Whittier Tunnel Guide: Schedule, Tolls & Timing for Cruise Passengers

Every road trip to a Whittier glacier cruise ends at the same gate. The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel is a single lane shared with the Alaska Railroad, so cars go through in one direction at a time, in a 15-minute window, and then wait for the next one. Know which window you need and the tunnel costs you nothing but a short queue. Turn up at the wrong time and the next chance to go your way is an hour later.

Quick answer

In summer, traffic into Whittier leaves on the half-hour and traffic out of Whittier leaves on the hour, from 5:30 am to 11:15 pm. The toll for a car is $13, paid once on the Anchorage side and covering the return. For the Phillips cruises, the operator asks you to take the 10:30 am tunnel for the 26 Glacier Cruise and the 11:30 am tunnel for Glacier Quest, and to be in the staging lanes before the opening, not at it.

Key facts to know

The tunnel is 2.5 miles long, a single lane with rails set into the road, and the longest highway tunnel in North America. The crossing takes about six minutes at 25 mph.
Summer schedule (1 May to 30 September): into Whittier from 5:30 am to 10:30 pm on the half-hour, out of Whittier from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm on the hour. Each opening lasts 15 minutes.
Winter schedule (1 October to 30 April): out of Whittier on the hour from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm, into Whittier on the half-hour from 7:30 am to 10:30 pm, and the gates lock at 11:00 pm.
Toll: $13 for a car, motorcycle or RV under 28 feet; more for trailers, larger RVs and buses. One payment covers the round trip.
Unscheduled trains can hold road traffic for 15 to 30 minutes, and the operator tells drivers to allow for it.
No pedestrians and no bicycles. The tunnel is for motor vehicles and trains only.

How the tunnel works

The tunnel was cut through Maynard Mountain by the U.S. Army and finished in 1943 as a railway tunnel, so that fuel and troops could reach the ice-free port at Whittier out of sight of the sea. It opened to cars on 7 June 2000, after a conversion that set the rails flush into a concrete roadway. Trains and cars still share that one lane, which is why the timetable exists at all: the railroad uses the gaps between road openings, and the road waits when a train needs the slot.

On the Anchorage side you arrive at the Bear Valley staging area, a set of numbered lanes in front of the toll booth. You pay, join a lane and wait for the gate. Vehicles are released by type, not by arrival order: buses first, then trucks, then cars, then anything towing a trailer, with motorcycles last. The Whittier side works the same way, without the toll.

Inside, the speed limit is 25 mph. Keep your wheels off the rails, which are slippery when wet, and do not stop unless you have to: the tunnel has emergency phones and safe rooms, and a stopped vehicle sets off alarms in the control centre.

Summer schedule

From 1 May to 30 September the tunnel is open daily from 5:30 am to 11:15 pm, and the pattern is the same every day of the week:

Direction	Opens	First	Last
Bear Valley to Whittier	On the half-hour, 15 minutes	5:30 am	10:30 pm
Whittier to Bear Valley	On the hour, 15 minutes	6:00 am	11:00 pm

The state asks drivers to be at the staging area ten minutes before the opening. A few daytime openings are reserved for oversize vehicles on Monday to Thursday only, which matters to anyone towing something wide and not to an ordinary car or camper.

Winter schedule

From 1 October to 30 April the hours are shorter and the directions swap: outbound traffic still leaves Whittier on the hour, from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm, and inbound traffic leaves Bear Valley on the half-hour, from 7:30 am to 10:30 pm. The gates lock at 11:00 pm.

In freezing weather (32°F or below) the tunnel opens only for the last five minutes of each scheduled window, to keep the doors shut against the cold. You need to be in the lane before that short opening, not arriving during it. None of the day cruises on this site sail in winter, so this schedule matters mainly to shoulder-season drivers and anyone visiting Whittier itself outside the cruise season.

Tolls

The toll is charged once, when you enter from the Bear Valley side, and it covers the return. The state’s published rates:

Vehicle	Toll
Car, motorcycle, RV under 28 ft, truck under 12,000 lb	$13
Car towing a trailer, or RV of 28 ft or more (not towing)	$22
RV of 28 ft or more towing, boat trailer over 8.5 ft wide, van or bus for 10–29 people	$38
Bus for 30 or more people	$137

The booth takes cash, local and traveller’s cheques, Visa and Mastercard, and tickets can be bought in advance through the state’s online YODEL portal. The rate table has not changed for several seasons, but check it before you travel. Parking in Whittier is a separate cost: the main public lot, Whittier Parking & Campground, charges $15 a day for a car, $17 with a trailer and $20 for an oversized vehicle. No cruise on this site includes the toll, and only the small-group Blackstone Bay trip includes parking.

Timing for the 26 Glacier Cruise

The 26 Glacier Cruise leaves Whittier at noon and returns at about 5:15 pm. Phillips asks you to check in at its office at the Cliffside Marina by 11:30 am and to take the 10:30 am tunnel. Working backwards:

About 8:45 am: leave central Anchorage. Phillips suggests allowing an hour and a half for the drive, and the Seward Highway along Turnagain Arm is not a road to hurry.
By 10:20 am: be in the Bear Valley lanes with the toll paid.
10:30 am: through the tunnel, then park and walk to the marina.
By 11:30 am: checked in.

The 11:30 am tunnel is the fallback, and it leaves no room for a train delay. On the way back, the boat docks at about 5:15 pm and outbound traffic leaves on the hour, so the 6:00 pm tunnel is the realistic one once you have walked back to the car. Our full breakdown of the 26 Glacier Cruise covers the route and what is included.

