Portage Glacier Cruise and Wildlife Explorer Tour
Recommended by 93% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Anchorage, USA
- 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
You don't have to travel far from Anchorage to see the abundant Alaskan wildlife. On this half-day small-group tour down the Turnagain Arm of the Gulf of Alaska, learn about the local ecosystem while looking out for wild animals as you’re driven along the scenic road. Board a boat to cruise to the Portage Glacier, and visit the animals at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.
- See many endangered species at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
- Includes a cruise past Portage Glacier with a Park Service Ranger
- Hassle-free round-trip transportation from Anchorage included
- Receive personalized attention and ask questions on a small-group tour
What's Included
- Pickup and drop-off from designated meeting points
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 509 W 3rd Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501, USA
Please check in at our new location: 509 W. 3rd Ave, directly across from the Hilton Hotel. Parking is available across the street. Check in at the concierge desk, then wait in our garden or indoor lobby. Please arrive 20 mins before departure. Look for the gray van with a bear!
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.1:00 pm
Itinerary
Check in for your tour 20 minutes before departure. Then, head up the Turnagain Arm in a vehicle and board a boat for a cruise up to the face of Portage Glacier. Ride up to 300 feet (91 meters) from the glacier cliff for an up-close look at this massive wall of ice.
Next, be driven to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, which provides refuge for animals that cannot survive in the wild. See the 15 wild species the center cares for, including wood bison, musk ox, and lynx.
Return to Anchorage at the end of your tour.
Next, be driven to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, which provides refuge for animals that cannot survive in the wild. See the 15 wild species the center cares for, including wood bison, musk ox, and lynx.
Return to Anchorage at the end of your tour.
1
Portage Glacier
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
2
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
3
Chugach National Forest
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Weather in Alaska can change rapidly, so please dress accordingly
- Please provide hotel information at booking
- Comfortable walking shoes are recommended
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 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
Roxalinda_G
Gary is a wonderful tour guide. He is extremely knowledgeable about Alaskan history and Native culture. He was very professional in his conduct with his guests. He’s also quite funny and dropped some great plays on words. We would highly recommend Gary to anyone who wants a great tour experience. He’s very personable. Steven & Roxie Glatz
Reviews
4.8
based on 394 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Michelle_B, Jul 2026
Rezy was very helpful and knowledgeable about the tour. She was a very good and safe driver and we had a wonderful visit to the Wildlife Conservation Center and Portage Glacier.
Betty_S, Jul 2026
Nice ride out of anchorage, great scenery, loved the boat tour. Driver was on time, polite, and knowledgeable!
Jeanine_S, Jun 2026
Our excursion was an absolutely wonderful experience. Our guide, Brad, was very knowledgable of the history and sites and his stories about Alaska made the trip all that more memorable. The beautiful expanse of the Alaskan mountain ranges and the Turn Again Arm were breathtaking to see. The Portage Glacier was a wonder to behold. I would highly recommend this adventure for anyone visiting Anchorage, Alaska.
Caleb_P, Jun 2026
10/10 Experience. Gary was very knowledgeable and knew all the goods spots and lookout points to take us to
Steven_L, Jun 2026
Brad was an excellent tour guide! He was very personable, knowledgeable and friendly! The tour includes seeing the wildlife sanctuary and the glacier. I would definitely recommend the tour if you’re looking to see exceptional sites quickly but thoroughly.
Dawn_C, Jun 2026
Very enjoyable! Great guide who was very knowledgeable and gracious making many stops and ensuring we had ample opportunity to take in the viewers and wildlife.
Daniel_S, Jun 2026
Nice half day Tour - Gary did a great job- funny guy - the glasiert is spectacular - everything well organized
Daniel_N, Jun 2026
The experience was awesome! Gary was like a traveling encyclopedia! He was so knowledgeable about SO many different topics. He was truly amazing!
Gary_P, May 2026
There was a little confusion on the tour , because something happened that made two different groups be on the same van, but it worked out real well. The boat to the glacier was good, so much different than Patagonia but really nice and cold, I would recommend this tour
Bill_G, Sep 2025
The tour was awesome. Matt, the tour guide, was very knowledgeable and informative. He kept the tour organized and moving. He is a great asset to your company. I would definitely recommend this tour to friends in the future.
Elaine_D, Sep 2025
Great fun with tour guide Matthew.
Loved the informative tour. The boat ride didn’t occur due to mechanical issues, so went to a salmon spawning stream.
