6 Best Alaska Glacier Tours to Take on Your Cruise
Can’t-Miss Glacier Trips in Alaska
By Robert Schrader | Published on November 19, 2025
There’s something incredibly natural about the feeling of walking on the slick, white ice of one of the best glaciers in Alaska. Once you get over the trepidation — which is understandable given that you’re trekking across a massive, ancient sheet of ice — being on top of Matanuska Glacier feels like something you could do every day.
You’ll find an incredible variety of Alaska glacier tours when you cruise here, from glacier landing escapes to wildlife spotting. Here’s what you can expect while visiting Alaska’s frozen natural architecture, and the best glaciers to visit by cruise.
Key Takeaways: Roundup of the Best Glacier Tips in Alaska
- ● Exit Glacier (Kenai Fjords): Pair a morning marveling at the towering ice walls with an afternoon of whale watching in the adjacent Kenai Fjords.
- ● Mendenhall Glacier (Juneau): You can ride a public bus, then hike for 1.5 miles to reach Mendenhall Glacier.
- ● Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier (Juneau): Accessible by boat from Juneau, Endicott Arm is a deep, glacier-carved fjord where you can see Dawes Glacier.
- ● Portage Glacier (Anchorage/Whittier): Cruise to Anchorage for views of Portage Glacier’s pale ice, framed by coastal cliffs.
- ● Matanuska Glacier (Anchorage): Matanuska is 27 miles of ancient ice and the largest glacier in the U.S. accessible by car.
- ● Hubbard Glacier (Yakutat): Hubbard towers 300 feet above the sea. Cruise ships often go through Yakutat Bay, so you can watch its ice walls calve into the water.
- ● Explore our Alaskan cruises to experience these glaciers up close.
Breathtaking Alaska Glacier Tours: What To Know Before You Go
One surprising thing about glacier hikes in Alaska, whether you visit Matanuska from Anchorage or Kennicott Glacier farther east past Valdez, is how dramatically the ambiance changes moments before you reach the ice. Here are a few points to consider while planning, so your surprises stay pleasant, too.
When Is the Best Month To Take an Alaskan Glacier Tour?
The best time to take a glacier tour in Alaska is during the warm season, between late May and early September (in summer, more or less). The beginning of the trailheads will seem lush and temperate; on some days, even a bit warm.
Warmer months also make the trip ideal for spotting wildlife, as it’s more active then. Sometimes, travelers choose to visit Alaskan wildlife conservation centers on the way, adding to the unique sense of exploration before embarking on a thrilling glacier view.
What To Wear on a Glacier Hike in Alaska
Glacier hikes in Alaska get humid, so follow the tour company's advice and wear quick-drying, waterproof clothing. If the sweat I worked up getting to the glacier had stayed on my skin and in my clothes, the chill I felt when the landscape turned to tundra might've been debilitating instead of exhilarating. Some fellow travelers also packed a change of clothes — a piece of advice I did not heed but wish I had!
Safety Tips for Glacier Trekking in Alaska
Safety is a priority on Alaska glacier tours. I don't want to think what would've happened had I scaled Matanuska Glacier unprepared. Members of my group brought:
- ● Hiking poles: Some brought these for physical stabilization and some to get over the mental block of walking on ice.
- ● Helmets: If we fell (or if a piece of ice broke off and fell on us), our heads would be protected. Plus, the helmet provided an extra layer of protection against the sun.
- ● SPF 50 sunscreen: Wisps of clouds frequently block out the full brunt of the sun, but glaciers (like most light-colored things) reflect the sun's rays. I got slightly burned in spite of the precautions I took.
- ● Sunglasses: The term "snowblind" applies to ice as well!
Do Alaska’s Glaciers Change Between Summer and Winter?
Alaska’s Glaciers can change between summer and winter due to the climate. Before I took my trek, I feared the glacier would've shrunk past the point where it seemed majestic. While this might be true if you look upon it from a distant perspective, it wasn't the case up close. No matter which glacier in Alaska you trek, you're bound to be amazed by its immensity. Matanuska Glacier, for example, is smaller in summer than its 27-by-4-mile footprint in the depths of winter, but it's still breathtakingly large.
How To Plan a Glacier Tour While Cruising
Driving By Car
One thing that makes Matanuska Glacier unique among Alaska’s glaciers is that you can get there by car, making it among the most accessible glaciers in Alaska. In fact, it's also the largest glacier in the U.S. with that designation.
Book a Kayak or Boat Tour
Jumping on a kayak or boat makes for one of the best glacier tours in Alaska. These watery trips offer an intimate glimpse of Alaska’s towering glaciers from the sea — and you can get even closer than you might on the cruise ship. If you’re lucky, you might see a whale and other wildlife in the ocean.
