Our Lodge to Lodge trips include the best that our corner of Alaska has to offer!

Day 1: Arrive in Gustavus and get transported to your lodge to settle in for the night.

Day 2: Your first full day in the area will take you into Glacier Bay National Park. This 8-hour boat tour departs from Barlett Cove at 7:15am and travels all the way into the upper reaches of the bay. You’ll see multiple tidewater glaciers, majestic snow-capped mountains and sheer ice-carved granite cliffs. The boat will make stops along the route to view wildlife, such as puffins, steller’s sea lions, whales, bears and mountain goats. There will be a park service interpretive ranger on board to provide a narrative about the natural and cultural histories of Glacier Bay. This tour is an excellent introduction to the region!

After the boat tour, you’ll meet with your Spirit Walker Expeditions guide for a pre-trip orientation. The orientation is a great opportunity to receive important logistical and safety information about the upcoming sea kayaking, ask any last-minute questions, and get outfitted with dry bags, boots and raingear.

Afterwards, you’ll be given a ride back to your lodge, for a tasty dinner and a good night’s rest.

Day 3: This morning we’ll set out across Icy Strait by water taxi and get dropped off at Point Adolphus, world renowned for its high concentration of humpback whales. After a paddling orientation on the beach, we’ll launch the kayaks and spend the day sea kayaking along the point, watching humpback whales, sea lions, sea otters, bald eagles and more.

In the afternoon, the water taxi will return to transport us to Elfin Cove. The Cove, as it’s known, is a small fishing village nestled into a natural harbor near the northernmost entrance to the Inside Passage. The town has no roads – just a boardwalk which wraps around the harbor! Once we’re settled into the lodge, you’ll have a chance to stroll the boardwalk, exploring the town before dinner.

Day 4: After breakfast at the lodge, we’ll have the day to paddle and explore the area around Elfin Cove. Today, we may paddle over to the George Islands where, conditions permitting, we can kayak to the outside of the biggest island to get a close view of a sea arch. When we land the kayaks in protected Granite Cove, we’ll hike along the trail which crosses the island, taking in great views of Cross Sound and the Brady glacier.

In the afternoon, we’ll meander our way back to Elfin Cove, where a hot shower and a hearty dinner await.

Day 5: After breakfast we’ll have another day to explore by kayak. We’ll set out for Port Althorp, paddling along sea cliffs, dotted with small bays and beaches. Along the way, we keep an eye out for whales as well as masses of sea stars and anemones clinging to the rock walls. As we paddle further in, we’ll begin watching for Sitka Black Tail deer and coastal brown bears along the shore, following the contours of the coastline in our kayaks.

Returning to Elfin Cove in the afternoon, we’ll gather on the deck of our lodge for beverages, appetizers, and to enjoy the stunning views of the Fairweather Mountains and Brady glacier.

Day 6: After breakfast, we’ll have the opportunity for a final morning paddle to look for whales and other wildlife. We will return to Elfin Cove at midday to have lunch and prepare for the scenic ride back to Gustavus via water taxi.

*********************

Contact Spirit Walker Expeditions for pricing details and additional information about this lodge-based itinerary!