stikine river tours

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Stikine River

Immerse Yourself in the Wilds of Alaska

Small Tour Groups

Explore Alaska's Stunning Scenery

Take A Ride On The Wildside

The Stikine River is one of the last great wilderness areas remaining in North America. You will be immersed in rugged and spectacular beauty throughout the day. Don’t settle for the average river tour, come with us and experience the Stikine like a local! A fourth-generation Alaskan, with a lifetime of experience on the Stikine, will guide you off the beaten path to hidden secrets of this vast untouched wilderness area.

Take our nimble Wildside boat and see the parts of Alaska that the big boats miss!

Gaze at the beautiful snow-capped peaks of the mountains and glaciers.

Incredible photograph opportunities.

Birding and wildlife viewing opportunities.

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• Trip Details
• Good to Know

Tour Details

Departure time.

6:30 to 9:00 am depending on weather and tides. We will confirm your departure time.

Meeting point

Downtown City Dock – Summer float (in front of the Stikine Inn) or other pre-arranged location. Let us know if you need transportation.

May through to September

7 to 8 hours

2 people minimum, 6 maximum per vessel and guide – Call us for all other options.

Participation requirements

Some ability to get in and out of vessels and some mobility to walk over uneven terrain. Call us for more information.

• Naturalist Guide and Captain
• You will have access to binoculars, maps, and walking sticks
• Water (to minimize waste we encourage you to bring your own reusable water container)

Not included

• Travel to and from Wrangell

What to bring

• Camera or cell phone with well-charged batteries.
• Plenty of memory cards.
• Wear sturdy, comfortable, closed-toe shoes.
• To reduce plastic waste, personal water bottles are encouraged.
• Light rain gear is great to have along as the weather conditions can change throughout the day.
• Temperatures vary, come prepared and dress in layers and even consider bring a hat and gloves.
• A day pack is great for keeping your gear together.
• We are gone all day-bring a lunch to eat while on the boat.

About your guide

• US Coast Guard masters licensed captain
• Our guides are certified as, Alaska naturalist, State of Alaska Guides, National certified interpretive guides

This is a very customizable tour: Please call us at (888) 993-2750 or contact us for more information about special pricing, accommodations, or help with planning your tour.

Tour Itinerary

1. your adventure awaits.

We will gather at city dock and prepare you for departure. We make sure you have everything you need for the day. Because the Stikine extends over a vast and diverse area, our day will begin with a chat about your specific interests. Whether it’s photography, glaciers, or wildlife, we will tailor your adventure specifically to you! Before you know it we will be off on our way to experience one of Alaska’s truly wild areas. Our guides are certified naturalists and Alaska state certified guides, not to mention history buffs!

2. Run The River

Enjoy the ride on the nimble jet boat “Wildside”. We will take you where big tour boats won’t! From the towering coastal rainforest, steep snow-capped peaks and glaciers, there is something for everyone of any age to enjoy. With our specialized vessel and highly experienced guide, you will see beautiful salmon streams, have the opportunity to stop and photograph wildlife, and soak in natural hot springs. This tour is the perfect way to explore the less traveled “backroads”.

3. Let Us Share Our Favourite Place

We have generations of experience here on the Stikine with an unprecedented safety record. There’s no place we’d rather be! For us, there’s nothing more fun than sharing its unmatched beauty with you. Relax with our long leisurely tour. We stop frequently to get out of the boat so you can experience the river like a local. Gather ice at the glacier for your evening drinks, pick some vegetables from our remote family homestead or feel the mist from powerful waterfalls.

4. Discover The Alaska You Are Looking For

Join us for this once-in-a-lifetime experience! Each trip is unique and customized, filled with nature’s unexpected displays. You won’t leave without seeing Alaska’s rare beauty face-to-face. Not to mention, memories to last a lifetime!

What’s Different About Alaska Charters And Adventures

Small Groups: While we have the capability to accommodate larger groups, we feel that wildlife viewing and photography along with real wilderness surroundings are best experienced by very small groups. Being part of a large tour group doesn’t lend itself to the up-close and personal experience we strive to provide our guests. You can expect us to recognize your individual interests, limitations, and expectations.

