CIRI Alaska Tourism - Alaska Heritage Tours

Alaska's visitor industry continues to grow with travelers' interest in Alaska's wilderness, wildlife, and Alaska Native culture. More people are interested in traveling independently, creating their own experiences and itineraries. As a result, CIRI formed a tourism division in 1997 to focus on soft-adventure activities and to sell custom tour packages built around the lodges and day cruises it owns and operates..

CIRI Alaska Tourism Corporation (CATC) offers tours to fit a variety of lifestyles and budgets. CIRI owns a package tour and booking company: Alaska Heritage Tours; three lodges: Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, Seward Windsong Lodge and Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge; and three wildlife viewing boat cruise companies: Kenai Fjords Tours, Prince William Sound Glacier Cruises and Mariah Tours.

Alaska Heritage Tours

Alaska Heritage Tours packages some of Alaska's most spectacular destinations, such as Prince William Sound, Denali National Park, and Kenai Fjords National Park. Packages include transportation, lodging, sightseeing and soft-adventure activities. Tours can be tailored to suit the traveler's needs, budget and timeframe.

Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge

The Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, which opened in May 1999, provides a spectacular view of Mt. McKinley and the Alaska Range. The lodge is designed to attract travelers seeking soft-adventure activities such as hiking, flightseeing, river rafting, and jet boat and fishing trips. Conference and event facilities can host groups seeking accommodations for their retreats and meetings.

Located in Talkeetna, south of Denali National Park, the lodge overlooks the Susitna and Talkeetna Rivers. It features 212 rooms with scenic mountain and forest views, an expansive deck offering a breathtaking view of Mt. McKinley and Alaska Range, and a Great Room with a 56-foot river-rock fireplace. The full-service restaurant and lounge serve Alaska cuisine prepared by Chef Felix Zollinger.

Kenai Fjords Tours

Kenai Fjords Tours was purchased by CIRI in May 1997. This well-established company operates wildlife and glacier cruises from Seward, Alaska, which is located on the scenic southern coast of the Kenai Peninsula, 127 miles south of Anchorage.

Kenai Fjords Tours has been operating sightseeing cruises through the Kenai Fjords National Park since 1974, with expert narration of the natural history and wildlife of the area. Their glacier and wildlife tours afford viewers an opportunity to see calving glaciers, humpback whales, orcas, otters, Steller sea lions, porpoises, eagles, puffins, and a variety of other birds. Daily wildlife and glacier cruises, available March through October and weekends in November, offer a variety of excursions ranging from three to nine hours in length. Cruise options include a wild Alaskan salmon buffet on Fox Island, an interpretive program presented by a National Park Ranger at Fox Island, kayaking and remote overnight accommodations at the Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge.

Seward Windsong Lodge

CIRI purchased the Seward Windsong Lodge, located five minutes north of Seward's Small Boat Harbor, during the summer of 1999. The lodge is open from May through September and offers spectacular views of a glacial river valley and mountain peaks.

Built in 1996 and opened in 1997, the lodge features 180 rooms in a forested setting and a modern conference and banquet facility. The main lodge includes a sitting area with a rock fireplace, gift shop, tour desk, Internet station, espresso and snack bar.

The Resurrection Roadhouse is a favorite for locals and visitors alike, serving Alaska cuisine in a casual dining atmosphere with a scenic view of the Resurrection River Valley.

Prince William Sound Glacier Cruises

Prince William Sound Glacier Cruises was purchased by CIRI in 1997 and operates glacier and wildlife sightseeing cruises in Alaska's western Prince William Sound. Cruises originate in Whittier, where experienced captains and crew guide custom sightseeing vessels on narrated tours through the glacier-carved fjords.

Prince William Sound Glacier Cruises offers four- and six-hour tours from mid-May through mid-September. The "Glacier Adventure Cruise" into Blackstone Bay includes experiments and natural history lessons about the area. The "Wilderness Explorer" tour includes a visit to an active salmon hatchery and Harriman Fjord to view the magnificent glaciers and mountains. Both cruises include a lunch. Wildlife common in the area include sea otters, sea lions, bald eagles, harbor seals, killer whales, black bears, and Dall porpoises. Transportation to Whittier is also available.

Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge

In a state known for its natural beauty, Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge takes vacationers in Alaska a step further into its rugged wilderness. Accessible only by boat, exclusively located on a remote island, beyond the reach of television, phones, or the Internet, the lodge hails back to Alaska's frontier roots.

The Alaska Native-owned and operated lodge, built by CIRI in 1996, nestles in peaceful isolation on Fox Island. The island sits in the heart of majestic Resurrection Bay, an hour away from the town of Seward, on the southeast coast of the Kenai Peninsula. Kenai Fjords Tours takes you to and from Fox Island and includes a glacier and wildlife sightseeing tour of Kenai Fjords National Park.

The Day Lodge can accommodate up to 300 guests for a delicious wild Alaska salmon lunch prepared on an open-air grill, as they stop over on their Kenai Fjords Tours cruise. The lodge also features 8 private cabins, capable of hosting a total of 22 people overnight. Guests can book optional sea kayaking guided tours, or explore Fox Island, roughly three miles long and one mile wide.

Mariah Tours

Mariah Tours offers an intimate wildlife experience through specialized day cruises in Kenai Fjords National Park. Their small-ship cruises are customized to passengers' interests and are focused on providing specific wildlife encounters. Outdoor enthusiasts love the flexibility and expertise of Mariah Tours' captains and crew.

The Captain's Choice Tour offers routes that typically include breathtaking Northwestern Fjord or Aialik Bay and are tailored daily to maximize wildlife viewing. The tour includes a continental breakfast, deli-style lunch and snack. Mariah Tours is located in the Adventure Center at the Seward Small Boat Harbor in Seward, Alaska.