season you can expect to see the bears foraging for sedge grass, digging for clams, playing, courting each other, resting, or fishing.
Helicopter Adventure
Spend the day exploring the area by helicopter at Tutka Bay Lodge. On this customizable full-day adventure you can go to a glacier for trekking and picnics, hiking on alpine ridges, and flight-see over alpine lakes. Your guide will help you pick out an adventure just right for you. The helicopter used is a Robinson R-44 which can hold three passengers plus the pilot.
Deep Sea Fishing
Cook Inlet is known as one of the most prolific halibut fisheries in the world, which is why Tutka Bay is a perfect place for a deep-sea fishing excursion. Boat sizes range from 6 to 15 anglers and you will depart from the lodge dock into Cook Inlet for a day of fishing for halibut and salmon. Spend the morning trolling for salmon and when the tide is right bottom fish for halibut. Have your catch filleted on the way back to the lodge and cooked by the lodge chef for dinner, or have it vacuum sealed and shipped back to you. Or a bit of both!
Marine Wildlife Cruise
Tutka Bay Lodge’s Wildlife Tour is a custom-tailored day on the water as you travel deep into the fjords, inlets, and around the islands, in Kachemak Bay. If pure sightseeing is the mission, you will see lots of sea otters and eagles. Humpback, grey, minke and killer whales (Orcas) arrive in Kachemak Bay in May as they travel north to their Alaska summer feeding grounds. Other marine animals, including seals and sea lions, are often seen. Gull Island, near the scenic village of Halibut Cove, is a rookery for puffins, cormorants and murres. On any given day, your captain can offer you the possibilities of the day and you can direct their outing. Bring your camera and extra batteries and storage space. There’s plenty to do and see on the 4-6 hour cruise in the protected waters very close to the lodge.
There are a myriad of experiences this special place can offer. Perhaps you wish to enjoy another premium adventure. Or, if you’d rather stay a bit closer to the lodge, take a walk out on the massive connecting decks, which also provide oceanfront views where you can kickback with a glass of fine wine and relax. Luxury lodge amenities include yoga classes and the lodge sauna – an authentic wood-fired banya. Book your complimentary massage – you won’t regret it. Or recuperate from yesterday’s adventures in the lodge’s hot tub while taking in the scenery and wildlife of Kachemak Bay. The day is yours to rest, relax, and rejuvenate for your next Alaskan adventure.
The more time you spend at Tutka Bay Lodge, the more at home you will feel. Take advantage of the lodge’s unique oceanfront location and spend the day sea kayaking among the whales. Watch the tide ebb and flow beneath the lodge and boardwalks and discover the newly-exposed creatures that live just under the water’s surface. Embark on a wilderness hike among the old-growth forest and forage for flowers, berries, and other edible delicacies.
The waters of Kachemak Bay are teaming with sea life, and the lodge features its own herb and vegetable garden to supplement other locally-sourced ingredients. The chefs at Tutka Bay Lodge are renown for creating unique, Alaska-inspired meals and love to share their craft with you. Guests are welcome to watch the chef team at work as they prepare meals; you can even join them in the kitchen at any time. Or take your culinary interests to another level by scheduling a cooking class. Learn from an Alaskan chef and then sample your own creation.
After another memorable breakfast at Tutka Bay Lodge, bid farewell to your hosts. Hugs are encouraged before boarding your private plane for the return flight to Anchorage. Your private driver/guide will meet you upon arrival to embark on your next Alaska adventure, or bring you to your hotel for the evening.
The lodge and surrounding guest cabins sit on the edge of a peaceful 9 mile fjord, providing you the most amazing and scenic base from which to launch your Alaskan adventures. Extravagant decks and walkways connect each building which is placed along the edge of the land, with ample views of the water and lush wilderness.
The lodge offers 6 spacious and charming guest cabin accommodations. Each guest cabin is distinct from one another, offering various bed configurations that can be designed to accommodate couples or families comfortably. All guest cabins have views of the ocean, mountains, and forest.
Tutka Bay Lodge is accessible by water taxi from Homer (about a 25-minute boat ride). Or, save some time by chartering a float plane from Anchorage (about 1 to 1.5 hours flight time) directly to the lodge.
Both Kirsten and Mandy Dixon are trained chefs with a passion for Alaskan cuisine. Meals at the lodge focus on the ocean-based foods of Kachemak Bay, often featuring Alaskan seafood such as halibut, shellfish, and wild-run salmon. Other ingredients may include homegrown vegetables, berries, mushrooms, and other local fare.
Breakfast and dinner are served family style in the lodge solarium, with both a wine tasting and cheese pairing in the evenings. Picnic lunches are packed to take on day excursions.
If you wish to learn a few cooking skills of your own, the lodge offers cooking classes to guests as well. Learn how to prepare reindeer with forest fruits, zucchini cake with wild berry ice cream, or the lodge specialty: salmon bacon.
Tutka Bay Lodge offers a variety of coastal-based activities like sea kayaking, saltwater sportfishing, beachcombing, tidal-pool exploration, and coastal touring by boat. Other activities available just beyond your doorstep include hiking, birding, and wildlife viewing.
In addition to these daily activities, guests at the lodge have a choice of either a fly-out bear viewing excursion along the Katmai coast or a deep-sea fishing excursion (your choice must be specified at the time you make reservations).
If you would prefer to stay a little closer to home for relaxation, then spend time enjoying the lodge’s sauna and hot tub, participate in morning yoga classes, cooking class or book a personal massage.
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