Glacier & Wildlife Discovery Tour
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Anchorage, USA
- 6 to 7 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
See the Portage Glacier on a small-group tour from Anchorage. Follow the scenic Seward Parkway through the breathtaking landscape of the Turnagain Arm waterway, stopping at Beluga Point and the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge to look for wildlife. Take a cruise on Portage Lake to observe the Portage Glacier up close, then check out wild animals that are being rehabilitated at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Stop for provided light snacks and water in the town of Girdwood near Mt. Alyeska and take in the Chugach Mountains.
- Full-day tour of Portage Glacier and Turnagain Arm
- Take a boat cruise to Portage Glacier
- Get photo ops of Turnagain Arm from Beluga Point, Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge, and the Chugach Mountains
- Observe the animals at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
- Learn about Alaska's history and wildlife from the informative guide
What's Included
- Professional Local Guide
- Bottled water
- Light snacks
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Pickups from private homes, apartments or B&B's. Please contact the supplier for pick up location.
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- William A. Egan Civic & Convention Center555 W 5th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501, USA
Please be ready for pick-up at the designated location at least 15 minutes before your scheduled departure time. Look for a silver Mercedes Sprinter van displaying the Planet Earth Adventures logo. Pick-up times are approximate and may vary slightly due to traffic and other guest pickups.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Start time.9:00 am
Itinerary
After morning pickup at your Anchorage hotel, soak in the scenery as you head towards the Portage Glacier.
Along the way, stop at the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge and Beluga Point for photo ops of the Turnagain Arm, a narrow waterway that is part of the Cook Inlet and the Gulf of Alaska. Keep an eye out for native wildlife such as caribou, moose, and eagles that live in the Chugach National Forest.
Continue to the US Forest Service visitor center near Portage Glacier. The glacier is no longer visible from the visitor center due to its retreat, however, your cruise across Portage Lake takes you within 300 yards (100 meters) of the glacier, where you can snap photos and watch for chunks of ice crashing into the water.
Once you have seen the glacier, drive to the nearby Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, a large nature reserve situated at the entrance to Portage Valley. The center rehabilitates injured and orphaned wild animals, including some of Alaska's largest land animals such as elk, moose, deer, caribou, bison, bears, musk ox, and birds of prey. Learn about these amazing creatures.
In the afternoon, wind up the road into the Chugach Mountains for panoramic views of the Turnagain Arm and beyond.
At the end of your tour, your guide returns you to your hotel in Anchorage.
Along the way, stop at the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge and Beluga Point for photo ops of the Turnagain Arm, a narrow waterway that is part of the Cook Inlet and the Gulf of Alaska. Keep an eye out for native wildlife such as caribou, moose, and eagles that live in the Chugach National Forest.
Continue to the US Forest Service visitor center near Portage Glacier. The glacier is no longer visible from the visitor center due to its retreat, however, your cruise across Portage Lake takes you within 300 yards (100 meters) of the glacier, where you can snap photos and watch for chunks of ice crashing into the water.
Once you have seen the glacier, drive to the nearby Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, a large nature reserve situated at the entrance to Portage Valley. The center rehabilitates injured and orphaned wild animals, including some of Alaska's largest land animals such as elk, moose, deer, caribou, bison, bears, musk ox, and birds of prey. Learn about these amazing creatures.
In the afternoon, wind up the road into the Chugach Mountains for panoramic views of the Turnagain Arm and beyond.
At the end of your tour, your guide returns you to your hotel in Anchorage.
1
Beluga Point
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Seward Highway
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
3
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
4
Portage Glacier
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
5
Chugach State Park
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Infant seats available
- Most travelers can participate
- A minimum number of people per booking is required for this tour to operate.
- Glacier Cruise portion of the tour is subject to weather conditions.
- Activity level: EASY.
- Guests should be able to walk short distances on uneven ground. Trail surfaces vary from paved to uneven natural terrain. Tour participants must be able to walk a short distance and be able to get in/out of the tour vehicle with minimal assistance. We strongly recommend that guests requiring assistance be accompanied by a companion who is capable of, and totally responsible for, providing assistance. Neither Planet Earth Adventures nor our suppliers may physically lift or assist guests onto transportation vehicles or otherwise.
- We have limited number of infant/child seats. These must be requested in advance if you have a child. If it is NOT requested at the time of booking, we will NOT have them on the day of the tour.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 11 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Our guide was very friendly, knowledgeable about the landscape, and able to answer questions. The glaciers were the highlight as there were no belugas to see on our trip. The ride was broken up with many stops for amazing picturesque views.
Reviews
4.8
based on 173 reviews
Sort by: Most recent
Ryan was great! He was full of facts and information.The glacier boat ride was cold but fun. We enjoyed the beautiful views.
