I paid $1,200 to spend 5 hours in Alaska's extremely remote Katmai National Park

• I spent $1,200 to spend five hours in Alaska's Katmai National Park.
• To visit, guests must take a plane into Katmai and attend "bear school."

When I first heard the cost of visiting Katmai National Park, I audibly gasped — $1,200 per person for a package that included a round-trip plane ticket, lunch, and five hours in the park.

My husband and I wanted to splurge for our first wedding anniversary, so we booked the tickets. The excursion (including the scenic flight to get there) ended up being my favorite part of our trip to Alaska.

Here's why I would recommend Katmai National Park to anyone who can swing it in their travel budget.

Katmai National Park is famous for its brown bears

Unlike some national parks known for their geological features or historic significance, Katmai is known for its famous residents: the bears.

Roughly 2,200 brown bears live in the park, allowing visitors unprecedented access to witnessing these creatures in the wild.

The bears are able to thrive because of the park's extreme remoteness. The park is so remote that guests have to arrive by either plane or boat.

It took us almost 2 hours to fly into Katmai

For our flight to the national park, we booked with a company called Fly Katmai and headed to the small hangar at 8 a.m.

Parked next to the hangar was our ride for the day: a floatplane.

Floatplanes, which can take off from and land on water thanks to special floats on the bottom, are a popular way to get around in Alaska, as so much of the state is inaccessible any other way.

I'd never been on a floatplane, so I was excited for the experience.

After being treated to coffee and snacks, we met the five other passengers joining us on our journey.

My husband and I managed to sit directly behind the pilot, which meant he could easily point things out to us during the flight (which was helpful because it was quite loud).

It took about an hour and 45 minutes to fly to Katmai from Anchorage, Alaska. And when I say my face was glued to my window the entire flight, I mean it.

The scenic flight alone was worth the price

The landscape seemed to change every five minutes, from glassy water to lush fields and stunning glaciers.

Our pilot even swooped down to a few valleys, where we saw our first bears fishing in the streams.

Around 10 a.m., our floatplane landed gently on the water — a perfect introduction to Katmai National Park.

Before we could explore, we had to attend 'bear school'

With hundreds of bears roaming around, the park rangers want to make sure guests don't scare the animals (or put themselves in danger).

So, the first stop after arrival was sitting through the 15-minute "bear school" to learn the safety rules to follow around bears.

There was one golden rule above all else: Don't run. Running can trigger a bear's predatory instinct.

Instead, the rangers taught us to travel in groups and talk (or sing) loudly so we didn't surprise any bears.

We were also instructed to put any food or scented items in special "food cache" buildings so the bears weren't attracted to any tasty smells on us.

We were free to explore after getting our "bear school graduate" pins to prove we attended.

Although there were plenty of park rangers around, it was emphasized that in Katmai, you're responsible for your own safety.

We tried to make the most of every minute in the park

With only five hours in the park, my husband and I speed-walked to the most iconic spot in the park: Brooks Falls.

To get there, you walk on a mixture of trails and raised platforms that were built to safely observe the bears in the river and waterfall below.

In July, guests can see dozens of bears in Brooks Falls at once, catching the salmon swimming upstream to spawn. This, of course, draws quite the crowd — meaning the small platforms can reach capacity quickly.

We visited in September, another prime month to see the bears in action, as they're actively trying to bulk up for winter.

Since there are far fewer visitors in autumn, there were times when we had a whole platform to ourselves. This allowed us unfettered viewing access.

At one point, we could see 14 bears scattered throughout the river. In total, we saw upwards of 40 bears on our trip.

Our included lunch was better than we expected

Included with our flight was lunch at Brooks Lodge.

I half-expected a deli sandwich and chips, so when we were treated to a buffet of chicken, steamed vegetables, soup, and cake, I was thoroughly thrilled.

However, we ate quickly and headed back out to the park to make the most of our time.

Our last few hours in the park ended with a surprise

After enjoying some final bear viewing, we made our way back to our plane.

As we approached, our pilot quietly motioned for us to hop on the plane's float. We looked to our right, and a mama bear and her cub had just emerged from the trees down the beach from us.

We held our breath as they moseyed toward us, totally unbothered by us tiny humans. Finally, the cub got a burst of energy and ran by, with his mom reluctantly following.

This showed us the unpredictability of running into bears in Katmai National Park.

Our flight home was even more picturesque

When I thought our excursion couldn't get any better, we were treated to a rainbow just after taking off for our return flight.

Our pilot swooped down for one last view of the valleys, where we saw more bears, caribou, and even a pack of wolves.

We arrived back in Anchorage just before 5 p.m., where we followed the bears' lead and treated ourselves to a salmon dinner.

Overall, the day couldn't have gone any better. I'd wholeheartedly recommend the trip to Katmai to any nature lover visiting the Anchorage area.