Training and Experience: Our mission is to provide you with the highest quality professional guides and captains. We can offer you Wrangell’s only state-certified guides, a certified naturalist, and an Alaska cultural host. At Alaska Charters and Adventures, we will provide you high-quality guides and captains. No matter which tour you book, you will follow a trained, mature, and professional guide.

Trip Length: Alaska Charters and Adventures is unique in that we prefer to offer you full day excursions customized for your interests and abilities. This means you can linger for that perfect photo and enjoy plenty of opportunities to get out and take in the scenery. Why rush? Take time to optimize wildlife viewing and lighting. More time is more opportunity to experience Alaska’s remarkable nature.

What our past visitors say...

Jane rhodes, a happy guest.

Shakes lake is stunningly beautiful our lunch stop there will remain one of our all time favorites…

We had such a great time on the jet boat excursion with you, it continues to be a highlight of our trip.

Sherry Bardall

Very personal, great tour, excellent narrative and scenery.

Richard Konige

Great trip! Beautiful scenery. Knowledgeable guide.

See More Tours

Leconte glacier, 3-day wildlife adventure.

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Water Taxi Services & Sightseeing Tours in Southeastern Alaska

Locally-run, small-group tours in wrangell and the surrounding area.

From taking in the bright blue glacial landscapes and rugged beauty of the area’s natural scenery to witnessing bears feeding up close and one of the largest populations of bald eagles, a Wrangell wildlife tour with Muddy Water Adventures is sure to be an unforgettable experience.

We pride ourselves on our local expertise and knowledge of the area as well as our top quality equipment and vessels to ensure your safety and peace of mind. We consistently provide friendly and reliable services, whether you are here for a guided boat tour or in need of our water taxi services, we’re always happy to help.

LeConte Glacier Tour

Anan creek bear observatory tour, ocean wildlife tour, stikine river tour, water taxi services.

Learn more about our friendly and reliable transportation services by water taxi to and from Wrangell, and anywhere in the surrounding area!

Local Knowledge & Expertise

Top quality vessels & equipment, friendly & reliable service.

We have two custom-built vessels at Muddy Water Adventures! Our original 26’ FRAGO is used primarily for our Stikine River tours and was built right here in Wrangell. Our brand-new 38’ catamaran, the Island Cat, is a one-of-a-kind boat in Wrangell, equipped with multiple viewing decks and a landing craft drop-bow. The Island Cat comfortably holds up to 21 passengers.

About Muddy Water Adventures

After a lifetime of learning to smoothly navigate the waters around Wrangell and many years of working for other tour companies in the area, Muddy Water Adventures was founded in 2016 by Wrangell local, Zachary Taylor. Zach is an engaging and skilled captain and tour guide as well as a passionate and active member of the Wrangell community. Read more about Zach and his crew on the About Us page.

Previous Guests Rave About Muddy Water Adventures

Barbara conine.

Entrusted Zach with my most precious resource, my granddaughters and they had a marvelous and safe trip. Couldn’t stop talking about the trip all through dinner!

TripAdvisor

Zach is not just a great host and guide, but he’s also an extraordinary captain. You can tell he’s got a ton of experience, both as a dyed-in-the-wool local and also as a professional boatsman. Read full testimonial .

Cameron French

If your traveling up to Alaska, it would be well worth your time to book a trip with Zack and muddy water adventures!! He was fun and very knowledgeable about the glaciers. His boat was great! You could either be out on the deck in the back or inside where you could look out big windows!

Kevin Hutchinson

We went on two tours with Captain Zach; the Stikine River and the Anan Wildlife Observatory tours. Both days were spectacularly guided and enhanced by years of local experience. Zach knows how to make you feel welcomed and attends to every one of your questions. We’d go again if we have the opportunity.

We went on the Stikine River trip as well as the Anan Creek Bear Observatory. Both were amazing. Even on a cloudy, rainy day, the majesty of the Stikine River and the Shakes Glacier did not disappoint. The observatory was busy with bear action; we saw about a dozen black bears and a mama brown bear and her two cubs. There was plenty of time to get all the photographs and videos we want. Read full testimonial .

Took several excursions in Wrangell with different companies but Muddy Waters was the best. Zach Taylor’s boat was more comfortable. I truly felt that every seat had a good view. Zach himself was very engaging, answering my questions about our destination, Anan Bear Observatory, as well as insights on growing up and choosing to remain in Wrangell. Read full testimonial .

