Bear Glacier Tours and Tickets

There are plenty of ways to experience Bear Glacier. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Kenai Fjords and Resurrection Bay Half-Day Wildlife Cruise

• Full-Day Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise

• Full-Day Kenai Fjords National Park Northwestern Cruise

• Resurrection Bay Spring Wildlife Cruise

• Half-Day Resurrection Bay & Wildlife Tour from Seward

Bear Glacier tour costs depend on your chosen activity. You can do pretty much anything—from kayaking, ocean cruising, and wilderness experiences to jetboat tours and scenic flightseeing in small airplanes or helicopters. Tours start at roughly US$125 per person and go up from there.

Bear Glacier is only accessible by water or air from Seward. The simplest way to arrive is by jetboat from Resurrection Bay to the glacier’s lagoon. For fabulous photos, helicopter tours offer 15-minute scenic flights over Kenai Fjords National Park. Kayaking is another fun option, though availability depends on tides and conditions.

No, you can’t hike to Bear Glacier, though you can camp near it. The glacier is in a remote area on the edge of the Harding Icefield, without hiking trails or road access. The rugged terrain and lack of established paths make overland access impossible for visitors.

No, you don't need prior kayaking experience for Bear Glacier tours. Operators provide kayaks designed for stability in the calm lagoon waters, plus safety equipment such as drysuits, life jackets, and paddling instruction. Guides lead groups carefully through the iceberg maze, and the protected lagoon offers easier conditions than open ocean paddling, making it beginner-friendly.

The best time to visit Bear Glacier is June through September, when weather conditions are most favorable, and tour operators run regular trips. July offers the warmest temperatures and longest daylight hours. June provides good conditions, too, with fewer crowds. Tours typically operate from late May through mid-September, depending on ice conditions and weather.