Travel Tips
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Travel Timing: We recommend arriving a day before your scheduled trip date. Lodging on Kodiak Island runs the gamut from cozy AirBNBs to chain hotels. The two main hotels are Best Western Kodiak Inn and Compass Suites. Both are conveniently located downtown and offer shuttle service to and from the Kodiak Airport. The Best Western is home to Kodiak Chart Room Restaurant, which overlooks St. Paul Harbor.
Booking Your Travel: Alaska Airlines offers three flights to/from Kodiak Island in the summer time. Kodiak's airport code is ADQ. We recommend purchasing travel insurance as a safeguard against delays and complications while traveling to Kodiak. Flight delays and cancellations due to weather are common. We strongly encourage you to book directly through Alaska Airlines and not through a discount airfare search engine. Discount providers are less responsive if a weather delay causes you to re-book. |
Alaska Airlines photo
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Travel Advisories: Please research travel advisories for both interstate and international travel before booking and monitor these advisories before your trip. This includes advisories for both your departure location and Alaska. Alaska's health advisories can be found on the Travel Alaska website.
Luggage Suggestions: We recommend using soft-sided luggage wherever possible. Hard shell luggage can be difficult to stow in a small airplane or under your bed. Please limit the average weight of your luggage to no more than 50 lbs (22 kg) per traveler. If you’re on extended travel in Alaska and have extra luggage, we can provide secure storage at our office for the duration of your stay on the Island C.
Ground Transportation: If arriving early, ground transportation is available from the airport to the Best Western and Compass Suites. Call (907) 486-5712 or (907) 486-1086, respectively, to notify these hotels of your arrival time. If you are flying to or from the Island C, the flight charter company provides shuttle service from your accommodations to the float plane base (or from the float plane base to your hotel/the airport). If arriving or departing Kodiak by vessel, our van will transport you between the harbor and your hotel or the airport.
Gearing Up In Kodiak: A recommended packing list is below. If you cannot find some of these things where you live, don’t worry! ALL of the packing items listed here, particularly rain gear and boots, are available on Kodiak Island at reasonable retail prices.
Cell Service/Emergency Communications: The city and surrounding urban area of Kodiak have excellent cell service. However, there is little or no cell service in Katmai National Park and remote coastal areas of Kodiak Island. Family or friends who need to contact you in an emergency may reach the Island C by satellite message from our Contact Us page. In the event of an emergency, we will furnish a handheld satellite phone for you to communicate with home.
Fabrics: Some fabrics are more fabulous than others. Cotton (including denim) is a liability in Kodiak's frequent wet weather. Even when covered by rain gear, cotton takes a long time to dry and does not provide insulation when wet. We recommend polypropylene or wool base layers, puffy or fleece insulating layers, and a lightweight but impermeable layer of rain gear as an outer shell. Andy's pro tip: Use a puffy jacket as an insulating layer instead of fleece. This offers the same quality of insulation, but at a lighter weight and with less friction against your outer shell.
Medical & Dietary Restrictions: Please advise us well in advance of any dietary restrictions you have by filling out our Guest Information Form. Our chef will plan accordingly, and may contact you individually to fine-tune their understanding of your needs/preferences. Please also advise us of medical conditions which may limit your ability to participate in the activities you see described in the trip. You will receive the Guest Information Form via email before your trip starts. Everything we need to know is listed on this form!
Alcohol: Guest are welcome to bring their own beer and wine for dinner. Add these to your luggage while in Kodiak, and our chefs will provide storage and daily access to your stash. There are numerous package stores in Kodiak, including one within a few blocks of downtown hotels.
Luggage Suggestions: We recommend using soft-sided luggage wherever possible. Hard shell luggage can be difficult to stow in a small airplane or under your bed. Please limit the average weight of your luggage to no more than 50 lbs (22 kg) per traveler. If you’re on extended travel in Alaska and have extra luggage, we can provide secure storage at our office for the duration of your stay on the Island C.
Ground Transportation: If arriving early, ground transportation is available from the airport to the Best Western and Compass Suites. Call (907) 486-5712 or (907) 486-1086, respectively, to notify these hotels of your arrival time. If you are flying to or from the Island C, the flight charter company provides shuttle service from your accommodations to the float plane base (or from the float plane base to your hotel/the airport). If arriving or departing Kodiak by vessel, our van will transport you between the harbor and your hotel or the airport.