We had two wonderful trips with Captain Zach Taylor, Stikine River and Anan Creek. Zach grew up on the waters in and around Wrangell and he loves to share his knowledge and stories. He is a competent boat captain, wonderful storyteller, excellent host, and knowledgeable guide. I look forward to bringing friends and family to Wrangell so they can experience Zach’s tours.

Robin Ashcraft

We had 2 great adventures! We went to Anan to see bears and then The Stikine River Adventure to Telegraph, Canada! We enjoyed both. We had fun and felt safe! We would definitely go again w this tour group! We met new friends and saw beautiful country!!!

We had so much fun with them! Best guides and great boat. You won’t regret it!

Sunny Burruss-Mylan

They were absolutely fantastic super great time and very professional excellent service 😉

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Questions or concerns, get in touch today and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

The Stikine River Come travel the Mighty Stikine River with us in our 28’ heated twin-engine jet boat. The headwaters of the Stikine River is in British Columbia and flows 400 miles to salt water near Wrangell, Alaska, the " Gateway to the Stikine ". Named by the Tlingit Indians, Stikine River means "Great River". The mighty Stikine River is the lifeline flowing through the Stikine LeConte wilderness. The United States Congress designated the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness ( map ) in 1980 and it now has a total of 448,926 acres. All of this wilderness is located in Alaska and is managed by the Forest Service. It is North America's fastest, free flowing navigable river. The wilderness includes the River's estuary with extensive grasslands and delta mudflats as the river reaches the Pacific Ocean. The Stikine-LeConte Wilderness boasts: Kate's Needle at 10,002 ft- the highest peak on the Tongass National Forest; the Stikine Ice fields - the largest ice field on the Tongass National Forest; the world's largest spring concentration of bald eagles (up to 1500); and a major stopover on the Western Flyway with shorebird migration averaging 350,000 birds a day. The Stikine River is an 1871 Treaty River for commerce between the United States and Great Britain. Today, you can access the river by jet boat tour from Summit Charters in Wrangell, Alaska. The US/Canada border is 40 miles from Wrangell and Telegraph Creek, BC is 160 miles up river. Great Glacier and Iskut river are both in Canada. This is truly a unique area. CLICK HERE to see our slideshow. Summit Charters takes great pride in offering our visitors a grand experience in one of the world’s last wild, natural places on earth, the Tongass National Forest. In our safe and comfortable vessel we offer the Alaska traveler customized sightseeing charters, or, customized charter tours of:  The Stikine River  or  The LeConte Glacier Points of interest for tours include::

• Great Glacier
• Iskut River
• Telegraph Creek, BC
• Shakes Glacier
• Chief Shakes Hot Springs

Our private homestead

• United States Forest Service offers several recreational cabins
• Largest springtime population of Bald Eagles
• Millions of migrating waterfowl
• Huge Hooligan run
• Peace, quiet and solitude

Summit Charters is an equal opportunity provider and is a permitted Outfitter/Guide on the Tongass National Forest and a portion of some tour activities take place on the Tongass National Forest. The Stikine River runs thru a portion of the Tongass. The Stikine River drainage and LeConte Glacier are in the Stikine/LeConte Wilderness. Summit Charters follows and promotes leave-no-trace principles and practices which are based on these seven basic Principles of Leave No Trace:

• Plan ahead and prepare
• Travel and camp on durable surfaces
• Dispose of waste properly
• Leave what you find
• Minimize campfire impacts
• Respect wildlife
• Be considerate of other visitors

Stikine River Tours to Shakes Lake and possibly Shakes Glacier (dependent on ice conditions) PRICE: STIKINE RIVER 4 HOUR

• $240.00 PER PERSON

All trips are subject to a fuel surcharge that will be added to the invoice based on fuel price on the day of the trip.

Getting a big group together?   Charter rates for the entire boat by the hour or trip available. Contact John for pricing.

Paddling the Stikine? Contact Summit Charters to schedule your haulback. Please call 907-874-2402 or Cell 907-305-0416 for further details.

TELEGRAPH HAULBACK UP TO 6 PAX WITH CANOE/KAYAK ON TOP $3350.00 + Customs paperwork fee $300 UP TO 12 PAX W/O CANOE/KAYAK ON TOP $3750.00 + Customs paperwork fee $360 TRIPS REQUIRING AN OVERNIGHT STAY WILL BE CHARGED HOUSING/MEALS/ETC. IN ADDITION TO ABOVE.

