Best Helicopter Tours to Take when Flying over Alaska
Best Helicopter Tours to Take when Flying over Alaska

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Get a Bird's-Eye View with Alaska Helicopter Tours

By Hayley Simpson | Published on March 31, 2021

While you'll pass by many beautiful glaciers on your cruise through Alaska, nothing compares with how they look from above. Alaska helicopter tours will take you where you've never been before, giving you an unparalleled bird's-eye view of grand glaciers, deep fjords, rugged wilderness and more.

Majestic Glacier in Alaska
Majestic Glacier in Alaska

The 411 On Alaska Helicopter Tours

For thrill seekers looking to maximize adventure time during a short stop at an Alaskan port, a glacier helicopter tour is the perfect quick excursion. Depending on your selected tour, your adventure could be anywhere between 30 minutes and 2.5 hours.

There's nothing quite as exhilarating or as fun as a helicopter tour over Alaska's sprawling landscapes. In this setting, it's easier to comprehend the sheer magnitude of Alaska's amazing glaciers, and seeing a bird's-eye view of the beautiful expansive rivers of ice is guaranteed to take your breath away.

Alaska Endicott Arm Dawes Glacier Landscape View
Alaska Endicott Arm Dawes Glacier Landscape View

Alaska helicopter tours can be fun for the whole family since most fit a maximum of six passengers. Everyone will get an unobstructed view of these stunning glaciers as the pilot regales you with stories, history and insights behind the dramatic scenery you're flying over. Plus, helicopters are much more comfortable than airplanes! So, if you usually get motion sickness, don't worry, as motion sickness in helicopters is not common.

Before you take off, it's important to be prepared. Leave your luggage in your room, and only bring what you absolutely need, such as a pair of binoculars and warm clothes. You'll want to dress appropriately in closed-toe shoes, layered clothing and sunglasses. Typically, most tours prohibit the use of iPads, GoPro sticks and drones, so put these devices away and take it all in.

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Discover many beautiful glaciers on your cruise through Alaska and add the spectacular experience of the Alaska helicopter tours.

Take A Helicopter Tour From Any Cruise Port

Luckily, you can depart on your helicopter tour from several Royal Caribbean Alaska cruise ports. If you're near Anchorage, check out the Knik Glacier — a 400-foot wall of ice spanning over 28 miles in the Chugach Mountains. It's known for its expansive and otherworldly bright blue lake made of melting glacial water.

Anchorage, Alaska Glaciers
Skyline of Anchorage, Alaska with Glaciers in the Background
If you're stopped in Juneau, you can visit the Juneau Icefield, which consists of over 40 glaciers. Mendenhall Glacier is easily the most recognizable glacier in the area. Located just 12 miles from downtown Juneau in Tongass National Forest, it's roughly 13.5 miles in length and the most menacing block of ice imaginable.
There's nothing quite as exhilarating or as fun as a helicopter tour over Alaska's sprawling landscapes. In this setting, it's easier to comprehend the sheer magnitude of Alaska's amazing glaciers, and seeing a bird's-eye view of the beautiful expansive rivers of ice is guaranteed to take your breath away.
Helicopter Winter Tour in Mountains, Alaska
Helicopter Winter Tour in Mountains, Alaska
For a more remote destination, Skagway can connect you with some of Alaska's most untouched glaciers, such as the Chilkat, Meade, Denver and Ferebee Glaciers. Meade Glacier is renowned for its breathtaking "river of ice," which looks even more spectacular from above. Don't miss the Denver Glacier, which is beautifully covered in snow, making it one of the top dog sledding spots in the world. Combine two once-in-a-lifetime Alaska activities in one and get dropped off at the top of the glacier by a helicopter to go dog sledding.
From Denali, you can fly through the deep Alaska Range and see the sweeping Yanert Icefield and Glacier. In Kenai Fjords National Park, you'll find several glaciers, including the Exit Glacier with its blinding blue ice, the dramatic Holgate Glacier that calves frequently into its river of ice, and the Aialik Glacier, one of the park's largest tidewater glaciers. Don't miss checking out perhaps the most famous glacier in Alaska, the Hubbard Glacier. As the largest tidewater glacier in North America, this breathtaking beauty is as tall as a 30-story building.
Iceberg Snow Glacier, Hubbard Glacier, Alaska
Iceberg Snow Glacier, Hubbard Glacier, Alaska
Alaska, Black Bear
Black Bear Running Wild

Adventure Traveling to Stunning Alaskan Landscapes

Gigantic glaciers, with their crevasses, ice rivers and mind-blowing vibrant colors, are definitely not the only picturesque landscape you'll see on these Alaska helicopter tours. You can sit back and relax as you get up close to unreachable places and landscapes, such as cascading waterfalls, vibrant blue hidden mountain lakes, rugged forests, unending mountains and jagged peaks that simply cannot be accessed by land. And keep your eyes peeled, because you're bound to see plenty of Alaskan wildlife, such as moose grazing by river beds, grizzly and black bears, mountain goats and Dall sheep.

However, if you're looking for even more of a thrill, some tours offer a glacier landing, where the experienced tour crew will provide you with crampons and all necessary safety equipment to hike these ancient glaciers. Surrounded by mountains and with thick snow and ice under your feet, this may be your only chance to witness first-hand what the Ice Age was like.

Written By
HAYLEY SIMPSON

A Bachelor of Journalism graduate hailing from Australia, Hayley is an experienced travel writer and the award-winning travel blogger behind Hayley on Holiday. Her travel writing has featured on Lonely Planet, Matador Network, and The Culture Trip. As for her travel experience, Hayley is a big advocate for solo travel and working holidays and has visited over 40 countries.


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