Revel in pure wildness on an active adventure

Explore Alaska on an active, exciting expedition to see the region’s iconic wildlife and epic landscapes in the compact time frame of one work week. By special permission from the U.S. Forest Service, hike through forests of towering trees, kayak long routes deep into glacially carved fjords, and raft from an ancient Alaska native village—all with our nimble expedition ship as your moving base camp.

  • Kayak or paddleboard along rugged coastlines of Chichagof Island which harbors one of the highest concentrations of brown bears in the world

  • Hike through temperate rainforest on Baranof island, listening for bald eagles calling out from the towering spruce and hemlock trees

  • Spend a full day sailing through Glacier Bay National Park or its surrounding bays

  • Cruise by Zodiac and kayak among abundant sea lions and search for whales in the Inian Islands

  • Meet eagles at the Raptor Rehabilitation Center

  • Seamlessly combine the experience with our southern Wild Alaska Escape itinerary and double the sights, sightings, and wildness on this most active of expeditions

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Duration

6 Days

Price

From $4,570 per person

Dates

Jun

Jul

Aug

Next departure

8/15/2021

Special offers

BRINGING THE KIDS

COMBINING OFFERS

BACK-TO-BACK SAVINGS

TRAVELING AS A GROUP

Free Airfare ON SELECT DATES

GET THE GROUP ON BOARD! SAVE 10%

CELEBRATE LIFE'S MILESTONES

COMBINE AND SAVE

EARLY BOOKING SAVINGS

Ships

Alaska, Wild Escapes

Day By Day

Bike, hike, kayak, Zodiac cruise, stand-up paddleboard. Every day you'll get off the ship to explore. Choose a bushwhacking hike through the woods or take a more leisurely stroll with a naturalist to identify the flora and fauna and share stories. Go with a team of top naturalists who illuminate all you see, plus a wellness specialist, and a certified photo instructor.

Current

Embark

Sitka, Alaska

Disembark

Juneau, Alaska

Itinerary PDF

Reverse

Embark

Juneau, Alaska

Disembark

Sitka, Alaska

Itinerary PDF

Please be aware we have made slight modifications to our itineraries in accordance with our protocols.  Call 1-800-EXPEDITION for additional details.

Alternative Route

Bike, hike, kayak, Zodiac cruise, stand-up paddleboard. Every day you'll get off the ship to explore. Choose a bushwhacking hike through the woods or take a more leisurely stroll with a naturalist to identify the flora and fauna and share stories. Go with a team of top naturalists who illuminate all you see, plus a wellness specialist, and a certified photo instructor.

Embark

Disembark

Ready for the adventure of a lifetime?

Talk to an Expedition Specialist

1.800.EXPEDITION (1.800.397.3348)

Call now

Make a reservation

RESERVE

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Talk to an Expedition Specialist

1.800.EXPEDITION (1.800.397.3348)

Call now

Make a reservation

RESERVE

Sign up for our newsletter & special offers

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Special Offers

Special Offers

BRINGING THE KIDS
Special Offers

We believe sharing an expedition with your kids or grandkids is a life-enhancing experience. So take $500 off for each child under the age of 18.

COMBINING OFFERS
Special Offers

Certain offers may be combinable, up to two savings opportunities, except where noted otherwise. For example, travel with a group of 8 or more on back-to-back expeditions, and take advantage of both savings.

BACK-TO-BACK SAVINGS
Special Offers

Save 10% on any consecutive journeys taken on board one of our expedition ships. This savings is applicable on voyage fares only, and are not valid on extensions or airfare.

TRAVELING AS A GROUP
Special Offers

Save 5% when traveling as a group of 8 or more people. Take advantage of these great savings, while enjoying traveling with your friends and family. This savings is applicable to voyage fares only, and is not valid on extensions or airfare. Deposit, final payments, and cancellation policies for group travel vary from our regular policies.

Free Airfare ON SELECT DATES
Special Offers

Book by November 30, 2021, to receive free roundtrip airfare from Seattle to Alaska on select departures on Exploring Alaska’s Coastal Wilderness and Wild Alaska Escapes, or free one-way airfare on select departures on Treasures of the Inside Passage: Alaska & British Columbia and A Remarkable Journey to Alaska, British Columbia & Haida Gwaii. Complimentary air is based on economy group flights and must be ticketed by Lindblad Expeditions. In the case that Lindblad's group flight is not available at time of booking, we reserve the right to issue a credit. Baggage fees may be additional. New bookings only and not combinable with other offers or pre- or post-extensions. Call for details.

