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Seward: Exit Glacier Ice Hike with Pickup & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.90 (172 reviews) 96% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellation

1/51

Duration8h

GroupUp to 20

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Step onto ancient blue ice near Seward and feel Alaska’s wild heart

You’ll start your day in Seward with a local guide leading you through mossy forests up to Exit Glacier’s shimmering blue ice. Feel the crunch under your boots, learn stories of Alutiiq history, and share a simple lunch surrounded by wild silence. It’s more than a hike — it’s a memory that lingers long after you return.

Step-by-step itinerary

Pick up in Seward or meet at office
Transport to National Park start point
Explore glaciers and Harding Icefield
Observe wildlife and boreal forests
Return transport to Seward

The Experience

Li, our glacier guide, handed me a helmet and grinned, “You’ll want this for the ice.” I was still fumbling with my crampons when she showed us how to walk like penguins — which got a laugh out of everyone. The air smelled sharp, almost metallic, and there was this hum from the river below that made it all feel alive. We’d started early from Seward (the van pickup was right on time), but by the time we reached the trailhead I was wide awake — nerves and excitement both kicking in.

The first stretch through the alder forest felt soft underfoot, damp moss everywhere. Li pointed out where the Native Alutiiq used to gather berries along these paths — I hadn’t realized how much history sits in these woods. When we finally stepped onto Exit Glacier itself, it hit me: this wasn’t just snow. The ice had these deep blue cracks that looked bottomless if you stared too long. Sunlight bounced off everything; I kept squinting even behind sunglasses. At one point I tried to say “glacier” in Alutiiq — Li laughed and said she’d heard worse attempts.

Lunch was simple — turkey wrap, apple, granola bar — but eating it sitting on a rock overlooking the Harding Icefield made it taste like something special. My hands were cold but I didn’t care; there was this quiet except for wind and someone’s distant voice echoing off the ice. Honestly, I still think about that view sometimes when city noise gets too loud. The hike back felt different somehow — slower maybe? Or maybe I just didn’t want to leave yet.

What’s included

Your day includes round-trip hotel pickup from Seward or meeting at their local office if you’re driving yourself.
All glacier hiking gear—crampons, helmet, harness, backpack—comes ready for you.
A professional glacier guide leads every step, plus you get a simple deli lunch before heading back to town together.

Good to know

Demanding physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Kenai Backcountry Adventures