Amongst a heap of astonishing, rare places, we present one of the rarest and most astonishing: the Ultima Thule Lodge in Wrangell–St. Elias National Park, in the southeast corner of the state. WSENP is the largest roadless area in the United States (we fly to the 12-guest lodge, which is more than 100 miles from the nearest road). America’s largest national park by far (six times the size of Yellowstone, with less than two percent of Denali National Park’s visitors), it’s more densely glaciated than anyplace on earth outside of Greenland and the Antarctic. Nine of North America’s 16 highest peaks reside in the park. We’ll spend almost a week at our homey and wellappointed lodge, relishing some of the most hands-down dramatic sceneries imaginable: wildflower-carpeted meadows, soaring, infinite views, and wildlife sightings (goat, sheep, brown bear, marmot, pika, eagle, and wolverine are some of the guest stars).

And then, deeply refreshed, we fly south to an eight-day cruise in Alaska’s Inland Passage, a much-coveted and, in truth, much-visited place (visited almost exclusively by mammoth cruise ships). But if you’re inclined to visit the Inland Passage with less glitz, fewer talent shows, and more intimacy, our four (very up-to-the-minute) boats—the 12-guest Safari Escape and Safari Spirit, the 21-guest Safari Quest, and the 36-guest Safari Explorer—are your ticket.

The itinerary below is for one of the scheduled Safari Quest cruises (note that these ships are also available for private charter). It includes a rare two nights in epic Glacier Bay National Park, and it’s representative of our ships’ ability to avoid the sea lanes plowed by the grandiose leviathans, providing up-close, Zodiacing, shore-wandering looks at this shimmering maritime, ice, and mountain jewel. We anchor in hidden coves, watch humpbacks, Stellar sea lions, porpoises, and orcas at work, wander in the miniscule village of Elfin Cove on Chichagof Island, kayak in misty inlets, and watch brown bears amble along the nearby shore, getting an intimate feel for the Inland Passage’s mix of scenic drama and subtle, soul-warming delights.

Day 1: fly to Anchorage • Day 2: day trip to Redoubt Bay Lodge for bear viewing • Day 3: drive/fly to Ultima Thule Lodge • Days 4 – 8: exploring Wrangell–St. Elias National Park • Day 9: charter flight to Juneau, board yacht • Days 10 & 11: Glacier Bay National Park, shore visits, glacier viewing, kayaking in remote coves • Day 12: into Icy Strait, visit Elfin Cove village • Days 13 – 15: into the heart of the Inland Passage, kayaking, wildlife viewing, anchorages at remote coves and between towering waterfalls • Day 16: arrive in Sitka, fly home.

• General Description
• Health Precautions
• Reading List
• Weather Information

• More Alaska Trips
• More Small Boat Cruising Trips