At a glance
- Duration:
- 8 Days
- Start/End:
- Roundtrip Juneau
- From:
- $4,700
- Time of Year:
- May - September
On this 8-day Glacier Bay Adventure Cruise aboard the 76-guest Wilderness Discoverer, spend two days in Glacier Bay National Park. While many ships keep their distance, UnCruise takes you up close to Alaska’s iconic glaciers and landscapes. You’ll experience a variety of glaciers, hike through glacial outwash fields, visit the Glacier Bay National Park headquarters, and so much more on this itinerary.
No one does Alaska better. Forget viewing a glacier from a crowded deck—we take you to shore in a skiff and bushwhack up to its towering face.
Enjoy kayaking, hiking, bushwhacking, paddle boarding, and more. You’ll have the chance to spot amazing wildlife, including bears, moose, sea otters, humpback whales, and orcas. Each morning, our guides explore the area to ensure the activities offered provide the best possible adventure.
Glacier Bay Adventure Cruise Highlights
- Spend TWO full days in Glacier Bay National Park
- Explore tidewater glaciers: Margerie, Lamplugh, and more
- Visit the Glacier Bay headquarters and the Lodge at Bartlett Cove
- Whale watching in Frederick Sound and Icy Strait
- Birding at South Marble Island: puffins, oystercatchers, cormorants, and more
This Glacier Bay National Park Adventure Cruise offers an immersive and intimate exploration of one of Alaska’s most iconic and pristine wilderness areas. Witness the awe-inspiring spectacle of towering glaciers calving into the sea, creating dramatic ice formations and thunderous splashes. Cruise through icy waters surrounded by majestic tidewater glaciers, such as the Margerie Glacier and the Grand Pacific Glacier. Encounter a diverse array of wildlife, including humpback whales, orcas, sea lions, harbor seals, porpoises, and bald eagles. Glacier Bay National Park is renowned for its rich biodiversity, both on land and in the surrounding waters. Marvel at the breathtaking landscapes of Glacier Bay, with its rugged mountains, pristine fjords, lush rainforests, and turquoise-blue waters. Cruise past picturesque waterfalls, verdant forests, and towering peaks shrouded in mist.
Active adventures abound in Glacier Bay National Park. Explore remote coves and sheltered bays in a sea kayak, paddling among icebergs and getting up close to glaciers. Guided kayak excursions offer opportunities for wildlife viewing and scenic photography. Embark on guided hikes through the rainforest and alpine meadows, following trails that lead to panoramic viewpoints and hidden waterfalls. Learn about the natural and cultural history of the region from knowledgeable expedition guides. Board inflatable Zodiac boats for intimate wildlife encounters and close-up views of glaciers. Navigate through ice-filled waters and explore hidden coves and tidal estuaries inaccessible to larger vessels.
Glacier Bay Adventure Cruise Details
Day-to-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Juneau, Alaska – Embarkation
Arriving in Juneau, you will be transferred from the airport to our check-in area. Upon boarding, your crew greets you with champagne and smiles. Set sail for a week of scenic channels and secluded wilderness.
Meals included: dinner
Day 2: Icy Strait & Neka Bay
Kick start the morning with on-deck yoga stretches and a strong cup of coffee. Energized and snug in your kayak, glide around in remote bays off of Icy Strait through giant bullwhip kelp that can grow to over 100 feet long. Join the gang in a skiff to a rocky outcropping to watch sea lions play. Or, step into mud boots for a forest hike with your top-notch, naturalist guides who have plenty to share about everything Alaska—marine biology, plants, and even geology. On board, soak it all in as you soak in the hot tub.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 3: Glacier Bay National Park
This national park covers 3.3 million acres (that’s a tad smaller than the state of Connecticut). Let that sink in. Most visitors see the same sliver of the park as everyone else. Not you. You’re going the furthest and exploring parts that 99% of visitors never go to. And you have two days to do it. Hike the outwash field of glaciers winding down the Fairweather Mountain Range. The cool breeze off the nearby snow and icefields is energizing. If you motor over to Dundas Bay, keep your eye out for bears, humpbacks, and if you’re lucky, a wolf sighting. Kayak the bay. Bushwhack into the forest. Discover Glacier Bay.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 4: Glacier Bay National Park Continued
Before you do anything, look out the window. From kelp-lined channels to hemlock and spruce forests, every inch of this far northwest corner is worth exploring. And today’s adventures promise to be as big as the water is deep! Whatever you do— wilderness trekking, skiffing, or paddling—your expedition team guides the way.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 5: Chichagof Island
Enjoy the top deck for a sunrise or morning stretch. Meander through glacier-carved fjords along the Chichagof coast. Then anchor. It’s a prime time to lower the kayaks and skiffs. Camera in hand, set off on land and sea explorations. Closer inspection by skiff, moss-dripping trees run right down to the water. Any bears in there? With one of the world’s largest populations of bears, it’s possible. Go searching for giant trees and tidal pools. Hiking in the Tongass, it won’t take long to find them. Your eagle-eyed guides lead the pack—and pull up the rear.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 6: Frederick Sound
Hang out and enjoy the show. You may find yourself in ‘whale soup’ surrounded by feeding humpbacks swimming these abundant glacial waters. Based on wind and weather, your expedition team has the lineup of adventures all mapped out. Cruise past Five Fingers Lighthouse, Alaska’s oldest light station and The Brothers Islands, where sea lions nap on rocky nobs. Paddle into the deeps of Port Houghton or Windham Bay or head ashore for a hike. Tonight, toast another big day in Alaska.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 7: Tracy Arm & Sawyer Glaciers
Take an early peek out your window. Fjord cliffs reach skyward. Floating ice. And deep u-shaped valleys. There’s no abracadabra here. Mother Nature’s magic is real. Cruise past harbor seals and their pups lounging on chunks of ice. Tides permitting, your skiff driver knows the ropes and guides you along. It’s a mashup of towering walls, temperamental currents, and the Coastal Mountains. So many waterfalls. Mountain goats show off fancy footwork on the cliffs, so keep your eyes open. Finish your week with Captain’s dinner and post-dinner cocktails watching the week’s “photo journal” by your crew.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 8: Juneau - Disembarkation
Linger over breakfast this morning cruising into Juneau. Wish your crew and new friends goodbye. Then it’s off to the airport or begin your UnCruise hotel stay or land tour
Meals included: breakfast
