Alaska Bear Experience 2026

The Alaskan Wilderness

This tour is not only bears though. We will also focus on creating scenic compositions with the wildflowers, streams, meadows and mountain backdrops. The lush Alaskan wilderness is perfect for a wide angle layered mountain landscape or even a tight macro shot. This is also an excellent opportunity to practice techniques such as long exposures and focus stacking. The photographic possibilities are just so diverse. The wildlife on this tour is just that, wild, so while we cannot guarantee any specific species we will do our best to put your lens in front of:

About Your Photo Guide:

It was in Alaska that Kate photographed this image that won her the National Geographic Travel Chase Adventure Photography Competition. With a BFA in Fine Art & Design and over 15 years of wildlife guiding experience, Kate will teach her creative formula and camera fundamentals. There is no better place to build your wildlife portfolio than with bears chasing and catching salmon over and over before your lens.

“Home Away From Home”

The lodge I have selected for our base is in the heart of Alaska surrounded by 18 million acres of roadless wilderness. They have 4 dedicated aircraft for our exclusive use, 2 float planes (seaplanes) and 2 tundra-tire bush planes. We have a pilot and plane at our disposal every day. The bears often move 20 miles in a single day so we can fly to where the bears are at that day. Then with 14 boats staged in different locations, including the Katmai Coast, the lodge has 127 locations set up nearby to photograph wildlife. I am timing us to be there during peak when the salmon are running to see the bears fishing. This is the ultimate trip to photograph bears in Alaska.

From The Lodge

“Our Alaskan style great room provides a cozy atmosphere for guests to enjoy our spectacular lake and mountain views. Guests may relax by the fireplace in our living room or enjoy a game of pool in the recreation room, all the while reminiscing about the day’s adventure while planning tomorrow’s. Our standards are high when it comes to atmosphere and comfort. Our lodge bedrooms and cedar paneled guest cabins are all fully equipped with individual bathrooms and unlimited hot water along with the assurance of privacy and rest after a full day of adventure.

Our exclusive lodge and it’s provided trips are very different than other wilderness lodges. We have dedicated aircraft for the exclusive use of our guests. The combination of float planes, tundra-tire bush planes, and our 14 available boats ensure that no destination is unreachable. Our bush-flying photo safaris will take you over glaciers, active volcanoes, The Valley of 10,000 Smokes, spectacular waterfalls and remote coastline. Coastal brown bears and walrus are our specialties but we sometimes see wolves, lynx, moose, beaver, caribou, whales, Dall sheep, seals, fox, sea otters, tundra swan, peregrine falcon, and bald eagles.

Our experienced Alaskan bush pilots and guides will get you where the wildlife is. We make sure you are not stuck in one or two locations hoping bears and other wildlife will arrive. You will never pay any extra for flying, no matter the location. All of the daily fly-outs and boat trips are included in your trip package. There are no hidden costs!”

Health & Fitness

The lodge and guides recommended activity level for this workshop is moderate with field outings that may involve approximately 4 miles of hiking over uneven ground to the photographic location. Please be aware of this before signing up. If there is any question regarding your ability to participate please contact us ahead of booking.

Wild Alaska Learning Experience Tour - Landscape and Wildlife Photography

What is included: Six day / five night tour with hands-on photography instruction and photo review session. Professional wildlife tracking by trained guides. Bush plane transit to and from remote cabins, double occupancy lodging during the tour, chef prepared meals at the lodge. (Optional single occupancy upgrade with fee.)

Accommodations: From the time that you step onto the bush plane till you depart on it after the tour, accommodations and meals are included. Our spacious guest cabins are fully modern with electricity, heat and hot water. Fresh local cuisine, served family style, is made for us from scratch on site by an executive chef and baker. The food is amazing, even the desserts are fresh baked. Please make a note with your booking if you have any dietary restrictions!

What is not included:  Your transportation to and from Anchorage, lodging in Anchorage, personal items, trip insurance, gratuities/ tips, etc.

What to bring:  Plan for brisk mornings and nights so bring warm layers including a jacket, hat, gloves, etc. Gear: DSLR camera, tripod, telephoto lens, wide angle lens, macro lens (optional), filters (10-stop ND, circular polarizing and a 3 stop reverse ND), rain cover, batteries, chargers and lots of memory cards. Bring sunscreen, warm shoes, and any other items of a personal nature. A laptop or tablet with transfer cable or card reader is also recommended to review your images after dinner.

Fitness Level: Moderate - Participants must be able to hike a daily average of 2-6 miles on uneven terrain while carrying their camera gear.

Booking Options

Early Registry Discount:  Pay in full at booking for a discount off your reservation

To help you reserve your dream Alaska photo workshop we have two booking options:

Option 1: Start with your nonrefundable deposit to hold your spot then pay the balance due 120 days ahead of the trip.
Option 2: Pay in full now and save with an early registration discount.

F.A.Q. & Terms

Small planes - Is there a weight limit on baggage?

On our lodge planes there is no weight limit. Your first 60 pounds of baggage is free. $1.60 per pound excess baggage fee charged by the air service for anything over 60 LBS. There is no limit as to how much you can bring.

What are the meals like?

The lodge has a long standing reputation for fine dining. Meals are prepared fresh, daily under the experienced eye of our chef. The lodge caters to both meat lovers and vegetarians. If you have allergy restrictions, please notify us at least 3 weeks before your arrival.

Is it Safe?

Straight from the lodge: “For 41 years we have been leading wilderness trips in Alaska. We have guided almost 8000 clients and never had one of our clients seriously injured. We take aircraft safety, boat safety and bear safety very seriously. We believe that we have the best trained guides and pilots in the industry and our safety record reflects that. Even with our perfect safety record there is still the risk of injury or death any time you are traveling in the wilds of Alaska. Our insurance company requires all of our guest to read and sign an assumption of risk/ liability release form before participating.”

Does the lodge have Internet and Phone service?

Cell Phones will not work. There is a lodge satellite phone that you are free to use for non international calls. The satellite Internet has room only for the lodge computer and very limited bandwidth. Only emails that do not have attachments can be sent or received. Guest are free to use the lodge computer but personal laptops can access the internet.

Gratuities

Our lodge staff, guides and pilots work extremely hard for our guests. They work as a team to make your trip a successful, comfortable, enjoyable and safe experience. The guides & pilots with you every day are in the limelight. Less noticed is the support staff, kitchen, housekeeping and maintenance who are all equally important. Inevitably we get asked what is customary regarding tipping and who to tip. As we said our staff is a team as such they split all tips equally. For photo workshops $500.00 per guest seems to be the average. Of course Tipping is always always dependent on how you feel you were treated. Lodge gratuities can be left with the lodge manager who will divvy it equally to their staff.

Cancellations Policy

The deposit amount of $2000 is non-refundable. Should you wish to cancel with at least 60 days notice on a trip paid in full any amount paid over the deposit can be deferred to another trip. No refunds/transfers will be given within 60 days of the trip dates.

Travel Insurance

Guests are responsible to obtain travel insurance for this trip. You can often add this on from your airline when booking your flight or through a third party service. We are not responsible for delays, inclement weather, travel cancellations, or costs associated with weather or travel disruption.

Wildlife Participation

By joining this trip you agree to the understanding that the wildlife are wild. We will make every effort with the lodge and guides to be in hotspot locations but we cannot guarantee that our wildlife models will cooperate.

We Are On Nature’s Schedule

Our itinerary is flexible to adjust for light, weather and any other conditions that may impact our sessions.