Travel Society

Discover Southeast Alaska

Please join alumni and friends for a summertime expedition through some of nature’s more secluded landscapes and explore the remote inner reaches of Alaska’s Inside Passage aboard the 76-guest Chichagof Dream. Enjoy the agility and flexibility of small-ship travel, up-close encounters with wildlife, stunning scenery, cultural experiences, and the guidance of two expert naturalists. Capture the sight of whales breaching next to your boat, bears fishing along the shoreline, and eagles looking down from their nests—all part of nature’s amazing show.

This program also offers an optional pre-tour to Denali National Park. Explore this vast and stunningly beautiful wilderness— home to Denali, the highest mountain in North America. Ride the Alaska Railroad, stay at a hilltop lodge with panoramic views just north of the park entrance, and learn how this magnificent landscape became one of our nation’s most breathtaking conservation areas.

Space is limited and will be shared with participants from cosponsoring associations.  Please contact the Georgetown Travel Society at (866) 525-8664 or GeorgetownTravelSociety@Georgetown.edu for more details.

 

Dates & Rates

Trip Dates: July 5 – 12, 2024

Rates: from $5,395 to $10,995 per person

Single space is  limited. If available, single occupancy accommodations are offered in select categories. Please see brochure, or contact us for more details.

Trip Status: Dates confirmed. Open for reservations fall 2023.

 

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Sitka – Embarkation
Today, travel to Sitka from your home city or from Anchorage if you visited Denali National Park on the six-day  Pre-Tour.

After arriving, immerse yourself in the Tlingit culture at a Sheet’ka Kwaán Naa Kahídi (which roughly translates to “The clan house for all the people of Sitka”) dance show. (Subject to change as needed.) 

Later, visit the Alaska Raptor Center—Alaska’s foremost bald eagle hospital and educational center—with a local guide. Then, venture to Sitka National Historical Park, where you’ll learn the history of the area that served as the battle site between Russian traders and the indigenous Tlingit. Stand in awe before the massive totem poles lining the park’s coastal trail, and gain insight into their powerful symbols.

Late afternoon, transfer to the Chichagof Dream for embarkation. Enjoy your first dinner on board as you get to know your Expedition Leader, naturalists, crew, and travel companions.
Overnight: Chichagof Dream (D)

Day 2: Icy Strait 
Relax on deck with your binoculars and a hot cup of cocoa as you sail through Icy Strait in search of wildlife, including orcas (killer whales), Steller sea lions, seals, porpoises, and magnificent humpback whales. Watch the treetops along the shoreline for bald eagles. Choose from activities such as kayaking, skiff rides, and hiking.
Overnight: Chichagof Dream (B,L,D)

Day 3: Glacier Bay National Park
Arrive in Glacier Bay National Park, where scientists have found exposed rock that’s believed to be more than 200 million years old. While at Bartlett Cove, visit the park lodge and visitor center or participate in a guided forest hike. Meet a National Park Ranger for a guided walk during your visit to Glacier Bay National Park. Watch for puffins, sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters, mountain goats, bears, and eagles—and enjoy the spectacular scenery of Alaska.
Overnight: Chichagof Dream (B,L,D)

Day 4: Eastern Baranof Island / Lake Eva
Spend the morning cruising through the Peril Strait to Hanus Bay. In the afternoon, enjoy free time at Lake Eva to kayak, take a guided hike, or join a skiff excursion.
Overnight: Chichagof Dream (B,L,D)

Day 5: Eastern Baranof Island  / Hidden Falls
During a rare tour of the Hidden Falls Hatchery, learn about the release of Chinook, coho, and chum salmon fry and smolts, and the vital role fishing has held in Alaska for centuries. In the evening, share the day’s adventures with your fellow travelers over dinner.
Overnight: Chichagof Dream (B,L,D)

Day 6: Petersburg / Frederick Sound
Arrive early at the charming fishing village of Petersburg, founded by a Norwegian fisherman in the late 1800s. Tour the town with a local guide and see the local youth perform a spirited dance celebrating their Norwegian heritage. Explore the town on your own, then return to the Chichagof Dream for lunch. Afterward, take a skiff excursion for a beautiful guided hike at Petersburg Creek across Wrangell Narrows. Depart Petersburg in the late afternoon and sail through Frederick Sound in search of whales.
Overnight: Chichagof Dream (B,L,D)

Day 7: Tracy Arm Fjord
Today experience Tracy Arm, a narrow fjord that winds through towering mountains and massive glaciers. Witness the “calving” of glaciers as gigantic chunks of ice break and crash into the water. Watch for harbor seals that often dot the ice floes and mountain goats on nearby perches. In the afternoon, (with conditions permitting), glide through and discover coves or bays by kayak or skiff, soaking in the splendor of some of the most untouched wilderness in the world. Recount your trip highlights with fellow travelers tonight during a Captain’s Farewell Dinner.
Overnight: Chichagof Dream (B,L,D)

