The San Juan Islands — with their breathtaking scenery, vibrant marine life, pastoral tranquility, quaint villages, and crystal-clear waters — provide a stunning backdrop for outdoor adventures. You will get a taste of it all on this 4-day journey! This tour combines stunning hiking, unique wildlife encounters, sea kayaking, and scenic drives, all in an intimate small group. There is no better place to wander, explore, and relax than on this charming Puget Sound archipelago.
On this tour, we pack a lot of exploration into just four days, balancing our time between searching for marine wildlife from kayaks and ferries to forest emersion and scenic vistas while hiking. In addition to the physical adventure, we also enjoy the culinary adventures of farm-to-table dining and craft beverages, while small town and island culture is explored and experienced in the small villages we visit. The flow of the tour has been crafted to maximize your time outside. We’ll be walking, kayaking, exploring and learning together every day. All of the hikes can accommodate a wide range of ability levels and interests. Whale watching, seakayaking tour, and seaplane flight are all included!
ITINERARY
JULY DEPARTURE – San Juan to Orcas
DAY 1: Journey to the Islands
We start our trip in Seattle and explore as we head north. After a scenic drive through the verdant small farms of the Skagit Valley, our first stop is Deception Pass State Park, consistently ranked as one of the most beautiful state parks in the USA. Deception Pass, the stretch of water that divides Whidbey Island with Fidalgo Island, our first San Juan Island we will visit. With time to stretch our legs and acclimatize to the incredible scenery, we then meet our private ferry that will take us to San Juan Island. On the journey our captain will chart a course to maximize our chances of seeing wildlife, including whales, seals, sea birds and raptors.
Highlights: Deception Pass Hikes, Private Ferry + Whale Watching, & Friday Harbor
Starts: Seattle, WA
Ends: San Juan Island
Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner
Estimated Hiking Mileage: 2-4 miles
DAY 2: Explore San Juan + Kayak to Orcas Island
We spend the morning exploring San Juan Island, including visits to Lime Kiln State Park, views of the pastoral landscape, including a visit to a commercial lavender farm, and stops to English and American Camps, two sites with incredible scenic beauty and fascinating early American history. San Juan is the most populated of the San Juan islands, and therefore has a nice selection shops and attractions. We wrap up our time on San Juan Island getting outfitted to kayak to Orcas Island, where we spend the last two nights of our trip. Our one-way paddle takes us through San Juan Channel through the Wasp Islands. Named after the USS Wasp, a U.S. naval ship that was constructed in 1806 at the Washington Navy Yard, this group of small islands includes Yellow Island, now owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy. The long days of the Pacific Northwest summer means we have plenty of daylight for the late afternoon crossing, even having time for a picnic dinner on one of the small islands we pass along the way. We will keep our eyes peeled for wildlife, as this area is home to harbor seals, river otters, bald eagles and “transient” killer whales! We arrive Orcas Island and settle in for the night.
Highlights:
Starts: San Juan Island
Ends: Orcas Island
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Estimated Hiking Mileage:
DAY 3: Mount Constitution Hike
Our highlight today is a hike up Mt. Constitution – the highest point in the islands. Our hike takes us on trails swathed in colossal evergreens and fern-filled forests. In this magical place, spring-fed, crystal-clear freshwater lakes rest atop a mountain on an island surrounded by salt water. The trail to the summit passes through the last remaining old-growth forest on the islands. Your efforts are rewarded with the most spectacular water view in the Puget Sound region! After the descent, go for a swim to cool off before we make our way back to our lodge for happy hour and time to reflect on our epic journey up to this point.
Highlights:
Starts: Orcas Island
Ends: Orcas Island
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Estimated Hiking Mileage:
DAY 4: Orcas Island + Sea Plane to Seattle
The geographically largest of the San Juan Islands, there is a lot to see and experience on Orcas Island! We start the day with a short hike up to another vista, getting a feel for the flora and fauna of the semi-arid ecosystem of Orcas Island. On a short tour of the island, we will learn about the shellfish industry and craft producers that are vital to the economy of this island. We wrap up this four-day tour with the most classic of Northwest experiences – a seaplane back to Seattle!
With your thirst for Pacific Northwest Adventure temporarily quenched we leave you with incredible memories and aspirations for further exploration.
Highlights:
Starts: Orcas Island
Ends: Seattle, WA
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Estimated Hiking Mileage:
SEPTEMBER DEPARTURE – Orcas to San Juan
DAY 1: Journey to the Islands
We start our trip in Seattle and explore as we head north. After a scenic drive through the verdant small farms of the Skagit Valley, our first stop is Deception Pass State Park, consistently ranked as one of the most beautiful state parks in the USA. Deception Pass, the stretch of water that divides Whidbey Island with Fidalgo Island, our first San Juan Island we will visit. With time to stretch our legs and acclimatize to the incredible scenery, we then meet our private ferry that will take us to Orcas Island. On the journey our captain will chart a course to maximize our chances of seeing wildlife, including whales, seals, sea birds and raptors.
DAY 2: Mount Constitution Hike
The geographically largest of the San Juan Islands, there is a lot to see and experience on Orcas Island! We start the day with a short tour of the island to get a feel for the flora and fauna of the semi-arid ecosystem of Orcas Island. Our highlight today is a hike up Mt. Constitution – the highest point in the islands. Our hike takes us on trails swathed in colossal evergreens and fern-filled forests. In this magical place, spring-fed, crystal-clear freshwater lakes rest atop a mountain on an island surrounded by salt water. The trail to the summit passes through the last remaining old-growth forest on the islands. Your efforts are rewarded with the most spectacular water view in the Puget Sound region! After the descent, go for a swim to cool off before we make our way back to our lodge for happy hour and time to reflect on our epic journey up to this point.
DAY 3: Kayak to San Juan Island
After breakfast, we wrap up our time on Orcas Island getting outfitted to kayak to San Juan Island, where we spend the last night of our trip. Our one-way paddle takes us through San Juan Channel through the Wasp Islands. Named after the USS Wasp, a U.S. naval ship that was constructed in 1806 at the Washington Navy Yard, this group of small islands includes Yellow Island, now owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy. Half-way on our journey we stop for a picnic lunch on one of the small islands we pass. We will keep our eyes peeled for wildlife, as this area is home to harbor seals, river otters, bald eagles and “transient” killer whales! We arrive San Juan Island and settle in for the night.
DAY 4: Explore San Juan + Seaplane to Seattle
We spend the morning exploring San Juan Island, including visits to Lime Kiln State Park, views of the pastoral landscape, including a visit to a commercial lavender farm, and stops to English and American Camps, two sites with incredible scenic beauty and fascinating early American history. San Juan is the most populated of the San Juan islands, and therefore has a nice selection shops and attractions.
We wrap up this four-day tour with the most classic of Northwest experiences – a seaplane back to Seattle! With your thirst for Pacific Northwest Adventure temporarily quenched we leave you with incredible memories and aspirations for further exploration.
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