Best Glacier Cruises in Alaska: Prince William Sound and the Alternatives

What makes a great glacier cruise

Before you compare regions, it helps to know what makes one glacier day better than another. Three things matter most.

Tidewater glaciers. These are the glaciers that reach the sea, and they are the ones that calve: blocks of ice breaking off the face and falling into the water. Alpine and hanging glaciers on the mountainsides are beautiful, but they do not calve into the sea in front of you. All four regions here have tidewater glaciers; what differs is how many a single trip reaches.

Time at the ice. A cruise that holds position in front of a calving face for half an hour gives you a far better chance of seeing a big piece fall than one that passes by. Ask how long the boat stays, not only how many glaciers it passes.

The water on the way. A route through sheltered fjords is calm enough for almost anyone. A route across open ocean can be rough, and some people spend it feeling unwell. Our guide to seasickness on Prince William Sound compares the routes in detail.

The rest is weather and luck. Every region here can be grey and wet, and no cruise controls when a glacier calves or whether a whale surfaces.

Prince William Sound

Prince William Sound is the glacier region closest to Anchorage, and it has the most glaciers within a single day trip. Whittier, the main port, is about 60 miles from Anchorage, through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel. Two very different cruises leave from there:

• The 26 Glacier Cruise by Phillips Cruises runs about five hours, from noon to 5:15 pm, through Passage Canal, Esther Passage and College Fjord, where the tidewater glaciers named after East Coast colleges line the fjord. Phillips counts 26 named glaciers on the route, along with many unnamed ones. It is from $260 on GetYourGuide.
• The Glacier Quest cruise is the shorter option, 3.75 hours to Blackstone Bay and its two tidewater glaciers, from $210 and rated 4.8/5 from more than 170 reviews.

The water is the other big advantage. The Whittier routes stay inside the Sound’s sheltered fjords, and Phillips backs that with a no-seasickness guarantee: if you get seasick, you get your money back. Wildlife is good too: sea otters, harbour seals, eagles and a kittiwake colony of more than 10,000 birds on almost every trip, and whales on about half of them, according to Phillips. Our guide to Prince William Sound wildlife covers what you are likely to see.

The trade-off is that you are not in a national park, and the day starts with the tunnel, which runs to a fixed schedule. For a smaller boat, the Blackstone Glacier small-group cruise adds a walk on a beach in front of the glaciers; it is a new listing with a single review so far.

Kenai Fjords

Kenai Fjords National Park is the other glacier cruise within reach of Anchorage. The boats leave from Seward, a few hours south of Anchorage by road or on the Alaska Railroad. The park’s glaciers flow from the Harding Icefield, where the National Park Service says an average of 60 feet of snow falls every year, and nearly 51 percent of the park is covered by ice.

Major Marine Tours, one of the main Seward operators, runs three national park cruises:

• 6 hours, its most popular, visiting either Aialik or Holgate Glacier. In 2027 it runs from 1 May to 20 September, at 11:30 am, with an 8:00 am departure added from June to early September. The 11:30 sailing is timed to meet the Alaska Railroad from Anchorage. Booked direct it is $259 for adults, plus tax and a harbour fee. On GetYourGuide the same Kenai Fjords National Park cruise with lunch is from about $250, rated 4.8/5 from more than 900 reviews.
• 7.5 hours, visiting both Aialik and Holgate, with more time for wildlife.
• 8.5 hours to Northwestern Fjord and Northwestern Glacier, on smaller boats with fewer passengers, which the operator recommends for wildlife.

Kenai Fjords is stronger than Prince William Sound for marine wildlife. Major Marine lists orcas, humpbacks, Steller sea lions, harbour seals and puffins for its six-hour cruise, and puffins in particular are much easier to see here than out of Whittier. Aialik Glacier is about a mile wide at its face.

The cost is the water. To reach the glaciers, the boats leave the shelter of Resurrection Bay and cross part of the open Gulf of Alaska. Major Marine says its six-hour cruise does this for a short time, where seasickness is more likely, and it does not recommend its 8.5-hour cruise to anyone prone to it. You also see fewer glaciers than on the 26 Glacier route: one or two tidewater glaciers, not a fjord lined with them.

Glacier Bay

Glacier Bay National Park, in Southeast Alaska, is the most famous glacier destination in the state, and there is no road to it. The National Park Service says most visitors see it from the deck of a large cruise ship: typically two ships a day travel up the West Arm and spend four or more hours among the glaciers, with park rangers on board to narrate. Passengers do not go ashore. Smaller tour vessels carrying 50 to 150 passengers also visit, usually as part of a longer itinerary.

If you are not on a cruise ship, the way in is the daily day boat from Glacier Bay Lodge at Bartlett Cove, near Gustavus, which you reach by air or on the Alaska ferry. It travels about 130 miles through the bay with a park ranger on board, visits up to four tidewater glaciers and stays in front of one for at least half an hour. On the way it stops at South Marble Island, where puffins, murres, cormorants and kittiwakes nest and Steller sea lions haul out, and you can watch the shore for bears, moose, wolves and mountain goats. In 2026 it boarded at 6:50 am, left at 7:15 and returned around 3:30 pm, with an adult fare of $273.57 including lunch. Book it through Glacier Bay Lodge & Tours, the park’s concessioner: we could not find it on GetYourGuide or Viator.

All boats in Glacier Bay must stay at least a quarter of a mile from the glaciers, so you see the ice from further back than on a small boat in Prince William Sound.

Glacier Bay is outstanding, but it is not a day trip from Anchorage. It makes sense if your cruise ship goes there, or if you are spending a few days in Southeast Alaska.

Hubbard Glacier

Hubbard Glacier is the largest tidewater glacier in North America. The National Park Service describes it as about 70 miles long, calving icebergs along a face about six miles wide into Disenchantment Bay, at the edge of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Unlike most tidewater glaciers in Alaska, it has been advancing, not retreating.

