Alaska Coastal Wildlife and Brown Bears I did this tour in August 2023. It is a photography-centric tour and it lived up to the hype. We had bears. Lots of bears. Bear cubs. Carl Donohue was our Expedition Leader and did a great job. It was great to have someone with tons of bear experience, as it was close sometimes! It was a boat-based tour so that we would have the freedom to move to where the bears are. Day one we had bears. Day two we had weather, lots of weather. We were in Alaska after all. From there on out we were in bear heaven. I shot literally thousands of images (shooting at 30 frames per second will do that) and I really struggled to delete down to the 400 or so that I'm at now. It's tough to delete amazing photos because you have some that are even more amazing and you just don't need them all. The boat (yacht?) at 98 feet was super comfortable for our small group of photographers. The crew was awesome and the food was very good, certainly more than you would expect for a boat-based trip. I can't imagine how good you have to be at planning to pull that off. Every day I took "shot of a lifetime" photos of bears. read more

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This is my second photography tour with Carl Donohue of Expeditions Alaska and all I can say is that he delivers on what is promised. The first was the Bald Eagles in Haines in November 2022. Recently, in April 2023, I went on the Hungry Whales trip in Sitka, photographing bubble-net feeding whales. In both cases the awesome photo opportunities far exceeded my expectations. If you're looking for creature comforts go on an Alaska Cruise. If you are a dedicated photographer, seeking unique photos, stick with Carl. He does his best to connect you with the subjects and help you capture those stunning shots you seek. If other opportunities arise, such as eagles feeding on fish in the whale tour, you'll get those as well. I strongly recommend Expeditions Alaska for your photo needs in this beautiful state. read more

I recently went on the eagle photo tour in Haines Alaska . It was great fun and the photo ops were unbeatable. The trip was everything I hoped it would be. Our guide Carl offered a flexible agenda each day - it was relaxed and non regimented but well organized. This trip left me with super photos, and new friends. I highly recommend checking out a tour with Expeditions Alaska! There is something for everyone who likes the beautiful outdoors. read more

We went to Wrangell St.Elias on a week long backpacking trip with our guide Trevor. ​ The weather was extremely unpredictable and it changes rapidly. Our guide (Trevor) provided all these information first-hand and equipped us with the essential gears required. Before starting from Anchorage, he checked the gears we carried and he asked me to buy a new fleece since the number of layers I carried was insufficient. I would've been in freezing cold had Trevor not asked me to get that fleece. Apart from that, he also checked all our gears one by one a day before our backpacking. Throughout the trip, we was extremely patient and he also interacted with us like friends sharing stories. I was the slowest in our group in terms of backpacking pace, but he never urged me and in fact he encouraged me to stay at my comfortable pace so I can enjoy the experience better. IMO he was very knowledgeable and he gained our trust quickly. Without a guide like him, our trip wouldn't have been awesome especially when the weather changes this rapidly (and we are not used to Alaskan weather). Highly recommend ExpeditionsAlaska for your adventure. read more

nine day Canning River raft trip. expectations were high and were exceeded. brooks range was beautiful, arctic wolves, musk ox up close, caribou, moose, fox, jaeger and rough legged hawks. expedition grade equipment. guides, Jared and Christy were excellent. read more

I just returned from my fourth photo tour with Expeditions Alaska, this one to Moraine Creek in Katmai Park. Once again, it was an amazing experience. Carl is an excellent guide. He understand the bears well enough to put us in the best position to get incredible shots without getting too close. Jule does an amazing job with the food, again. If you have any interest in this sort of trip, it's a great place to go. It's easy camping, the hiking isn't difficult at all, there are plenty of bears around and, not many people. It would be hard to find these kind of photo opportunities anywhere else. I would highly recommend Carl and Expeditions Alaska. read more

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My brother and I did the Arrigetch trip in July of 2018 and had an amazing experience throughout the process. Carl was extremely helpful with planning, had a ton of information for us. Jule was an amazing guide and fantastic throughout the trip. We would certainly recommend them and I hope to do another trip in the near future! read more

Carl is an excellent guide. The food was amazing. Great trip in spite of the terrible weather we had but that's something you can't control. There's nothing like seeing a 1000 pound grizzly in real time. Carl teaches you to be respectful of the impact we humans have on these great creatures and guided us to safely photograph the Grizzlies without disturbing them. Carl is entertaining, knowledgeable and enthusiastic while making sure we all get in the right place to make the photographs we want all the while keeping us safe and respecting the bears. Highly recommended. read more

