Ultimate Alaska Wildlife Safari

Today you'll travel by train to explore some of Southcentral Alaska's most beautiful coastal mountain terrain, with views of valley glaciers, waterfalls, deep canyons and dense deciduous forest on either side. Explore the scenic drama of iceberg-filled Spencer Lake, then take a gentle float trip down the Placer River before returning to Girdwood. Dinner is not included this evening, in order to give you a chance to sample your choice of restaurants in the Alyeska/Girdwood area. You might wish to take the tram to the alpine summit and dine at Seven Glaciers, a 5-star restaurant with vistas of the ice-bound peaks and inlet far below.

This morning travel to the fishing town and port of Seward on the Kenai Peninsula. From here you will cruise to Fox Island, a private island on the edge of Kenai Fjords National Park. This secluded location reveals Alaska at its most pristine. The region is famed for sea kayaking, and an easy optional paddling excursion this afternoon is likely to reveal some of the area's prolific marine life.

This morning travel to the fishing town and port of Seward on the Kenai Peninsula. From here you will cruise to Fox Island, a private island on the edge of Kenai Fjords National Park. This secluded location reveals Alaska at its most pristine. The region is famed for sea kayaking, and an easy optional paddling excursion this afternoon is likely to reveal some of the area's prolific marine life.

In pictures

Board a private charter boat this morning for a cruise through a realm where the Ice Age still lingers. Your small yacht offers the opportunity for closer encounters with wildlife, which may include humpback and orca whales, porpoises, sea otters and a large colony of puffins. Glaciers pour from the jagged mountain heights into the sea, and you may observe icebergs calving with a crash as you head back to your exclusive island accommodation.

Board a private charter boat this morning for a cruise through a realm where the Ice Age still lingers. Your small yacht offers the opportunity for closer encounters with wildlife, which may include humpback and orca whales, porpoises, sea otters and a large colony of puffins. Glaciers pour from the jagged mountain heights into the sea, and you may observe icebergs calving with a crash as you head back to your exclusive island accommodation.

In pictures

After a final morning to enjoy the wild environs of Fox Island, weave your way back through the fjords to Seward. From here, retrace your route northward, with the mountain ranges of the Kenai Peninsula rising one after another as you traverse Moose Pass and cross some of Alaska's richest salmon rivers. You'll return to Anchorage by late afternoon where you'll have the rest of your evening at leisure.

Today you'll fly west to King Salmon, then by floatplane to Katmai National Park and world-renowned Brooks Falls, one of the best places to view giant Alaskan brown bears in their natural habitat. Katmai is home to the world’s largest population of these enormous coastal grizzlies, with some 2,200 individuals inside the park. As many bear populations around the world decline, Katmai's 4 million acres of wilderness provides some of the last pristine habitat for these magnificent animals. From the safety of platforms built over Brooks Falls, you'll able to get a close look at this iconic wildlife spectacle, which very few visitors to Alaska have the privilege of seeing. Accommodation in Katmai will be either at Brooks Falls, or at Gold Creek Lodge in King Salmon.

At close range, watch bears stand in the rushing whitewater, jaws gaping, trying to catch the salmon that leap up the falls once spawning season starts. Our June and July departures will have a good chance to see fishing bears, since this is when the salmon are running, but bear viewing is excellent in August and September, too, with even more bears in the vicinity. You'll take a break to relax over lunch at world-famous Brooks Lodge, an easy walk from the falls.

At close range, watch bears stand in the rushing whitewater, jaws gaping, trying to catch the salmon that leap up the falls once spawning season starts. Our June and July departures will have a good chance to see fishing bears, since this is when the salmon are running, but bear viewing is excellent in August and September, too, with even more bears in the vicinity. You'll take a break to relax over lunch at world-famous Brooks Lodge, an easy walk from the falls.

In pictures

After a last round of bear viewing in Katmai, you'll fly back to King Salmon, then on to Anchorage. Tonight your Expedition Leader hosts a farewell dinner to celebrate your Alaskan adventures.

Your Alaska wildlife safari comes to a close today as you transfer to the airport for homeward flights, or ongoing travel arrangements.