Itinerary

Arrival - Fly into Anchorage International Airport. Plan to arrive at least one day before your kayak trip departure date. Anchorage offers many fine hotel and bed and breakfast lodging options. We can provide you a list of recommended lodging options or include hotel lodging in Anchorage with your tour package. If you would like us to include hotel lodging in Anchorage with your sea kayaking tour package just let us know.

Day 1 - Your adventure starts with a scenic train ride on the Alaska Railroad Coastal Classic Train to Seward. The train follows the Seward Highway along Turnagain Arm for about 50 miles before heading into the mountains. The Seward Highway has been designated an All-American Road, USDA Forest Service Scenic Byway, and Alaska Scenic Byway. Turnagain Arm has tides with the second greatest fluctuation in North America, varying more than 40 feet. Beluga whales and Dall sheep are frequently seen along this section of Turnagain Arm.

Leaving Turnagain Arm the train heads up into the Kenai Mountains towards Grandview Valley where you'll travel through lush spruce and birch forests. Keep your eyes open for the occasional moose along the railroad and to see the many hanging glaciers. There's Bartlett Glacier, Trail Glacier, and Spencer Glacier, which stands out as one of the most beautiful glaciers along the southern railbelt. You arrive in Seward around noon.

You'll have an opportunity to freshen up before heading out on your own to explore the small maritime community of Seward. Activities you may want to consider include: a walking tour of Seward to visit the many shops; a harbor and sea wall walk; Guided Ice Climbing Adventure, museum, or maybe a fishing trip. Ask our travel host about making arrangements for these special side excursions. Seward has many coffee houses and restaurants to choose from for lunch (on your own).

You can also visit the Alaska SeaLife Center. The Alaska SeaLife Center is a non-profit marine science facility. The center's research facilities and naturalistic exhibits immerse visitors in the dynamic marine ecosystems of Alaska and provide opportunities to watch animals in naturalistic habitats as well as research settings.

Seward is a small community and everything is within walking distance. From your Seward hotel you can easily walk to the small boat harbor, downtown and the SeaLife Center.

Dinner (on your own) at one of the local Seward restaurants. Around 6:00 p.m. one of our guides will meet you at the hotel for a pre-trip meeting. Tonight will get you outfitted with rain gear, rubber boots and dry bags to pack your gear. Also, our guide will answer any last-minute trip questions you may have.

Day 2 - Breakfast on your own. Our guides will pick you at the hotel and with team effort we will load our sea kayaks and gear onto an ocean charter vessel for a 4-hour marine wildlife and glacier cruise to our first camp. Along the way, we round Cape Aialik, pass Caines Head, Bear Glacier, and a Stellar sea lion haulout. We'll set up camp, then devote the rest of the day to sea kayak safety and instruction as we paddle around our new environment.

Day 3 - Today we paddle up to face of Aialik Glacier and take a long lunch break to watch the glacier calve and watch the seals playing on the icebergs. After lunch we head for Pedersen Lagoon, which is used by harbor seals to escape from orca whales. A beautiful glacier empties into an upper lagoon filling it with massive icebergs. This area is teeming with wildlife including bears, eagles, waterfowl, shorebirds, sea otters and harbor seals. Wolves and coyotes have also been reported in this area.

Day 4 - Today we head out toward the open ocean and paddle around Holgate Head and back into Holgate Arm, setting camp up on Holgate Beach.

Day 5 - We will paddle our way to the end of the fjord to visit the Holgate Glacier, the last of the three tidewater glaciers in Aialik Bay. We'll sea kayak through ice and "bergy bits" in front of the active glacier and watch it calve into the ocean with a thunderous roar.

Day 6 - We break camp early morning and if you choose you can go for a short paddle near camp while waiting for our charter boat to arrive for our ride back to Seward. Our shuttle driver will meet us at the dock and take you to back to your hotel.

Day 7 - Breakfast on your own. Meet the bus at 9:45 a.m. for your trip back to Anchorage. Along the way you will pass through dramatic valleys of the Kenai Mountains and keep a watch out for bald eagles, beluga whales and Dall sheep on this National Scenic Byway. You will arrive in Anchorage around 1:30 p.m.

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