Gearing Up In Kodiak: A recommended packing list is below. If you cannot find some of these things where you live, don’t worry! ALL of the packing items listed here, particularly rain gear and boots, are available on Kodiak Island at reasonable retail prices.
Cell Service/Emergency Communications: The city and surrounding urban area of Kodiak have excellent cell service. However, there is little or no cell service in Katmai National Park and remote coastal areas of Kodiak Island. Family or friends who need to contact you in an emergency may reach the Island C by satellite message from our Contact Us page. In the event of an emergency, we will furnish a handheld satellite phone for you to communicate with home.
Fabrics: Some fabrics are more fabulous than others. Cotton (including denim) is a liability in Kodiak's frequent wet weather. Even when covered by rain gear, cotton takes a long time to dry and does not provide insulation when wet. We recommend polypropylene or wool base layers, puffy or fleece insulating layers, and a lightweight but impermeable layer of rain gear as an outer shell. Andy's pro tip: Use a puffy jacket as an insulating layer instead of fleece. This offers the same quality of insulation, but at a lighter weight and with less friction against your outer shell.
Medical & Dietary Restrictions: Please advise us well in advance of any dietary restrictions you have by filling out our Guest Information Form. Our chef will plan accordingly, and may contact you individually to fine-tune their understanding of your needs/preferences. Please also advise us of medical conditions which may limit your ability to participate in the activities you see described in the trip. You will receive the Guest Information Form via email before your trip starts. Everything we need to know is listed on this form!
Alcohol: Guest are welcome to bring their own beer and wine for dinner. Add these to your luggage while in Kodiak, and our chefs will provide storage and daily access to your stash. There are numerous package stores in Kodiak, including one within a few blocks of downtown hotels.
Recommended Clothing & Equipment
Clothing
_____ Rain jacket with hood and rain pants
_____ Wool socks
_____ Quick drying pants (belt loops preferred)
_____ Polypropylene or wool long underwear (not cotton)
_____ Puffy jacket or fleece insulating layers
_____ Fleece or knit cap and cloves
_____ Swimsuit (if you’re so inclined to take a dip in the North Pacific)
Footwear
_____ Light hiking shoes (optional, you can get by with casual shoes onboard and GMX-issued waders ashore)
_____ Casual slip-on shoes for relaxing onboard the Island C
Personal Items & Accessories
_____ Mask
_____ Prescription medications, plus spares (our guide can carry your extra epinephrine shot, inhaler, etc.)
_____ Polarized sunglasses
_____ Binoculars (particularly if you're not taking photos)
_____ A birding app or field guide
_____ Bug net
_____ Sunscreen
_____ Re-usable water bottle
_____ Toiletry/shower kit
_____ Prescription medications
_____ Device charging cords (with adapters if traveling from overseas)
_____ Camera with lens, hood, and rain cover
_____ Small day pack for excursions ashore
_____ Small dry pouches or zipper top freezer bags (for wallet, phone etc)
You don’t need to bring these:
X Waders & wading boots
X Life jacket
X Pillows, linens, and towels
X Hand sanitizer
X Your entire medicine chest (We have the basics!)
_____ Rain jacket with hood and rain pants
_____ Wool socks
_____ Quick drying pants (belt loops preferred)
_____ Polypropylene or wool long underwear (not cotton)
_____ Puffy jacket or fleece insulating layers
_____ Fleece or knit cap and cloves
_____ Swimsuit (if you’re so inclined to take a dip in the North Pacific)
Footwear
_____ Light hiking shoes (optional, you can get by with casual shoes onboard and GMX-issued waders ashore)
_____ Casual slip-on shoes for relaxing onboard the Island C
Personal Items & Accessories
_____ Mask
_____ Prescription medications, plus spares (our guide can carry your extra epinephrine shot, inhaler, etc.)
_____ Polarized sunglasses
_____ Binoculars (particularly if you're not taking photos)
_____ A birding app or field guide
_____ Bug net
_____ Sunscreen
_____ Re-usable water bottle
_____ Toiletry/shower kit
_____ Prescription medications
_____ Device charging cords (with adapters if traveling from overseas)
_____ Camera with lens, hood, and rain cover
_____ Small day pack for excursions ashore
_____ Small dry pouches or zipper top freezer bags (for wallet, phone etc)
You don’t need to bring these:
X Waders & wading boots
X Life jacket
X Pillows, linens, and towels
X Hand sanitizer
X Your entire medicine chest (We have the basics!)