The response to the news of our June 2021 restart in Alaska has been incredible—so we’ve added an extra ship—the 62-guest National Geographic Sea Bird, sister to the sold-out National Geographic Sea Lion—and a slate of additional departure dates. This should make it easier for you to get the ‘tonic of wildness’ in Alaska this summer.
**SOLO SAVINGS! Just added to our brand-new Wild Alaska Escape: Juneau to Ketchikan. Waive the solo premium on select departures and come be a part of our vibrant onboard community. See itinerary for details.
This is what happens deep inside in Alaska where our nimble ships roam—a thrilling spectacle, playing right off the bow. Don’t miss out. Let Alaska lift your spirits this summer.
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Hear the thunderous crack of calving glaciers. Sail alongside pods of killer whales. See breaching humpbacks and soaring eagles. Feel the stillness in verdant old-growth rainforests. Kayak peaceful coves and coastlines. Explore a land where towering mountains rise from the sea and colossal glaciers carve the living landscape. Coastal brown bears lumber through streams fishing for spawning salmon, and the sea comes alive with feeding whales and playful otters. In the 35 years we’ve been exploring, we have created the richest experience possible in Alaska.
Alaska
Special Offers
Length
15 days
From
$11,350
Prices are per person
Alaska
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Alaska
Russian Far East
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Length
22 days
From
$27,990
Prices are per person
Alaska
Russian Far East
Special Offers
Alaska
Special Offers
Length
13 days
From
$17,830
Prices are per person
Alaska
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Alaska
Special Offers
Length
8 days
From
$7,200
Prices are per person
Alaska
Special Offers
This is the Alaska of legend — to experience it you have to go deep. Venture into narrow fjords, where virgin rock that has never before been seen or touched by humans is now being exposed by receding glaciers. Go into remote bays to linger and observe whales going about the slow business of their daily lives. Walk through temperate rainforests on trails worn into the spongy earth by foraging bears. Venture into small towns, populated by hardy, friendly souls, to discover the way life has been lived in Alaska for centuries. Meet First Nations people in mutually rewarding encounters and learn their traditions and ways of life. Plus, sail aboard U.S.-built and -flagged ships to minimize time-consuming protocols to clear customs and maximize time exploring.
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Each part of the Alaskan cruising season also holds its own allures. Midsummer makes for the most daylight hours, while the shoulder season—the first week of May and the beginning of September—is the only time one can transit the entire Inside Passage.
Read MoreEveryone was knowledgeable and well able to explain and share their information with anyone. Their enthusiasm is contagious!
Peter & Ann G.
Henry David Thoreau called it the "tonic of wildness." It’s what Alaska, with its beauty and wildness intact, gives you—a spirit lift. To compound this healthful effect, add the luxury of comfort to the privilege of being here—with a quality of shipboard life and a philosophy of wellness designed to relax and rejuvenate body, mind, and spirit.
Lindblad Expeditions supports stewardship efforts in the places we explore, and one way we do that is through the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic (LEX-NG) Fund. Traveler contributions to the LEX-NG Fund in Alaska currently support our regional partner, Alaska Whale Foundation, in its efforts to study and conserve Alaska’s whales and other wildlife.
Jun 21
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National Geographic Venture
We spent our day around the northern entrance to Alaska’s Inside Passage. In the morning we hiked George Island, exploring the wonderful forest and beaches, and learning about the role this island played during the Second World War. We ended our time at George Island by taking a polar plunge as a huge group! It was refreshing and exciting, and officially inducted many guests into the wilds of Southeast Alaska. While everyone was polar plunging for a few minutes, the undersea expedition team went on an hour-long polar plunge, scuba diving off George Island on a quest to find the weird, wild, and wonderful things that live under the sea! Once we all warmed up and ate lunch, it was time for the afternoon’s adventures! The tide was on the rise, so we took our expedition landing craft out to the Inian Islands to see what kinds of critters were taking advantage of all the swirling currents. We found sea lions, otters, bald eagles, and more! All of them were feasting on the fish that the tides brought in, and the action was nonstop in every direction. Just when we though the day could not get more terrific, we were greeted by humpback whales and a stunning sunset over the Fairweather Mountain Range. It was another remarkable day in Alaska!
