Pacific Northwest Expeditions

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September 28, 2021

Multnomah Falls, Oregon

45.576° S -122.116° E

Dave Katz, Video Chronicler

We're a winner of Conde Nast Traveler's 2022 Readers Choice Awards

Autumn Adventures in the Pacific Northwest

With wild hillsides ablaze in golds and reds, autumn in the Pacific Northwest is a sight to behold. This closer-to-home destination offers geologically diverse landscapes and fascinating history. Sail in the wake of Lewis and Clark or explore remote channels teeming with sea life. Visit picturesque coastal towns. Hike meadows and lush forest trails. Along the way, our culinary program brings you the bounty of the region using some of the freshest local ingredients.

JUST ANNOUNCED! In 2024, Lindblad Expeditions and Food & Wine magazine will be combining their expertise to deliver the most stimulating and satiating experience of the Pacific Northwest possible. Find out more about the new 2024 Columbia & Snake Rivers Journey itinerary presented by Food & Wine.

Pacific Northwest

New Columbia and Snake Rivers: Food, Wine and History

Duration

8 days

From

$4,243

Prices are per person

Highlights

Pacific Northwest

New Columbia and Snake Rivers: Food, Wine and History

Duration

8 days

From

$4,243

Top Highlights

Indulge in gourmet menus guided by the rhythms of the season, featuring sustainable ingredients sourced exclusively within 250 miles of our route
Witness the region’s geological wonders—from the Columbia River Gorge to Multnomah Falls and Beacon Rock—and explore up close and at water level while hiking, kayaking, or Zodiac cruising
Taste more than 40 of the region’s best wines, sampling bottles personally selected by Food & Wine magazine’s Executive Wine Editor Ray Isle

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Special Offers

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Pacific Northwest

New Columbia and Snake Rivers: Food, Wine and History 6-Day

Duration

6 days

Apr

From

$4,243

Prices are per person

Highlights

Pacific Northwest

New Columbia and Snake Rivers: Food, Wine and History 6-Day

Duration

6 days

Apr

From

$4,243

Top Highlights

Indulge in gourmet menus guided by the rhythms of the season, featuring sustainable ingredients sourced exclusively within 250 miles of our route
Witness the region’s geological wonders—from the Columbia River Gorge to Multnomah Falls and Beacon Rock—and explore up close and at water level while hiking, kayaking, or Zodiac cruising
Taste more than 40 of the region’s best wines, sampling bottles personally selected by Food & Wine magazine’s Executive Wine Editor Ray Isle

View Itinerary Book Now

Special Offers

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Pacific Northwest

Columbia and Snake Rivers: Food, Wine and History 8-Day

Duration

8 days

Apr
Sep
Oct

From

$5,827

Prices are per person

Highlights

Pacific Northwest

Columbia and Snake Rivers: Food, Wine and History 8-Day

Duration

8 days

Apr
Sep
Oct

From

$5,827

Top Highlights

Indulge in gourmet menus guided by the rhythms of the season, featuring sustainable ingredients sourced exclusively within 250 miles of our route
Witness the region’s geological wonders—from the Columbia River Gorge to Multnomah Falls and Beacon Rock—and explore up close and at water level while hiking, kayaking, or Zodiac cruising
Taste more than 40 of the region’s best wines, sampling bottles personally selected by Food & Wine magazine’s Executive Wine Editor Ray Isle

View Itinerary Book Now

Special Offers

View Itinerary Book Now

Pacific Northwest

Canada

Exploring British Columbia and the San Juan Islands

Duration

8 days

Sep
Oct

From

$4,718

Prices are per person

Highlights

Pacific Northwest

Canada

Exploring British Columbia and the San Juan Islands

Duration

8 days

Sep
Oct

From

$4,718

Top Highlights

Explore remote islands by kayak or on foot, watching for sea lions, river otters, bald eagles, and white-sided dolphins
Glide into the sheltered waters of Desolation Sound, discovering its natural beauty by Zodiac, kayak, or paddleboard
Visit a cultural center in Alert Bay to see a collection of potlatch masks created by the Kwakwaka’wakw people

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Special Offers

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Expedition Highlights

Hike island forest trails in search of wildlife, kayak verdant shorelines, and bike the waterfront of a scenic city—or cruise by Zodiac and visit a mixture of quaint and world-class museums. Options abound for indulging your interests in the Pacific Northwest. Hear the legends and learn the traditions of Native Americans and First Nations through their art or moving performances. Taste the bounty of the region. Dine on salmon straight from local waters, foraged wild mushrooms picked within 50 miles, and provisions delivered directly from farmers along our route.