Book a Helicopter Tour
Helicopter tours or Alaskan glaciers are available, which allow you to skip the rockier, less wintry portions of the icefall and get directly to the glacier itself. They also allow you to conserve some of your energy and arrive more relaxed. Opting for an Alaska helicopter tour can lead to a spectacular glacier landing, an unforgettable way to witness the vastness of the ice from above.
What To Expect on a Helicopter Tour of Alaska’s Glaciers
"It's jarring — in a good way," my guide explained when I asked him what it was like accessing the glacier via chopper rather than on your own two feet, "but you lose the sense of accomplishment."
He also explained, however, that since I love photography, I might enjoy the opportunity to get an aerial view of the glacier, whose size (even in the summer when it's at its most shrunken) is only apparent when you can see the whole thing. We sat down for lunch before the journey back down.
I spent most of our brief break asking questions. "I'm sure you've trekked most of the best glaciers in Alaska: Is it worth visiting multiple ones?"
"You have to be prepared to slow down and put the energy into seeing the differences between the glaciers," he explained. "This gets easier the more you visit. You're less shocked and awed by the fact that you're walking on ice and more attuned to the unique fauna, to the size and color of the ice, to the way the air feels and the way the dirt smells."
He mentioned places like Kenai Fjords National Park for epic coastal ice views and Glacier Bay National Park for sprawling waterways where large tidewater glaciers calve into the sea. And if you’re out on the water in Southeast Alaska, you might even catch a glimpse of Hubbard Glacier towering above the waves.
Destinations To Target for Your Alaskan Glacier Cruises
1. Exit Glacier and Kenai Fjords in Seward
Plenty of Seward cruises offer great views of Exit Glacier. When you take an Alaskan glacier tour to the Exit Glacier, you can pair a morning marveling at the towering turquoise ice walls of the glacier with an afternoon of whale watching in adjacent Kenai Fjords.
2. Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau
Another spot that appeals is Mendenhall Glacier, near the Alaskan capital of Juneau. It isn't known to be as majestic as Matanuska (or the even more spectacular Spencer Glacier, with its half-mile-high walls of ice), due to its southerly location in a more temperate part of the state. That said, it’s still absolutely worth seeing.
You can pair it with experiences amid the temperate rainforests of southern Alaska and contrast it with the relative urbanization of Juneau, as well as the indigenous culture around the city. Moreover, you can actually ride a public bus, then hike for 1.5 miles to reach the Mendenhall Glacier.
3. Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier in Juneau
Accessible by boat from Juneau, Endicott Arm is a deep, glacier-carved fjord where Dawes Glacier greets you with icebergs the size of houses. Book a small-boat excursion for front-row seats to calving ice walls and lounging harbor seals.
4. Portage Glacier in Anchorage
An easy day trip from Anchorage’s cruise port in Whittier, Portage Glacier floats serenely above a glassy lake. Jump on an Alaskan glacier cruise to Portage for never-ending views of its pale blue ice, framed by coastal cliffs and misted peaks.
Many visitors also combine stops at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center or other conservation highlights when they explore Portage Glacier, giving them a deeper connection to Alaska’s unique ecology.
5. Matanuska Glacier in Anchorage
Matanuska is 27 miles of ancient ice, just two hours from Anchorage. Choose from guided ice treks or helicopter landings, where you can crunch across turquoise crevasses under a sky so clear it barely seems real.
And once you’ve experienced the difference between a Matanuska glacier tour on foot and a thrilling glacier landing by chopper, consider a scenic boat ride to Glacier Bay, where calm waters frame massive ice formations in a serene display of nature’s power.
6. Hubbard Glacier in Yakutat
One of Alaska’s largest tidewater glaciers, Hubbard, towers 350 feet above the sea. Cruise ships often go through Yakutat Bay, so you can watch its ice walls calve into the water — a sound that’s felt in your chest before it reaches your ears.
Explore Alaska With Salty Air and Icy Trails
The best glacier in Alaska is whichever one you happen to be trekking on. The surreal feeling of walking on ice is thrilling, as long as you take all safety precautions. And it's humbling. Not all of these ancient ice sheets will be around forever, maybe not even for the rest of our lives.
As I descended the glacier, the meltwater dripped off the ice as we neared the rocky path that had led us to the glacier. I thought: What if this is the last time I have this experience?
There's no limit to the emotions and sensations you can feel, to the colors and textures of the earth you can experience here. Each journey, whether across the rugged landscape of Matanuska Glacier or cruising through Glacier Bay National Park, reminds you of the fragile magic that only Alaska can offer.
