Seward: Kenai Fjords Glacier & Wildlife Cruise 6 Hours

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/7

Duration6h

GroupUp to 130

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Five tidewater glaciers calve into the Gulf of Alaska—and you'll see one from the water

You board at the Seward terminal and spend six hours on the water through Resurrection Bay and into Kenai Fjords National Park, passing seabird rookeries in the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge and approaching a tidewater glacier up close enough to hear ice calving. Lunch and captain's commentary are included; you bring layers and binoculars and book your vegetarian meal in advance if needed.

Step-by-step itinerary

Kenai Fjords National Park cruise tour

Depart from Seward Cruise Terminal
Navigate through Resurrection Bay
View seabirds at Alaska Maritime Refuge
Watch seabirds, waterfalls, glaciers at Thumb Cove
Visit Aialik or Holgate tidewater glacier
Look for wildlife including whales and seals
Enjoy onboard lunch and captain commentary

The Experience

The boat leaves the Seward Cruise Ship Terminal and you're immediately scanning the water for movement. Your captain knows where to look. Within the first hour, Resurrection Bay opens up and you're heading into Kenai Fjords National Park, where half the landmass is ice—the Harding Icefield, a thousand-foot block left over from the last Ice Age. It spreads out in all directions as glaciers, five of them reaching all the way to the ocean. You'll pass Thumb Cove first, where waterfalls drop from hanging glaciers and seabirds wheel overhead. The boat slows. Someone points. That's when you realize how quiet it gets on the water.

The Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge sprawls across 2,400 islands, rocks and reefs, and the seabird rookeries are loud—thousands of them nesting on the cliffs. Your guide keeps the commentary running, pointing out what you're seeing and what to watch for. Then the boat turns toward either Aialik or Holgate Glacier, the two tidewater glaciers that anchor the day. Aialik is ringed by steep cliffs and dense forest. Holgate sits deeper in, surrounded by mountain peaks. Both calve—ice chunks break and crash into the ocean without warning. It's the kind of thing you can't unsee. Harbor seals haul out on the ice. If you're lucky, whales pass through, though they're not guaranteed. The six-hour Kenai Fjords cruise keeps you close enough to feel the scale of it all without rushing.

Lunch comes onboard—complimentary, with a vegetarian option if you request it when booking. There's a restroom on board, which matters on a six-hour trip. The boat operates in all weather, so layers are non-negotiable; bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and binoculars if you have them. A camera is obvious. The whole thing is wheelchair accessible, and the tour suits all fitness levels because you're sitting the whole time. The one real constraint: if your cruise ship requires you back by 5:30 pm, this tour doesn't work—the return cuts it too close.

What’s included

Six-hour sightseeing cruise through Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords National Park.
onboard wildlife guide and captain's commentary.
viewing of a tidewater glacier (Aialik or Holgate) and seabird rookeries in the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.
complimentary lunch with vegetarian option available.
onboard restroom.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessiblePets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by The Alaska Collection

Is this one for you?Book this if your cruise schedule allows a full six-hour excursion and you want glacier and wildlife viewing without arranging separate transport from Seward—the boat departs and returns from the cruise terminal, and the timing is built around the tour, not around your ship's schedule.