Hiking the back country of Wrangell- St. Elias NP is like no other experience. We backpacked the Jarvis Plateau area for 9 days and never encountered another human soul. No trails, no people, and with our guide Carl, no worries either! Carl knows his way around the back country. He is a top-notch guide with a great sense of humor. This was the best trip ever. I have never before experienced truly untouched wilderness. The feeling of hiking in such a place was magical. I look forward to exploring more of Alaska with Carl @ Alaska Alpine Treks. read more

Our experience with Expeditions Alaska on the Seven Passes trip was so awesome that its hard to figure out where to start. All the nuts and bolts (driving, pick ups, flights, lodging, routes, gear questions, etc. etc.) were handled with speed, professionalism, and accuracy. Our guide Jules had an incredible wealth of knowledge that kept our trip safe and fascinating. He led us to game trails that made the hiking easier, knew about spectacular campsites, and encouraged questions throughout. He also did a great job keeping our spirits up when the going got tough and helping us enjoy moments of beauty, unique places and situations, and true peace of being completely disconnected from larger society. It was the experience of a lifetime worth every penny and more. If you want to really experience Alaska and are prepared to put in the work that requires, this is for you. read more

I've done two exploratory trips with Carl and I'm going back for a third. Carl's knowledge and competence in the wilds of Alaska really create the opportunity for a great experience. read more

My family and I had a fabulous trip on the Seven Pass Route with Rhane as our guide. It was without question the most beautiful and varied trip we have ever been on. The scenery was stunning at every turn. The trip was adventurous for us because we got to hike on a glacier and cross large streams for the first time. Rhane was an excellent guide. The off-trail terrain was definitely made easier with Rhane's guiding. He always made sure we felt safe in any situation. Because my daughters and I are short, this meant he always found manageable steps for us and we never had to jump over any crevasses or stones in the creeks. He also was very safe around bears (we saw 10!) and was careful to keep the cooking area far from the tents. In addition, Rhane was very knowledgeable about the flora, fauna, geology, history, weather etc of Alaska. In fact, he was knowledgeable about just about everything and was very good company. In terms of logistics: Carl and his crew were patient answering all of my questions before the trip. We rented two tents from Carl and some other minor equipment for the trip. The tents and other equipment were of highest quality. With some nervousness, I signed up for Rhane to provide all of our food. One of our family members is quite picky and I was concerned there would be nothing for her to eat. I was also concerned that too much food would be brought and we would have too heavy packs. It turned out that Rhane is a fabulous cook! All of our preferences (and allergies) were fully accommodated and we all loved the food. We highly recommend this company for any trips in Alaska you are planning! read more

My wife and I did the Seven Pass trip with Mike and it was fantastic. Everything was handled seamlessly from the time we were picked up until the time we were dropped off. The scenery was unparalleled to anything we've hiked in the lower 48. Everything is big! Mike was a great help along the way. I had severe lower back pain on the second day of hiking, but with a rest day at camp and some pack adjustments, I was able to comfortably finish the trip. If you are considering backpacking Alaska, Carl's description of "Alaska Miles" is entirely accurate - the mileage doesn't matter at all. It's the terrain that you have to be prepared for. This was not an easy trip and there were more than a few times where you had to really work to move forwards - particularly through a section of seemingly endless alder or willows, but overall the scenery is unmatched. Every valley and pass was different and we cannot emphasize the beauty of this trip. We also felt very safe - Mike was very clear in his pre-trip briefings on everything from dangerous hiking situations to bear precautions. I cannot say that for other guide services in the area. At our exit point we saw tents from another guiding company very close to their kitchen - definitely not good practice in bear country. Not the case with Mike and Expeditions Alaska - safety was always first. We thought the campsites and mileage each day was manageable - the glacier crossing day was a very long day, but that was mostly because of some hours stuck in bushes in the morning. Carl and Mike were very good about providing the few pieces of gear that we needed and everything was in good condition. Do not hesitate to take a trip with this company. read more

I did a multi-day base camping trip to 3 destinations in the Wrangel Mountains. The scenery was fantastic. I got tons of photographs. The guide was Rhane Pfeifer, who works many of Carl's trips. He was super-knowledgeable, very experienced, friendly, supportive, helpful, well-equipped, and a hiking powerhouse. I hike frequently in the mountains of Colorado, but this was my first trip into Alaskan wilderness with no trails and no facilities. Carl's preparatory write-up and Rhane's assistance were critical to a successful trip. The base camping format was perfect for me. I would have had big-time trouble carrying the full pack over long distances, but the weight of only one day's provisions was well within my abilities. If you are not certain you can carry a heavy pack uphill over long distances, I highly recommend choosing a base camping trip like this one. Plus, be sure to read Carl's preparatory material, follow the instructions, and bring good gear! read more