THE WILDS OF ALASKA

ITINERARY

DAY 1 Depart Heathrow 1510 on British Airways via Seattle to Fairbanks (Alaska), arriving 2344. Transfer to hotel for overnight.

DAY 2 Depart on Alaska Railroad for Denali National Park (snow-capped mountain ranges and pristine scenery) for three nights.

DAY 3 & 4 Two full days with park rangers in Denali National Park (caribou, dall sheep, bear, moose) with stunning views of 20,000ft-high Mt McKinley.

DAY 5 Wildlife drive for Denali Park to Alaska Railroad for transfer to Anchorage for overnight.

DAY 6 Depart by air for Sitka (St Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church, Raptor Rehabilitation Center) and embark National Geographic Sea Bird for seven nights.

DAY 7 Cruise around bays and islands of south-east Alaska (isolated beaches, fjords, forest trails) including Admiralty Island (home of massive brown bear, nesting bald eagles) with trip by kayak looking for marine and terrestrial life.

DAY 8 Cruise to Point Adolphus (feeding area for humpback whales) and Inian Pass (sea otters).

DAY 9 Glacier Bay National Park: coves, fjords, glaciers, freshwater lakes, majestic mountains (mountain goats, harbour seals, Steller’s sea lions, puffins), Tidal Inlet (brown bears).

DAY 10 Cruise towards Frederick Sound and Chatham Strait: killer and humpback whales, bald eagles, sea lions, forest walks with naturalists.

DAY 11 Le Conte Bay (humpback whales), kayak through ice, optional trip by helicopter over Le Conte Glacier, hike on forest trails then head to small town of Petersburg on Mitkof Island (waters rich in crab, shrimp, salmon).

DAY 12 Cruise to Tracy Arm (spectacular fjord, cascading waterfalls) then visit Sawyer Glacier by Zodiac (seals, porpoises, Arctic terns, Bonaparte gulls) or woodland walk.

DAY 13 Cruise to Juneau and disembark Seabird for visit to Alaska State Museum (Alaska’s natural history and indigenous culture). Transfer by air to Seattle for return flight to Heathrow, departing 1845.

DAY 14 Arrive Heathrow 1150.