Glacier & Wildlife Discovery Tour
After morning pickup at your Anchorage hotel, soak in the scenery as you head towards the Portage Glacier. Along the way, stop at the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge and Beluga Point for photo ops of the Turnagain Arm, a narrow waterway that is part of the Cook Inlet and the Gulf of Alaska. Keep an eye out for native wildlife such as caribou, moose, and eagles that live in the Chugach National Forest. Continue to the US Forest Service visitor center near Portage Glacier. The glacier is no longer visible from the visitor center due to its retreat, however, your cruise across Portage Lake takes you within 300 yards (100 meters) of the glacier, where you can snap photos and watch for chunks of ice crashing into the water. Once you have seen the glacier, drive to the nearby Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, a large nature reserve situated at the entrance to Portage Valley. The center rehabilitates injured and orphaned wild animals, including some of Alaska's largest land animals such as elk, moose, deer, caribou, bison, bears, musk ox, and birds of prey. Learn about these amazing creatures. In the afternoon, wind up the road into the Chugach Mountains for panoramic views of the Turnagain Arm and beyond. At the end of your tour, your guide returns you to your hotel in Anchorage.
Highlights
- ✓Full-day tour of Portage Glacier and Turnagain Arm
- ✓Take a boat cruise to Portage Glacier
- ✓Get photo ops of Turnagain Arm from Beluga Point, Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge, and the Chugach Mountains
- ✓Observe the animals at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
- ✓Learn about Alaska's history and wildlife from the informative guide
What you'll see & do
- ✓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
What's included
- ✓Light snacks
- ✓Bottled water
- ✓Professional Local Guide
What's not included
- ✓Gratuities
- ✓Food and drinks, unless specified
- ✓Pickups from private homes, apartments or B&B's. Please contact the supplier for pick up location.
Good to know
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.
Cancellation policy
- •A full refund will apply if you cancel more than 24 hours before the activity start time.
- •No refund is possible if you cancel less than 24 hours before the activity start time.
Glacier & Wildlife Discovery Tour
After morning pickup at your Anchorage hotel, soak in the scenery as you head towards the Portage Glacier. Along the way, stop at the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge and Beluga Point for photo ops of the Turnagain Arm, a narrow waterway that is part of the Cook Inlet and the Gulf of Alaska. Keep an eye out for native wildlife such as caribou, moose, and eagles that live in the Chugach National Forest. Continue to the US Forest Service visitor center near Portage Glacier. The glacier is no longer visible from the visitor center due to its retreat, however, your cruise across Portage Lake takes you within 300 yards (100 meters) of the glacier, where you can snap photos and watch for chunks of ice crashing into the water. Once you have seen the glacier, drive to the nearby Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, a large nature reserve situated at the entrance to Portage Valley. The center rehabilitates injured and orphaned wild animals, including some of Alaska's largest land animals such as elk, moose, deer, caribou, bison, bears, musk ox, and birds of prey. Learn about these amazing creatures. In the afternoon, wind up the road into the Chugach Mountains for panoramic views of the Turnagain Arm and beyond. At the end of your tour, your guide returns you to your hotel in Anchorage.
Highlights
- ✓Full-day tour of Portage Glacier and Turnagain Arm
- ✓Take a boat cruise to Portage Glacier
- ✓Get photo ops of Turnagain Arm from Beluga Point, Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge, and the Chugach Mountains
- ✓Observe the animals at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
- ✓Learn about Alaska's history and wildlife from the informative guide
What you'll see & do
- ✓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
What's included
- ✓Light snacks
- ✓Bottled water
- ✓Professional Local Guide
What's not included
- ✓Gratuities
- ✓Food and drinks, unless specified
- ✓Pickups from private homes, apartments or B&B's. Please contact the supplier for pick up location.
Good to know
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.
Cancellation policy
- •A full refund will apply if you cancel more than 24 hours before the activity start time.
- •No refund is possible if you cancel less than 24 hours before the activity start time.