GET THE GROUP ON BOARD! SAVE 10%
Special Offers

Book by November 30, 2021, to save 10% when traveling as a group of 6 or more people on select departures. Take advantage of these great savings while enjoying traveling with your friends and family. Valid for new bookings only, subject to availability, not applicable on extensions, and may not be combined with other offers. Call for details.

CELEBRATE LIFE'S MILESTONES
Special Offers

In the spirit of celebration aboard, you and your companions will be entitled to Milestone benefits: 5% off groups of 8 or more; $150 shipboard credit which can be used for gift shop items, or most shipboard items including the LEXspa, the ship’s bar and dining room; complimentary video chronicle; complimentary custom photograph of you and your guests taken by the LEX-NG Photo Instructor to capture the moment; complimentary specially served decorated cake; special welcome gift in your cabin. For new Exploring Alaska's Coastal Wilderness departure bookings only. Milestone celebration needs to be communicated at time of booking, amenity package is one per group and intended for the guest celebrating the Milestone event. Group discount is applicable to cruise portion only, and does not apply towards additional services such as hotels, extensions, etc. Group cancellation terms also apply. Not combinable with certain offers. Valid for groups of 8 or more.

COMBINE AND SAVE
Special Offers

Combine our 6-day Wild Alaska Escape: Sitka to Juneau and Wild Alaska Escape: Juneau to Ketchikan for an Epic Alaska adventure for 10% savings PLUS an exclusive Taku Lodge Feast & 5 Glacier Seaplane Discovery experience (2022 only—2021 National Geographic Sea Lion departures include a Glacier helicopter tour and hike, please call for details on 2021 National Geographic Sea Bird departures). Valid for new bookings only, subject to availability, and may not be combined with other offers. Call for details.

EARLY BOOKING SAVINGS
Special Offers

Book 2023 departures and get 2022 rates if booked by November 30, 2021. Valid for new bookings on departures on Lindblad-National Geographic ships, Delfin II, and The Jahan made by Nov 30, 2021, subject to availability, not applicable on extensions, and may not be combined with other offers. Call for details.

Dates, Rates & Cabins

Travel on this itinerary from $4,570 per person

Browse our team directory to discover the full cast of expedition staff

View Directory

Extensions

Expedition Extensions

Make the most of your proximity and time

Denali National Park Post Voyage Extension
Denali National Park Post Voyage Extension

Post-trip

6 Days

From

$6,950 per person

Discover the wildness that lives at the heart of Alaska; add an inland exploration of Denali National Park to your coastal expedition.

Explore from a comfortable, elegant wilderness lodge.
With the idyllic Kantishna Roadhouse Lodge as your base camp, you’ll enjoy special access. Kantishna's relationship with the Park ensures exclusive opportunities for you to explore Denali National Park’s most pristine backcountry areas for prime hiking and wildlife viewing. Set deep in the heart of the Park, this unique wilderness retreat offers unparalleled views of Denali, a wide range of outdoor activities and nightly presentations that emphasize Denali’s natural and cultural history, plus locally sourced cuisine. The small group size of 11 guests per naturalist enhances the intimacy of outings and opportunities for in-depth learning. Explore via private touring vehicles, or if you prefer a more personal exploration, you can hike a trail near the lodge or around Wonder Lake, bike the trails or even spend an afternoon fishing. At the expedition’s end, you’ll return to Anchorage first class in lavishly appointed cars on the Alaska Railroad that feature original Alaska art and a private outdoor viewing deck.

View extension

Combine both Wild Alaska Escapes and enjoy a FREE Seaplane experience

Learn More

Daily Expedition Reports

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Daily Expedition Reports

Jul 21

Read

National Geographic Sea Lion

Glacier Bay National Park

Today our guests aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion awoke about halfway up the bay here in Glacier Bay National Park. We had ideal weather today as we cruised up to Johns Hopkins Glacier and then down the east side of the park. Bears, ice, goats, and orcas kept everyone enthralled throughout the day, only to finish the evening with a nice bonfire at Tidelines Institute in the Inian Islands.