Click here for today's Stikine River Height

Summit Charters Vessel of Choice: 1999 Bentz Boat ~ USCG Inspected 15 Passengers ~ Twin Jet Power ~ Onboard marine bathroom

A view through the glacier ice

At shoreline, among the ice, summit charters.

John W. Taylor, Captain PO Box 2076 Wrangell, Alaska 99929 Phone 907-874-2402 Cell 907-305-0416 CONTACT US VISIT US ON FACEBOOK

Wrangell, Alaska

Petersburg, Alaska

Tight Line River Tours is your leading option to experience Southeast Alaska's waterways. Fishing, Sightseeing, and many more options.

Based in Wrangell, Tight Line River Tours invites you to experience the thrilling adventures of Southeast Alaska waterways by guided jet boat.  Enjoy incredible freshwater fly or lightweight tackle fishing for salmon and trout with owner/operator James Benedict.  Raised amid the guiding business in Wrangell and independently plying the waters of the Interior for several years before returning to Southeast Alaska, James promotes the management of fishery resources using catch and release methods. Fly fishing technique can be instructed for clients seeking a new challenge, and most tackle is skillfully handcrafted by the owner.

A comfortable ride on a 6 or 15-passenger jet boat can also take you deep into pristine Alaska wilderness where the possibilities of seeing bears, eagles and playful sea life such as whales, sea lions, seals and otters are likely. The goal at Tight Line River Tours is your exhilarating freedom with fishing pole or camera lens on fishing and sightseeing tours of the Stikine River and the magnificent LeConte Glacier, winding to the sea among snow-covered 4000-foot peaks to calve its icy blue offspring.

Stikine River

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

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Stikine River - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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(907) 874-3006 | WRANGELL, AK

The 2024 booking season is in full swing! Our calendar is up to date and bookings are available for the Anan Bears, Stikine River, LeConte Glacier, and Whale Watching. Contact us for custom itineraries, private excursions for yachts,  multi-day raft trips on the Stikine River,  hiking & paddling tours, and equipment rentals.

Check out our package tours we created based on 3, 4, & 5 day itineraries so you can make the most out of an extended stay in Wrangell.

Check the current travel mandates for the state of Alaska:

tours & custom trips

Anan bear observatory, stikine river / shakes glacier.

Particularly famous for viewing both black and brown bears, Anan is also home to seals, otters, occasional whales, and many species of birds (especially eagles).

LeConte Glacier

An actively calving glacier nestled in a fjord lined with towering cliffs and waterfalls. This tour is available either by itself or with a lunch stop in the nearby town of Petersburg.

 The fastest free-flowing river ever navigated by steamboat, and springtime host to the biggest flock of eagles in the United States.

Whales, seals, sea lions, sea otters, harbor porpoise, orca, Dall's porpoise, and much more! Alaska is one of only a few places in the world  where humpback whales exhibit a special behavior called "bubblenet feeding".

The Tongass National Forest is the world's largest temperate rainforest, and hiking trails are abundant!

Our custom, private raft trips run from 5 to 11 days on the Stikine River and vary in price. The best way to ask about a river trip is to call or email us.

traveling on a yacht and looking for custom, private tours?

Send us a message.

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Visit us in person, call, or email

(907) 874 - 3006 | [email protected] | www.alaskavistas.com

Our regular office hours are Mon-Sun 7am-4:00pm. The office is currently closed for the winter season and will open again  in May. We are available by phone or email 24/7.

You can also find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Trip Advisor!

City Dock, Wrangell, Alaska 99929, United States

*The office is closed for the winter season until May—we can be reached by phone or email.

when should you visit?

Custom tours.

Dates are available throughout the year to accommodate special trips, so let us arrange a unique vacation for you this year! Each of the activities described above may be combined or adjusted to create a private trip. Contact us if you have an idea and we'll work together to make it a reality.

To the left is a guideline for the best time to visit depending on your priorities.

Reservation & Refund Policy

We require a 50% deposit at the time of booking and the remaining balance before departing for your tour. We will refund your full deposit (less 3% if made with a credit card) if you need to cancel more than 30 days prior to your tour. If you cancel within 30 days of your tour we will refund your deposit less 10%. Cancellations made less than 7 days in advance are not refundable. There is no charge for date changes and rescheduling your tour (if possible). In the unlikely event we at Alaska Vistas must cancel a trip due to unforeseen circumstances, all deposits will of course be refunded fully.

