Glacier & Wildlife Discovery Tour
Description
This is the perfect tour for those with limited time in Alaska. Experience magnificent Portage Glacier on this full-day tour from Anchorage, as well as famous Seward Highway, America's most scenic road. Hugging the edge of Turnagain Arm, stop at lookouts like Beluga Point to try to spot all sheep then, continue on to see even more wildlife at the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge (seasonal). Take a 1-hour cruise on Portage Lake to see Portage Glacier calving, and see where wildlife is rehabilitated at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Later, head high up on the Chugach Mountains for amazing panoramic views of the Anchorage bowl and beyond (weather permitting) This is a 6-hr tour (approx.) Activity Level: EASY Guests should be able to walk short distances on uneven ground. Trails 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.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Beluga Point is one of the scheduled stops. We will have narration about the area, its geology, unique features and history of the area. Guests will have time to take photos.
The drive from Anchorage to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center/Portage Glacier Area begins with spectacular views as you pass between the dramatic shorelines of Turnagain Arm and the jutting peaks of the Chugach Mountains. The Seward Highway is considered to be one of the most scenic highways in the US.
At the 200-acre Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, jaws drop in awe-even those of longtime Alaskans who've studied grizzlies and other animals up close. AWCC's mission is to preserve Alaska’s wildlife through conservation, research, education and quality animal care. The center, which opened to the public in 1993, also educates visitors about Alaska's wildlife. Coyotes peer out from behind the brush while a bald eagle swoops in on the salmon remains left by a grizzly bear. Wood Bison plod through 65 acres of tidal flat terrain, as part of a program that will one day restore the species to the Alaskan wilderness. Animals that cannot be released into the wild are given a permanent home at the center. Come be a part of these exciting programs and watch these animals display their natural, “wild”, behavior. You will have about 90 minutes here to view these animals. There is coffee and food for purchase from vendors at the Center.
Portage Glacier Cruise is one hour from Anchorage. This cruise will take you right up to the face of a glacier. You’ll board the comfortable MV Ptarmigan, featuring an enclosed, heated cabin and open-air observation deck. The hour-long cruise is narrated by the US Forest Service, and you’ll navigate around bobbing icebergs and motor to within 300 feet of the towering wall of ice called Portage Glacier (one of Alaska’s most popular attractions). You may have an opportunity to hear the unmistakable rumbling of a calving glacier or rolling iceberg. After the 1 hour cruise, you will have an opportunity to eat lunch at a nearby restaurant. Lunch is not included.
Enjoy wide open panoramic views from a high overlook in the Chugach Mountains
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- 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.
Reviews(153)
Super, informative,friendly
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.
Highly recommend if you have limited time in Anchorage. You get to see so many amazing sights in one trip. Phil was our tour guide and he was very informative and polite.
Albert was excellent! He was very nice, knowledgeable and made sure we saw some really cool things, like the eagles nest, with an eagle in it, and some beautiful places with awesome views.
Our guide Christina was great! She was very entertaining and was a wealth of knowledge about the areas we visited.
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.
