Alaska: The Inside Passage

Duration

7 Days

Embarkation

Juneau (Auke Bay Marina)

Disembarkation

Sitka (Crescent Harbor)

Best season

June – September

Total distance

200 NM

Overview

Alaska's Inside Passage is one of the world's last great wildernesses — a 1,000-mile network of fjords, islands, and waterways where tidewater glaciers calve into the sea, humpback whales breach alongside your yacht, and brown bears fish for salmon on pristine riverbanks. A yacht charter here is a true expedition into nature at its most magnificent.

Highlights

• Glacier Bay National Park
• Humpback whale watching
• Tracy Arm Fjord glaciers
• Brown bear viewing at Pack Creek
• Sitka's Russian heritage
• Kayaking among icebergs

Day by day

1. Day 1: Juneau — Alaska's Capital

   Juneau

   Morning: Arrive at Juneau International Airport and transfer to Auke Bay Marina. Board your expedition yacht and meet the naturalist guide.

   Afternoon: Helicopter excursion to the Juneau Icefield — land on a glacier and explore ice caves and crevasses. Alternatively, visit the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center.

   Evening: Welcome dinner aboard featuring Alaskan king crab, wild salmon, and local craft beers.

2. Day 2: Tracy Arm Fjord — Ice & Glaciers

   Juneau → Tracy Arm · 50 nm

   Morning: Cruise south into Tracy Arm Fjord, a 30-mile-long fjord flanked by 3,000-foot granite walls and hanging glaciers.

   Afternoon: Navigate through floating icebergs to the twin Sawyer Glaciers. Watch and listen as massive chunks of ice calve into the fjord. Kayak among the icebergs.

   Evening: Anchor in the fjord and enjoy dinner with the glaciers as your backdrop. Watch for harbour seals resting on ice floes.

3. Day 3: Glacier Bay National Park

   Tracy Arm → Glacier Bay · 65 nm

   Morning: Cruise to Glacier Bay National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A park ranger boards the yacht to guide you through this extraordinary landscape.

   Afternoon: Navigate to the face of Margerie Glacier, a mile-wide wall of blue ice. Watch for calving events — massive chunks of ice crashing into the sea. Spot humpback whales, sea otters, and puffins.

   Evening: Anchor in a quiet bay within the park. The silence, broken only by the crack of distant glaciers, is profound. Dinner aboard.

4. Day 4: Elfin Cove — Fishing Village

   Glacier Bay → Elfin Cove · 30 nm

   Morning: Cruise to Elfin Cove, a tiny fishing village accessible only by boat or floatplane. The population is about 20 year-round residents.

   Afternoon: Go sport fishing for halibut and salmon with a local guide. The waters around Elfin Cove are some of the most productive in Alaska. Explore the boardwalk village.

   Evening: Your chef prepares your catch for dinner — the freshest halibut and salmon you'll ever taste, prepared on the aft deck.

5. Day 5: Chichagof Island — Bear Country

   Elfin Cove → Chichagof Island · 25 nm

   Morning: Cruise to Chichagof Island, which has the highest density of brown bears in the world. Take a zodiac to a salmon stream to observe bears fishing.

   Afternoon: Kayak through the island's protected bays, watching for bald eagles, sea lions, and otters. Hike through the old-growth Sitka spruce forest.

   Evening: Anchor in a secluded bay. Watch bears on the shore from the comfort of the sundeck. Dinner aboard with Alaskan wine.

6. Day 6: Baranof Island Hot Springs

   Chichagof Island → Baranof Island · 40 nm

   Morning: Cruise south along the outer coast of Baranof Island. Watch for humpback whales — this area is a major feeding ground.

   Afternoon: Visit the Baranof Warm Springs, natural hot springs in a pristine forest setting. Soak in the warm mineral waters surrounded by towering Sitka spruce.

   Evening: Anchor in a quiet bay and enjoy a final Alaskan wilderness evening. Watch the sunset paint the mountains in shades of gold and purple.

7. Day 7: Sitka — Russian Heritage

   Baranof Island → Sitka · 25 nm

   Morning: Cruise to Sitka, Alaska's former Russian capital. The approach past Mount Edgecumbe (a dormant volcano) is spectacular.

   Afternoon: Explore Sitka's Russian heritage — St. Michael's Cathedral, the Russian Bishop's House, and the Sitka National Historical Park with its totem poles. Visit the Alaska Raptor Center.

   Evening: Farewell dinner at Ludvig's Bistro, Sitka's best restaurant, featuring locally sourced Alaskan cuisine. Disembark the following morning.