Matanuska Glacier Summer Tour
Description
Visit Alaska's largest road accessible glacier and explore blue glacial ice on this wonderful full day tour.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Palmer is a city in and the borough seat of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, located 42 miles (68 km) northeast of Anchorage on the Glenn Highway in the Matanuska Valley. It is the ninth-largest city in Alaska, and hosts the annual Alaska State Fair.
The Matanuska River is a 75-mile (121 km) long river in Southcentral Alaska, flowing through a broad valley south of the Alaska Range known as the Matanuska Valley.
At 27 miles long and 4 miles wide it is Alaska's largest glacier accessible by road. It also is boasts one of the most accessible areas to walk on of any glacier in Alaska. Marvel at ice that formed 10,000 years ago high in the Chugach Mountains. Your day will start with a magnificent scenic drive along the Glenn Highway with stunning mountain vistas and plenty of time for photo stops. Next we will drive to the toe of the glacier to dawn our ice cleats and helmets to and begin exploring the glacier by foot. Each day is unique due to the dynamic nature of the glacier. We generally spend two hours and walk three miles on the ice. Finally, we will stop for lunch at a local eatery with stunning views of the glacier. This is a once in a lifetime bucket list opportunity to explore glacial ice!
Glacier View is a village along the Glenn Highway which is home to the Matanuska Glacier.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- What to Bring:
- Warm Layered Clothing
- Sunglasses
- Camera or Cell Phone Camera
- Warm Hat and Gloves
- We require that participants wear sturdy, stiff-soled footwear while on this tour
- Our minimum age to join the tour is 8 years old. For groups with younger individuals, explore our Private Matanuska Glacier option.
- PLEASE NOTE: Bookings made within 24-hours of the tour date are PENDING confirmation
Reviews(77)
It is an amazing experience, walking on Matanuska Glacier. Jay is so friendly, attentive, knowledgeable. He shared his own adventure with us. Amazing view , more strenous than I expected. But we made it. We then stoped at a resturant with amazing view of the glacial 😀
Here is a shorter version: Thank you for the wonderful review! We're so glad you had an amazing time on the Matanuska Glacier and that Jay made the trip special by sharing his own adventures. Way to conquer the ice—there's no better reward than a great meal with a glacier view afterward! Thanks for choosing Greatland Adventures!
Jay was very knowledgeable and accommodating of our many photo stops. Definitely a bit vigorous for my mom, but doable if you have reasonable baseline fitness. You will walk up and down ice with crampons and a helmet for about 2 hours with variable weather conditions. You may get slightly muddy. We were lucky that it didn't rain today, but prepare for rain. The trip was thoughtfully organized with various stops, snacks and water, and an amazing post-hike lunch at longrifle lodge! I learned a lot from Jay and have gained such a new respect of glaciers. He was very safety conscious as well--avoiding slippery areas on the ice to find better routes. What an incredible opportunity to access a glacier in a beautiful Alaskan spot. Would definitely recommend to anyone traveling to/around Anchorage! Thank you 😊
Thank you for the amazing review! We're thrilled that you and your mom had such an incredible time on the Matanuska Glacier. It's great to hear that Jay made the trip safe, educational, and fun with plenty of photo stops. There's no better way to reward yourselves after conquering the ice than with a great meal at Longrifle Lodge! Thank you for the high recommendation, and we hope to welcome you back to Alaska again soon.
An Amazing Matanuska Glacier Adventure with Bill! Our Matanuska Glacier Summer Tour with Greatland Adventures was truly one of the highlights of our Alaska trip! We were four women in our 70s, each with different levels of fitness and hiking ability, and our guide, Bill, was absolutely exceptional. He quickly assessed what each of us was comfortable doing and tailored our glacier hike so that everyone could participate, feel safe, and still have a wonderful sense of adventure. Bill was patient, knowledgeable, encouraging, and incredibly attentive. He never made us feel rushed or that our ages or varying abilities were a limitation. Instead, he gave us the confidence to experience this magnificent glacier at a pace that worked for all four of us. Walking on the Matanuska Glacier was spectacular, but Bill made the experience even more memorable. His knowledge, personality, and genuine concern for our safety and enjoyment made all the difference. For anyone in their 60s, 70s or beyond who might be wondering, “Can I really do a glacier tour?” — YES! With a guide like Bill, absolutely! Thank you, Bill and Greatland Adventures, for giving four adventurous women in their 70s an Alaska memory we will be talking about for years.
