The Fjords, by Private Charter

Tidewater glaciers and marine wildlife on a vessel of your own. A private, tailored journey of 4-6 days in Kenai Fjords & the Peninsula, Alaska, designed end to end by a Forest Travel advisor — with Virtuoso privileges at the finest luxury hotels, from US$12,500 per traveler.

Few places on earth still feel this vast and untamed, where glaciers, fjords, and brown bears remain the undisputed authors of the landscape.

When to go

Late May through early September, when the days stretch long, the wildlife is at its most active, and the coastal waters and interior wilderness open fully. Your advisor times it to the light, the crowds and your own calendar.

The experiences

A sense of what this journey can hold — each one arranged privately and shaped to you:

• A private chartered vessel with a captain who takes you close to the calving faces of the tidewater glaciers on your own schedule.
• Unhurried approaches to seabird rookeries and haul-outs where sea lions, otters and puffins gather along the outer coast.
• Quiet drifts into side coves the day boats never reach, with the engine cut and only the ice for sound.
• A private naturalist aboard to read the fjords, from orca and humpback to the glacier ice itself.

A sense of the rhythm

With a vessel of your own the sea sets a slow, generous pace. You linger where the day fleet cannot, waiting out a pod of whales or holding position before a glacier as it works. Mornings run early for calm water; afternoons open to whatever the fjords offer.

One long fjord day or several unhurried outings

A single full day reaches the deepest tidewater glaciers but makes for a long time afloat. Splitting the coast across several shorter outings keeps each day fresh and lets weather guide the plan. With a private charter we tailor the balance entirely to your sea legs.

How to do it well

The counsel our advisors give travelers planning this journey:

• Book the earliest departures; the fjords are calmest and the light softest before midday wind.
• May and early June bring active glaciers and fewer vessels sharing the water.
• A private charter lets you cut the engine and simply drift, the finest way to hear a glacier.
• Pack for spray and cold even in July; the ice keeps its own microclimate on the water.

What only your advisor can open

The difference between a good trip and an unrepeatable one is access — and access is a relationship, not a booking. Every guide, room and moment is chosen and sequenced for you.

Who it's for

Travelers who value privacy, time and doing it once — beautifully — and who would rather have one trusted advisor orchestrate every detail than assemble it themselves.

Estimated investment

From US$12,500 per traveler, based on double occupancy — scaled to your dates, party size and level of privacy. A starting point, not a final quote; confirmed once your advisor tailors the itinerary.

Designed entirely around you

Nothing here is a package. A Forest Travel advisor shapes the whole journey and stays one message away before and throughout your trip.

Your Virtuoso privileges

As a Virtuoso member, Forest Travel includes benefits reserved for Virtuoso guests at the finest luxury hotels, at no added cost: a room upgrade on arrival when available, daily breakfast for two, a property credit toward dining or spa, and early check-in with late check-out when the hotel allows.

Continue exploring Kenai Fjords & the Peninsula

Part of our Kenai Fjords & the Peninsula travel guide. Related private journeys:

• Sea Kayak & Wildlife
• The Coastal Wilderness Retreat

Begin the conversation

Tell a Forest Travel advisor how you like to travel and they will design The Fjords, by Private Charter around you — privately, every Virtuoso privilege included. Request your private consultation →