Day 8: Auke Bay / Juneau – Disembarkation
Disembark this morning after breakfast and take your complimentary shuttle to the airport for your flight home or to your accommodation if you reserved a post-night in Juneau. (B)

B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner

Activity Level: Moderate

This program offers a variety of activities: skiff rides, walking, hiking, and kayaking. Activities are not strenuous for guests with average mobility. Walks and hikes are leisurely in pace to allow guests the opportunity to see and learn as much as possible about the region. Skiffs provide the mode for much of the exploration on this program and sure-footed guests can enter/exit them with little trouble. The Chichagof Dream crew is diligent in assisting guests while boarding and exiting the ship and small craft. Guests with no previous experience can easily handle the double kayaks. We expect that guests on this program can walk with good balance and go up and down stairs easily without assistance, as the Chichagof Dream does not have an elevator.

What’s Included:

      • 7 nights aboard the Chichagof Dream
      • All onboard hand-crafted meals: 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, and 7 dinners—including a special Captain’s Farewell Dinner, and complimentary wine and beer at dinner
      • An onboard lecture program and educational guidance of two expert naturalists, including an Orbridge Expedition Leader, and a walk guided by a Park Ranger during a visit to Glacier Bay National Park
      • Guided kayaking, hiking, walking, skiff excursions, and wildlife viewing where humpback whales, orcas, brown bears, Steller sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters, arctic terns, bald eagles, and other populations are frequently spotted
      • All port fees and entry fees to parks, preserves, museums, attractions and special excursions as described in the itinerary
      • Gratuities for Orbridge Expedition Leader, airport transfer drivers, and drivers/guides on included land excursions
      • Airport transfers for guests arriving and departing during the suggested times

Accommodations: Chichagof Dream

Accommodating 76 guests, the 207-foot Chichagof Dream was designed to go where large ships cannot—navigating guests to the best views possible of the surrounding nature-filled landscape. Experience Alaska up close as you watch for wildlife from skiffs or kayaks and learn about the indigenous peoples of the region. On board the ship are your knowledgeable crew, Orbridge Expedition Leader, and expert naturalists who share their hospitality, uncanny knack for spotting wildlife, and fascinating secrets behind the bountiful beauty that surrounds you.

The ship’s well-appointed, intimate, and unassuming style allows travelers to experience the true heart and soul of Alaska. The Chichagof Dream features expansive viewing areas on the bow and aft outdoor promenade decks, a hull design optimized for supreme comfort in Alaskan waters, and forward-facing windows in the spacious lounge that extend from the deck to the ceiling, offering panoramic views off the bow.

Enjoy a relaxed cruising speed ideal for viewing the endless surrounding fjords, glaciers, and wildlife. The ship offers complimentary expedition gear while touring, including rain jackets, rain pants, and boots. Plus, each stateroom is outfitted with binoculars. Nothing will be missed as you leisurely traverse the channels, bays, and islands of Southeast Alaska.

After each exciting day of exploration, enjoy delectable hors d’oeuvres and convivial conversation in the lounge before delighting in a five-star dining experience—where talented onboard chefs create mouthwatering masterpieces using fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

During free time, take advantage of the open wheelhouse policy. Visit the captain and officers on the bridge, view the charted course, hear ship-to-ship communications, and listen to stories from experienced Alaskan mariners.

Or perhaps experience the ship’s Himalayan salt cave, theorized by some to provide holistic properties via halotherapy. From the Greek “halos,” which means “salt”—this spa treatment uses dry aerosol micro-particles of salt or minerals inside of an arid space to simulate the microclimate of salt mines.

Note: Bed size preferences are requested when passengers complete the guest information form. If no specific requests are made, double occupancy cabins will be configured with two twin beds. This applies to AAA and Deluxe categories.

Optional pre-tour extension: Denali National Park
 Journey into the scenic wilds of America’s most northern state aboard the historic Alaska Railroad. With superior viewing from your upgraded GoldStar glass-dome seat, watch Alaska’s rugged forests and wildlife fill the ever-changing panorama of your window. Your destination: the magnificent, six-million-acre Denali National Park and Reserve. Familiarize yourself with the Park, walking its trails with a guide, and choose from optional excursions to personalize your adventure. Keep binoculars close at hand: this dazzling and vast wilderness is home to Dall sheep, eagles, wolves, migrating caribou, and grizzly bears—and catching sight of them is a thrill not soon forgotten.

What’s not included:
Taxes; passport, visas and associated fees; personal expenses such as laundry and telephone calls; accident/sickness, trip cancellation, and baggage insurance;  baggage charges on aircraft;  airfare, transfers and baggage handling to/from hotel on day of arrival and/or departure if you are arriving earlier or later than and/or departing earlier or later than the scheduled group transfer(s); any overnight on land due to flight schedule(s); meals, alcoholic or other beverages and all other services not specifically mentioned in the “Included Features” section of the program brochure.