Daily Expedition Reports

Jul 21

Read

National Geographic Sea Lion

Lake Eva, Southeast Alaska

This morning, I overheard a comment from a guest to her partner, who had just joined us on the bow. “I was worried about you, but not worried enough to come find you,” she said. Those of us around her had to laugh. We understood. No one wanted to walk away, fear of missing anything. A very active group of transient (Bigg’s) killer whales captured our attention, moving fast, splashing, hunting, spy-hopping. They had already been preceded by pre-breakfast sighting of humpback whales, and those awake earlier enough saw a salmon shark. Our afternoon comprised kayaking and introductions to the Southeast Alaska rainforest with hikes at Lake Eva. What a day! Another comment overheard on the bow today: “We are setting the bar too high on Day One.”

Daily Expedition Reports

Jul 21

Read

National Geographic Sea Bird

LeConte Bay, Frederick Sound

This morning started out grey, but it’s the blue of the ice that we will forever remember. Bergs cast off by LeConte Glacier are transported through the fjord by ceaseless tides and steady breezes. This glacial ice, this metamorphic rock, this ice gemstone captivates our eyes, our minds, our souls. This is Alaska, someone says. The mountains and the ice. The blue and the white. The wild and the wonder.

Daily Expedition Reports

Jul 21

Read

National Geographic Sea Bird

Kashavarof Island Group and Bushy Island

Today we awoke to mist gently rolling over the Kashavarof Islands, our destination for this morning.  With the trees peeking through the mist, we were ready to explore by Zodiac and kayak. Whilst the tide was rising, we had enough of the intertidal zone visible, but the real treat was the wildlife with several mink, both river and sea otters, and an eagle with its fresh salmon catch. As we transited to our afternoon destination, we were entertained by Dall’s porpoises coming to investigate the ship and several humpback whales. Then it was off to Bushy Island where we broke into groups to bushwhack, wander in the forest, and explore the tide pools. Some brave folks then chose to jump of the Zodiacs into the cold water as part of the “polar plunge.”

Daily Expedition Reports

Jul 21

Read

National Geographic Sea Bird

Grindall Island and Hump Island Oyster Farm

It was a lovely morning on the water. Very Alaskan. Very grey. Very wet. We had to earn our wildlife today. As the rain came down in sheets, we ventured out in Zodiacs to explore Grindall Island. We were in search of Steller sea lions and in the rolling Pacific swell we found them. A small haul-out perched on a rock outcrop at the south end of the island. There they were, the largest sea lions in the world, groaning and grunting and bickering with each other coming and going in the crashing waves. This was a small part of a distinct genetic population that was delisted as endangered in 2013. It was incredible to see these animals doing what they do surrounded by the crashing waves of the Gulf of Alaska.   As we returned to the ship, we were greeted with two humpback whales feeding in front of the ship. These whales were focused, doing what they came to Alaskan waters to do, eat. We saw them for a few breaths and then they continued around the corner, on to find more prey.   Meanwhile, the hikers ashore, under cover of forest, explored the interior of Grindall Island. This island was homesteaded in the 1920s and operated as a fox farm until the 1950s. The forest trail was draped with western red cedar boughs and the floor with spongy moss. The low-lying wet areas were dotted with sundew, a beautifully pink carnivorous plant that attracts insects with its sticky, modified leaves. It was a wet morning but most days in Southeast Alaska are. It was still stunningly beautiful.   After lunch we cruised towards our next destination slowly, searching for wildlife. A small group of Dall’s porpoises sped along with us for a short time then disappeared into the waves. Pink and Coho salmon launched themselves into the air in every direction as they moved in hordes towards their natal streams. For a short time, we enjoyed a brief period of sun as we looked for wildlife on the bow of the National Geographic Sea Bird.   Our afternoon destination was the Hump Island Oyster Farm. A locally owned operation outside of Ketchikan that raises oysters from floating docks. We toured the operation, picked through the mussel-encrusted oyster racks in search of tiny invertebrates, and then we were treated to fresh oysters and salsa made with bull kelp!   Our day ended with an all-you-can-eat Dungeness crab feast put on, by the amazing galley crew of the Sea Bird. Tired from the day of exploring and stuffed full of crab, I imagine the idea of the cozy cabin beds were calling to many. It will be another early day tomorrow, who knows what we will find?

Talk to an Expedition Specialist

1.800.EXPEDITION (1.800.397.3348)

Call now

Make a reservation

RESERVE

Sign up for our newsletter & special offers

Sign up

Talk to an Expedition Specialist

1.800.EXPEDITION (1.800.397.3348)

Call now

Make a reservation

RESERVE

Sign up for our newsletter & special offers

Sign up