| Alaska,
Inside Passage & Arctic Circle |
|
The Land of the Midnight Sun on this tour gives you long hours of daylight in which to enjoy spectacular scenery, fascinating flora and abundant wildlife. This is our fourth Alaska Nature Tour for bird watchers, Garden Club members and Friends of the Botanic Gardens, to explore wild plants along the Inside Passage and Arctic Circle Tundra... and see some unusual birds and animals along the way.
Next Departure : To be advised
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Stop and explore the Inside Passage, don't just cruise past everything. Meet the people of Alaska . Visit their homes and villages during their longest hours of daylight. This is an intimate journey into The Land of the Midnight Sun.
Dig your hands into the frozen Tundra of the Arctic Circle, taste the
wild berries, see the wildflowers and wildlife awaken from winter's
slumber and birds migrating north by the thousand for summer's fleeting
intensity.
As well as small boats and scheduled airline services we will be using
private air taxis and the ferry system of the Alaska Marine Highway.
Hotels are chosen because of their convenient location and are mostly
of a first class or superior standard, where such are available. Most
accommodation is for two nights at each stop so you don't have to pack
up each day.
Alaska
in Spring
Alaska's long days of late spring and early summer with their extending
hours of light nurture an explosion of plant life, from miniature flowering
orchids and carnivorous plants to stately devil's club and massive rainforest
giants.
Springtime bird migration tapers off and breeding season begins in June with huge concentrations of shorebirds, as well as Bald Eagles and Puffins. moose, bears, beavers, seals and whales are also commonly seen.
You will have several opportunities to see different glaciers from very
close vantage points by boat and by walking. This is the season when
you will see large columns of ice breaking off the foot of a glacier
to form icebergs. A spectacular sight, especially from one of our boats.
You will see seabird colonies where we should find both Tufted and Horned
Puffins, Rhinoceros Auklet, Thick-billed and Common Murres and thousands
of Black-legged Kittiwakes and Marbled Murrelets. Marine mammals you
are likely to see include Steller's Sea Lion, Sea Otter, Humpbacked
Whale and possibly the magnificent Orca.
The Inside Passage
The Inside Passage is a spectacular wilderness of emerald forests, woven
together with narrow calm water channels and deep blue fjords dotted
with drifting glacial icebergs. This prime wildlife habitat and botanical
reserve hosts a diversity of species and is a living museum of Alaskan
culture.
On this tour you will stop for several nights in each of the Inside
Passage towns of Ketchikan, Wrangell, Sitka and Juneau. Many of our
tour guests have previously 'done the cruise' and are coming back a
second time so that they can stop and enjoy the area with a guide and
to meet the people, not just cruise past everything.
Meet the People
We will introduce you to local Alaskan residents who have personal knowledge
of their surrounding nature, plants and wildlife with details that will
truly enhance your enjoyment of each place you visit.
Gain an intimate view of Inside Passage communities; discover an insider's
perspective as you walk with local residents through pristine forests
and along shorelines and tundra . Your tour will include visits to Ketchikan
(Alaska's southernmost town), Revillagigedo Island, Annette Island Tsimshian
Indian Reservation, Stikine-LeConte Wilderness, Frederick Sound (famous
for humpback whales), Tracy Arm Fjord, Sitka (Former Russian Capital),
Wrangell (Klondike Goldrush Town) and Juneau (Alaska's capital city
accessible only by boat or air) as well as ...
Denali
National Park & Mt McKinley
From Anchorage we will take you to Denali National Park by train. Your
seats will be reserved in the Dome Car which will guarantee that you
get the best possible views of the countryside and travel in the most
comfort.
The road through Denali National Park is closed to most automobile traffic.
A ' Park Bus' will take us through vast areas of black spruce and willow,
following streams and past picturesque lakes, within the park, on a
very full day tour. The driver will stop along the way whenever he sees
any large mammals such as Grizzly Bear, Dall Sheep and Moose as well
as birds such as Ptarmigan, Gyrfalcon and Golden Eagle.
Returning from the far side of Denali will be by light aircraft which
will include a spectacular flight over Mount McKinley.
The
Arctic Circle
Our private charter bus takes you along the road to Fairbanks where
your resort style hotel backs on to Creamer`s Field wildlife sanctuary
and also has a lovely garden of its own. You will also meet up with
local birders and see some truly eye opening displays at the Fairbanks
Natural History Museum.
A full day trip will be included to see the unique engineering achievement
of the Alaska Oil Pipeline and visit the Arctic Circle. Here you can
see some very unusual plants that have adapted their form and life cycle
to survive on the Arctic Tundra.
For
Detailed Itinerary Click Here
Some of our small
group tours become fully booked very quickly by people who are on our
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