Compare Alaska's Inside Passage Photo Expedition by National Geographic Expeditions vs Best of Montana by Intrepid Travel

Day 1: Seattle/Juneau, Alaska

Meal: Dinner

Fly from Seattle to Juneau, the capital of Alaska. Visit the imposing Mendenhall Glacier. There is time to explore Juneau on your own before we embark the ship in the late afternoon.

National Geographic Sea Lion or National Geographic Sea Bird.

Day 2: Tracy Arm Fjord - Fords Terror Wilderness

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Enter Tracy Arm, a spectacular 22-mile-long fjord where waterfalls cascade from towering, glacially carved walls. We maneuver among large icebergs, keeping an eye out for feeding bears on the shoreline and mountain goats on the cliffs above.

Day 3: Petersburg

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Discover the small town of Petersburg on Mitkof Island, founded more than 100 years ago by rugged Norwegian fishermen. A visit to Petersburg provides a glimpse of a true Alaskan town and an opportunity for hiking along forest trails. Explore Southeast Alaska’s muskeg, an area with stunted trees and carnivorous plants. There is also an opportunity for optional flightseeing (weather permitting) or bike riding. Enjoy a crab feast for dinner this evening.

Day 4: Exploring Frederick Sound and Chatham Strait

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

These waters often make for great whale watching. Look for Steller sea lions stretched out on the rocky islands that dot the channels. Take a walk with naturalists along a quiet forest trail or kayak in the tiny coves in this area. Meet members of the Alaska Whale Foundation—whose work is supported by a grant from the National Geographic/Lindblad Fund—and discuss some of their recent discoveries about the region's marine mammal population.

Day 5: Icy Straits and Inian Pass

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Hike and kayak among the Inian Islands, where an abundance of Steller sea lions and sea otters reside. We’ll search for whales in the rich waters of Icy Straits and, conditions permitting, lower the ship’s hydrophone to listen in on the whales’ communication.

Day 6: Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Spend the day exploring magnificent Glacier Bay, where enormous glaciers flow from the ice fields far above. Watch and hear glaciers calving as tons of ice crash into the sea. Venture near islets that are home to seabirds such as puffins and guillemots, and look for humpback whales and orcas. Get a firsthand perspective on Alaska’s indigenous people from a Tlingit cultural interpreter, who will be on board with us today to share stories passed down through oral tradition and art.

Day 7: Exploring Alaska's Islands, Bays, and Fjords

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Beachcomb, hike forest trails, explore by kayak, or cruise along Admiralty Island, where the massive brown bear is found, along with perhaps the world's highest density of nesting bald eagles. If conditions permit, explore the coastlines of some remote islands by kayak. Enjoy a farewell dinner this evening.

Day 8: Sitka/Seattle, Washington

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, disembark in Sitka, a unique town with a strong Russian heritage. Visit St. Michael's Russian Orthodox Cathedral, a striking testament to Alaska's roots prior to the U.S. purchase of the territory from Russia. In the early afternoon, transfer to the airport for the flight to Seattle.

Day 1 Bozeman to Helena

Welcome to Montana! Your adventure begins in Bozeman at 10 am with a welcome meeting – this Rocky Mountains town is the perfect starting point for exploring Montana’s history and natural beauty. After your meeting, visit the Museum of the Rockies, a Smithsonian Affiliate Museum that’s famous for its world-class dinosaur exhibits. After a bit of culture to get you going, you’ll head to Helena, where you spend the night. When you arrive in the capital of Montana, you might like to head out for dinner with your group.

Day 2 Helena

After breakfast, you’ll follow in the footsteps of the explorers Lewis and Clark and venture to the Gates of the Mountains on a scenic river cruise. You’ll sail alongside limestone cliffs to a set of towering stone walls which appear to open like a gate as your boat approaches. Little has changed since the two explorers first visited this stretch of the Missouri River, and the region’s untouched beauty remains. Your night is free in Helena to rest and recharge or find a good dinner spot – your leader is always on hand with suggestions.

Day 3 Great Falls

After an early breakfast, hit the road and drive to First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park – home to the largest buffalo jump in America, used as a hunting tool by Native American tribes for at least 1000 years. This is a special and unique experience to learn about the history of the land firsthand. Get to know the landscape with a member of the Blackfeet tribe, who will take you on a full day experience including hikes, walks, talks and a cultural exchange on their homelands. Then, sit down and soak up the scenery over an included lunch where you can ask questions and learn more. Spend the night in Great Falls, where you’re free for dinner.

Day 4 Glacier National Park / Whitefish

This morning, you’ll hit the road again after breakfast. Known as the ‘Crown of the Continent’, Glacier National Park offers an impressive array of activities for lovers of nature and the great outdoors. Today, you’ll board a raft and enjoy an exhilarating (and splashy) rafting experience down the Flathead River with an expert local guide – a must-do in this area! Then head into the town of Whitefish, where you’ll spend the night. After an action-packed day, feel free to relax and recharge, or chat with your leader for the best dinner recommendations in town.

Day 5 Glacier National Park / Whitefish

After breakfast this morning, you'll take on a full day locally-guided nature hike in Glacier National Park – a wilderness area in Montana’s Rocky Mountains, with glacier-carved peaks and valleys running to the Canadian border. First, we'll drive the iconic Going to the Sun Road to the trailhead where we'll begin our hike. Meander through sun dappled forests to the base of two waterfalls as you hear from your guide about the history of the people who have called Glacier National Park home. Stopping for a homemade picnic lunch with your group, soak up the beauty of your surroundings before making your way back along the trail. Tonight, you may like to drop into one of the local craft breweries or restaurants for dinner.

Day 6 Missoula

Enjoy a morning at leisure before hitting the road to Missoula. When you arrive, enjoy one last meal with your group to celebrate all you’ve done in this jam-packed adventure. Head to a local brewery and taste some local Montana huckleberry beer over an included lunch. Your adventure will end at around 3 pm.