Find us on Trip Advisor! https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g31165-d3179339-Reviews-Alaska_Vistas-Wrangell_Alaska.html

Copyright © 2020 Alaska Vistas - All Rights Reserved.

Alaska Vistas is an equal opportunity provider 

permitted to operate in the Tongass National Forest.

Photos courtesy of Robert E. Johnson with contributions from Arlene Woodward and Vincent Balansag

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Alaska Waters

Wilderness adventure tours in wrangell, alaska.

"Guiding Visitors Through Our Ancestral Lands"

All tour options.

Learn More »

PREMIUM TOUR EXPERIENCES

• Anchor Island Tours
• Hour Glass 2.5 Hours
• User All Ages

Island Heritage Tour

Learn Tlingit legends and hear a traditional Tlingit introduction while exploring Wrangell with your Alaska Native Guide. Visit the Shakes Island Tribal House, the Wrangell Museum, Petroglyph Beach & more.

• Anchor Island Tours , Boat Adventures
• Hour Glass 5.5 Hours

Anan Bear and Wildlife Observatory

View black and brown bears, bald eagles, and harbor seals in their natural habitat while they feed on spawning pacific salmon mere feet from Anan Creek’s observation deck on this truly breathtaking tour.

• Hour Glass 1.5 Hours

Tongass Botanicals Forest Walk

You will be sure to leave this walk with a wealth of local knowledge and an enjoyable experience among the lush, quiet, and peaceful surroundings of the mighty Tongass Rainforest.

• Anchor Boat Adventures
• Hour Glass 4 Hours

LeConte Glacier Excursion

Cruise via jet boat to a fjord and idle through fields of icebergs on your way to the face of LeConte glacier. If you’re lucky, hear the ice “Thunder.” An Epic Glacier Experience!

Stikine River Wilderness Adventure

Cruise by jet boat 70 miles through back sloughs and waterways on the fastest free flowing navigable river in North America for a stunning wilderness experience with snow-covered mountains all around.

About Alaska Waters

Alaska Waters is central Southeast Alaska’s premier eco-tour company with over 30 years’ experience providing unforgettable adventures in the Tongass National Forest. We offer day excursions by jet boat, island cultural tours and custom charters.

Live Reviews! ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Spent the entire morning with Brooke and Alaska Waters. It was right up our alley … Wrangell is in a beautiful part of this earth, and we were enthralled by both the place and the first class treatment by Alaska Waters. A great day!

I can see why the guides are so upbeat — just being around AnAn is uplifting. The owner LOVES bears — he relates to them from great childhood experiences. I feel so privileged to be able to spend the day there.

We did both the AnAn creek bear tour and the glacier tour with this team and they did a great job on both trips. Very professional and safety conscious. The staff are well trained. Highly recommended to all ages.

The boat ride is an hour each way. The scenery is beautiful. Saw a lot of bears. The staff was very friendly. Would recommend.

The guides are all business when it counts, otherwise nice, friendly, engaging and intent on us having a good time. Worth the money, since just the hour boat excursion would cost that much. And we saw bears for two + hours to boot!

Very professional, knowledgeable and helpful. We had a 1 Hr boat ride to Anan Wilderness preserve and plenty of time with the bears. There’s a water’s edge photo blind with timed 15 minute sessions, and lots of good viewing from the upper deck.

BREAKAWAY ADVENTURES

Breakaway tours and trips in wrangell, alaska.

WRANGELL'S PREMIER JET BOAT OPERATION SINCE 1989!

• MOST POPULAR!

Bears of Anan Experience

Get a closer look at one of earth’s majestic giants in the Anan Bear Observatory Tour! Watch bears interact with each other in their natural habitat in Wrangell, Alaska.

• Hour Glass 7 Hours

CHECK OUT OUR TRIPS AND BREAKAWAY TOURS IN WRANGELL, AK

• Hour Glass 8 Hours

LeConte Glacier Tour / Includes Petersburg

Get the additional experience to explore downtown Petersburg in Alaska after you view the magnificent LeConte Glacier! Get this experience only in Wrangell, Alaska.

