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At-A-Glance

Trip Dates:

June 2, 2012 through June 9, 2012

Only a few cabins remain on this summer journey to Alaska.

Book by March 31st for a special airfare promotion

The coast of Southeast Alaska is a maze of fjords, channels, rivers, and glaciers gliding towards the sea. On this Alaskan cruise, you will travel aboard a comfortable, small ship designed for exploring the coastal islands teeming with wildlife. Tour Glacier Bay National Park and experience its magnificent scenery animated by the lore and legend of its indigenous people and the expertise of a local guide. A native Tlingit interpreter and a Park Service ranger will join us on board the vessel, adding layers of history and insider knowledge. You may also join the optional post-tour land extension to Denali National Park.

For details about this trip, download the brochure (pdf)

Tour Highlights

Lindblad Expeditions

Carrying just 62 guests and with a shallow draft, the National Geographic Sea Lion takes you where others can't go, with the experts who know Alaska best and in the comfort of a large private yacht.

Glacier Bay National Park

A little over 200 years ago, what is now Glacier Bay was then a glacier more than 4,000 feet thick and extended more than 100 miles to the St. Elias Mountain Range. Less than 100 years later, the glacier had retreated 48 miles. Early in the 20th century, it had drawn back 65 miles from the bay's mouth. Such rapid retreat is known nowhere else on earth.

Denali National Park & Preserve Extension

Home to North America's highest mountain, Denali National Park and Preserve encompasses more than six million acres of varied landscapes. With the idyllic North Face Lodge as your base camp, you'll experience Denali National Park as few visitors do. Set deep in the heart of the park, this unique wilderness retreat offers unparalleled views of Mt. McKinley and a wide range of outdoor activities, locally-sourced cuisine, and special access to the park.

Tour Details

Main Voyage Inclusions

Accommodations aboard ship; meals as indicated; excursions; services of Lindblad Expeditions’ leader, naturalist staff and expert guides; use of kayaks; entrance fees; all port charges and service taxes. *Please call for Denali extension inclusions.

Price Does Not Include

Airfare; personal items such as alcoholic beverages, voyage DVD, emails, etc.; and discretionary tips to ship’s crew.

Payments/Cancellations

Space is confirmed by calling the NPCA at 800.628.7275. A $650 (+$500 extension) per person deposit is due at registration. Final payment will be invoiced separately and is due 90 days prior to departure. Cancellation notice must be submitted in writing and is effective upon date of receipt. Cancellations up to 90 days prior receive a refund, less the $150 per person handling fee; 89-61 days prior to departure, full depost is forfeited; 60-31 days prior to departure, 50% of the tour cost is forfeited; 30 days or fewer prior to departure result in the loss of 100% of your total cost. Additional Fees apply for cancelling extension.

Travel Insurance

To protect yourself from the loss of deposit and cancellation fees, you are encouraged to purchase travel insurance. If you need assistance, NPCA recommends contacting Travel Insurance Services.

Arrive/Depart

Juneau/Sitka

Length of Tour

8 days/7 nights

Pace

Easy to moderately active.

Daily Itinerary

June 2: Juneau, Alaska/Embarkation

Upon arrival, visit the Alaska State Museum for an artful introduction to this unique state, followed by the striking Mendenhall Glacier. Explore the port of Juneau after an onboard dinner. (D)

June 3: Tracy Arm

This morning, we enter Tracy Arm/Endicott Arm, a spectacular fjord, with waterfalls cascading from its glacially carved walls. We’ll also pass the Sawyer Glacier, which has been described as bluer than any blue on earth, or the towering Dawes Glacier. If conditions permit, we’ll use our Zodiacs to provide unparalleled up close views of the glacier. Keep an eye out for harbor seals and porpoises, Arctic terns and Bonaparte gulls. (B,L,D)

June 4: Petersburg

Search for humpback whales as we head toward LeConte Bay, a virtual sculpture garden of grounded and floating icebergs. Weather permitting, you join naturalists in Zodiacs amid the ice. Then depart for Petersburg on Mitkof Island for optional flightseeing. Bicycles are available for rides through town or join naturalists for a walk in a nearby bog. The ship remains at the dock until the dinner call for a dungeness crab feast. (B,L,D)

June 5: Frederick Sound & Chatham Strait

These waters are prime areas for both orca whales and humpback whales. We fill the deck to observe their fascinating behavior — breaching or tail-slapping — and listen to a play-by-play from expert naturalists. We may also see sea lions and the majestic bald eagle. Once ashore, we’ll opt to walk along a quiet forest trail. These still waters are also excellent for kayaking, offering another option for up close exploration. (B,L,D)

June 6: Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve

Spend the entire day amidst the coves, fjords, tidewater glaciers, and majestic mountains of Glacier Bay National Park. Witness the thunderous sound of “calving” glaciers as massive ice chunks crash into the sea. Observe harbor seals, sea lions, and puffins around these icy waters and watch mountain goats scaling the nearby peaks. (B,L,D)

