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Anchorage Day Tour · 7 Hours · Never More Than 11 Guests
Glacier & Wildlife Adventure Tour
The Glacier & Wildlife Adventure - hanging glaciers in Portage Valley, resident brown bears at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, and the cliffs of Turnagain Arm. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., hotel pickup included.
7 hours
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Year Round Tour
private tour also available
From $177
per person, small-group tour
Anchorage Hotel Pickup
downtown and midtown
- 850+ reviewsAcross Google, Tripadvisor, and Viator
- 4.8 / 5Tripadvisor rating, this tour
- Award winnerViator Experience Award
Glacier & Wildlife Adventure from Anchorage
In one day, follow Turnagain Arm from Anchorage to the hanging glaciers of Portage Valley and the resident animals at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Your Alaskan guide handles the drive, points out the places worth stopping, and makes room for the moments you couldn't plan.
This is a small-group day for up to 11 guests, with hotel pickup, wildlife center entry, snacks and water included. Lunch in Girdwood is your choice and paid separately. Wild sightings along the highway are never guaranteed; seeing animals at the wildlife center is part of the tour.
From Anchorage to the glaciers
- Anchorage hotel pickupStart at your downtown or midtown lodging, with a guided look at the city.
- Beluga PointStop above Turnagain Arm to look for Dall sheep and, in late summer, belugas.
- Portage Valley glaciersSee hanging icefields and take the easy, flat Byron Glacier self-guided walk.
- Alaska Wildlife Conservation CenterSee resident bears, moose and other Alaska wildlife up close; entry is included.
The rest of your day
- Lunch in GirdwoodChoose a local restaurant; lunch is paid separately.
- An Alaskan guideTravel with someone who lives here and knows when a scenic stop is worth making.
- Eleven guests, maximumA small group gives the guide room to adjust the pace and stop for photos.
The day, stop by stop
- 01
Anchorage Pickup
We pick you up at your hotel or lodging in downtown or midtown Anchorage, then take a guided look at the city before we leave it.
No car, no parking, no maps. We come to you, and the tour starts the moment you step in.
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Most tours treat Anchorage as a parking lot to escape as fast as possible. It's in our name, so we think it's worth a look.
- 02
Beluga Point
Just south of the city, where the Seward Highway hugs the cliffs above Turnagain Arm.
The first place most visitors realize how big Alaska really is: mountains straight up on one side, a tidal arm of the sea on the other.
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Dall sheep graze the rock face above the road, and in late summer beluga whales surface in the water below. We stop, get out, and take it in.
Look up the rock face above the road for white specks. Those are Dall sheep, and they often come close to the highway here.
Turnagain Arm has one of the few bore tides in the United States, a single wave that rolls in with the incoming tide. It depends on the tide tables, so we can't promise it, but your guide watches for it.
- 03
Portage Valley Glaciers
A glacier-carved corridor in Chugach National Forest with hanging icefields on the peaks on either side.
A valley carved by ice, with glaciers still hanging from the peaks on both sides.
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The optional Byron Glacier self-guided walk here is flat and about 0.8 miles each way - a short, easy stroll to stand in it. Glacier ice shows its clearest blue from May to October; from November through April we swap in the Whittier Tunnel excursion instead.
Portage Glacier once filled the lake you see here. It has pulled back out of sight of the road, which makes the valley a clear lesson in how fast Alaska's ice is changing.
The Byron Glacier trail is about 0.8 miles each way and mostly flat, following a glacial stream toward the ice.
Honest note: low cloud can hide the upper glaciers. On those days the valley floor, the waterfalls and the lake still make the stop worth it.
- 04
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
This is the one place on the tour where seeing wildlife up close is a certainty rather than a hope.
Sightings on the road are luck. Here they're a sure thing, and every animal has a story.
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Brown bears, black bears, moose, wolves, musk ox, bison, and elk - rescued and resident animals living in large habitats on 250 acres at the head of the Arm. Your guide walks it with you, and the entrance fee is included.
The center has cared for orphaned and injured Alaska animals since 1993. Many can't be released, so they live here in large, natural enclosures, and visitors help pay for that care.
Tip: the bears are often most active in the morning and when keepers bring food. Your guide knows the best viewing spots.
Ask your guide about the eagle's nest.
- 05
Lunch in Girdwood
A mountain town with better restaurants than a town its size has any right to.
A small mountain town inside a rainforest, and the best lunch stop on the Seward Highway.
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Lunch isn't included - you order what you like, and your guide knows where to send you.
Girdwood sits at the base of Mount Alyeska and gets far more rain and snow than Anchorage, which is why everything here is so green.
