There is no place like Alaska—a vast, pristine wilderness of snow-capped mountains, breathtaking fjords, and extraordinary wildlife. America’s final frontier captivates with the promise of discovery and aboard our nimble small ships you’ll have unparalleled access to seldom-seen corners of the Inside Passage and beyond. It’s in these remote parts where you can witness the thunder of a calving glacier, kayak past foraging bears, and linger with a pod of humpbacks. Lindblad Expeditions has been exploring the region for 40 years and our long legacy translates into an incredibly meaningful and authentic Alaska experience for our guests.
With action-packed itineraries for all ages, and expeditions ranging from six to 15 days, it's easy to get out and explore—especially with special family savings: take $500 off for each child under the age of 18 on any departure. Join us and discover why awe-inspiring Alaska is even better when shared.
A Remarkable Journey to Alaska, British Columbia & Haida Gwaii
Duration
15 days
Apr
May
Aug
Sep
From
$10,649
Top Highlights
With very special access, spend four days in Haida Gwaii, a UNESCO World Heritage site, learning from Haida interpreters about their living culture and exploring these remote islands
Sail deep into fjords and cruise rugged coastlines in search of humpback whales, dolphins, bears, and more
Explore by Zodiac in Tracy Arm or Endicott Arm for an up-close view of calving glaciers, towering forests, and seals afloat on iridescent icebergs
Hike through lush forests and muskegs, kayak into secluded inlets, and cruise by Zodiac among electric blue icebergs and curious wildlife
By special permit, spend a full day exploring Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
If schedules permit, our conservation partners from the Alaska Whale Foundation will come aboard to meet with us and speak about the local whale population
Treasures of the Inside Passage: Alaska and British Columbia
Duration
14 days
Apr
May
Sep
From
$9,902
Top Highlights
Hike the San Juan Islands, and cruise where killer whales reliably gather each year to hunt among the numerous uninhabited isles’ remote inlets and bays
By special permit, sail into Glacier Bay National Park and pass a full day taking in the grand scale of the mountains, fjords, and active glaciers
Stroll through the 100-year-old fishing town of Petersburg and learn about its Norwegian heritage
Wild Alaska Escape: Haines, the Inian Islands & Tracy Arm Fjord
Duration
6 days
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
From
$4,003
Top Highlights
Kayak or paddleboard along rugged coastlines of Chichagof Island which harbors one of the highest concentrations of brown bears in the world
Hike through temperate rainforest on Baranof island, listening for bald eagles calling out from the towering spruce and hemlock trees
Explore Haines, the “adventure capital of Alaska,” via raft, bicycle, or hiking boot, and opt to soar over Glacier Bay National Park on a flightseeing tour.
Wild Alaska Escape: LeConte Bay, Wrangell & the Misty Fjords
Duration
6 days
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
From
$4,080
Top Highlights
Venture by Zodiac into a fjord laden with blue ice from the Leconte or Baird glacier
Sail Behm Canal into Misty Fjords National Monument in search of humpbacks, killer whales and sea lions, then hike the moss-draped cedar and Sitka spruce forest of nearby islands
Roam small, uninhabited islands, hiking through the moss-draped cedar and Sitka spruce or tidepooling along the craggy shores
This is the Alaska of legend—to experience it you have to go deep. Venture into narrow fjords, where virgin rock that has never before been seen or touched by humans is now being exposed by receding glaciers. Go into remote bays to linger and observe whales going about the slow business of their daily lives. Walk through temperate rainforests on trails worn into the spongy earth by foraging bears. Venture into small towns, populated by hardy, friendly souls, to discover the way life has been lived in Alaska for centuries. Meet First Nations people in mutually rewarding encounters and learn their traditions and ways of life. Plus, sail aboard U.S.-built and -flagged ships to minimize time-consuming protocols to clear customs and maximize time exploring.
One of the most rewarding sights on an expedition is witnessing the gleam of discovery in a child’s eyes, whether they’re making ice cream sundae glaciers or learning how to identify humpback whale flukes alongside our naturalists. Moments like these are abundant in Alaska—and they’re especially meaningful when complemented with the learning opportunities offered through our exclusive National Geographic Global Explorers Program for kids and teens 18 and under.
