Inside Passage Cruises

Bear Paw Char­ters offers pri­vate, all-inclu­sive day trips and longer tours on its lux­u­ry yacht — per­fect for whale watch­ing, bear view­ing, and expe­ri­enc­ing Alaska’s scenic majesty.

Set sail for 5 days and 4 nights with the crew of the M/V Sea Star for small ship adven­ture cruis­ing in Prince William Sound, Kenai Penin­su­la or along the Inside Pas­sage. The well-appoint­ed yacht accom­mo­dates just 12 guests, allow­ing for a per­son­al­ized expe­ri­ence where you are the explor­er! Unplug from day-to-day life and soak up the won­ders of Alaska’s amaz­ing coast­line. All meals pre­pared by an on-board chef and fea­tur­ing fresh local  ...more

Design your exclu­sive itin­er­ary then set sail into the vast open waters and wildlife-rich shore­lines of Prince William Sound aboard your own spa­cious and pri­vate yacht. Up to six pas­sen­gers can sit back, relax, and expe­ri­ence an inti­mate tour. Most guests enjoy the 5‑day/​4‑night trips, but you can book longer 10-day/9‑night expeditions.

Get close to Dawes, Marg­erie and Grand Pacif­ic Glac­i­er and spend one day in Glac­i­er Bay Nation­al Park, guid­ed by an expert nat­u­ral­ist. Explore Fords Ter­ror Wilder­ness area by skiff, hike inland on Chichagof Island, and Bushwack in the Ton­gass Nation­al For­est. Search for Hump­back whales in Fred­er­ick Sound and Chatham Straight, and be on the look­out for black and brown bears, eagles, seat otters, har­bor seals, sea lions, and sea birds dur­ing your  ...more

Explore Alaska’s hot springs and glac­i­ers aboard a unique ship that puts you behind the helm and lets you man the sails. This South­east Alas­­ka-based tour oper­a­tor will leave you with a new def­i­n­i­tion of what it means to have a once-in-a-life­­time Alas­kan adven­ture. You’ll explore away from the crowds, get­ting an up-close view of wildlife, scenery, hot springs, and glaciers. 

This itin­er­ary includes two full days in Glac­i­er Bay Nation­al Park, includ­ing active explo­ration in the out­back. Vis­it Marg­erie and Grand Pacif­ic glac­i­ers. Go ashore in Haines for hik­ing, bik­ing, a float trip and his­to­ry. Look for wildlife on shore and at sea, with excep­tion­al bird­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties at South Mar­ble Island.

Start your wilder­ness jour­ney in Juneau, the state capi­tol of Alas­ka, and end in Sit­ka, the per­fect spot to view the meld­ing of Russ­ian and Alas­ka Native cul­tures. In between, vis­it Glac­i­er Bay Nation­al Park, go bird watch­ing on South Mar­ble Island, look for whales in Icy Strait, hike along inter­tidal zones, and when your cap­tain sets the course for adven­ture, slip into your kayak or skiff for a day of guid­ed explo­ration. (Itin­er­ary also  ...more

Dis­cov­er South­east Alaska’s nat­ur­al won­ders aboard a char­tered sail­boat with Sail­ing Alas­ka. Cus­tomize your pri­vate expe­di­tion with expe­ri­enced cap­tain John Joeright and enjoy all-inclu­sive meals, com­fort­able accom­mo­da­tions, and end­less adven­tures on the 46-foot S/V Sham­rock. Watch whales, hike, fish, vis­it local com­mu­ni­ties, and more — all at your own pace.

For those look­ing for a cruise-only expe­ri­ence, this is a great option. It is a round-trip cruise from San Fran­cis­co (mean­ing you will not have to by one-way tick­ets like you will for a cross-gulf cruise), and you still hit the high­lights of the Inside Pas­sage; Juneau, Ketchikan, Skag­way & Glac­i­er Bay Nation­al Park. While you will not be able to add a land tour, it offers a great sam­pling of Alaska.