Glacier Bay draws guests who want genuine wilderness, and explorer yachts with their extended range, expedition tenders and reinforced hulls are the natural match for this environment. The six explorer yachts operating in these waters are purpose-built for cold-water cruising, carrying RIBs capable of navigating among ice floes and kayaks for quiet passages through inlets that conventional motor yachts cannot easily reach. Each vessel carries a crew with Glacier Bay National Park experience, managing the permit system and tidal windows required for deep-inlet access.
An explorer charter in Glacier Bay typically runs from around 75,000 to 150,000 euros per week before the advance provisioning allowance, which is elevated by Alaska standards due to fuel distances on deep-inlet passages, crew positioning costs and National Park entry fees. Charters run from late May through mid-September, with July the peak month for ice volume and concentrated wildlife activity.
Explorer itineraries go further than the standard motor cruise. From Bartlett Cove, a typical route pushes north past Reid Inlet to the Grand Pacific and Margerie Glaciers at Tarr Inlet before crossing into the East Arm and anchoring in McBride or Riggs Inlet for kayaking from the stern. A second week extends south through Icy Strait to Sitka Sound or north into Yakutat Bay where the Hubbard Glacier, the longest tidewater glacier in North America, terminates in a calving face stretching six miles across.
