8 Glacier Tours in Anchorage That Earn the Road Trip

1.Wilderness, Wildlife, Glacier Experience from Anchorage

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,004 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $199Our pick

Spend about six hours touring Alaska’s coast, forests, glaciers, and wildlife sites from Anchorage. You’ll visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, stop at Beluga Point and Bird Point, learn local history, and receive practical phone photography tips. Guides such as Holly, Hunter, Patrick, Aaron, and Philip lead the route. A Portage Glacier cruise is optional in summer.

“Tour guide, Patrick, professional photographer but super helpful & easy with all on trip. He did a quick photo tips talk & had us practice. He kept everyone on schedule & made sure we all had a good time despite some fairly continuous rain. Patrick had a very informative commentary. He got us into a parks theater presentation which was pretty cool when the glacier viewing boat portion was cancelled due to high winds & rain. The animal conservation center was quite interesting & most Alaskan animals were easy to see & photograph.”

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2.Prince William Sound Glacier Tour – Whittier

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 838 reviews · from $248

Spend about six hours aboard a Phillips Cruises catamaran in Prince William Sound, watching glaciers, whales, otters, sea lions, birds, and mountains. Captain Chris and Forest Ranger Jim have provided lively narration on some departures. Lunch, hot drinks, restrooms, USB charging, and indoor and outdoor viewing are included.

“Incredible experience! Perfection in an excursion! Perfect boat, lunch (the smoked salmon chowder...YUM), staff, narration by the captain and forest ranger, glacier views, wildlife, the warm chocolate chip cookie. Thank you for an extraordinary 5 hours!”

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3.Alaska Helicopter Tour with Glacier Landing – 60 mins – ANCHORAGE AREA

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 725 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $522

From Alaska Glacier Lodge near Palmer, you’ll take a small-group helicopter flight over the Knik River to a glacier. In summer, land on the ice for a guided 30-minute hike. From October through April, snow may require a landing beside major ice formations instead. Pilots such as Sam, Ashley, and Hayden are praised for clear explanations and helpful photo tips.

“Fantastic! It was very fun! Do not be afraid to ask the pilot questions for more fun ideas and recommendations while on the ice!”

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4.Wildlife and Glaciers with a walk in the Rainforest

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 719 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $149Best value

Travel from Anchorage along Turnagain Arm with a guide such as Melissa, Gary, Jim, or Matt. Look for Dall sheep and beluga whales, visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, then see Portage Valley glaciers and take a short rainforest walk. The 4.5-hour tour includes transport and admission, with up to 14 people.

“All stops were great Even with crappy weather Guide was knowledgeable and was able to answer questions”

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5.Alaska Helicopter and Glacier Dogsled Tour – ANCHORAGE AREA

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 491 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $761

From Alaska Glacier Lodge in Palmer, fly over the Church Range and Knik Glacier to a high glacier camp. Spend about an hour with champion sled dogs, taking turns mushing or riding the sled, then fly back over blue melt pools and crevasses. Guides and pilots vary, with names including Ryan, Shad, Josh, and Isaac.

“Family of four. Excellent tour. Everyone was professional, business went over safety procedures, provided boots for walking on the glacier, a comfortable waiting area, timely in service, nice surroundings, and more. Helicopter flyer was epic, courteous, professional, safe, belted us into helicopter, helped us with headphones, adjusted seats for weight limits prior to flying, beautiful views, offered to snap photos of us, and where to step too in many areas. Dog sledding tour had champion dogs, dogs in training, and cute puppies. Dog sled person told us about championships won, records held, and more. Beautiful camp. Dogs were cute, playful, and looked well taken care of—wish we could take th...”

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6.Glacier Hike on Matanuska Glacier – Best Vacation Value

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 463 reviews · 7 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $325

Travel from Anchorage to Matanuska Glacier with a local guide, then walk across blue ice in provided spikes and safety gear. Guides such as Holly, Hunter, Patrick, and Grace add Alaska stories, glacier facts, photo help, and steady encouragement. The trip lasts about 7.5 hours, with scenic stops and a grocery stop for lunch.

“Grace was informative, charismatic and filled with recommendations. The hike was relatively easy and we had a local guide. The views are stunning. Not to be missed.”

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7.Matanuska Glacier Hike Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 396 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $329

Leave Anchorage in a Mercedes Sprinter for the Matanuska Valley, then spend about two hours on the glacier with ice spikes, helmets, and a professional glacier guide. Guides such as Lori, Tony, Alyssa, Sophie, and Jason add local stories and practical help. Lunch at a lodge overlooking the ice is available afterward, but costs extra.

“It was a wonderful experience, the trip was well managed, and the tour operators were very thoughtful and pleasing and helpful”

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8.Portage Glacier Cruise and Wildlife Explorer Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 378 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $239

Leave Anchorage at 1 p.m. for a small-group ride along Turnagain Arm, a one-hour cruise on the mv Ptarmigan toward Portage Glacier, and an hour at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Guides such as Matt, Gary, and Jack add local stories and photo stops. Round-trip transport and admissions are included.

“This was a great tour with a lot of local information. The scenery was great and our guide Matt made it interesting and fun. Loved our visit to the Conservation Center and the Glacier tour was awesome. Would definitely recommend.”

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