Jun 21
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National Geographic Venture
The National Geographic Venture entered Glacier Bay National Park bright and early, and we woke up to a beautiful view of the icy blue Marjorie Glacier. After a rainy morning on the bow of listening to the “white thunder” sounds of the glacier calving, we cruised through the park fjords, entertained by black bears, mountain goats, sea otters, and Steller sea lions galore! We ended our day with a mossy, forest hike around Bartlett Cove and returned to the ship with to soak in the late night sunset. Today was extra special because our younger explorers aboard completed their National Park Junior Ranger program. A few inductees wrote these great poems to capture their experiences in Glacier Bay National Park: The glaciers are blue Bears roll rocks to find dinner Bears are humongous. Evan Petrey , age 9 Animals are amazing creatures Humpbacks eat krill and small fish. Davis Petrey , age 7
Jun 21
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National Geographic Quest
We awoke before breakfast to enjoy the sights of humpback whales diving and feeding at the mouth of Saginaw Bay. Fresh coffee was brewing as a young calf kept alongside its mother as she rested between breaths. A playful sea otter seemed to want to play with the calf while the mother skirted her child away. Harbor seals lay on rocks nearby, looking on with curiosity, as the National Geographic Quest sailed past. Kelp forests floated near shore harboring a striking diversity of invertebrates and algae. While our dive boat went out to collect footage to share, our guests explored a section of Skanax Bay known as Halleck Harbor. Kayaks and paddleboards scattered themselves around the bay to allow our guests to get up close and personal with the intertidal life of Southeast Alaska. Meanwhile, several guests embarked on a bushwhack across Kuiu Island, eventually meeting up with the rest of beach party.
Jun 21
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National Geographic Venture
Break out from the routine, change your perspective from preconceived expectations, and open yourself to new wonders and environments. That is likely the mindset of anyone who choses an expedition rather than a simple vacation. On this first full day of exploration, the National Geographic Venture headed north through narrow tide swept channels and open straits into the mosaic landscape of Southeast Alaska. It is a place where the sea interweaves into an abrupt dark forest, built on staggering heights, lifted up by the slow collision of continental and marine tectonic plates along one of the Earth’s most ancient coastlines. While getting settled into our cabins and shipboard life, it’s clear the National Geographic Venture is a perfect platform to carry us into this wild place. The forested slopes at first appear dark, uniform, and somewhat foreboding with the gray spires of dead Alaska yellow cedar woven into the green fabric of the living forest, likely a result of recent changes to the local climate. The narrow marine passages swirl with tidal currents, while the occasional sea lion and bald eagle mark our transit. Closer observation of the forest reveals a patchwork of vegetation; dark mature stands of Sitka spruce and Western hemlock, alpine meadows high in the mountains, avalanche and landslide scars dominated by red alder, and younger stands remnant from clear cut logging over the last 60 years. By early afternoon we arrived in Sitkoh Bay, which strongly bears the imprint of human history overlaid on the natural environment. The Tlingit native people used this bay for millennia, harvesting salmon, plants, and the bounty of the intertidal environment. But wild nature is almost immediately apparent as we spy a brown bear and cubs, feeding on the verdant sedges growing high on the shoreline. By the end of the afternoon, we have seen more than 10 bears throughout the bay. Next, we quietly sailed past the site of the old Chatham salmon cannery, operating for the first 70 years of the 20th century, exploiting the sockeye salmon runs that used to dominate the streams flowing into the bay. In the latter part of the century, there was a brief period of road building and heavy forest harvesting. A restoration project was eventually implemented in the Sitkoh River to promote the reestablishment of the salmon. The U.S. Forest Service now manages the lands primarily for low level recreation, and we were able to hike on the old logging road and along the shoreline to see the forest up close. A warm, sunny day also made for perfect kayaking in the calm waters. By evening, we were all back aboard for cocktails, recap, and a delicious dinner, topped off by a presentation on the temperate rain forest environment from naturalist Linda Burback. In sum, a great day to stretch our legs, ease into the pace of ship-based exploration, and stimulate our minds.
Jun 21
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National Geographic Quest
We arrived this morning at the small and picturesque fishing town of Petersburg, located on the northeastern portion of Mitkof Island. The colorful houses and fishing boats shined under the sunny sky, and we were all excited about the many possibilities ahead. After a delicious breakfast we explored a local muskeg and learned how plants like the sundew and shore pine have adapted to survive in that acidic environment. Some guests opted to ride bicycles, while others boarded our Zodiacs and visited the fishing docks. We learned about the fisheries in town and saw different types of fishing boats around, including seiners, trawlers, gill netters and long liners. Many vessels were busy loading traps to capture the delicious Dungeness crabs, which we would be having for dinner tonight. We also got close to some interesting marine life exposed at low tide in plain view on the pillars and rocks around the docks. We saw several large mottled sea stars, barnacles, mussels, and sea weed. Meanwhile, large giant plumose anemones, polychaete worms, and jellyfish appeared just below the surface. After leaving Petersburg, the National Geographic Quest headed to Le Conte Bay on the mainland; there we boarded our Zodiacs again and had a wonderful time photographing and admiring the spectacular blue icebergs calved off the Le Conte glacier, the southernmost tidewater glacier in the northern hemisphere. The terminal moraine at the mouth of the bay acts like a barrier that trap those huge icebergs, making the area a wonderful place to explore. The incredible blue color of glacial ice delighted everyone. We took many pictures, including some of the very moment when one iceberg rolled over, a good reminder why we should not get too close to them.
I’ll never forget doing our original reconnaissance in Alaska—soaring in a floatplane over such a wild landscape of dense forest, massive glaciers, and endless waterways. Southeast Alaska is simply magical.
Sven-Olof Lindblad