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Life On Board

Relax and settle in to life aboard as you cruise the waters of the Pacific Northwest. Your expedition ship offers the absolute best way to access all the sites, culture, and history along the river—without ever having to change hotels or wheel luggage around. We add to that the luxury of comfort with a quality of shipboard life and a philosophy of wellness designed to relax and rejuvenate body, mind, and spirit as you cruise the Pacific Northwest.

Expedition Dining—Then & Now

The Pacific Northwest is known for its incredible bounty and some of the freshest ingredients around. You can look forward to meals that celebrate the region’s world-famous flavors, like a vibrantly pink coho salmon filet, bright green coils of fiddlehead ferns, and a bottle of terroir-rich pinot noir.

Hells Canyon

There's no other way (not even a hike) to get up close with Hells Canyon besides a jet boat ride.

Wildlife & Natural Wonders in the Pacific Northwest

From killer whales to bighorn sheep, the wildlife and scenery of the Pacific Northwest are vastly varied.

Ready for the adventure of a lifetime?

1.800.397.3348

1.800.397.3348

Discover the Pacific Northwest

Expedition Leader

Veteran expedition leaders are the orchestrators of your experience. Many have advanced degrees and have conducted research or taught for years. They have achieved expedition leader status because they possess the skills, the experience, and the depth of knowledge necessary to continually craft the best expedition possible for our guests.

Naturalist

Our naturalists, passionate about the geographies they explore (and return to regularly), illuminate each facet through their enthusiasm and knowledge. Our guests consistently cite the expertise and engaging company of our staff as key reasons to repeatedly travel with us.

Certified Photo Instructor

Every expedition aboard a ship in our National Geographic-flagged fleet offers an exclusive service—a Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic certified photo instructor. This naturalist is specially trained to offer assistance with camera settings and the basics of composition and to help you become a better, more confident photographer.

Historian

On the Columbia River, enjoy the company and perspective of a historian who can quote extensively from the journals of Lewis and Clark. And on expeditions that sail along the coast, go with a cultural interpreter or an anthropologist who has lived among the Coast Salish peoples of the San Juan Islands.

Wellness

Our wellness program embodies the belief that nature is vitalizing and that wildness, as Thoreau famously said, supplies a tonic. Wellness Specialists are fully accredited and experienced licensed massage therapists and are aboard every ship in the National Geographic-flagged fleet. They lead morning stretch class on the deck, aerobic walks ashore, kayak outings, and more.

Doesn't get better, a brilliant staff.

Stephanie O.

Making a Difference

Lindblad Expeditions supports stewardship efforts in the places we explore, and one way we do that is through the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic (LEX-NG) Fund. Traveler contributions to the LEX-NG Fund in the Pacific Northwest currently support the National Geographic Society’s Early Career Grants, which promote future leaders with novel and exploratory projects that span the fields of conservation, education, research, storytelling, and technology.

1.800.397.3348

Daily Expedition Reports

Daily Expedition Reports

4/8/2025

Read

National Geographic Sea Bird

Clarkston, Washington

Guests aboard National Geographic Sea Bird traveling downstream along the Columbia and Snake Rivers, went ashore for a delicious day in the Walla Walla Valley. Most guests chose to spend the morning taking a tour of the Whitman Mission National Historic Site, a mid-19th century Christian mission that helped many who traveled the Oregon Territory. Another bus took guests to The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater, Oregon to learn about grapevines planted 40 years ago in the unique soil by the founders of Seven Hills Winery. Just before lunch, both buses took guests to downtown Walla Walla for a tour and tasting of Seven Hills wines, and a meal catered by TMACS. Next came a walking tour of downtown led by Nancy Helms-Lovell of Destination, Walla Walla. Stops included the century-old Marcus Whitman Hotel, Bright’s Candies, and tasting rooms for Spring Valley Vineyard, Mercer Wine Estates, and Mark Ryan Winery. Nearly every guest walked back to the bus stop having stopped at the Pine Cone Creamery for a scoop of ice cream. Dinner aboard National Geographic Sea Bird included chef Alan Griffith’s honey-glazed Pacific sablefish, a dish that featured Walla Walla sweet onions.

