Glacier & Wildlife Discovery Tour
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Anchorage, USA
- 6 to 7 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
·
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
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Staci_J
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
4.9
based on 164 reviews
Sort by: Most recent
Deborah_G, Jul 2026
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!
Sarah_W, Jul 2026
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!
Susan_S, Jul 2026
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.
Terry_c, Jul 2026
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.
John_S, Jul 2026
Portage Glacier was the highlight of the trip. Phil was our guide and did an excellent job. It was an enjoyable experience.
Maria_A, Jul 2026
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
Diana_S, Jul 2026
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.
ANNA_M, Jul 2026
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!
Lija_F, Jul 2026
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!
Denair_B, Jun 2026
I really enjoyed this tour and our guide. I highly recommend it!! The boat experience was my favorite part, the views were amazing.
Corina_N, Jun 2026
Had a great time traveling with friends. Was disappointed was unable to do the Glacier boat ride due to coast guards.
Linda_F, Jun 2026
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.
mike_w, Jun 2026
Great guide . Everything was on time. Very interresting and the guide knew is stuff.
I would recommend this to everyone.
Patricia_T, May 2026
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.
FRANCESCA_M, Nov 2025
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.
Judy_A, Jul 2025
The tour guide was awesome and very knowledgeable about the area. I would highly recommend this company for any tours in the Anchorage area.
Polly_P, Jul 2025
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!
Teresa_S, Jul 2025
Worth the money . Awesome views. Great guide. Recommend warmer clothes had two sweatshirts still cold on the boat
Staci_J, Jun 2025
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.
Tina_R, Jun 2025
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.
Jennifer_R, Jun 2025
Beautiful scenery, our guide Eli was very knowledgeable and fun, definitely ask for him. Glacier cruise and overlook were great!
MARIETTA_W, Jun 2025
Christina was the most energic guide I have. ever see. Excellent and knowledgeable. Very accommodating.
Craig_L, Sep 2024
Christina was fantastic, we were blessed with the weather, the pictures we had taken of the glaciers and the wildlife were incredible.
I would recommend this tour for anyone visiting anchorage
John_B, Aug 2024
The Portage Glacier boat ride. Phil was a very knowledgeable and amiable guide. Took us to many hidden gems.
Juan_R, Jul 2024
leaving from Anchorage took us about 1 1/2 - 2 hours driving, our tour guide stops on the most incredible views trough out the road to the Portage Glacier while there a boat took us right in front of the glacier while you there you can walk around and or go to the top deck of the boat that was a great tour if you got chance is 100% recommended.
Vanessa_P, Jul 2024
This was a great excursion made even better by our tour guide Christina! She was fun, full of energy, very knowledgeable about the area end so personable telling great stories! Seeing the glaciers up close and on the boat was incredible and the views along
turnigan arm were epic!! A great experience and would book it again!!
Lisa_Y, Jul 2024
Even though we don’t see any wildlife, the glaciers were fascinating. Highlight was wading in the glacial waters 🥶 Christine was a hoot - great guide.
Kimberly_S, Jul 2024
Our guide was terrific and very friendly. It is perfect day trip from Anchorage. Make sure you have a snack or 2 in your day pack — no lunch and a long day.
Katharine_K, Jun 2024
Christina, our guide, was wonderful, upbeat and gave us a wonderful day. We loved the Glacier and the wildlife - a good combination and introduction to Alaska!
Nichelle_P, Jun 2024
Christina was very knowledgeable about the area and was constantly on the lookout for wildlife. She made the experience so much fun! The scenery is so spectacular and she took us to a couple extra spots to get some additional lakeside photos and allowed my kids to skip stones on the lake. The Wildlife Conservation Center is incredible! The young black bear that is in front when you park is so much fun to watch! We also got to see a brown bear playing and swimming in its pond. Thanks for helping make our trip incredible!
From $249.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Glacier & Wildlife Discovery Tour
164
7 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$249.00
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Attractions in Anchorage, USA
- Turnagain Arm Tours & Tickets
- Cook Inlet Tours & Tickets
- Tony Knowles Coastal Trail Tours & Tickets
- Mount Alyeska Tours & Tickets
- Alaska Railroad Tours & Tickets
- Lake Hood Tours & Tickets
- Alaska Native Heritage Center Tours & Tickets
- Denali Tours & Tickets
- Earthquake Park Tours & Tickets
- Chugach State Park Tours & Tickets
- Matanuska Glacier Tours & Tickets