Henry David Thoreau called it the "tonic of wildness." It’s what Alaska, with its beauty and wildness intact, gives you—a spirit lift. To compound this healthful effect, add the luxury of comfort to the privilege of being here—with a quality of shipboard life and a philosophy of wellness designed to relax and rejuvenate body, mind, and spirit.
Expert Perspectives: Wild Alaska with Travel Writer Fran Golden
A visitor to Alaska since the mid-1990s, award-winning writer Fran Golden shares some well-traveled wisdom, gleaned from the depth of immersion only small ships can offer.
Best Times to Visit Alaska: A Month-by-Month Guide
Each part of the Alaskan cruising season also holds its own allures. Midsummer makes for the most daylight hours, while the shoulder season—the first week of May and the beginning of September—is the only time one can transit the entire Inside Passage.
Our exclusive family program is the only one of its kind in Alaska travel. Developed in conjunction with National Geographic Education, it’s designed to help kids and teens develop the attitudes, skills, and knowledge of an explorer. And most of all—it delivers glacier-sized fun!
The Inian Islands: Where Alaska’s Wildlife Gathers
On the very northern edge of the Inside Passage, the Pacific Ocean flows into a narrow strait, creating one of the most biologically rich places on Earth. In the middle of this channel lie the Inian Islands, a small archipelago popular with Lindblad naturalists for the diverse and plentiful animals that flock there to feast.
As the director of the Alaska Whale Foundation (AWF), Andy Szabo studies the fascinating cultural behaviors of humpbacks in Southeast Alaska. Thanks to a longtime, exclusive partnership between Lindblad Expeditions and AWF, he regularly comes aboard our ships in Alaska to share his latest findings and observe whales alongside our guests.
See, do, and learn more by going with engaging experts who have been exploring this region for decades. Go with an expedition leader, naturalists, and more.
Expedition Leader
Veteran expedition leaders are the orchestrators of your experience. Many have advanced degrees and have conducted research or taught for years. They have achieved expedition leader status because they possess the skills, the experience and the depth of knowledge necessary to continually craft the best expedition possible for our guests.
Our naturalists, passionate about the geographies they explore (and return to regularly), illuminate each facet through their enthusiasm and knowledge. Our guests consistently cite the expertise and engaging company of our staff as key reasons to repeatedly travel with us.
Undersea specialists on select expeditions are your eyes on the world that lies beneath the waves. Using an array of tools, including a high-definition camera, our Cousteau-like undersea specialist dives frequently during the voyage to show you strikingly clear images of the seldom-seen world beneath the ship.
Every expedition aboard a ship in our National Geographic-flagged fleet offers an exclusive service—a Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic certified photo instructor. This naturalist is specially trained to offer assistance with camera settings and the basics of composition and to help you become a better, more confident photographer.
Everyone was knowledgeable and well able to explain and share their information with anyone. Their enthusiasm is contagious!
Peter & Ann G.
Making a Difference
Lindblad Expeditions supports stewardship efforts in the places we explore, and one way we do that is through the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic (LEX-NG) Fund. Traveler contributions to the LEX-NG Fund in Alaska currently support our regional partner, Alaska Whale Foundation, in its efforts to study and conserve Alaska’s whales and other wildlife.
After exploring the remote corners of Chichagof Island yesterday, it was time for a day of adventure in one of our favorite Alaskan small towns. Haines straddles a unique peninsula that juts out into the Lynn Canal. Framed by exquisite mountain ranges and dynamic tidal flats, it hosts a spectacular abundance of bald eagles which frequent the Chilkat River. The choices for guest excursions in Haines are many and diverse: rafting and visiting a tribal village, fly fishing, hiking the highest peak on the peninsula, a guided bike tour, or unstructured time to explore town with its many museums and unique shops. There are no poor choices when it comes to deciding what to do for the day. Brown bears, Dolly Varden, sockeye salmon, harbor seals, bald eagles, banana slugs the size of real bananas, and plenty of other endemic flora and fauna were sighted by guests throughout the day. And of course, what better way to celebrate a successful day in Haines than with a glorious endless crab feast back on board National Geographic Sea Lion ? We rounded out the evening with a contagiously inquisitive presentation by our resident master falconer and naturalist, Alberto Montaudon. Can’t wait until tomorrow!
