Kodiak Bear Tour

Arrive in Kodiak

Today is the first day of your trip. If you choose to arrive early, one of our local representatives will accompany you to explore Kodiak’s native and Russian heritage at some of the local museums and visitor centres. Destinations of interest may include the National Wildlife Refuge Visitors Centre, St. Paul Harbour, Baranov Museum, Alutiiq Museum, Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Cathedral and Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park. After your cultural day, head back to your hotel to meet your fellow travellers at an informal orientation dinner.

Overnight: Best Western Kodiak Inn (D)

Wildlife watching in Kodiak

Today you head out with the group to explore Kodiak’s coastal waters and rocky shorelines on a private boat trip. You will journey to Kodiak’s protected inner island, past tidal pools and offshore kittiwake rookeries. Here you will spot sea lions, otters, puffins, bald eagles and oftentimes whales. Kodiak is remote and therefore not often visited by travellers to Alaska. This gives you the chance to have unique encounters with nature and wildlife as you glide through the rockbound coves. Enjoy a picnic lunch ashore and spend some time on the coastal trail, lined with wildflowers and Sitka spruce trees. This evening you will have a gourmet home-cooked dinner aboard the boat.

Overnight: Best Western Kodiak Inn (B, L, D)

Kodiak - Katmai National Park

Today, depending on the weather conditions, you will take a floatplane from Kodiak to Kukak Bay, to meet your ship. The plane pulls up right alongside, and you disembark to board the vessel that will be your floating home for the next few days. Cruise slowly along the shore toward Hallo Bay, where coastal grizzly bears are commonly found foraging for food. As you are on a mobile ship, you can cruise to wherever the bears are residing that day, following them from bay to bay.

Overnight: Grizzly Cruiser / M/V Ursus (B, L, D)

Explore Katmai on the Grizzly Cruiser

Explore the beaches on foot and see them putting on a show as they fill up on enough protein-rich food to prepare them for a long winter in hibernation. Depending on the time of your visit, you may see large groups of bears up to 30 or 40 and perhaps even bears mating or cubs gallivanting on the shore. In coastal Katmai you will travel on foot rather than using vehicles which allows much more exciting wildlife encounters. Carefully wander the area in your small group under the cautious guidance of your Expedition Leader. On Day 7 you will return to Kodiak by floatplane.

Overnight: Grizzly Cruiser / M/V Ursus (B, L, D)

Katmai National Park - Kodiak

Return home today from Kodiak. We recommend that you do not book an early morning flight out in case inclement weather prevents you from flying back to Kodiak on Day 7 as planned.