A Note from JoeWhy visit Haines with Rainbow Glacier Adventures? Haines is different. And Rainbow Glacier Adventures is unique. Haines is not overrun with tourists Haines is a real Alaskan town with colorful characters, talented artists, pristine scenery, intact wildlife habitat and friendly local people. Haines is visited by one large cruise ship per week....many other towns have four or five big ships per day. Haines was listed by Outside Magazine and National Geographic Adventurer as one of the top towns in the United States to live and play. The Haines public library was listed as the top small library in North America. Haines is easily accessible from Skagway via a 35-minute catamaran ride. Many large cruise ships visit Skagway. Visiting Haines with Rainbow Glacier Adventures gives you a chance to break away from the crowds and experience a true Alaskan town with a tour company committed to high-quality, small group, educational travel. There are other small Alaskan towns not frequently visited by cruise ships. The problem is, they require tricky logistics or expensive arrangements to visit when on a cruise. Haines is easy to get to. Just call us and we'll make the arrangements. Rainbow Glacier Adventures offers tours for discerning travelers. If you want to avoid the crowds and hype and enjoy a truly unique experience, give us a call. If your interest is art, natural history, the eclectic, or the remote, we have a tour for you. If you have a special interest like birding, photography, or adventure, let us know and we will arrange a custom package. You and your party will have the full attention of our professional guides-no crowds, no waiting, no rigid itinerary! Believe me, I've traveled the world and Haines should not be missed. That's why I moved here twenty years ago and that's why I founded Rainbow Glacier Adventures. |
Joe Ordóñez
Rainbow Glacier Adventures
Rainbow Glacier Adventures Tours
Bear Watching Trips
Departing from Haines. For departures from Skagway, give us a call at 877 766 3516 (toll free) Join us for a great evening of wildlife watching. In the evenings, from Mid-July to October, brown bear come down to the Chilkoot River to feed on spawning salmon. This is one of the best and most affordable bear watching opportunities in the state of Alaska! Bear Watching Trips
Ultimate Nature Combo Tour
Departing from Skagway Leave the crowds of Skagway behind on this unique combo tour. This tour uses three modes of travel--catamaran, 12 passenger van, and Alaskan bush plane to explore Alaska's best glaciers, scenery, and wildlife. The trip begins with a 35-minute catamaran ride along the steep-walled fjords connecting Skagway to Haines. Over a dozen unnamed waterfalls drop hundreds of feet from the cliffsides on both sides of the boat. Learn about Tlingit culture, marvel at the scenery and look for humpback whales, harbor seals, and a variety of seabirds. Arrive in Haines, meet your expert guide and enjoy a seaside drive to Chilkoot Lake State Park. This park has it all--a turquoise lake surrounded by snow-capped mountains, important Tlingit cultural sites, and a salmon-filled river flowing into the sea. Keep an eye out for wildlife; bald eagles, harbor seals, and brown bear are often seen here. Continue out of town for a scenic ten-mile drive along the Chilkat River with a photo stop at the historic Letnikof Cove Cannery. You'll go down to the water's edge at Chilkat State Park to marvel at the Rainbow and Davidson Glaciers. Here your guide will identify the wildflowers and teach you to recognize the signs of moose and bear, frequent visitors to this area. Board one of Alaska's famous bush planes for a one hour glacier tour. Soar past the face of the Rainbow Glacier, a hanging glacier with an immense waterfall pouring from its face. Continue to the Davidson Glacier to look down upon the Davidson Icefall, crisscrossed with crevasses and ice towers. Keep an eye out for mountain goats as you glide over a sea of ice on your way back to Skagway. Ultimate Nature Combo Tour
Note: order of activities may vary. Quadruple Combo- Planes, Trains, Automobiles, and a Catamaran!Experience the best that Haines and Skagway have to offer. This tour combines an old-time train trip in Skagway, a catamaran ride along a scenic fjord, a guided nature tour in Haines, and a scenic glacier flight. Begin the tour in Skagway with a train trip about the famous White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad. Take an unforgettable journey aboard the "Scenic Railway of the World" to the White Pass summit. Board the train in Skagway and travel 20 miles from tidewater, to the Summit of the White Pass - a 2,865 foot elevation! Relax in old-fashioned parlor cars as you retrace the original route to the White Pass summit, passing Bridal Veil Falls, Inspiration Point and Dead Horse Gulch. Enjoy a breathtaking panorama of mountains, glaciers, gorges, waterfalls, tunnels, trestles and historic sites. See the original Klondike Trail of '98 worn into the rocks, a permanent tribute to the thousands of souls who passed this way in search of fortune. Head to Skagway's small boat harbor to board a high-speed catamaran ride along the steep-walled fjords connecting Skagway to Haines. Over a dozen unnamed waterfalls drop hundreds of feet from the cliffsides on both sides of the boat. Learn about Tlingit culture, marvel at the scenery and look for humpback whales, harbor seals, and a variety of seabirds. Arrive in Haines, meet your expert guide and enjoy a seaside drive to Chilkoot Lake State Park. This park has it all--a turquoise lake surrounded by snow-capped mountains, important Tlingit cultural sites, and a salmon-filled river flowing into the sea. Keep an eye out for wildlife; bald eagles, harbor seals, and brown bear are often seen here. Your guide has a powerful spotting scope to bring you eye-to-eye with the wildlife that Haines is famous for. To top it off, board one of Alaska's famous bush planes for a one-half hour glacier tour. Soar past the face of the Rainbow Glacier, a hanging glacier with an immense waterfall pouring from its face. Continue to the Davidson Glacier to look down upon the Davidson Icefall, crisscrossed with crevasses and ice towers. Keep an eye out for mountain goats as you glide over a sea of ice on your way back to Skagway. Kayak/Mountain Bike Combo
This tour is for the active adventurer. This tour combines kayaking and bicycling so you can experience the best Haines has to offer up close and personal. The trip begins with a 35-minute catamaran ride along the steep-walled fjords connecting Skagway to Haines. Over a dozen unnamed waterfalls drop hundreds of feet from the cliffsides on both sides of the boat. Learn about Tlingit culture, marvel at the scenery, and look for humpback whales, harbor seals, and a variety of seabirds. Begin with a five-mile scenic drive north from Haines to Lutak Inlet, a forested, steep-walled fjord. You'll meet your mountain bike guide, get acquainted with your bicycle, and begin riding along the edge of the sea to the mouth of the Chilkoot River. Stop to view eagles and other wildlife as you leave the paved road and enter Chilkoot Lake State Park. This park has it all--a turquoise lake surrounded by snow-capped mountains, important Tlingit cultural sites, and a salmon-filled river flowing into the sea. 