After a long overnight trip, we approached Eddystone Rock, which marks the entrance to Misty Fjord. The rock is a sentinel but is actually a volcanic ‘plug,’ which has somehow resisted erosion by past glaciers. Although Misty Fjord does not have an associated glacier and no icebergs, there is plenty of glorious scenery to absorb. We spent the morning watching for wildlife and enjoying the views, along with two presentations. A small pod of Dall’s porpoises rapidly swam past the ship but were not interested in riding the bow. After lunch, we went Zodiac cruising and kayaking in ‘God’s Pocket’ at the head of Misty Fjord. We enjoyed absolutely calm seas and wind along with abundant sun. Zodiac cruisers slowly motored up a stream. They observed a run of pink salmon as well as numerous seals and eagles taking advantage of the fresh seafood. As the first group of cruisers and kayakers returned, the heavens opened and dumped monsoonal amounts of rain. This didn’t stop everyone, however, as many cruisers and a few kayakers happily ventured forth into the deluge. This being Southeast Alaska, the rain stopped, and partly sunny conditions emerged. So, all ended on a beautiful note.
The weather has once again been amazing this morning! After three warm sunny days in Canada’s coastal rainforests, we awoke to 12C (52F) with light scattered clouds. Our destination today is a small island that is known for its density of spirit bears, and we anticipate spending several hours sitting by an active salmon stream awaiting the possible appearance of this fabled beast! While our morning group of guests worked their way down the mile-plus path towards the viewing platforms, our First-Nations guide received word that a spirit bear had been sighted on the shore, quite close to the spot where we landed. When we arrived at the viewing platforms, we found ourselves on the very brink of a stream that was absolutely full of spawning salmon. The morning passed with sightings of dipper birds, Steller’s jays, a vole, and many thousands of spawning salmon. Our afternoon group of guests also saw most of these residents of the woods, but just as we were about to head back towards the ship, we were visited by a very large black kermode bear, who gave us all lessons in fishing. Guests had amazing photo opportunities, and several ask, after we returned to the ship, why nobody was nervous about how close the bears came to us. The answer was simple, we were all getting just exactly what we needed!
Our expedition began yesterday in Alaska’s capital city, Juneau, at the foot of the coastal mountains, draped in the deep greens and grays of the temperate rainforest. Rain was the operative description of the day, but as we headed south the weather broke and we had fine sailing overnight toward Tracy Arm. This fjord is incised deeply into the mountains, close to the Stikine ice field and the border with Canada. Heading toward South Sawyer Glacier we were able to explore this unique landscape in our expedition landing craft, weaving among the floating broken glacier ice. We spied mountain goats on the steep mountainsides, harbor seals in the water and on the ice, and the deep blue face of the glacier as it tumbled over a rocky ridge into the sea. We enjoyed informative presentations from the expedition staff throughout the afternoon, as well as time to enjoy the scenery from the outer decks of the ship. As we sailed out of the fjord in the golden light of early evening, we saw a lone humpback whale cruising the shoreline and lazily feeding on schools of small fish. A fine day of exploration in Southeast Alaska.
In the early morning, National Geographic Sea Bird docked in the charming town of Petersburg, a town built on fish with a Norwegian heritage. Guests on the photo walk captured images of famous structures and reflections in the waters at high tide. As we walked around town and took part in muskeg hikes, bike rides, and local tours, the nature of this authentic Alaskan town and the people who live here really showed us the character of Southeast Alaska. Back on board the ship, we ended our fun day in Petersburg with an Alaskan crab feast.
I’ll never forget doing our original reconnaissance in Alaska—soaring in a floatplane over such a wild landscape of dense forest, massive glaciers, and endless waterways. Southeast Alaska is simply magical.