The tour is great for seeing the Portage glacier, which was a highlight. Also enjoyed the salmon viewing, and Wildlife Center. That allows you to see all the animals you would expect to see in Alaska. The first stop on the tour to see Beluga Whales was cold with little to see.
Definitely a great tour for getting a great taste of Alaska. It would be even better one hour shorter.
Good activity to see anchorage on our last day. Phil was very informative and a nice guy. You are able to see a glacier up close.
Very relaxing excursion to take after a day of traveling. Driver Phil was very knowledgable and a good driver. We saw salmon spawning, lots of wildlife, and a glacier calving. Great day!
This tour was a lot of fun! Our favorite was the Portage Glacier cruise! We really liked being on a small tour and felt the guide followed the timing that worked for the group, rather than feeling rushed from place to place. I really liked the photo points also.
Amazing tour. Our family of four enjoyed every stop especially at the Portage Glacier. Our driver/guide Phil is friendly and very informative. The ride was comfortable & the whole tour was well worth it. Highly recommended
Great experience! Brought my friend who was traveling from Texas and we both had a great time and learned so much about plants and the wildlife.
Taking photos from the bus is very difficult due to the small-sized windows. The bus is an old school bus, not conducive to viewing out the window, particularly if the windows are down (no a/c). Out driver was great, but the buses need to be replaced.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. However, we believe this review was posted to our company in error, as the experience described does not match our operation.
Planet Earth Adventures does not operate school buses, old or otherwise. Our tours are conducted in modern Mercedes-Benz Sprinter passenger vans, which are specifically designed to provide a comfortable sightseeing experience with large windows for optimal viewing, dual climate-controlled systems, and excellent air conditioning. The description of an old school bus with small windows and no air conditioning does not represent any vehicle in our fleet.
Because vehicle comfort and visibility are important parts of our tours, we want to clarify this for future travelers who may read this review. Based on the details provided, it appears this review is intended for a different tour operator.
We respectfully ask that the reviewer verify the company they traveled with and consider moving the review to the correct business so that it accurately reflects their experience.
Phil was an amazing guide for the Glacier and Wildlife Tour. He had lived in the area for many years and experienced the wilderness and all its beauty through backpacking, camping, hunting and fishing. His experience and vast knowledge of the mountains, as well as the wildlife, added personal experience to his stories that made them all the more interesting. Everything I experienced that day, from the glaciers, rivers, and mountains was something out of the movies that one needs to experience personally to believe them. Pictures don’t do the area justice! I highly recommend this tour. WELL worth the price!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for the wonderful review! We’re so glad you had such an incredible experience on the Glacier and Wildlife Tour with Phil. He truly has a deep connection to the Alaskan wilderness, and it’s great to hear how his years of living, exploring, and adventuring in the area brought the landscape and wildlife to life through his stories.
The glaciers, rivers, and mountains really are something you have to see in person to believe—photos just don’t do them justice! We’re thrilled the day felt so memorable and meaningful for you, and we truly appreciate your recommendation. Thank you for choosing Planet Earth Adventures, and we hope to see you again for another Alaskan adventure!
This was a great tour! Saw many whales and luckily some porpoises and seals as well! The snack provided hit the spot and our tour guides were very knowledgeable. Memdenhall glacier was beautiful. We did not have time to hike to Nugget Falls, but we could see them well and got some incredible photos. Would book this tour again without hesitation!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We’re thrilled to hear you had such a great time on the tour and were able to see whales, porpoises, and seals along the way—that’s always a special treat. It’s also wonderful that you enjoyed the snack and found our guides knowledgeable; we’ll be sure to pass your kind words along to them.
Mendenhall Glacier truly is breathtaking, and we’re glad you were able to take in the views and capture some incredible photos, even without making it to Nugget Falls this time. We really appreciate your understanding and are happy you still had such a memorable visit.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We’re thrilled to hear you had such a great time on the tour and were able to see whales, porpoises, and seals along the way—that’s always a special treat. It’s also wonderful that you enjoyed the snack and found our guides knowledgeable; we’ll be sure to pass your kind words along to them.
Mendenhall Glacier truly is breathtaking, and we’re glad you were able to take in the views and capture some incredible photos, even without making it to Nugget Falls this time. We really appreciate your understanding and are happy you still had such a memorable visit.
Thank you again for choosing us—we’d love to welcome you back anytime for another adventure!
This tour was amazing! Our driver, Phil, was extremely informative and gave great information everywhere we stopped. He was patient helping everyone find animals in the binoculars. The combination of stops made a perfect day.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear you had an amazing experience on your tour. Phil will be especially happy to know his knowledge, patience, and guidance helped make your day so enjoyable. We’re glad the combination of stops and wildlife viewing made for a perfect adventure. We truly appreciate you choosing to travel with us and hope to welcome you again in the future!