June 7: Point Adolphus & Inian Pass

Hike or kayak while searching for humpback whales in the waters off Point Adolphus and playful sea otters in Inian Pass. (B,L,D)

June 8: Southeast Alaska’s Islands, Bays and Fjords

Today, nature is our guide as we set forth with the flexibility to take advantage of wildlife and weather conditions. This area is home to the highest density of nesting bald eagles in the world, so sightings are very common. (B,L,D)

June 9: Sitka, Alaska/Extension or departure

Gaze up at the grand totem poles that line the wooded trails through Sitka National Historic Park. Afternoon transfer to the airport for flights home or to Fairbanks and Denali National Park. (B)

Pricing Details

Member Price

Prices are Per Person Double Occupancy (Single Supplement applies if sole occupant of cabin) on main voyage.
Category 1—$5,990 pp ($3,000)
Category 2—$6,790 pp; ($3,400)
Category 3—$7,890 pp (no singles)

$650 Reservation Deposit

Denali Extension

$5,390 per person ($2,400 single supplement)

$500 Advance Deposit

Map

National Geographic Sea Lion Deck Plan

Category 1: Main Deck #300-305

Conveniently positioned between the dining room & lounge, these cabins feature two single lower beds, a writing desk and a large view window.

Category 2: Bridge Deck #100-104; Upper Deck #200-212, 215

These well-located cabins include two lower single beds & a view window.

Category 3: Bridge Deck #105, 106; Upper Deck #214, 216, 217, 219

These cabins feature a seating unit with table and two large view windows. Upper Deck cabins include two lower single beds which can convert to a double bed and a pull-out single bed for a third person; Bridge Deck cabins include two lower single beds only.

Note: Sole Occupancy cabins are available in Categories 1 and 2 only. Third person rates are available in certain categories at one half the double occupancy rate. Shared accommodations can be arranged at the double occupancy rate in Categories 1 and 2 only, but cannot be guaranteed.

Post-Trip Extension

With the idyllic North Face Lodge as your base camp, you’ll experience Denali National Park as few visitors do. Set deep in the heart of the park, this unique wilderness retreat offers unparalleled views of Mt. McKinley and a wide range of outdoor activities, locally-sourced cuisine, and special access to the park.

Extension Daily Itinerary

June 10: Explore Fairbanks on your own

Arrive in Fairbanks with individual flights or come in the night before from Sitka. Recommended Hotel (for the night of June 9, not included in trip price) in Sitka is Totem Square Inn and for Fairbanks is Pike’s Waterfront Lodge. Participants receive free ground transfer from airport to the hotel on the 10th for flights arriving between 12pm-6pm, before settling into a river-view cabin at Pike’s Waterfront Lodge. This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner your leader and traveling companions. Pike’s Waterfront Lodge (D)

June 11: Fairbanks to Denali National Park & Preserve

In the morning visit the University of Alaska Fairbanks Museum featuring collections that represent over 11,000 years of cultural traditions in the North. In the late morning we depart on a wildlife drive to our temporary home located within the heart of the park, the North Face Lodge. We’ll travel in the lodge’s private mini-coach, on the otherwise highly restricted Denali Park Road, in order to access prime wildlife viewing areas; a privilege extended exclusively to the owners of North Face Lodge and their guests. The seven-hour, 90-mile drive is rife with opportunities to stop, see and photograph Denali’s famed wildlife: grizzlies, caribou, moose, Dall sheep, wolves, eagles, Arctic terns and more. We’ll enjoy a hearty, picnic-style dinner, served at the midpoint of the drive alongside the East Fork River. Regular bathroom stops at National Park Service facilities provide additional chances to stretch your legs. North Face Lodge (B,L,D)

The North Face Lodge: The North Face Lodge’s relationship with the park ensures exclusive opportunities for you to explore Denali’s most pristine backcountry areas for prime hiking and wildlife viewing. Additionally, the small group size of eleven guests per every naturalist enhances the intimacy of outings and opportunities for in-depth learning about Denali.

June 12-14: Denali National Park & Preserve

Immerse yourself in the remote wildness and north-country charm of the North Face Lodge, and become one with nature. See Denali’s rich wildlife, flora and fauna firsthand and learn about its natural history during the daily activities of your choice – hiking, canoeing, fishing and biking. Hiking is among guests’ favorite activities, as the lodge offers exclusive opportunities to hike with trained naturalist guides in the protected wilderness backcountry of Denali National Park. Optional flightseeing offers breathtaking aerial views of Alaska and is available at an additional cost. Days wind down with nightly presentations by the fireplace that focus on various aspects of Denali’s natural and cultural history, including birds, mammals, wildflowers, tundra ecology, geology, mountaineering, land use and natural resource issues. Rest well in lovely, comfortable rooms and enjoy delicious meals featuring fresh baked goods and locally-grown produce throughout your stay. North Face Lodge (B,L,D)

Travel Partner

Lindblad Expeditions

Lodging Info

National Geographic Sea Lion (see berthing chart above)

Booking Info

To contact NPCA's ParkScapes program for questions or reservations please call 800-628-7275 or email travel@npca.org. You may also book directly online.

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