Experience the natural beauty of Resurrection Bay on this multi-day sea kayaking adventure out of Seward, Alaska.
Quick Details
Paddle, Camp, & Explore The Highlights of Kenai Fjords National Park
Our multi-day tours focus on Leave No Trace practices, purposeful education and allow guests to fully immerse themselves in Kenai Fjords National Park. They are easy to pack, plan, and prepare for and can be booked on custom dates.
Fully Outfitted & Guided Rental Style Trips
Fully outfitted trips are geared towards people who are traveling light, don’t have much previous camping experience, or guests who are excited to let us take care of the details and make the coffee in the morning! For these tours we will provide all the camping, cooking, and kayaking gear. We will also provide fresh, healthy, homemade meals for the trip.
Guided rental trips are geared towards experienced backcountry campers, who are traveling with their own camping equipment, but need the paddling / safety gear, and the guide. For these tours, you’ll need to have your own camping gear, cooking gear, clothing, and footwear. This is a great option if you’re already planning to bring your camping gear to use throughout your trip in Alaska! We will provide all the safety & paddling gear, plus bear cans for your food.
Trip length for both style trip is flexible, so just give us a call, or shoot us an email, and we can set up the perfect trip to match your adventure goals.
Highlights
- Relax while we take care of the details of your trip
- Paddle the best of the rugged and dynamic fjords over multiple days
- Enjoy incredible wildlife viewing in Kenai Fjords National Park
Adult Tour Info
- Small groups capped at 6 guests (ages 14+). Larger groups will be privatized
- Meet other like-minded adventurers
Family Tour Info
- Groups with children ages 6-13 will have your own private guide, at no extra cost
- Paddle at your own pace and explore what you’re excited about
- Children must be ages 6+
- A minimum of 4 guests is required. Families with fewer than 4, please call
Locations: Aialik Bay or Northwestern Fjord
Aialik Bay offers endless exploration as this expansive fjord includes multiple tidewater glaciers, a tidally accessed glacial lagoon, and numerous bays brimming with intertidal life. Paddle beneath waterfalls, past harbor seals hauled out on ice, and below the towering peaks that rim the fjord. Aialik is a great option for a multi-day trip because it’s the next bay to the west of Seward, making it closer and less expensive to reach than Northwestern Fjord. It is also larger, with more options for camping, paddle destinations, and flexibility when it comes to weather.
Northwestern Fjord is a raw landscape of recently exposed land, as the glaciers just recently retreated from this narrow fjord. Its moraine, a remnant underwater gravel bar, prevents many larger vessels from entering and creates a heightened sense of solitude and remoteness. Although its a longer ride from Seward, the dramatic landscape and quiet calm make Northwestern the perfect place for an extended trip. Any trip to Northwestern Fjord requires a minimum of 4 people. Please call for custom rates if you have a smaller group.
Aialik & Northwestern Combo Tour
This trip is a great way to see both fjords! The water taxi will take us out to Aialik Bay, where they’ll drop us off at our starting beach. We will spend a few days paddling and camping around Aialik, and then the water taxi will pick us up and bring us to Northwestern (or vice-versa depending on weather & tides) We will spend a few days kayaking & exploring before returning for our final pick-up back to Seward. The opportunity to see both these very different fjords is one reason this is a very popular trip!
Trip Pricing
Our multi-day camping trips are priced according to the number of people on the trip, and we are happy to combine smaller groups to bring everyone’s per person price down. We will only combine groups of adults (ages 14+).
If you’re traveling with kids under the age of 14, we will make your trip a private family trip. There will be no extra cost for a private family trip — we are excited to share this place with young explorers, and we recognize traveling with kids involves different challenges.
We always cap our trips at 6 people, to provide the best possible guest experience while minimizing our impacts. If you have a larger group, give us a call to discuss arranging a private trip.
All prices listed are per person and exclude tax and gratuity.
Fully Outfitted Pricing :: Aialik Bay
Fully Outfitted Pricing :: Northwestern Fjord
Fully Outfitted Pricing :: Aialik & Northwestern Combo Tour
Guided Rental Pricing :: Aialik Bay
Guided Rental Pricing :: Northwestern Fjord
We can put together Guided Rental Camping Trips to Northwestern Fjord as well, but water taxi and fuel costs will be higher than trips to Aialik Bay. This is because Northwestern Fjord is further from Seward, more difficult to access, and cannot be coordinated with our day trip paddlers. However, it is still a beautiful and wild place to camp and explore. Please give us a call or shoot us an email for pricing based on your group.
More Tour Info
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We will host a mandatory pre-trip meeting the night before your trip at 7 pm at our kayak shop in downtown Seward. This is a great opportunity to meet your guide and other guests on the tour, discuss bear and ice safety, go over the itinerary, weather conditions, and get any last minute questions answered.
We wait to build out exact itineraries two days before the trip, as local weather will dictate where the paddling will be best for your trip. We will ask you to fill out a pre-trip registration form, which will ask questions regarding your dietary preferences and adventure goals. We will build out an itinerary (and a menu!) that aligns with your groups adventure goals while exploring the highlights of Aialik Bay or Northwestern Fjord. Some popular paddling destinations in Aialik include: Aialik Glacier, Pederson Lagoon & Glacier, Abra Cove, Holgate Arm & Glacier, Quicksand Cove, and Coleman Bay. In Northwestern, we will plan to visit: Northwestern Glacier, Ojive Glacier, Anchor Glacier, and Southwestern Glacier.