Spectacular day with Albert , he was informative and took us to great picture spots. The entire trip was wonderful! We had a clear day and glacier experience was unique.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I’m thrilled to hear you had such a spectacular day with me. It means a lot to know I was able to make the trip even more enjoyable by sharing my knowledge and taking you to great photo spots along the way.
I’m especially glad you had a clear day to take in the scenery and that your glacier experience felt so unique and memorable. Those conditions really do make for an unforgettable adventure.
I truly appreciate you choosing to travel with me, and I hope to welcome you back for another amazing experience in the future!
Portage Glacier was the highlight of the trip. Phil was our guide and did an excellent job. It was an enjoyable experience.
Fun!!! Make sure to keep your eyes peeled when on the roads. The tour guide was so much fun and was super helpful and showed us everything and answered all our questions
When booking this tour we really did not know what to expect. But whatever preconceived notions we had it exceeded what we thought it might be. Our guide Phil was very knowledgeable and answered all questions we had. He pointed out different things along the way that being from out of town we would not have noticed on our own. He took us to an extra stop along to way to see an eagles nest complete w mother and baby. Also when visiting flat top the clouds rolled in so we couldn't see a thing. He has a sense of humor because he whipped out his phone showed us pictures of what it should have looked like giving us the "virtual tour." Overall we highly recommend this Glacier and wildlife tour and would gladly do it again with this company.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I’m thrilled to hear the tour exceeded your expectations and that you had such a great day exploring with me.
I’m especially glad you enjoyed the glacier and wildlife tour, including the extra stop to see the eagle’s nest with the mother and chick. Even when the clouds rolled in at Flattop, I’m happy I could still give you a “virtual tour” and share what the views look like on a clear day—sometimes a little humor is the best way to make the most of Alaska’s ever-changing weather!
I truly appreciate your kind words and recommendation, and I hope to have the chance to welcome you back for another adventure in the future!
Excellent experience from start to finish! The glacier tour was well organized, breathtaking, and truly unforgettable. The guides were friendly, knowledgeable, and made the entire trip enjoyable while ensuring everyone’s safety. The scenery was absolutely stunning, and every moment felt worth it. I highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for an amazing glacier adventure!
This trip was wonderful! Phil was an excellent tour guide and the small group allowed us to see a lot of sites in one day. This is a great ‘sampler’ tour where you get to see a variety of things around Anchorage - glaciers, lakes, mountains and wildlife. A fabulous days in this extraordinary landscape!
I really enjoyed this tour and our guide. I highly recommend it!! The boat experience was my favorite part, the views were amazing.
Had a great time traveling with friends. Was disappointed was unable to do the Glacier boat ride due to coast guards.
This was a wonderful trip! We got super close to a glacier. Going to the Wildlife Conservation Center was a lot of fun. Our guide (Phil) was very knowledgeable.
Great guide . Everything was on time. Very interresting and the guide knew is stuff.
I would recommend this to everyone.
Our guide was Christina. She gave us a great tour of Portage glacier and the area. She was very knowledgeable, friendly, funny and gave us great advice on where to go and what to see in Anchorage.
I booked this small group tour instead of the large group excursions offered during our cruise. There were just 4 of us (we traveled with 2 friends). Christina was incredibly flexible with the itinerary. We had tickets on the first glacier boat trip of the day. Only 12 people on board compared with 120 who were booked for the 11.30 departure. We stopped off at a salmon run, had plenty of time at the Alaskan Conservation Center & made several side stops for photos & to enjoy the scenery. It was a really wonderful day. For a virtually private trip lasting almost 7 hours, we paid half the price of the cruise Hubbard Glacier trip - lasting 2 hours with 200 people on board.
The tour guide was awesome and very knowledgeable about the area. I would highly recommend this company for any tours in the Anchorage area.
Saw a lot of Anchorage and surrounding areas. Appreciated the glacier boat ride and animal wildlife center in particular. Eli was a fabulous tour guide!
Worth the money . Awesome views. Great guide. Recommend warmer clothes had two sweatshirts still cold on the boat
Our guide was very friendly, knowledgeable about the landscape, and able to answer questions. The glaciers were the highlight as there were no belugas to see on our trip. The ride was broken up with many stops for amazing picturesque views.
My daughters and I really enjoyed our tour. Christina was a great tour guide, very knowledgable, and able to add so much detail. We weren't able to go out to the glacier and was not the tour's fault at all but very disappointing.
Beautiful scenery, our guide Eli was very knowledgeable and fun, definitely ask for him. Glacier cruise and overlook were great!
Christina was the most energic guide I have. ever see. Excellent and knowledgeable. Very accommodating.
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up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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