Alaska is a place of extremes. Glaciers descend from some of North America’s highest peaks, while hundreds of miles of coastline unfold into fjords, islands and channels rich with marine life. Most journeys experience one side of this landscape at a time. A new EYOS expedition connects them both.
From Sea to Summit: Ultimate Alaska brings together two very different environments in a single private journey: several days at 6,000 feet in the heart of Denali National Park at Sheldon Chalet, followed by an expedition aboard the 157-foot Hanse Explorer through the remote waters of Southeast Alaska.
The result is not simply a trip through Alaska, but an opportunity to experience the state from summit to sea.
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Into the Inside Passage
The journey begins in Juneau, Alaska’s capital city and gateway to the Inside Passage. From here, Hanse Explorer heads into Southeast Alaska, where forested islands, steep mountains and glacier-carved waterways quickly replace the city.
The 157-foot expedition yacht becomes a base for exploring the region’s smaller fjords, islands and inlets. Zodiacs and expedition kayaks provide access beyond the yacht, allowing the expedition to get closer to the landscape, whether exploring a quiet coastal inlet, hiking through temperate rainforest or approaching a tidewater glacier.
The first stop is the Inian Islands, on the northern edge of the Inside Passage. Strong currents bring nutrient-rich Pacific waters through the islands, creating one of the most productive marine environments in Southeast Alaska. Steller sea lions gather on rocky haul-outs, sea otters float among the kelp and bald eagles patrol the shoreline.
From there, the expedition continues toward Icy Strait, where humpback whales gather to feed. The waters around Hoonah also offer opportunities to fish for salmon and halibut, while the surrounding islands provide plenty of options for getting ashore and exploring.
At Pavlof Harbor, the focus shifts inland. During the summer salmon run, brown bears gather along the streams and waterfalls to fish. A short hike with expert guides offers the chance to watch them in their natural habitat.
The route then continues through the Admiralty, Baranof and Chichagof Islands, collectively known as the ABC Islands. Among the largest islands in the country, they remain remarkably wild and sparsely populated. Remote hikes, kayaking and Zodiac excursions reveal a coastline shaped by glaciers, tides and dense temperate rainforest.
The final stage of the yacht journey brings Hanse Explorer into Tracy Arm Fjord and the Fords Terror Wilderness Area. Towering granite walls rise above vivid blue water, waterfalls pour down the cliffs and icebergs gather around South Sawyer Glacier. After seven nights exploring Southeast Alaska, Hanse Explorer returns to Juneau.
The journey, however, is only halfway complete.
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From Sea to Summit
From Juneau, the expedition leaves the coastline behind and heads into the Alaska Range.
Accessible only by helicopter, Sheldon Chalet sits at 6,000 feet on a remote nunatak above the Ruth Glacier. Surrounded by the peaks and glaciers of the Don Sheldon Amphitheater, the chalet offers a dramatic contrast to the coastal wilderness explored aboard Hanse Explorer.
The change in perspective is immediate.
After days spent moving through fjords and channels, the landscape opens into an immense alpine environment of rock, ice and snow. The Ruth Glacier stretches below the chalet, while the surrounding peaks rise above it in every direction.
For three or four nights, Sheldon Chalet is all yours– serving as a base for exploring this remote corner of Denali National Park. Days can be spent hiking and exploring the surrounding glaciers and alpine terrain with expert guides, with activities ranging from backcountry skiing to ice and rock climbing, tailored to conditions and your group’s interests.
Then there is the opportunity to simply take in the setting. At 6,000 feet, the landscape extends far beyond the chalet, offering an entirely different view of Alaska’s wilderness.
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Following the Wildlife
Wildlife is one of the defining threads of the journey, but the species and environments change as the expedition moves from sea to summit.
In Southeast Alaska, life is concentrated around the water. The strong currents of the Inian Islands attract Steller sea lions, sea otters and other marine life. In Icy Strait, humpback whales gather to feed, while the forested islands provide habitat for bald eagles and other coastal species.
Further along the route, the summer salmon run brings brown bears to Pavlof Harbor. On Admiralty Island, one of the world’s highest concentrations of brown bears creates another opportunity to observe these animals in their natural environment.
The wildlife encounters are rarely predictable, which is part of what makes exploring by expedition yacht so rewarding. A day might begin with a quiet kayak through an inlet and end with a pod of whales feeding nearby. A Zodiac excursion can turn into an unexpected bear sighting along the shoreline or a close look at sea lions gathered on the rocks.
Even the journey through Tracy Arm has its own wildlife opportunities, with harbor seals resting among the ice and bald eagles and brown bears inhabiting the surrounding shores.
The expedition team’s ability to adapt to weather, tides and wildlife activity means the itinerary can respond to what is happening around it rather than simply following a fixed schedule.
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Two Ways Into the Wilderness
What makes this journey different is the contrast between its two environments.
At Sheldon Chalet, Alaska is vertical. Glaciers fill the valleys below, peaks rise into the distance and the surrounding landscape is measured in altitude and ice.
On Hanse Explorer, Alaska becomes horizontal. The mountains meet the sea, forests descend to the shoreline and narrow channels lead deeper into a landscape shaped by tides and glaciers.
Moving between the two offers a fuller sense of the scale and diversity of the state. One day you are walking across an alpine glacier thousands of feet above sea level. A few days later, you are paddling through a quiet coastal inlet, watching for whales beneath forested mountains.
For EYOS, this is what expedition travel is about: not simply reaching a destination, but finding new ways into it.
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The Ultimate Alaska
There is no single way to experience Alaska. Its scale makes that impossible. But by combining the high alpine environment of Denali with the remote coastline of Southeast Alaska, From Sea to Summit: Ultimate Alaska brings together two of its most distinctive landscapes in one private expedition. From the summit to the sea, the journey is defined by access, flexibility and the freedom to follow the conditions of the day.
To begin planning a private From Sea to Summit expedition for summer 2027, contact our team today.