• Hour Glass 4 Hours

Stikine River/John Muir Adventure

Take in the beauty of Shakes Glacier where you can witness jaw-dropping icebergs, waterfalls, and other sights in the area! Book your glacier tour to have fun while touring in Wrangell, Alaska. Book today!

• Hour Glass 30 Minutes

Banana Point Pickup

Book our Banana Point Pickup Express if you need transportation between Wrangell and Petersburg OR Petersburg and Wrangell. Hop on one of our water taxis today!

Banana Point Drop Off

Book our Banana Point Drop Off Express if you need transportation between Wrangell and Petersburg OR Petersburg and Wrangell.

• Hour Glass 6 Hours

LeConte Glacier Tour

Take a L eConte glacier tour through the Dry Straits to LeConte Bay and view hundreds of icebergs of different shapes and sizes! What better way to spend your Wrangell, Alaska experience.

Stikine River Extended John Muir Tour

Enjoy this extended Stikine River Tour where we traverse the Stikine River and behold the majestic sights AND spend some time at Chief Shakes Hot Springs Tubs or make a run to the Border, U.S./Canada.

Extreme Wrangell Jet Boat Adventure

Get a once in a lifetime trip aboard the Gone Again and witness the must-see locations around Wrangell, Alaska. Feel free to see all the natural wonders in this no-roof vessel experience.

E-Bike and Hike Tour

E-Bikes are a great way to see Wrangell and to get some of the best hiking trails around! If you can ride a bike you can ride an E-Bike and going uphill is a breeze.

Rad Power E Bike Rental

Rad Runner 2 E Bikes are a fantastic way to explore Wrangell Island. Take a ride on these fun and easy to ride step through moped style E-Bikes!

About Breakaway Adventures

We started Breakaway Adventures by offering fishing charters back in 1989. We started offering guided Anan Bear tours in the early 1990s and soon followed that with jet boat tours on the Stikine River. Soon we were offering tours to LeConte Glacier and by the mid-late 1990s included as an option going into Petersburg, Alaska, for an additional fee and time. We also offer many water taxi options ranging from trips between Wrangell and Petersburg, USFS Recreation Cabins or Skiff / Canoe / Kayak rentals with drop-offs. As you can see, we have had a long and great history of offering tours in Wrangell. Our wish is for you to have the best experience available and we are the company for you!

RATED AMONG THE TOP THINGS TO DO IN WRANGELL!

We had a great day out with Eric. Fantastic scenery, different stops to stretch our legs, great photo stops and a genial tour guide for the day. High recommend it to anyone wanting to visit the Stikine River. As a bonus we even made it to the hot tubs, which I guess is dependent on the height of the river on a given day.

We used their service to take us up river to a forest service cabin. They rented us a canoe, folding chairs, cooking gear, fishing gear. It made the stay at the cabin really memorable

Our guide James was very knowledgeable about the area. He provided us with a lot of information on the wildlife, glaciers and fishing on the river. He took the boat ashore in several places so we could check out the scenery and look for birds and wildlife prints. It was an excellent tour and well worth the money. The river was still frozen in areas, and I suggest dressing in layers for the excursion.

We went with this company to anan creek. It was me, my husband and our 17 month old. The owner took us out and he was super nice and very accommodating. He spoke very nicely to our kiddo and he seemed happy to have him around. It was a very small your so felt very special. We got to spend extra time out at anan and never felt rushed. The boat that he has is not the newest or fanciest but the personable experience is what we really liked! Thank you for one of our favorite things we did in our summer in Alaska.

My husband and I did both the Bears of Anan Experience and the LeConte Glacier tour last week; both exceeded our expectations. Spencer, who recently bought the company from the previous owner, piloted the boat on both tours. He was knowledgeable, friendly, and we felt we were in good hands. James was our guide at Anan (and came along with us to LeConte); he took great care in getting us from the boat landing to the viewing platform and, once we got there, was always available to answer questions, point things out to us, etc. If we ever visit Wrangell again, we will most definitely book another tour with Breakaway Adventures.

Eric and his crew couldn't have been better to work with. They provided water taxi service for us on a recent kayak trip and the trip couldn't have gone better from start to finish. They were excellent with pre-trip communication, responding to e-mails and phone calls within hours. They helped to get all the logistics of our trip sorted out before we arrived which allowed us to immediately depart on landing. Our shuttle driver even got us fresh king crab right off the boat to take to our cabin! All in all I couldn't recommend Breakaway highly enough for all your adventure needs in Wrangell.