Arrive at the lake, take in the scenery and exchange your bicycle for a sea kayak. Sea kayaking is easy to learn and your expert guide will show you the basics of paddling, outfit you with the proper gear, and have you gliding silently along the shores of the lake. Leave the road behind and keep an eye out for brown bear, eagles, and even playful harbor seals who follow the spawning salmon into the lake. After paddling, return to Haines and tour Ft. William H. Seward, the first U.S. Army base in Alaska before boarding the catamaran for the return trip to Skagway. 
Kayak/Mountain Bike Combo
Seaside Hiking Tour
Enjoy a seaside hike in uncrowded, Haines with an experienced Alaskan naturalist. The trip begins with a 35-minute catamaran ride along the steep-walled fjords connecting Skagway to Haines. Over a dozen unnamed waterfalls drop hundreds of feet from the cliffsides on both sides of the boat. Learn about Tlingit culture, marvel at the scenery, and look for humpback whales, harbor seals, and a variety of seabirds. Meet your guide in Haines and enjoy a scenic drive to the trailhead, where you leave the road behind and enter the coastal rainforest. Your expert guide shows you the hidden secrets of the forest. You'll learn the names of the wildflowers and birds you encounter along the way, which trees the Tlingit natives used for totem poles and houses, and which plants are the favored foods for porcupine, grizzly bears, and moose. Enjoy some eagle watching and a snack of Alaska's finest smoked salmon, served picnic style on the beach, before reboarding the catamaran for your return to Skagway. Seaside Hiking Tour
Tour includes round-trip ferry from Skagway, two hours guided hiking, one-half hour break for snack, one-half hour van tour in Haines. Alaskan Artists and their Natural World
Leave the crowds of Skagway behind on this unique artist's tour. You'll experience the beauty of Haines while you meet and interact with a number of local Haines artists. The trip begins with a 35-minute catamaran ride along the steep-walled fjords connecting Skagway to Haines. Over a dozen unnamed waterfalls drop hundreds of feet from the cliffsides on both sides of the boat. Learn about Tlingit culture, marvel at the scenery, and look for humpback whales, harbor seals, and a variety of seabirds. We begin in Haines with a drive through Fort William H. Seward, the first army base in Alaska. The former Army hospital has been transformed into Alaska Indian Arts (AIA), a local non-profit center where Native totem poles, masks and jewelry are created. Artists from AIA have recently begun collaborating with designers from the Pilchuck Glass School of Stanwood, Washington. Contemporary glass, neon art, and Tlingit carving have been successfully combined in a unique fusion of traditions. Continue with a seven-mile scenic drive along the Chilkat River. At the small artists enclave of Mud Bay, we visit the Extreme Dreams Art Studio, owned by artists John and Sharon Svenson. John, a painter and zany mountain climber, Sharon, a talented weaver, and Whoopee, their pet poodle, will greet you upon arrival. Their handcrafted timber frame art gallery sports a spectacular view of the Rainbow Glacier and is filled with unique and unusual creations by Alaskan artists. Enjoy an art demonstration before heading back to Skagway.Alaskan Artists and their Natural World
Executive Class Bear Viewing with Flightseeing
Maximize your chance to see bear in Haines by combining flightseeing with a bear watching tour. Bear tend to feed at the river late in the day, so this tour departs in the afternoon. Start your tour in Skagway where you meet your bush pilot to begin your fifty minute glacier flight. You'll travel above the waterfall-strewn cliffs, peer down at the massive ice towers of the Davidson Icefall, and marvel at the Rainbow Glacier, a hanging glacier with an enormous waterfall pouring from its face. Land in Haines where you're met by your experienced naturalist guide. Travel by comfortable van to Chilkoot Lake State Park, a popular fishing and bear viewing area for local residents. This park has it all, a salmon-filled river flowing into the sea, a pristine lake surrounded by snow-capped peaks, and a healthy brown bear population that comes down to the river in the evening to feed. Beginning in August, the pink salmon are running and the chance of seeing bear increases substantially. Although we cannot guarantee bear, we will make every effort to give you the bear viewing experience of a lifetime. After the bear viewing, you'll fly or ferry back to Skagway to board your ship. Note: Tour departure time will vary depending on the ship's scheduled departure time. To maximize your chance of seeing bear, we recommend this tour depart as late in the day as practical while still getting you back to your ship in plenty of time. Departures begin August 1st |
|