Bears, Whales & Wilderness

Day 1. Depart UK for Vancouver. 1-night. Fairmont Hotel

Day 2. Fly to Anchorage, 1-night. Copper Whale Inn [B]

Anchorage is an important port and railway terminus located in South-central Alaska on a strip of coastal lowland beside a fjord. The city extends up the lower alpine slopes of the Chugach Mountains. The whole area is home to a diverse population of wildlife including around 1600 Moose, 250 Black Bears, 60 Brown Bears, as well as wolves, eagles, whales, beavers and foxes; and there are frequent sightings of bears and Moose in the urban areas. Excellent birdwatching opportunities can be had here too, especially at Potter's Marsh, and there are several excellent museums including the Anchorage Museum and Alaska Native Heritage Centre. For walkers, the city boasts a 200 or so, kilometres of trails, including the popular Tony Knowles Coastal Trail along Cook Inlet with breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. There are many more hiking trails in the wilderness and park areas surrounding the city, including Chugach State Park with its 50 glaciers and the famous Portage Glacier to the south of the city.

The Copper Whale Inn is an award-winning, historic bed and breakfast located in the heart of downtown Anchorage and close to the restaurants, shops and museums. The Inn has 14 guestrooms offering views of the gardens, Cook Inlet and Alaska Range. The lounge has stunning views too and there are binoculars on hand for spotting eagles, whales and other wildlife.

Day 3. Kodiak Island, 2-nights. Zachar Bay Lodge [B, L, D]

Kodiak Island is the largest island in the Gulf of Alaska. It is a picturesque wilderness rich with Brown Bears, otters, whales, seals and sealions. Kodiak bears are considered by some to be a unique subspecies of Brown Bear living exclusively on the islands in the Kodiak Archipelago and having been isolated from other bears for about 12,000 years. They are generally larger than the Brown Bears on the mainland and over 3,000 bears make their home throughout the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. Kodiak is also an important staging area for seabirds and wintering wildfowl whose combined populations number well over a million birds. Summer lures many migrant birds to nest and feed upon the plentiful supply of food. 237 species of bird have been recorded in the Kodiak archipelago.

Zachar Bay Lodge offers friendly and comfortable accommodation in the heart of the Kodiak Island National Wildlife Refuge. This small lodge has 11 rooms, five boats and two floatplanes. Whilst mainly a fishing lodge, it offers guided bear-viewing trips on foot, by boat and by air, and we would recommend four nights here to do the area justice. There are also fabulous hikes into the surrounding mountains, excellent birdwatching and other wildlife viewing.

Day 5. Anchorage, 1-night. Westmark Hotel [B]

Day 6. Railroad to Seward, 1-night. Seward Windsong Lodge

Day cruises into the Kenai Fjords depart from Seward, about 160 kilometres south of Anchorage. Here, towering glaciers pour into the sea and you can hear the cracks and rumblings of the calving icebergs. The fjords provide excellent opportunities to view Humpback, and Orca Whales, porpoises, seals, sea otters and a huge colony of puffins. The surrounding park is home to a varied wildlife including Bald Eagles, mountain goats, Moose, bears, Wolverines and marmots. Thousands of seabirds also gather here including kittiwakes, guillemots and gulls.

Windsong Lodge offers 180 spacious rooms in a secluded rural setting just minutes from downtown Seward. There is a free shuttle bus to local activities, a restaurant and bar.

Day 7. Fox Island, 2-nights. Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge [B, L, D]

Fox Island is a former private island that has been turned into a beautiful retreat for nature lovers. Visitors can now stay overnight at Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge, located on the island, in eight waterfront cabins, and explore the wonders of Fox Island for themselves! The island is self-sufficient, getting its power from wind and solar-powered generators - there are no televisions, radios, computers or phones to disrupt you here! The marine wildlife here is prolific, and activities include guided sea-kayaking, beach-combing or simply relaxing.

Day 9. Seward, 1-night. Seward Windsong Lodge [B]

Day 10. Denali park entrance, 1-night. Denali Bluffs Hotel

Denali National Park is one of the world's great wilderness preserves with absolutely stunning scenery. Mount McKinley, which at 6,100 metre is the highest peak in North America, towers over the tundra below. Denali is well known for its diversity of wildlife with 39 species of mammals, 167 species of birds, 10 species of fish, and one species of amphibian known to occur here. The wildlife activity is of course dictated by the seasons. The brief spring season brings the return of 80% of Denali's birdlife, the hibernating bears begin to stir and wake up in readiness for summer. Summer is a time for raising young and preparing for migration, hibernation, or survival during the winter. In late summer the salmon swim upstream in the numerous streams and rivers, and of course the bears fish for them! Denali is also home to wolves, moose and caribou, but it is worth bearing in mind that there is only a single road through the park and that wildlife encounters here are usually fleeting.

Day 11. Denali National Park, 2-nights. Denali Backcountry Lodge [B, L, D]

Denali Backcountry Lodge is deep inside the park at the end of the 150 kilometre park road, offering opportunities for viewing wildlife en-route such as bears, Caribou, Moose, Dall Sheep, Wolves and eagles. Accommodation is in 30 warm, cosy cedar cabins with full amenities. Activities here include hiking, biking and presentations led by resident naturalists and guest speakers. There is also gold panning, flight-seeing and a shuttle service to view Mount Denali on clear days.

Day 13. Railroad to Anchorage, 1-night. Copper Whale Inn [B]

Day 14. Return to the UK (via Vancouver)

Day 15. Arrive UK