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Cruising the Moskva River: A short guide to boat trips in Russia’s capital

There’s hardly a better way to absorb Moscow’s atmosphere than on a ship sailing up and down the Moskva River. While complicated ticketing, loud music and chilling winds might dampen the anticipated fun, this checklist will help you to enjoy the scenic views and not fall into common tourist traps.

How to find the right boat?

There are plenty of boats and selecting the right one might be challenging. The size of the boat should be your main criteria.

Plenty of small boats cruise the Moskva River, and the most vivid one is this yellow Lay’s-branded boat. Everyone who has ever visited Moscow probably has seen it.

This option might leave a passenger disembarking partially deaf as the merciless Russian pop music blasts onboard. A free spirit, however, will find partying on such a vessel to be an unforgettable and authentic experience that’s almost a metaphor for life in modern Russia: too loud, and sometimes too welcoming. Tickets start at $13 (800 rubles) per person.

Bigger boats offer smoother sailing and tend to attract foreign visitors because of their distinct Soviet aura. Indeed, many of the older vessels must have seen better days. They are still afloat, however, and getting aboard is a unique ‘cultural’ experience. Sometimes the crew might offer lunch or dinner to passengers, but this option must be purchased with the ticket. Here is one such  option  offering dinner for $24 (1,490 rubles).

If you want to travel in style, consider Flotilla Radisson. These large, modern vessels are quite posh, with a cozy restaurant and an attentive crew at your service. Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats.

Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather modestly, and a single ticket goes for $17-$32 (1,100-2,000 rubles); also expect a reasonable restaurant bill on top.

How to buy tickets?

Women holding photos of ships promise huge discounts to “the young and beautiful,” and give personal invitations for river tours. They sound and look nice, but there’s a small catch: their ticket prices are usually more than those purchased online.

“We bought tickets from street hawkers for 900 rubles each, only to later discover that the other passengers bought their tickets twice as cheap!”  wrote  (in Russian) a disappointed Rostislav on a travel company website.

Nevertheless, buying from street hawkers has one considerable advantage: they personally escort you to the vessel so that you don’t waste time looking for the boat on your own.

Prices start at $13 (800 rubles) for one ride, and for an additional $6.5 (400 rubles) you can purchase an unlimited number of tours on the same boat on any given day.

Flotilla Radisson has official ticket offices at Gorky Park and Hotel Ukraine, but they’re often sold out.

Buying online is an option that might save some cash. Websites such as  this   offer considerable discounts for tickets sold online. On a busy Friday night an online purchase might be the only chance to get a ticket on a Flotilla Radisson boat.

This  website  (in Russian) offers multiple options for short river cruises in and around the city center, including offbeat options such as ‘disco cruises’ and ‘children cruises.’ This other  website  sells tickets online, but doesn’t have an English version. The interface is intuitive, however.

Buying tickets online has its bad points, however. The most common is confusing which pier you should go to and missing your river tour.

“I once bought tickets online to save with the discount that the website offered,” said Igor Shvarkin from Moscow. “The pier was initially marked as ‘Park Kultury,’ but when I arrived it wasn’t easy to find my boat because there were too many there. My guests had to walk a considerable distance before I finally found the vessel that accepted my tickets purchased online,” said the man.

There are two main boarding piers in the city center:  Hotel Ukraine  and  Park Kultury . Always take note of your particular berth when buying tickets online.

Where to sit onboard?

Even on a warm day, the headwind might be chilly for passengers on deck. Make sure you have warm clothes, or that the crew has blankets ready upon request.

The glass-encased hold makes the tour much more comfortable, but not at the expense of having an enjoyable experience.

Getting off the boat requires preparation as well. Ideally, you should be able to disembark on any pier along the way. In reality, passengers never know where the boat’s captain will make the next stop. Street hawkers often tell passengers in advance where they’ll be able to disembark. If you buy tickets online then you’ll have to research it yourself.

There’s a chance that the captain won’t make any stops at all and will take you back to where the tour began, which is the case with Flotilla Radisson. The safest option is to automatically expect that you’ll return to the pier where you started.

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