Columbia Glacier Helicopter Tour with Landing: 90 Minutes, Alaska

Ninety minutes in the air, thirty on the glacier itself

This 90-minute helicopter tour over Columbia Glacier in Alaska includes a 30-minute landing on remote ice where you walk the glacier with your pilot guide, drink pure meltwater, and photograph crevasses and icebergs from the ground. The flight departs from Valdez with shuttle transfer included, and Alpine Air Alaska's pilots have logged more than 30 years operating in the region. All taxes and fees are built in.

Step-by-step itinerary

Helicopter tour and glacier landing

• Fly over Columbia Glacier
• Spot seals and mountain goats
• Land on remote glacier
• Explore glacier on foot
• Drink pure glacier water
• Take photos and videos

The experience

What makes this tour different from a standard flightseeing run is the half-hour you spend standing on the glacier itself. The helicopter lifts off from Valdez with your pilot guide, climbs over Columbia Glacier, Alaska's second-largest tidewater glacier, and banks past jagged crevasses, towering icebergs, and the blue melt pools that form in summer. You'll watch for seals on floating ice and mountain goats perched on the surrounding cliffs. But the real moment comes when the helicopter touches down on a remote section of ice, and you step out onto the glacier.

On the ground, you have 30 minutes to move around with your pilot guide, who points out the scale of the icefields and explains what you're standing in. You can drink pure glacier water straight from the melt, throw rocks into moulins (the deep shafts where water disappears into the ice), and photograph the crevasses and ice formations from a distance most people never reach. The landing gives you time to absorb the size of the place in a way the air view alone cannot. Calving events (when chunks of glacier break off and crash into the water) are possible but not guaranteed. Your pilot will position the helicopter to watch for them if conditions allow.

The full experience runs about two hours from start to finish. Shuttle transfer from any location in Valdez is included, so you don't arrange your own ride to the helipad. Alpine Air Alaska has been flying this route for more than 30 years and operates under a strict safety protocol. The company is known in the region for experienced pilots and a track record that speaks for itself.

What’s included

• 90-minute helicopter flight over Columbia Glacier with aerial views of crevasses, icebergs, and summer melt pools.
• 30-minute guided landing on remote glacier ice where you drink pure glacier water and explore with your pilot.
• shuttle transfer from any location in Valdez.
• all taxes and fees.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day except Thursday and FridayDepartures at 10:30, 12:15, 14:00 and 15:45

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (3 and older) · Infant (under 3)

GroupUp to 6

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 9 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Alpine Air Alaska

Is this one for you?The pilot speaks English and narrates the entire flight, so you follow the geography and the glacier's features as you fly. This works for anyone who wants context and story woven through the experience rather than silence or music.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Infant (under 3).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the Columbia Glacier and why is it worth seeing from the air?

Columbia Glacier is Alaska's second-largest tidewater glacier, a massive expanse of ice that calves icebergs directly into the water. From the helicopter, you see the jagged crevasses, towering ice formations, and blue melt pools that form in summer, plus the seals and mountain goats that live on and around it. The scale is impossible to grasp from the ground.

Do I actually get to walk on the glacier, or is it just a flyover?

You land on the glacier for 30 minutes and walk on the ice with your pilot guide. This is not a quick touch-and-go. You have time to explore, drink glacier water, photograph the crevasses, and take in the landscape from the ground before returning to the helicopter.

How long is the total flight time, and what's included in the price?

The tour runs 90 minutes total, with 30 minutes spent on the glacier and the rest in the air. Included are the helicopter flight, the guided landing experience, shuttle transfer from any location in Valdez, and all taxes and fees.

What should I bring or wear for a glacier landing in Alaska?

Wear warm layers and waterproof outerwear, even in summer. Glacier ice stays cold year-round. Bring a camera or phone for photos, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Your pilot guide will brief you on safety before you step out onto the ice.

Is this tour suitable if I have mobility concerns or am not in peak physical condition?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. The landing involves walking on glacier ice with your pilot guide, so you should be comfortable on uneven terrain. The helicopter itself is wheelchair accessible, and infants can ride on an adult's lap.