Note that the itinerary may change based on weather, wildlife activity, and interests of the guests. This itinerary is to give you a general idea of the trip.
This itinerary is for the trip that departs Sitka and arrives at Ketchikan. For the Ketchikan to Sitka itinerary, reverse the days.
Day 1: Meet in the lobby of your hotel, for a historic walking tour of Sitka. This Alaskan town is richly layered in history: Tlingit, Russian and American. It’s also a real Alaskan fishing town, evidenced by the marinas and the character of local eateries. Visit to raptor centre and welcome dinner. Overnight at hotel.
Day 2: Free time to explore Sitka in the morning. Board ship. Weather permitting, explore by zodiac at St. Lazaria, an offshore island with thousands of seabirds. Cruising Kruzof Island and Salisbury Sound watching for sea otters.
Day 3: Hike and wildlife on Kruzof Island, introduction to the rainforest and other ecotypes: lake, bog, west coast beach. Cruising Peril Strait.
Day 4: Morning rainforest trail to scenic lake. Wildlife viewing (bears, otters) along the way. Cruising the waterfall coast of Baranof Island. Marine mammal viewing. Warm Springs Bay halmet, bog walk, and natural hot springs.
Day 5: Cruising Frederick Sound, watching for whales. Visit sea lion haul out, small island anchorage beach walk. Anchorage Admiralty Island.
Day 6: Guided brown bear viewing and rainforest walk up salmon creek at Pack Creek on Admiralty Island, with special access for Swell guests.
Day 7: Cruising spectacular fjord to tidewater glacier, icebergs, wildlife viewing. Option to zodiac, kayak and/or walk, exploring glacier, icebergs in this awesome ice world. Beach walk at a glacier’s terminal moraine.
Day 8: Stephen’s Passage and Frederick Sound whales. Waterfall + rainforest hike. Glacier anchorage.
Day 9: Petersburg visit. Scenic Wrangell Narrows cruise, with a view of Alaskan water-based lifestyle. Cruising south.
Day 10: South Etolin wilderness exploration by boat and foot. Exploring intertidal life, multiple islets, black bears.
Day 11: Morning visit to off-the-grid community of Meyer’s Chuck. Cruising Tongass Narrows to Ketchikan.