Taku Glacier Helicopter and Airboat Tour from Juneau

★★★★★★★★★★ 5.00 (21 reviews) 100% rated it 5 stars

Instant confirmation

1/11

Duration3h 15m

GroupUp to 5

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Helicopter, airboat, and a landing on ancient ice in one morning

A combined helicopter and airboat tour from Juneau that takes you over the Juneau Icefield and Tongass National Forest to Taku Point, where you board an airboat for an hour-long cruise along the five-mile face of Taku Glacier, then reboard the helicopter to land on the glacier itself. Van pickup from downtown Juneau is included; the tour runs about three and a half hours total. Dress for temperatures 10–15°F colder than sea level, and note that a surcharge applies for guests over 250 pounds.

3h 15m

Step-by-step itinerary

Helicopter and Airboat Glacier Adventure

Transfer by van to Helicport
Gear up, restroom break, safety briefing
Fly over Tongass Forest and Juneau Icefield
Land at Taku Point, board airboat
Airboat ride along Taku Glacier
Reboard helicopter for glacier landing
Land on glacier, explore with pilot
Reboard helicopter, enjoy return flight views
Arrive at NorthStar Base, transfer to downtown

The Experience

The day starts with a van pickup from downtown Juneau and a short drive to the heliport on Douglas Island. After a safety briefing and gear check—you'll get a Mustang jacket, over-boots and rain pants—you board the helicopter for the flight north. The route crosses the Tongass National Forest and Taku Inlet, climbing toward the Juneau Icefield as the landscape shifts from forested valleys to open ice. You land at Taku Point, where the helicopter gives way to an airboat for an hour on the water.

The airboat brings you close to the Taku Glacier's five-mile face, where you can see the scale of the ice and hear it calving into the water. The glacier is ancient and active—chunks break off and drift in the inlet, and the airboat's speed and shallow draft let you get near the face in ways a larger vessel cannot. After the hour on the water, you reboard the helicopter for the final leg: a landing on the glacier itself.

On the ice, the pilot leads you out to take in the sweep of the glacier and the surrounding wilderness. This is where most visitors spend time with cameras, standing on terrain that few people ever reach. The return flight retraces the route south, and the van takes you back to downtown. The whole experience runs three and a half hours from pickup to drop-off. Bring sturdy shoes, warm layers and sunglasses; the temperature at the glacier is significantly colder than downtown, and the sun reflects hard off the ice.

What’s included

Van pickup from downtown Juneau and return drop-off.
helicopter flight over the Juneau Icefield and Tongass National Forest.
airboat cruise along the Taku Glacier for one hour.
helicopter landing on the glacier.
Mustang jacket, over-boots and rain pants.
safety briefing and all necessary gear.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by NorthStar Trekking

Is this one for you?At three and a half hours, this tour fits into a morning or early afternoon without consuming your whole day, which matters if you're exploring Juneau on a cruise stop or have other plans. The combination of helicopter and airboat means you see the glacier from the air and from the water before landing on it—a sequence most single-vehicle tours cannot offer.