Fat Bears of Katmai!
See the famous, fat bears of Katmai at their chunkiest. 3 days at Brooks Falls, and four days on the Kenai Peninsula. Boat tours, autumn colors, marine wildlife, and few tourists. Fall in Alaska is the best.
Download the Brochure HERE!
Trip Overview
The bears of Brooks Falls have gained internet fame over the past few years for their prodigious ability to, well, get fat. Such is their ability to pack on the pounds that Katmai National Park has begun a popular Fat Bear tournament in which Facebook users can vote on the fattest bear of the Brooks River.
While Brooks is a great place to view bears during most of the summer, mid-September, just before the bruins turn in for their winter’s sleep, is the time to see them at their most rotund.
This trip, with three days at Brooks, is an ideal way to see and photograph the fattest of fat bears at Katmai.
After our time in Katmai, we’ll travel down the Kenai Peninsula toward the town of Homer, where we’ll spend three more nights, photographing eagles, taking a boat trip around Kachemak Bay to see otters, whales, porpoises, seals, and seabirds, checking out the autumn colors, and photographing the jaw-dropping sunsets over Cook Inlet.
Well past the tourist season, this is perhaps my favorite time of year in Alaska. There will be few crowds, even at Brooks Falls, and we’ll have most locations entirely to ourselves.
Let’s go photograph some fat bears, shall we?
Itinerary
Day 1 – Afternoon flight for King Salmon, dinner, night in King Salmon.
Day 2-3 – Early morning flight from King Salmon to Brooks Falls. All day at Brooks. Night in King Salmon.
Day 4 – Early morning flight to Brooks Falls. Return to King Salmon in the early afternoon, transfer on to Anchorage. Night in Anchorage.
Day 5 – Morning departure for Soldotna, where we will catch a float plane to Lake Clark National Park for day photographing bears as they fish for the last of the spawning sockeye salmon (weather permitting). Return to Soldotna and transfer on to Homer. Night in Homer.
Day 6-7 – With two full days in Homer we’ll have the chance to take a boat tour on Kachemak Bay, spend some time photographing eagles, and take a hike across the bay in the beautiful Kachemak Bay State Park.
Day 8- Return to Anchorage. Trip ends mid-afternoon. (Optional flight from Homer to Anchorage).
- All lodging and transportation
- Multiple bush plane flights
- Kachemak Bay boat tour
- Meals and Snacks
- Guide Services
- Photography Instruction
- Assistance with other reservations
- Airfare to and from Anchorage, Alaska
- Hotels in Anchorage before or after the trip
- Optional Valley of 10,000 Smokes Tour
- Alcoholic or specialty drinks
- Tips for Guide (optional)
Cost
2025 Cost – 8 day/7 Night Photo Tour: $7200/person (double occupancy, $300 single supplement will apply)
While physical demands are not high on this trip, you do need to be able to walk a couple of miles over mostly smooth trails to access the Brooks Falls viewing platforms. While you don’t need to be an athlete, good physical condition will greatly improve your enjoyment of the trip.
Some bush flights may impose body weight limits, or additional costs may apply. Contact me if you have questions about this.
Long days too, are the norm, and we may be away from the hotels for up to 12 hours or even more if the day’s photography is excellent.
Have questions? Then send me an email using the form below:
Katmai and the Kenai - The Perfect Autumn Combination
