Only In Alaska

The Last Frontier ranks first for unique adventures, from hiking through the Northern Hemisphere’s largest temperate rainforest to witnessing Kodiak bears playing in the wild. Here are seven life-changing moments your clients can only experience in Alaska, enhanced even further by the singular luxury found on a Seabourn voyage.

Ride the Rails to Denali — Stunning views of the Alaska Range and 20,310-foot-high Mount Denali, North America’s tallest peak, are framed by the glass-domed ceilings in your clients’ comfortable railcar as they travel from Anchorage to Denali National Park for a two-night stay. Crossing the 296-foot-high Hurricane Gulch Bridge—the longest and tallest along the entire Alaska railroad—is sure to get their hearts pumping. The scenic rail adventure is just one highlight of an optional, six-day Seabourn Journey available pre- or post-cruise on numerous Alaska voyages.

Kayak Around the Inian Islands — Lying between Cross Sound and Icy Strait, the remote Inian Islands serve as gatekeepers to the Inside Passage’s northern entrance. Tidal currents from the open ocean surge through the two narrow channels, delivering a rich bounty of marine wildlife—Steller sea lions, Dall’s and harbor porpoises, sea otters, and harbor seals, along with migrating gray, Orca and humpback whales. The islands’ rocky shores are home to horned and tufted puffins, pigeon guillemots, and other seabirds, while bald eagles circle overhead. Your clients can gain an up-close perspective while paddling a sea kayak around Cross Sound during an optional Ventures by Seabourn excursion.

Cruise Glacier Bay — UNESCO-World Heritage-designated Glacier Bay National Park and Reserve encompasses a whopping 3.3 million acres in Southeast Alaska, including more than 1,000 glaciers—a handful of which, known as tidewater glaciers, extend all the way to the sea. Seabourn ships generally spend a full day navigating this richly diverse ecosystem, with National Park Service Rangers on board to provide expert insights. Outdoor heaters and mugs of hot chocolate (served with an optional twist of liqueur or indulgent toppings) keep things cozy on public decks during inclement weather.

Join a Traditional Tlingit Dance — Located around 30 miles west of Juneau and separated from the Alaska mainland by Icy Strait, Chichagof Island is home to Hoonah, Alaska’s largest Native Tlingit village. Seabourn voyages along the Inside Passage often call at Icy Strait Point, the island’s private port, with all profits going directly to the community. Guests can discover the Huna Tlingit’s rich heritage and culture at the Native Heritage Center, where local performers, dressed in colorful regalia, share their people’s history through interpretive song, dance, and storytelling. Your clients can even join in the dancing before a seafood feast of just-caught crab and shrimp.

Hike Through Tongass National Forest —Tongass National Forest—the largest in the U.S. National Forest System—comprises some 17 million acres along Alaska’s southeastern panhandle, including 11,000 miles of shoreline surrounding the Inside Passage. Tongass envelops the largest temperate rain forest in the Northern Hemisphere, although nearly 40 percent is covered by ice, water, and muskeg (bog). Seabourn guests visiting Sitka can lace up their boots for a trek along Starrigavin Muskeg Trail, which gently climbs to a forested muskeg; a winding boardwalk leads across the marshy ponds. The trail continues across the Starrigavan River (spawning salmon can be seen from the bridge during late summer/early fall) and to an estuary viewing platform to watch for birds and the occasional bear feeding along the grassy flats.

Visit the World’s Largest Collection of Totem Poles — Ketchikan is known as the “totem capital of the world,” with more than 80 monuments commemorating the ancestry, histories and legends of Alaska’s indigenous Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian peoples. The town’s Totem Heritage Center houses some 33 exquisitely carved poles, and your clients can join an optional excursion that also visits Potlatch Park to explore a fully recreated, 19th-century Native Alaskan village and watch skilled totem carvers at work.

Watching Kodiak Bears in the Wild — The Kodiak archipelago in southwest Alaska is home to a unique subspecies of brown bear that is one of the largest Ursidae on Earth. Second in size only to the polar bear, Kodiak bears can weigh up to 1,500 pounds and stand 10 feet tall on their hind legs. Seabourn guests have a chance to witness these magnificent creatures while calling on Kodiak Island, Alaska’s largest, which boasts more brown bears per square mile than virtually anywhere.