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. 

Just what you need, morning stretches on deck with your guide. Warm those hard-at-play muscles. You know firsthand conditions in Southeast change one inlet to the next. Your captain is at the helm and picks just the right spot. The adventures are as big as the water is deep! So many hidden pockets in the Tongass National Forest. Give your paddle board skills a glide. Watch for big-eyed harbor seals from a kayak. Bushwhack into the forest of giants. Your guides know the area’s history and keep it lively.

The center of adventure. Tucked beneath snowcapped peaks, Haines has it all. Hiking, biking, kayaking, and history. One thing’s for sure—the trails are irresistible. Go easy, or feel the burn—whatever your speed, the views reward in spades. Your expedition team shares the city’s captivating history. A trading outlet for Chilkat Tlingit, they called it “Dtehshuh”—the end of the trail. European explorers, the Klondike gold rush, a U.S. Army outpost—influences still apparent today. What holds your interest? Follow your curiosity on a self-led tour.

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 if the tides are right, head out in the boat with one of the guides for a closer exploration of the rugged shore. Seals and sea lions haul out on rocky outcroppings, resting before they disappear into the water to search for food on the famed “George Island,” hike with a close-up opportunity for sea otters and a World War II cannon that sits in the wilderness today. Whatever you do—wilderness trekking, skiffing, or paddling—the experienced crew is with you every step of the way.

The tiny fishing community (75 year-round residents) of Pelican plays host to sport fishermen and kayakers in the summer. Join your guide for a 6-mile hike on the Lisianski trail or a 4-mile trek through old-growth forest and a historic mining area on Bohemia Basin. Take a skiff or kayak along the coast searching for brown bears, Sitka black-tail deer, whales, orcas, sea lions, or rafts of sea otters.

South Marble Island is abuzz with activity. View the sea lions at play. They add a distinct aroma to the air, too. Watch rare sea birds, black oystercatchers, and orange-beaked tufted puffins can’t be missed. Tucking into silent Tidal Inlet—the stomping grounds for bears, wolves, mountain goats, and eagles—the backdrop is spectacular. At the end of the westernmost arm of the bay sits Margerie and Grand Pacific Glaciers. And possible views of glacial calving.

Remote passages offer more opportunities to search for the mighty humpback whale. Keep your binoculars at hand and watch for the misty spout of these gentle giants as they feed in the waters around you—Anchor in a remote Chichagof Island inlet. Backpacks loaded and adventure toys lowered (boats, paddle boards, kayaks), it’s time to play. Stick to the water in a kayak excursion, and don’t forget to look above and below the surface. A nosy seal could watch your every stroke while you spy tiny creatures clinging to a rock or beach and combing the rocky shores.

You might purchase a tramway ticket for a ride up the Mt. Roberts Tram, where views unfold as you ascend 1,800 feet through the forest. At the top, explore the trails and Nature Center; back at the bottom, explore Alaska’s heritage at the Alaska State Museum. Both options also include a lunch voucher for a local restaurant. Complimentary laundry service is provided today.

Jutting off Stephens Passage with two deep, glacially carved fjords, this designated wilderness area contains over 600,000 acres. Cruise past chunks and chunks of floating ice. It’s a harbor seal’s delight lazing away the day atop a floating bergie. If conditions are right, skiffs are the ticket to getting in close.

Humpback whales are frequent visitors of this Southeast passage. A misty spout is a sure sign they’re in the neighborhood. Your captain navigates Stephens Passage to Port Houghton. And you’re in for a boot-sucking, paddle-smacking day of adventure with your guide team. The routes are all picked out. Make your choice and make your move. Slip off the kayak launch and slowly spot sea stars and shore birds. Hard chargers take a long, wild paddle to the salt chuck at the back of the inlet. Or, hike into the Tongass.

When you come this far, you might as well go all in. This is way back to the backcountry of Alaska’s wilderness. Glacial landscapes marked by moraines, muskegs, and mud. In this playground, it’s all an option today. Kayak and skiff in water almost clear as glass. The mirror image of the fjord walls plays on the surface. Hike through the outwash of Baird Glacier. Or keep it green on an interpretive walk through a grassy meadow into the forest. Later, wind into the Wrangell Narrows. Abundant bright red and green navigation lights guide the way. It’s nicknamed “Christmas Tree Lane,” of course.

The Blashkee Islands are your playground today. A full day of choose-your-own-adventure fun. Hiking, Kayaking, skiff tours, snorkeling, and full-day yak-n-whack excursions. Get ready for a full day!

Wildlife abounds. Black bears, mink, eagles. Behm Canal has remote waterways and the isolated Tongass National Forest coves, streams, and bays. Your expedition team leads a low-elevation hike on the Cleveland Peninsula near clear, rushing streams—good opportunities for enticing forested shots of the Southeast. Orcas, porpoises, seals, and otters go about their business in the water. Go about yours on a guided paddle in tiny, deserted waterways that feed into Behm Canal.

There are places on the planet that completely overcome you. This is one of them. The beauty. The peace. The sense of place you feel. Misty Fjords National Monument represents nearly every ecosystem found in Southeast Alaska. And that alone is a lot to consider. Glacial valleys filled with seawater. Sheer 3,000-foot cliffs. Sea birds, brown and black bears, mountain goats, and Sitka black-tailed deer all find haven here. Kayak in Walker Cove or Rudyerd Bay is just as easy to paddle and go as it is to sit and float and take it all in. Or skiff to the base of a waterfall for the fjord-released shower. Its affectionate nickname, “The Yosemite of the North,” is deserved. And it’s a fantastic wrap to your week. Your captain joins you tonight for a Farewell Dinner. Celebrate and reminisce about your Alaskan journey with a “photo journal” by your crew.

After breakfast this morning, bid adieu to your new pals before you disembark and transfer to the Ketchikan airport or begin your extended UnCruise hotel stay or land tour.