Ultimate Alaska Wildlife Safari

Our grand Alaska adventure begins in Fairbanks, Alaska's "Golden Heart City." Capital of the vast Interior, Fairbanks retains its frontier flavor with pioneer saloons, paddlewheelers and outlying mining camps. Fairbanks is also home to the flagship campus of the University of Alaska system, where the famous Geophysical Institute is headquartered, leading research in the study of permafrost, earthquakes, sea ice and the aurora borealis. Meet your Expedition Leader at a welcome dinner this evening, who offers an orientation to all the adventures to come.

This morning, drive south through boreal forest along the Nenana River to Denali National Park. At 6 million acres—larger than the state of Massachusetts—Denali is one of the world’s great wilderness preserves. The park's namesake is the highest peak in North America, towering 20,310 feet over alpine tundra and taiga that provide habitat for abundant wildlife. The mountain's name—Denali—means "The High One" in the Athabascan language.

Due to an extended road closure in the interior of Denali National Park as a result of a major landslide in 2021, access to the remote backcountry at the end of the 92-mile-long park road is now possible only by air. At the park entrance, we board a chartered helicopter for a spectacular aerial journey to Denali Backcountry Lodge, isolated in a vast expanse of wilderness. Spending two nights here is an exclusive experience very few visitors to Alaska get, even before the road was closed – and it's an even rarer opportunity now. As we fly over the tangled veins of glacier-fed rivers, broad valleys and steep mountainsides, look for wildlife along the edge of the spruce forest and on the braided river gravel bars—we could see moose, caribou, Dall sheep, grizzlies and occasionally wolves—“Alaska’s Big Five.”

From our base at Denali Backcountry Lodge, a host of activities offers a chance to learn about the natural and cultural history of our environs, including the wildlife that thrives here, the Athabascan people who lived off this land for 10,000 years, and the pioneers who mined for gold in nearby Kantishna at the turn of the 20th century. Take a hike in search of wildlife with our Expedition Leader and lodge naturalist guides. Paddle a kayak on Wonder Lake, offering the iconic postcard shot of Denali’s massive white hulk rising behind. Try your hand at fishing in Moose Creek. Ride a mountain bike. And just drink up the profound beauty and silence of wild country on a scale few people will experience in their lifetime. At the end of our day of adventure, return to the lodge for a hearty dinner featuring fresh seasonal and regional fare. Afterward, head to the campfire to roast marshmallows for s’mores.

After lunch, depart our wilderness lodge and fly back to the park entrance via chartered helicopter. Weather permitting, we’ll have stunning eye-level views of the icy flanks of Denali en route. We disembark and board a spacious mini-bus for our journey south to Anchorage across the Alaska Range. Our route climbs above tree line over Broad Pass, then descends through taiga forest to follow the Susitna River through thick stands of birch, balsam poplar, willow and spruce. Eventually, we reach Anchorage on Cook Inlet, backdropped by the glacier-crowned peaks of the Chugach Range. With a population of roughly 300,000, Anchorage is Alaska's largest city and its primary commerce and transportation hub.

Today we rise early to travel the most scenic section of the historic Alaska Railroad, built in the early 20th century. The state-owned railroad’s mainline is 470 miles long, connecting Seward in the south with Fairbanks up north. From the dome car, enjoy a classic train journey along Turnagain Arm as we keep an eye out for tidal bores that create waves big enough for local surfers to ride! To the north lie the ice-clad peaks and lush glacial valleys of the Chugach Range, harboring the northernmost temperate rainforest in North America. The corridor we follow winds through the Kenai Mountains–Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area, a designation that recognizes the area's unique cultural, geographic and historical features. Once we cross Moose Pass, the rail line drops back to the coast, ending at its southern terminus, the Port of Seward on Resurrection Bay.

In Seward's small boat harbor, look for sea otters often seen bobbing among the yachts and docks. Here, we board a boat for the voyage to Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge on private Fox Island, on the edge of Kenai Fjords National Park. Our isolated location, fronting a wild pebble beach backdropped by steep forested mountains, reveals the pristine side of Alaska most visitors miss. The Kenai Fjords region is optimal for sea kayaking, and an optional paddling excursion late this afternoon is likely to reveal some of the area’s prolific marine life.

Iconic images of Alaska are on display today from our private chartered boat as we explore a marine realm where vestiges of the Ice Age linger. Our small vessel allows us to approach wildlife at close range, and Kenai Fjords National Park provides excellent opportunities for viewing humpback whales, orcas, Dall's porpoise, sea lions, sea otters and bobbing puffins. Weave among islands and rocky cliffs where seabirds nest, and look for bald eagles in the treetops above. Jagged glaciers wind from the mountain heights to the sea, and we may observe icebergs calving with a thunderous crash from a glacier's towering blue face. Following our all-day outing, our boat returns us to our secluded lodge on Fox Island for another night of peace and solitude in the coastal wilderness.

