Tours and Tickets to Experience Cook Inlet
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Cook Inlet
- First-time Anchorage visitors won’t want to miss a Cook Inlet tour.
- Best chances to see wildlife are at Beluga Point, Bird Point, and the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge.
- Learn about the rich cultural history and geography of the Cook Inlet region at the Anchorage Museum.
- Cook Inlet tours may be wheelchair accessible; consult the tour agency prior to booking.
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There are plenty of ways to experience Cook Inlet. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:
Cook Inlet itself is free to access. The scenic viewpoints along Turnagain Arm, which runs along the inlet, are always free to access and open year-round. However, there are plenty of fun tours you can take that bring Cook Inlet to life—like glacier and grizzly-bear scouting tours—and those start at around US$40.
Cook Inlet is in south-central Alaska, stretching for 180 miles (289 kilometers) from the Gulf of Alaska northward to Anchorage. The inlet divides into Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm at its northern end, nearly surrounding Anchorage. It’s also bordered by the Kenai Peninsula to the east, encompassing one of Alaska's most populated—and popular to visit—watersheds.
Cook Inlet and Turnagain Arm are incredibly popular spots. Tour options in this part of Alaska include fishing charters, whale-watching tours, grizzly bear–viewing excursions, sea kayaking adventures, wildlife cruises, and glacier tours. Many operators offer combination packages that include multiple activities, either as 1-day or multi-day tours.
Cook Inlet is home to diverse wildlife. In the water, the most beloved species here are beluga whales, humpback whales, orcas, harbor seals, sea lions, and sea otters. On land, brown and black bears fish along shorelines, while moose, Dall sheep, and mountain goats inhabit surrounding areas. Bald eagles and various seabirds are commonly spotted year-round, too.
The best viewpoints for Cook Inlet include Earthquake Park, with its panoramic views of Knik Arm; Point Woronzof, where you’ll see sweeping vistas of the Alaska Range; the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, which offers 11 miles (17 kilometers) of shoreline views; and Beluga Point, situated along Turnagain Arm. There are a bunch of scenic pullouts along the Seward Highway's dramatic coastal route, making it a popular road trip.