Thank you so much for this absolutely beautiful review of our Matanuska Glacier Summer Tour — it truly made our whole team smile! What an incredible adventure for four adventurous women, and we are so proud that Bill was able to make the glacier accessible, safe, and genuinely thrilling for each one of you. Bill's ability to read each guest's comfort level and tailor the experience accordingly is one of the things that makes him such an exceptional guide. No one should ever feel that age or fitness level stands between them and the magic of Matanuska Glacier, and it sounds like Bill made sure of exactly that — giving each of you the confidence to get out there and experience it fully. We also love that you've highlighted this for others in their 60s, 70s and beyond who might be wondering if a glacier tour is for them — because it absolutely is, with the right guide! We hope your message encourages others to take that leap. We will make sure Bill sees every word of this — he will be deeply touched. Thank you for choosing Greatland Adventures, and thank you for giving us the honor of being part of an Alaska memory you'll be talking about for years to come. We'd love to welcome all four of you back someday!
That it is wonderful. They take care of everything. They are punctual and yet flexible.. It is not hurried. The guide was very knowledgeable.
Thank you!
Diego was a great guide. We had a well paced hike and the glacier was amazing. Lunch was in a place with a superior view too.
Thank you for the kind review of our Matanuska Glacier Summer Tour! We're so glad you had a great time with Diego and we hope to adventure with you in the future!
Matt was great. He guided us throughout the glacier safely. We had an excellent time during the tour. Highly recommended.
Thank you so much for this wonderful review of our Matanuska Glacier Tour! We're so glad Matt made your time out on the glacier such an excellent experience — guiding guests safely across the ice while making sure everyone has a great time is exactly what we strive for. We'll be sure to pass along your kind words to Matt! Thank you for the recommendation, and we hope to welcome you back for another adventure with Greatland Adventures soon!
JJ was an incredible guide (and expert picture taker) and we had such a great day! Communication from booking to pickup was perfect and we appreciated the door to door pickup and drop off service. Would highly recommend this to anyone of any age and skill level - this company really focuses on small groups and you can tell the difference when seeing the larger tours out on the glacier. We felt safe and in great hands at all times, and wouldn’t change a thing.
This review just made our day! Thank you for highlighting everything we strive for, from seamless communication to our focus on small-group experiences. JJ is a rockstar, and we will definitely let him know he nailed the guiding and the photo taking. Knowing you felt safe, cared for, and highly recommend us to all ages means the world to our team. Safe travels, and we hope to adventure with you again in the future!
Absolutely amazing. Jay and Tessa are the best! Jay is so knowledgeable and so kind to share so much knowledge with us about Alaska. The glacier is beautiful and incredible. The hike is exceeding expectations, like a real adventure instead of those well established trails. Definitely recommend to anyone who’s visiting Alaska.
Thank you so much for this absolutely wonderful review of our Matanuska Glacier Tour! We're thrilled to hear that Jay and Tessa made such a lasting impression — Jay's passion for Alaska and genuine love of sharing its history and landscapes with guests really does shine through, and Tessa is a fantastic addition to the team as well. We especially love that the hike felt like a real adventure rather than just another trail — that's exactly the experience we want every guest to have out on the glacier! Matanuska truly is something special, and it means so much to know it exceeded your expectations. We'll be sure to pass along your kind words to Jay and Tessa! Thank you for recommending Greatland Adventures, and we hope to see you back in Alaska for another unforgettable adventure soon!
Such a great experience and SO worth the money! JJ and Ben were excellent guides and made the car ride pass so quickly. They were both also so knowledgeable about the glacier and Alaska in general and kept us super safe on the glacier. They also provided great snacks and made a reservation at the restaurant for us. Our tour purchase also covered our meal + a drink which was great. 10/10 would recommend this tour especially with JJ and Ben!! Just a note if you don’t have hiking boots you should definitely rent them, lots of places in Anchorage do so!
Thanks for the 10/10 review! We are so happy to hear that JJ and Ben took such great care of you on and off the glacier. It’s wonderful to know you enjoyed the included meal and the entire experience. We will definitely pass your shout-out along to the guides, and we appreciate you sharing the helpful tip about renting hiking boots in Anchorage. Happy travels!
Great tour with Matt and Sammy. Would definitely recommend! We had so much fun hiking the glacier.
Thank you so much for the great review! We're so glad you had such a fun time hiking the glacier with Matt and Sammy — they'll be thrilled to hear it! Exploring Matanuska Glacier on foot is such a special experience, and it's wonderful that they helped make it such an enjoyable one for you. Thank you for the recommendation, and we hope to see you back in Alaska for another adventure with Greatland Adventures soon!