After a last morning on serene Fox Island, board our private boat for the return journey up Resurrection Bay to Seward, where you'll have some free time to wander around this historic harbor town. From Seward, we head south on a spectacular drive to Homer. The mountain ranges of the Kenai Peninsula rise one after another, sourcing some of Alaska's richest salmon rivers. Homer is known as “the End of the Road” in Alaska, and we follow it all the way down to the harbor on the Homer Spit. Homer is renowned as the Halibut Fishing Capital of the World, and we may see fishermen unloading their catch—the biggest halibut can be eight feet long and up to 500 pounds! While halibut are one of Alaska’s most valuable fisheries, Homer also offers excellent fishing for several salmon species, lingcod and rockfish. At the marina, board a private boat transfer to Odyssey Lodge, a secluded wilderness retreat on China Poot Bay, within the larger Kachemak Bay ecosystem, where we spend the next two nights in exceptional privacy.

Depart from the beach in front of our lodge on a water taxi ride across Kachemak Bay, an island-studded marine realm that's home not only to coveted sport fish but also sea otters, harbor seals, porpoises, sea lions, orcas, whales, bald eagles, puffins nesting in cliffside colonies, and more. With more than 320 miles of shoreline, this magnificent coastal estuary contains every marine ecosystem in the Gulf of Alaska.

We disembark at Peterson Bay Field Station on the south shore of Kachemak Bay to spend the day immersed in the wonders of the rich intertidal zone and coastal rainforest, teeming with wildlife. As we hike along pristine beaches and forest trails, we’re joined by naturalists from the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies who interpret all we see. At Otter Rock, tidepools reveal sea stars, sea urchins, bright anemones and crabs. Among the towering trees, examine lush moss, dense understory and verdant flora as we learn about the many-faceted relationships among plants, animals and people. After a full day of discovery, return to Odyssey Lodge by water taxi, cruising past the seabird rookeries on Gull Island along the way.

Is it possible to say we’ve saved the best for last? Well, it all depends on how you weigh the wonders of Alaska, but our brown bear adventures begin today and will surely be a highlight of your trip. After lunch, depart Odyssey Lodge by boat and head back to the mainland, where it's time to board our chartered flight across Cook Inlet to Nat Hab's Alaska Bear Camp, where we spend the next two nights. The views from our private bush plane are stunning as we pass snow-clad volcanoes and glaciers winding down from vast icefields. The terrain below, where the Aleutian and Alaska ranges meet, comprises some of the world's most critical brown bear habitat. Look for bears in the meadows and along the shoreline as we come in for a landing, taxiing down the beach along Chinitna Bay.

Bear Camp is located on a historic homestead, a private 15-acre inholding of coastal land surrounded by Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. These 4 million protected acres of wilderness are the ancestral homelands of the Dena'ina people, preserving an intact ecosystem at the headwaters of the largest sockeye salmon fishery in the world. Accessible only by plane or boat, Bear Camp offers an unparalleled immersion in pristine brown bear habitat. From our comfortable new cabins, we have immediate access to some of the best, most consistent bear viewing opportunities anywhere in Alaska, due to the season-long availability of food. In late spring, protein-rich sedge grass supports rapid growth, and bears are often seen browsing in the meadow behind camp, as well as digging clams from the beach. Accustomed to our non-threatening presence, they see us humans merely as part of the scenery, allowing us to move safely in their midst on guided outings, at times watching them from just a few yards away.

There's simply no wildlife encounter to match being among bears at close range in their wild home. Against a backdrop of sheer-sided peaks rising above the green valley floor, the bears are sometimes near enough that we can hear them chewing their food and communicating with one another in woofs, purrs and growls. Alaska's mighty brown bears—the coastal version of the interior grizzly bear (which is the same species, Ursus arctos )—are the largest land predators in North America. Adult males can weigh up to 1,500 pounds!

While the bear activity we witness can vary according to seasonal and weather conditions, there's always something interesting going on. And while bears are usually plentiful right in the vicinity of camp, we also go into adjacent Lake Clark National Park for added variety. At every turn, we explore the area in the careful company of our seasoned bear naturalists who offer thorough coaching in respectful "bear etiquette.” Our low-impact presence ensures that we never disturb the bears, and they in turn grant us comfortable access to watch them go about their daily routines.

We have one last chance this morning to marvel at the bears, admiring their majesty and whimsy alike. Few travelers have such an encounter with the raw beauty and profound silence of a landscape this size—these things alone would make for a life-transforming experience. But the chance to watch Alaskan brown bears, incomparable icons of the wild, on their turf, their terms...it's a wonder to have bears welcome us into their world. We depart as ambassadors for the bears, our time among them leaving an indelible mark on us, inspiring us to do all we can to protect them. Leaving Bear Camp behind, we board our small bush plane to return to Homer, where we enjoy some free time browsing on the spit. The marina, a site of busy fishing boat traffic, offers some appealing photo opportunities. This evening, we celebrate our adventures together at a farewell dinner.

Our Alaska adventure comes to a close today as we transfer to the Homer airport for departing flights.