Almost everyone who sees it does so from a large cruise ship on a Gulf of Alaska itinerary, which sails into Disenchantment Bay for a few hours when ice and weather allow. There is no practical way to make it a day trip from Anchorage. If your cruise includes Hubbard, it is one of the great sights in Alaska; if it does not, it is not a reason to change your plans.

The size makes it impressive, but you see it from a distance: a big ship cannot go close, and ice in the bay can keep it further back still.

Valdez routes

Valdez is the other gateway to Prince William Sound, on its eastern side, about 300 road miles from Anchorage or a short flight. It offers a different kind of glacier day from Whittier: fewer glaciers, more time with each, and longer cruises. Stan Stephens Cruises runs both:

• The six-hour Columbia Glacier cruise, from $181, rated 4.8/5 from more than 200 reviews. Columbia has retreated more than 20 kilometres since 1980, and the trip is mostly about the floating ice in Columbia Bay; on heavy-ice days the boat cannot get close to the face. Our Columbia Glacier cruise guide explains what that means on the day.
• The 7.5-hour Meares Glacier cruise, from $201, rated 4.8/5 from more than 75 reviews. Meares is one of the few advancing tidewater glaciers in the region, and the boat holds position in front of an active calving face.

Valdez is the right choice if you are already driving the Richardson Highway or arriving on the ferry, or if a calving face matters more than seeing many glaciers. Our Whittier vs Valdez comparison goes through the trade-offs.

Best by traveller type

For most independent travellers in Southcentral Alaska, the choice is between Whittier and Seward. Choose Whittier for glaciers and calm water. Choose Seward if wildlife is the priority and you are confident on boats. Our guide to the best glacier tours from Anchorage also covers Portage and Matanuska glaciers, which you can reach without a boat at all.

Who this article is most useful for

• First-time Alaska visitors trying to choose one major glacier experience
• Anchorage-based travellers planning a day trip
• Families comparing duration, price and comfort
• Photographers deciding between broad route coverage and smaller-group access
• Cruise passengers adding an independent Prince William Sound excursion

Practical planning checklist

• Confirm the exact operating date and departure time before booking accommodation or transport.
• If you are driving to Whittier, plan around the published tunnel times and arrive early. Our Whittier tunnel guide has the schedule.
• Check whether food, taxes and fees are included in the displayed fare. Major Marine’s direct prices exclude tax and a harbour fee, for example.
• Bring a waterproof outer layer, a warm mid-layer, a hat, gloves and closed shoes.
• Treat whales, bears and calving as possible highlights rather than guaranteed events.
• If you are prone to seasickness, choose a sheltered route and take a remedy before you board.
• For mobility needs, confirm accessibility on the exact vessel rather than assuming all boats are identical.
• If travelling with children, compare total time away from the hotel, not only time on the boat.
• Keep the evening after a long cruise flexible in case road, tunnel or marine conditions affect timing.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the best glacier cruise in Alaska for a first trip?

For a first trip based in Anchorage, the 26 Glacier Cruise from Whittier. It reaches more glaciers than any other day cruise near Anchorage, the water is sheltered, and a hot meal is included. If you are on a big-ship cruise, the Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier day on your itinerary will be the highlight.

Is Prince William Sound or Kenai Fjords better?

Prince William Sound is better for the number of glaciers and for calm water. Kenai Fjords is better for marine wildlife, especially puffins, but its cruises cross part of the open Gulf of Alaska and can be rough.

Can you visit Glacier Bay as a day trip from Anchorage?

Not really. There is no road to Glacier Bay. You need to fly to Gustavus, usually via Juneau, and take the day boat from Glacier Bay Lodge, or see the park from a cruise ship.

Can you take a day cruise to Hubbard Glacier?

Hubbard Glacier is seen almost entirely from large cruise ships on Gulf of Alaska itineraries. It is not a practical day trip from Anchorage.

Do I need to book in advance?

For July and August, yes, especially for small boats, rail packages, family groups and any itinerary with only one possible day. Booked on GetYourGuide, the Whittier cruises can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before departure, and the Valdez cruises up to three days before.

What if the weather is rainy?

Rain is common in coastal Alaska and does not ruin a glacier cruise. The boats have heated cabins, and the ice at the waterline is still there under a low ceiling. Waterproof clothing matters more than chasing a perfect forecast.

Are wildlife sightings guaranteed?

No, on any of these cruises. Sea otters, seals and eagles are close to certain in Prince William Sound; whales, orcas and puffins are possible everywhere and promised nowhere.

What should I wear?

Layers: a base layer, a warm fleece or insulated mid-layer, a waterproof and windproof shell, long trousers, closed shoes, a hat and light gloves.

Is a longer tour always better?

No. Longer routes usually cover more water and more wildlife, but shorter tours can be better for families, motion-sensitive travellers or anyone who wants a lighter day. The 3.75-hour Glacier Quest still reaches two tidewater glaciers.

Final take

The best glacier cruise in Alaska is the one that fits the rest of your trip. From Anchorage, the 26 Glacier Cruise through Prince William Sound gives you the most glaciers in one day on calm water. Choose Kenai Fjords if whales and puffins come first and you are happy on open water, and Valdez if you want to sit in front of a calving face. Leave Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier to a cruise ship or a longer trip to Southeast Alaska; they are spectacular, but they are not day trips.

Related reading:

• Whittier, Alaska: the complete guide
• Small-boat cruises in Alaska
• Whittier glacier cruises compared
• Best glacier tours from Anchorage
• Seasickness on Prince William Sound
• 26 Glacier Cruise from Whittier
• Columbia Glacier cruise from Valdez
• Prince William Sound wildlife