- 06
Return & Drop-Off
Back along Turnagain Arm, with time to stop if the light or the wildlife asks for it.
Sit back on the drive home. Your guide shares dinner recommendations and what else to see in Anchorage.
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We'll drop you at your lodging, or at a restaurant of your choice for dinner.
What guests say
This tour was by far one of the best that I was in Alaska… we were able to see bears and glaciers; the views are stunning, it had it all!
We enjoyed every stop on this adventure tour. We saw sheep in the mountains, beluga whale pods, beautiful bears, moose and other animals at the conservation area. The views were stunning. We saw all the Glaciers and had an opportunity to hike closer to one. A stunning waterfall, a great lunch and even salmon swimming up a stream. Our guide was fantastic. Very informative.
Stephanie was our guide and she was fantastic! Even though it was a rainy/misty day she made the Best of it. The scenery was fabulous. The Wildlife Refuge was a wonderful place and one of the bears appeared for a bit. Overall the tour was informative and well laid out. We would recommend this tour to anyone going to Anchorage.
What's included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Anchorage
- A local Alaskan guide
- All entrance fees and permits, including the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
- Snacks and bottled water
- Binoculars for the group
- Clean Sprinter-style van with heat and air conditioning
What's not included
- Lunch - you order and pay individually at the Girdwood stop
- Guide gratuity - never expected, always appreciated
Questions people ask
How long is the tour, and when does it start?
Seven hours, typically 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. That's enough time to enjoy each stop without watching the clock. On a private tour, you set the start and end times.
Will I actually see wildlife?
At the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, yes - the animals live there, and close-up viewing is part of every tour. Along Turnagain Arm, wildlife is up to Alaska. Guests often spot Dall sheep, mountain goats, bald eagles and moose, plus beluga whales in late summer. We can't promise what the wild will do. We can promise a guide who knows where to look and a group small enough to stop when something appears.
How much walking is there? Can I do this with limited mobility?
Most stops involve light walking at your own pace, and you can stay with the van at any of them. The longest stretch on foot is the Byron Glacier self-guided walk in Portage Valley - flat, and about 0.8 miles each way, so under 2 miles round trip. It is entirely optional and plenty of guests skip it.
Tell us about any mobility limitations when you book, or reply to your confirmation text. With eleven guests or fewer, we set the pace to the person rather than the average.
Is lunch included?
No. We stop in Girdwood, which has excellent local restaurants and cafés, and you choose what suits you. Your guide will point you to the local favorites. Everything else - entrance fees, snacks, water - is covered.
What if the weather is bad?
Tours run rain or shine, and the vans are warm and dry. Alaska is worth seeing in every kind of weather, and some of our best wildlife days have been gray ones. If conditions close a stop, your guide will swap in something else worth your time. In genuinely extreme conditions we'll contact you to adjust timing or offer options.
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What's the difference between the small-group and private tour?
The small-group tour carries up to 11 guests in a spacious Sprinter-style van. A private tour gives your party its own vehicle, a dedicated guide for the day, and timing you set - start earlier, linger at the stops you like, skip the ones you don't. It's a different product, not an upgrade to the same one. If small group works for you, book small group.
Are entrance fees included?
Yes. All entrance fees and permits are covered, including the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and Portage Valley.
Is there a restroom stop?
Yes - restrooms at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and in Girdwood, plus stops along the way. Just ask your guide.
Can you handle luggage or a cruise transfer?
Yes. Let us know in advance and we'll make room for your bags - the vans have space to store them securely. We can also arrange custom pickups or drop-offs at hotels and transportation hubs around Anchorage. If your timing is tight, tell us and we'll build in the buffer.
Can kids come?
Yes - there's no minimum age, and children receive a slight discount. Alaska law requires a car seat for children under 8; you're welcome to bring your own, or use one of ours for $25. Just let us know when you book so we have it ready.
What should I bring?
Layers - Alaska weather can change three times before lunch. Comfortable walking shoes, a rain jacket, and your camera or phone. Snacks, water, and binoculars are on the van.
How do I book directly?
Right here on this page, or by calling or texting 907-917-8687. Booking direct gets you our best price guarantee and puts you in touch with the people who actually run the tour.
Our promise
We promise to always deliver, to the best of our ability, excellent service, memorable experiences, and to put people first over profit.
We're a local, Alaskan-owned family business. We're in this work because we love Alaska and we love hospitality, and we want to share the joy of this place whenever we can.
- James and Jen
Ready for the day?
From $177 per person. Seven hours, hotel pickup included, never more than 11 guests.
Questions first? Text us. James or one of the guides will answer.