The morning of our departure we will meet at the shop at 7 am and head to the small boat harbor to meet the water taxi. We’ll enjoy a 2+ hour wildlife boat tour to Kenai Fjords National Park, and get dropped off at our starting beach. From there, we will either pack our gear in the boats, or set up camp, then paddle, and explore along the coastline each day. The water taxi will return to meet us at our pick-up beach on the last day, and bring us home. We are typically back in Seward between 5-6pm.
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We’ve been fortunate to work with our local water taxi partner, Weather Permitting, for over 20 years! Their captains are the most experienced in Seward, and their vessels are all landing crafts that have been purpose-built for wildlife viewing and kayaking tours. Their vessels comfortably fit between 18 and 24 guests. Their double-catamaran hulls provide a balanced, smooth ride and are perfect for coastal Alaska. Sit inside the heated cabin, or lounge on the covered back deck’s bench.
Weather Permitting operates a total of three water taxi vessels, which offers us flexibility and back up options, should a vessel need maintenance or have schedule conflicts. No other water taxi company in Seward has this level of infrastructure or flexibility when it comes to vessels available. We are incredibly grateful to be working with this experienced, professional water taxi.
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- Wildlife Boat Tour
- Warm, Healthy, Made from Scratch Meals
- Snacks, Coffee and Hot Drinks
- High Quality Rain Gear (if needed)
- Transportation From Downtown Office
- Camping Gear
- 4-season Mountaineering Hilleberg Tents
- Kitchen Tarp, Mess Kit, Coffee Mug
- You will need to provide your own sleeping bag and pad, or you can rent those items for an additional fee of $25 per person.
- All Kayaking Gear
- Personal Floatation Device
- Spray Skirt
- Neoprene Mitts
- 10 Liter Dry Bag
- Stable Double Kayak & Paddle
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Seward is located in the northern tip of the largest coastal rainforest in the world, and we see a lot of rainy days here. Our tours run rain or shine, so we ask you to wear synthetic layers of clothing, because cotton (including jeans) get really cold if they get wet. We will not allow cotton or jeans on a multi- day trip as staying warm is a safety concern when in the backcountry. Synthetic and or wool clothing is a must.
We also require you to have a waterproof rain jacket and rain pants, as this is a multi-day tour in a potentially very cold and wet environment. If you do not have your own rain gear, we offer high quality, commercial grade rain jackets and pants for you to borrow at no extra cost. If your Alaska vacation includes any outdoor activities, we strongly advise purchasing your own rain gear for your trip. You’ll no doubt need both a rain jacket and rain pants throughout your time in Alaska.
For most of our extended multi-day tours we will use fiberglass boats, which will need to be launched & landed from the water, as opposed to onshore. You’ll need to have a footwear system that allows you to get into the water up to your mid shin, and stay dry and warm. This set up can include: SealSkin Socks + wools socks with running shoes or water sandals. While the rubber boots we offer can also be used, at certain tides some beaches can be steep and deeper than the height of the boot. You’ll also want to bring footwear that you’re comfortable walking in and will keep you warm while in camp. A pair of crocs, running shoes or other low profile comfortable shoe can also be used as a camp shoe.
We also provide pogies (neoprene mitts for your hands while kayaking) which will keep your hands warm and comfortable while you’re out there. You’ll want to be sure to have your own reusable (non-disposable) water bottle, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat.
You will receive a trip-specific packing list upon booking, which will go into great detail about what else to bring. Keep an eye out for it in your confirmation email!
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No camping experience necessary! Our fully outfitted camping trips are great for guests who are interested in learning more about Leave No Trace camping principals and gaining more experience in the backcountry. Our guides are passionate about sharing camping skills and getting you involved in all aspects of the trip. They will also be the ones waking up early and making the coffee every morning! These trips are easy to pack and plan for as we will send you a very detailed packing list at the time of booking. Your guide will also contact you a few weeks out from the trip, to introduce him/herself and answer any questions you might have.
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For all tours without a water taxi (Resurrection Bay Half Day Tours and Caines Head Day Trips), guests will receive a full refund for cancellations made more than 1 week prior to your trip date*. Within 1 week, your trip fees are nonrefundable.
For all tours with a water taxi (Fox Island Day Trips, Aialik Glacier Day Trips, and all Multi Day Camping Trips), cancellation fees are as follows:
- If you cancel more than 30 days prior to your scheduled trip, we will refund you in full* (minus a $10 per person booking fee for day trips and a $25 per person booking fee for multi-day trips).
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If you cancel 15-30 days prior to your scheduled trip, we will charge the card on file 20% of the total invoice.
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If you cancel 8-14 days prior to your scheduled trip, we will charge the card on file 50% of the total invoice.
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If you cancel 0-7 days prior to your scheduled trip, we will charge the card on file the entire amount of your invoice.
*Full refunds include: trip fees, add ons, and taxes & fees, minus $10 per person booking fees for all half & full day trips & $25 per person booking fees for multi-day trips.
For more information regarding our cancellation policies, click here.
We strongly advise purchasing a travel protection plan (see Travel Insurance below).
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Why is travel insurance so important?
In today’s dynamic travel environment, it’s important to protect your travel investment so you can relax and enjoy your trip. Unforeseen events such as flight delays, a sudden sickness or injury, or even baggage loss could impact your travel plans. Cancellation fees can range up to 100% of the trip cost, depending on the date and particular trip for which you’ve been holding spaces. For your convenience, we’ve partnered with GoReady Travel Insurance to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. For more information on available plans, click here.