Daily Expedition Reports

4/7/2025

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National Geographic Sea Bird

The Snake and Palouse Rivers

Our day began with heavy rain, but luckily it cleared up in time for us to enjoy a wonderful morning at Palouse River. First, we journeyed to Palouse Falls to see the official waterfall of Washington state, and then we returned to Lyons Ferry State Park to hike along the shore or go for a Zodiac tour up Palouse River. After lunch we lifted our anchor to continue our journey down the Snake River toward the ColumMayerbia. We went through our first daytime lock at Lower Monumental Dam. As our afternoon aboard continued, we had presentations on geology and wine from our expedition staff before another delicious dinner onboard. Tomorrow, we look forward to spending the day in the town of Walla Walla!

Daily Expedition Reports

4/6/2025

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National Geographic Sea Bird

Clarkston, Washington

The first full day of our trip was one with gorgeous weather and beautiful landscapes. In the morning, we took off on jetboats to explore Hells Canyon, where we saw an amazing variety of birds and many bighorn sheep. After lunch overlooking the river at Heller Bar, we headed back to National Geographic Sea Bird. Our afternoon was spent onboard with a presentation by James Spencer, a Nez Perce storyteller, and a wine tasting with Coco Umiker from Clearwater Canyon Cellars. We left the dock at Clarkston behind during cocktail hour and began our journey toward the Pacific Ocean.

Daily Expedition Reports

4/4/2025

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National Geographic Sea Bird

Clarkston, Washington

Guests on the first voyage of the spring season for the Columbia and Snake River tours spent the last day of their 450-mile journey from the Pacific Ocean on jet boats exploring the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. A crisp, clear, and frosty morning served as the backdrop for a six-hour excursion into a 5,000-foot-deep section of the gorge along the Snake, Clearwater, Salmon, and Grand Ronde Rivers as well as time in three states — Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. Upon returning to National Geographic Sea Bird, there was storytelling by Nez Perce tribal elder, James Spencer, and a delicious seminar by award-winning winemaker Coco Umiker of Clearwater Canyon Cellars in Lewiston, Idaho. A final dinner together gave guests another opportunity to thank captain Eamon Kennedy, chef Garrett Guenther, and his culinary team. This was followed by the always-popular guest slide show, which brought laughter, cheers, hugs, and tears.

Daily Expedition Reports

4/3/2025

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National Geographic Sea Bird

Palouse River, Washington

Today we awoke on National Geographic Sea Bird anchored in the Snake River near the confluence of the Palouse River. After a delicious breakfast, we headed to shore via Zodiac and landed on a beach at Lyons Ferry State Park where an eventful morning of exploration ensued. Some set out to admire the canyon via Zodiac, while others chose to paddle a kayak around the protected lagoon at the state park. A third option for exploration was to take the coach up to the rim of the canyon to appreciate the spring melt as it pours over the lip of the canyon in a dramatic waterfall. There were many wonderful bird sightings today, as well as five mule deer. This afternoon on board, we had two insightful presentations from Naturalist Kerri McAllister on the Missoula floods and from Wine Specialist Eric Degerman on wine production of the Pacific Northwest. The evening was spent cruising through dramatic clouds and low evening light, as well as brief rain, a hailstorm, and a huge rainbow. We’re looking forward to exploring Hells Canyon tomorrow via jet boat on the last day of the first expedition of this year’s spring season here on the Columbia and Snake River.

Exploring the Pacific Northwest reveals great natural beauty, and yet it features modern incredible feats of human engineering—an imposing system of locks and large-span bridges. To explore it by ship offers a chance to marvel at both.

Sven-Olof Lindblad

1.800.397.3348

1.800.397.3348

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