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
$11,580
Prices are per person
Alaska
Special Offers
Alaska
Special Offers
Length
8 days
From
$7,200
Prices are per person
Alaska
Special Offers
Alaska
Special Offers
Length
14 days
From
$10,640
Prices are per person
Alaska
Special Offers
Alaska
New and Noteworthy
Special Offers
Length
8 days
From
$5,400
Prices are per person
Alaska
New and Noteworthy
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.
Jul 21
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National Geographic Sea Lion
On the first full day of our expedition aboard National Geographic Sea Lion we entered Endicott Arm early and sailed toward our destination, Dawes Glacier. It was an uncharacteristically warm and beautiful blue-sky day in southeast Alaska. The fjord was littered with ice sculptures that had calved from the glacier and were melting in the water. Huge icebergs were evidence that there had been several large calving events in the recent past. A visit to the tidewater glacier in our Zodiacs was an exciting and new experience for most. After the visit we sailed back down the fjord to Stephens Passage and were treated to an exuberant humpback that breached. Continuing south, we were in Frederick Sound when we ended our day with a great encounter with a pod of killer whales.
Jul 21
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National Geographic Venture
Parting is such sweet sorrow. Today is our last day together, and somehow Alaska knew because she gave us one last great day of sunshine and memories. We capitalized on that by having one last wild Alaskan adventure. The quest today was to South Sawyer Glacier where we saw some amazing calving. It was estimated that some of the calving that occurred on today’s viewing were pieces of ice as large as 20 story buildings. Many of the Zodiacs viewed mountain goats close by, as they were gathered near the base of a waterfall. While viewing the glacier activity our guests were even visited by a band of friendly Vikings offering hot cocoa. After the viewing we watched the kids onboard graduate from Global Explorers that simply rode on the ship, to Global Explorers that captained and drove the Zodiacs themselves. The Global Explorers leader stated that all explorers successfully completed their Zodiac training and are now able to captain a Lindblad-National Geographic Zodiac while on their next voyage. While the kids were working on their captain’s licenses, the dive team was preparing for their final dive of the trip. Shay and I worked together to get the gear collected and organized. We two divers and our surface support team hopped into a Zodiac and drove to a rocky spit in Williams Cove. Looking out at the shoreline there was some skepticism about whether this would be a good dive platform with lots of undersea creatures. Little did we know luck was on our side. As we descended into the murky depths of this fjord, we found the little underwater rocky spit teeming with life. We found starfish that had arms almost as long as the five-foot divers. We made history today in the Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic dive log as the first two people to dive in Williams Cove. The ship was jealous of the divers’ fun, so they took matters into their own hands and had a polar plunge event for all guests, staff, and crew. And after dinner, we were greeted by a pod of orcas having fun in the last rays of sunshine for this beautiful day. The ship set sail into the beautiful sunset for the last time on this voyage. It was a wonderful and memorable time and we look forward to seeing everyone again on one of our many adventures.
Jul 21
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National Geographic Sea Bird
We woke this morning to see the sun rising over the gentle hillsides surrounding Sitkoh Bay on the final day of our voyage from Juneau to Sitka aboard National Geographic Sea Bird . We knew that our expedition leader wanted to make the most of our sunny day by offering a full range of activities, so as we waited for the ship to find her anchorage we began watching for wildlife from the fore deck. It wasn’t long after we entered Sitkoh Bay that we saw a young female Sitka blacktail deer at the water’s edge. After breakfast, we boarded our Zodiacs and landed on the beach where we were to embark on a variety of walks: one that included lessons in photography and another that included a mile-long excursion to the back of the bay, where we found a mother brown bear resting with her cubs in the tall grasses of a saltwater marsh. Olive green and pale cream banana slugs lined the path that we walked, and we stopped occasionally to touch velvety thimble berries that were just beginning to ripen in patches of sunlight that reached the forest floor. The path we were on was a former logging road that offered an enjoyable way for us to stretch our legs in preparation for the afternoon’s activities. After lunch we anchored in Hanus Bay. We crossed through a shallow tidal flat full of colorful algae and mussels that formed dark patches under the cool green waves, and we allowed the flooding tide to wash us to shore. For those of us who wished to continue a mariner’s experience on this hot summer day, colorful kayaks to paddle Hanus Bay awaited on the beach. For those of us who wished to explore the respite of the sheltering forest, a hiking trail to the dark tannin waters of Lake Eva lay in invitation. Salmon were beginning to school in the stream leading out of Lake Eva, and we allowed our kayaks to come to rest in the rapids where the rising tide would eventually bring these fish back to their natal spawning grounds. We marveled at the giant western hemlock trees growing out of the shallow soil of the forest, and the evidence lay in the roots of a fallen hemlock draped like tendrils around small rocks that this mighty giant had pulled out of the ground when it fell. We were tired, hungry, and fulfilled when we re boarded the ship for our nightly cocktail hour, recap, and supper. Today we experienced wonders that we will never forget.
Jul 21
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National Geographic Venture
Yet another perfect, sunny day was dawning as we approached the fishing town of Petersburg, Alaska, this morning. By this point in the voyage guests seem more adapted to the slower pace of life aboard and in Southeast Alaska. We all enjoyed breakfast as the ship docked, and then prepared to set out and explore by Zodiac, bicycle, or foot. Some guests chose to cruise the docks by Zodiac, learning about the local fishing fleet along the way, while others motored to Kupreanof Island to hike a boardwalk trail to a muskeg bog to view this exotic environment. Bicycles were available for those that wished to explore the local town on Mitkof Island. As we spent the entire day in port, people also had time to relax and take advantage of the pleasant weather to sit quietly, read, and enjoy the views of Devils Thumb across Frederick Sound. For those with good knees and extra energy after lunch, naturalist Shannon Malone led an aerobic hike up Petersburg Mountain. Time limits kept the group from reaching the summit, but none felt shortchanged by the experience. Those of us that headed out on the boardwalk trail encountered the muskeg bog on Kupreanof Island across the Wrangell Narrows from Petersburg. Muskegs are very common in Southeast Alaska, covering over ten percent of the land, but they’re rarely visited due to the difficulty in traversing the landscape. While dominated by common sphagnum moss, they host several exotic plants that have adapted to live within the acidic and saturated soil. No doubt, the most interesting of these is the roundleaf sundew. This plant derives some of its nutrients by entrapping and digesting small insects! The vast, open sky contrasted with the close-up, small-scale perspectives within the muskeg. Perhaps this contrast will encourage us to reflect on the importance of wildness as we live our normal, busy lives. Regardless, it was an amazingly beautiful day!
Jul 21
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National Geographic Venture
Today was a truly special day in Southeast Alaska. Pulling into the middle arm of Kelp Bay on Baranof Island, we immediately spotted a brown bear on the shore and at least six bald eagles, a mix of adults and juveniles. We spent the morning exploring on land with bushwhacks, photo walks, and intertidal walks, while others explored the water on kayaks and paddleboards. After a tasty lunch, as we entered Kasnyku Bay, we found a lone bubble-netting humpback whale having a snack in front of the bow. Not but five minutes after we pulled away from this whale, a large pod of orcas appeared nearby. We counted our lucky stars to have the Alaskan trifecta of brown bear, bubble-netting humpback, and orcas all in one short day. We topped the afternoon off with a visit to Kasnyku Falls.
From climate conditions, to cabin information, to packing the right footwear, find answers to the questions Expedition Specialists get most often.
Read moreI’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