Ended up to seeing a brown bear in a stream! Which was much more thrilling!!!
Mary_W, Sep 2025
The group traveled along Turn Again Arm and visit many stops including the Wild Life Center. Gary hosted, drove and provided information about the places where we visited. He had great stories about Alaska. I felt bad for him since the group was mostly quiet. Nevertheless, he kept the information and stories flowing and I listened.
David_C, Sep 2025
A wonderful and educational trip.
We had a blast. My family highly recommends this trip.
If you are lucky and have Matt as your guide we think you will be as blown away as we were. We learned and saw so much.
He is pure fun and info.
Michael_G, Sep 2025
Good tour guide and a lot of sites to see. I would recommend this tour to anyone. Thr cost wasn’t bad either.
Olive_T, Sep 2025
Amazing experience! Gary was our guide, he was very knowledgeable & funny. Had a great day at the Glacier & enjoyed the wildlife conservation centre.
Mark_S, Sep 2025
Fabulous experience. What a great way to spend a day in Alaska. Matt was so knowledgeable and really provided a great experience.!! Highly
Recommend!!
Kristen_S, Sep 2025
The tour was perfect. The guide, Matt, was excellent. The amount of time at each stop was just enough. The glaciers and conservation center should not be missed.
Theresa_G, Aug 2025
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.
Kilian_R, Aug 2025
Great tour, very informative! Beautiful sight! Tour guide, Matt, was amazing! Would definitely recommend!
David_T, Aug 2025
Absolutely wonderful knowledge and humor, stunning sights and an excellent day with Matt and the boat teams.
John_W, Aug 2025
Dress warmer and enjoy the view. Hopefully you get Matt as your tour guide he was great professional and you can tell he loved his job.
Sonia_G, Aug 2025
Travelers are on a lake to witness the incredible portage glacier. We sat inside the boat so it wasn’t very cold or bumpy. My husband was with a walker and the cruise was very accessible but getting in and out of the shuttle was challenging but doable. Matt our tour guide made the trip informative and interesting. He is also a special person and was very attentive.
Monika_S, Aug 2025
Highly recommend! Great way to experience both the wild life and do a glacier tour! Views were unreal! Matthew was very informative and enthusiastic.
Gary_C, Aug 2025
Fabulous Time! Our tour guide Gary is outstanding. In 5 1/2 hours, we saw and learned so much about the natural beauty and wildlife of the area.
Icee_E, Aug 2025
Such a wonderful way to spend our first day in Alaska! Matt(hew) was a wonderful guide: friendly, funny, very knowledgeable and informative and attentive. We learned so much about Alaska from his little stories and fun facts: Alaskan history, wildlife and nature, culture, you name it, Matt knew it. Our group was small so our experience felt very personal. If you’re thinking about it, just do it!
Erik_T, Aug 2025
We were in Anchorage just for the weekend and Portage Glacier was recommended. Glad that we booked a tour with them. Our tour guy - Matt - was awesome. We learned so much about Alaska culture during this tour. Matt is very acknowledged about Anchorage, well organized, fun to be around, and took good care of his group. Highly recommended this Portage Glacier tour. Our family really enjoyed this tour and keep up with the great work, Matt.
Arpita_P, Aug 2025
It was an amazing experience exploring Alaska’s wildlife sanctuary and taking the glacier boat tour. Our guide Matthew was kind and very knowledgeable and knew the ins and outs of Alaska. He gave great background stories about the wildlife, the glacier, and the salmon fishing. He also took us to extra scenic spots and took pictures for us. And as Matthew said he is funny and indeed he was. Thank you so much, I had an amazing journey as a solo female traveler and felt very safe. I highly recommend the trip to everyone.
Arlen_T, Aug 2025
Very informative as well as entertaining. The two most important Alaskan experience is rolled into one - glazier and wild life! Matthew is accommodating and knowledgeable also. Everyone visiting Alaska should do this lifetime experience.
Tash_F, Aug 2025
Our tour guide Matthew was prompt and full of Alaskan knowledge! Showed us the best spots on the tour, helped with photo ops, and food recommendations!
Paul_K, Aug 2025
Gary is a fantastic tour guide. He is so knowledgeable and has a thousand stories about Alaska. Everything was perfect on the tour from start to finish.
From $239.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Portage Glacier Cruise and Wildlife Explorer Tour
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