Timing for Glacier Quest

Glacier Quest sails an hour later, at 1:00 pm, and is back at about 4:45 pm. Check-in is by 12:30 pm and Phillips recommends the 11:30 am tunnel, which means leaving Anchorage at around 9:45 am. Coming back, the 5:00 pm tunnel is possible if you move quickly from the dock; the 6:00 pm is the comfortable one.

The small-group Blackstone Bay cruise runs from the Lazy Otter dock by the harbour ramp instead of the marina. Its operator gives the same kind of rule for its own sailings: for a 1:00 pm departure, take the 12:30 tunnel at the latest. It includes parking while you are on the water, which saves the day-lot fee.

If you would rather not manage any of this, both Phillips cruises sell coach and rail transfers from Anchorage and Alyeska. The tunnel, the toll and the parking then become the operator’s problem, and our guide to getting to Prince William Sound from Anchorage compares those options with driving yourself.

Common mistakes

Planning from the departure time. The time that matters is check-in, an hour before the boat leaves, and the tunnel that gets you there is the one before that.
Aiming for the last possible opening. A train can hold the queue for 15 to 30 minutes, and the next opening in your direction is an hour away.
Forgetting that the return is timed too. You cannot leave Whittier the moment the boat docks. Check the next outbound opening before booking a dinner table in Anchorage.
Mixing up the directions. In summer you go in on the half-hour and come out on the hour. Reading the schedule the wrong way round costs you 30 minutes each way.
Arriving on foot or by bike. Neither is allowed through the tunnel. Cyclists either take the Alaska Railroad or arrange a lift through with a driver at the staging area.
Carrying too much fuel. Portable gasoline is limited to 12 gallons in approved containers and portable propane to 100 lb in total, which catches out some campers.

Tunnel FAQ

Three practical questions come up for most drivers: what happens if you miss the window, whether bad weather closes the tunnel, and whether you can find out about delays in advance.

If you miss the opening, you wait for the next one in your direction, an hour later. There is no stand-by lane. The only weather rule in the published schedule is for freezing weather: the opening shrinks to the last five minutes of the window. For real-time status, call the tunnel line on 1-877-611-2586 (toll-free) or 907-566-2244, tune to AM 530 near Whittier or AM 1610 near Portage, or check 511.alaska.gov before you set off.

Who this guide is most useful for

Anyone driving themselves from Anchorage to a Whittier glacier cruise
Travellers deciding between self-drive and a coach or rail transfer package
RV and trailer drivers who need to know which toll class and which openings apply
Cruise-ship passengers arriving or leaving through Whittier with a car to collect
Shoulder-season visitors who will meet the winter schedule

Practical planning checklist

Confirm your cruise’s check-in time, then pick the tunnel opening before it.
Be in the Bear Valley lanes at least ten minutes before the opening.
Build in 15 to 30 minutes for a possible train delay.
Have a card or cash ready for the toll (from $13) and the Whittier parking lot (from $15 a day).
Use the restrooms at the staging area; a small boat’s facilities are limited.
Check the outbound openings before you plan anything for the evening.
In October or late April, check which schedule applies on your date.

Frequently asked questions

How does the Whittier tunnel schedule work?

The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel is a single lane shared with the Alaska Railroad, so traffic alternates direction. From 1 May to 30 September, cars go into Whittier on the half-hour from 5:30 am to 10:30 pm and come out on the hour from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm. Each opening lasts 15 minutes.

How much is the Whittier tunnel toll?

$13 for a car, motorcycle or RV under 28 feet, paid once on the Bear Valley side and covering the round trip. Vehicles towing trailers pay $22, larger rigs $38 and big buses $137. Parking in Whittier is extra, from $15 a day.

Which tunnel should I take for the 26 Glacier Cruise?

Phillips recommends the 10:30 am tunnel, with check-in at the Cliffside Marina by 11:30 am for the noon departure. For Glacier Quest, which leaves at 1:00 pm, take the 11:30 am tunnel.

Do I need to book the tunnel in advance?

No. You queue at the staging area and pay at the booth. You can buy toll tickets in advance through the state’s YODEL portal, but it does not reserve a slot. Book the cruise ahead instead; peak summer sailings fill before the tunnel does.

What happens to the tunnel in bad weather?

It keeps running on its timetable. In freezing temperatures the tunnel opens only for the last five minutes of each window, so be in line early. Rain and wind in Whittier do not change the schedule, although they can affect the cruise itself.

Can you walk or cycle through the Whittier tunnel?

No. Pedestrians and bicycles are banned because of the rail grooves in the road, the narrow lane and the tunnel’s detection systems. Take the Alaska Railroad to Whittier, or ask a driver at the staging area for a lift through.

How long does it take to drive through the tunnel?

About six minutes at the 25 mph limit. The wait at the staging area is usually the longer part, and it depends on how close to the opening you arrive.

Should I take a transfer instead of driving?

It depends on your group. For two people with a rental car, driving is cheaper. For a family, or anyone without a car, a coach or rail transfer removes the toll, the parking and the timing problem together. Our getting there guide compares the options.

Final take

The Whittier tunnel is easy once you plan around it. Work back from your check-in time, be in the lanes ten minutes before the opening you need, and allow for a train. Do that and the tunnel becomes part of the day: a six-minute drive through a mountain at the end of one of Alaska’s best roads, with the fjord waiting on the other side.

Whittier Tunnel Guide for Cruise Passengers