Alaska Brown Bears and Wildlife Tour

Dates: August 10-18, 2025
Fee: $12,995 (includes lodging and all transportation once we leave Anchorage)
Deposit: $1,500 (balance due March, 2025)

Limit: 4-5 photographers

Alaska, USA

Fee

$12,995

Dates

Aug. 10 - 18, 2025

Fitness Level

Easy to Moderate

Location Images

View Gallery

Imagine a pristine location where we don't have to compete with anyone else to view and photograph brown bears. Well...this is exactly where we will be. A bear trail next to our cabin guarantees close bear viewing even from the comfort of the cabin living room. The bears can be seen rubbing up against the trees. A short hike gets us to where the salmon run. That is where we can see the bears hanging out and fishing during the peak salmon run in August.

At 1,600 pounds, brown bears are the world’s most massive terrestrial predators, so the chance to view them up close is life-changing. We offer safe viewing from very short range. Safety is very important and we take it seriously! We will always be accompanied by a highly-trained guide that not only will carry powerful bear spray but also terrifyingly-bright marine signal flares. These flares are foolproof protection against the exceedingly rare rogue bear. Bearwatching guides have used these flares successfully for decades in Alaska and Canada. Over the past 25 years, there has never been a single bear incident. Rest assured the bear guide is there to keep us safe and let us enjoy the best bear photography.

Most other tours start in Homer but we will pick you up in Anchorage. A naturalist will meet us at our hotel in Anchorage to provide a brief orientation before we board our private charter flight across Cook Inlet, passing active volcanoes and massive glaciers before landing on a pristine private beach in Brown Bear Bay. The stretch of sand is empty, except for the brown bears that live here—and we often see them roaming the meadow or ambling along the shore before we even land. Nearby, our private suites and cabin provide a base for exploration in the very midst of the bears. We will spend 4 nights here, giving us plenty of time to explore the various opportunities available and also account for variable weather.

We will be on private land close to Lake Clark National Park, one of the world’s most renowned bear-viewing destinations. Against the backdrop of the ice-clad Aleutian Range, the Blind & Suites and swiss-style log cabin offer rustic luxury and total solitude - with enough bear thrills for a lifetime!

After a thrilling time with the brown bears, we return to Homer for two nights to provide us one full day of exploring the wildlife near this town. We may see moose, sea otter, red fox, bald eagles and more! On our last day, we will take a very nice, wifi-equipped shuttle up to Anchorage, which will drop us off at the Anchorage airport. The tour ends upon delivery to the airport.

Itinerary
The itinerary below is primarily to give you an idea of the logistics and transfer days/times. For location info and details of possible photographic opportunities, please read the section above.

Day 1 (August 10 - Anchorage)

Arrival in Anchorage. Option to explore Anchorage on your own (Uber, walking) depending on what time you fly in (most flights arrive in the afternoon or evening). Please note: the hotel will not offer a shuttle. You will need to Uber to hotel (should be no more than $30) upon your arrival into Anchorage. Overnight in Anchorage.

Day 2 (August 11 - Anchorage, possible fly day to Bear Lodge)

Orientation talk by NWT rep on bear safety and what to expect on fly-day. There will also be a presentation on photographing bears which will help you prepare for the opportunities you may come across. We will have time to explore Anchorage as well. Overnight in Anchorage.

Standby to fly. If the predicted weather isn't good for the day we are scheduled to fly August 12), we will fly to the bear lodge one day earlier. Tide window to land at bear lodge is between 8:30am - 3PM; which means we might fly as early as 7AM to make it there on time.

Day 3 (August 12 - Anchorage to Bear Lodge)

We are scheduled to fly directly to the bear lodge this morning. Upon landing, the group will be immediately shuttled to the lodge to check in and get fitted for their outside gear. Participants should travel dressed in rain-proof gear, multiple layers, and ready to take some pictures when they land so they can remain comfortable in case there is incredible action happening at that moment. The bear guide will meet us upon landing.

Day 4-6 (August 13-15 - Bear Lodge)

During our stay at the bear lodge, we will have plenty to do. Mornings will start with a hearty breakfast. After which we will begin to explore outside the cabin with our bear guide. Make sure you are ready for some close encounter with the bears! If you choose to hang out at the cabin at any time, there will likely be bears using the bear trail right by the cabin. Don't worry, you can view them safely from inside the cabin. We can expect to see a variety of behavior. The most exciting should be the bears catching salmon. We may also have the opportunity to see them clamming. This location is a little further away but we have access to an ATV that will save us the hike. Keep your cameras handy even in the cabin so you don't miss any forest scent-marking and tree-scratching action; behavior you can capture under guide supervision with the doors open or from just outside the cabins. Bear viewing can continue until sunset which is after 10pm. We will make sure to get some rest and have plenty to eat as well. Rest assured, you will get your fill of brown bears!

Day 7 (August 16 - Bear Lodge to Homer)

After a hearty breakfast and some bear viewing/photography, the group will transfer out to the landing spit on ATVs to wait for the plane to land. The exact flight time is determined by low tide. We will fly to Homer and be transferred to our hotel there. We will have some time to rest. After an early dinner, we will go looking for sea otters and some bird life. Overnight in Homer.

Day 8 (August 17 - Homer, possible return from Bear Lodge)

As is typical for Alaska, it is possibile the weather may cause a delay or 1-day postponement of our flight out from the bear lodge. This is why we are planning to stay in Homer for an extra night. If we do make it back to Homer as scheduled, we will have the option to explore a few spots for wildlife and some landscape photography if the light is right. Another option available would be to rent a boat to photograph nesting birds or another bear viewing outing could be arranged. The boat tour and the bear viewing option are not part of the tour but can be arranged at an additional cost, if the group is interested.

Day 9 (August 18 - Homer to Anchorage)

We will take a bus that leaves 8AM from our hotel and drops off at airport by 1PM. We recommend all outgoing flights be booked for departure after 4pm.

Itinerary Includes:

Shared lodging. (single supplement available*)
5 days of Bear Guiding with experienced bear guide
4-nights the Bear Lodge
Meals and unlimited snacks and tea/coffee at bear lodge
Cooking services & dishwashing at bear cabin
All photographic guiding, instruction and feedback sessions.
Private Charter from Anchorage to Bear lodge
Private Charter from Bear lodge to Homer
Van transfers and activities in town as indicated

* A single supplement is available as follows

$5,975 single supplement (Bear lodge + Homer/Anchorage)
$1,375 single supplement (Homer/Anchorage ONLY)
$4,600 single supplement (Bear Lodge ONLY)

**Forced Overnights at Bear Lodge: In case of inclement weather, if we are not able to fly out from the bear lodge, a discounted fee of $500 per person per night will apply.

Itinerary Does Not Include:

Flight to and from Anchorage
Travel/medical insurance - insuremytrip.com
Transfers to hotel in Anchorage on Day 1
Meals outside of the Bear Lodge
Forced Overnight Fees at Brown Bear Bay**
Alcoholic Beverages
Tips and Service Charges
Personal shopping
Incidentals
Services not Listed