Kenai Fjords cruise: captain-led glacier and whale tour

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/7

Duration7h

GroupUp to 130

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

The captain plots the route based on where the whales are that morning.

A seven-hour guided cruise through Kenai Fjords National Park departing from Seward, where your captain chooses the day's route based on current wildlife sightings, ice conditions and expert knowledge. The tour includes a wildlife guide, lunch and extended time on the water to maximize encounters with tidewater glaciers, whales, puffins, otters and sea lions. Dress in layers; binoculars and a camera are worth bringing.

Step-by-step itinerary

Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise

Board cruise at Seward Terminal
Cruise around Cape Ailiak
View Aialik Bay and glaciers
Visit Aialik or Holgate Glacier
Spot wildlife in Alaska Maritime Refuge
Explore Resurrection Bay
Watch for whales and seabirds

The Experience

The boat leaves Seward Cruise Ship Terminal and heads into Resurrection Bay, where the captain reads the morning's wildlife reports and decides whether to chase reports of orcas and humpback whales or to head straight toward the tidewater glaciers. This flexibility is the whole point—more time on the water means more chances to see something rare, whether that's a breaching whale or a calving glacier face. The route typically takes you around Cape Ailiak and into Aialik Bay, where you'll see Harding Icefield's snow and ice fields rising from the water.

You'll visit one of two tidewater glaciers—Aialik or Holgate—depending on conditions and what the captain has learned that morning. Both are surrounded by steep cliffs, dense forests and towering peaks. Calving events happen unpredictably, and when they do, chunks of ice break and crash into the ocean. Harbor seals haul out on the ice, and black bears have been spotted on the beaches in Holgate Arm, though rarely. The Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, made up of 2,400 islands and rocks, is known for its seabirds—kittiwakes, puffins and murres fill the skies.

A wildlife guide travels with you and provides interpretation throughout the cruise. Lunch is included, with a vegetarian option available if you request it at booking. The tour runs seven hours and operates in all weather, so layers, a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen are essential. Binoculars and a camera will help you capture what you see, though the guide's knowledge of where to look is often more valuable than the gear.

What’s included

Seven-hour guided cruise through Kenai Fjords National Park.
on-board wildlife guide providing interpretation.
lunch with vegetarian option available.
all fees and taxes.
visits to tidewater glaciers and Resurrection Bay.
access to Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by The Alaska Collection

Is this one for you?Book this cruise if you want the captain's expertise to drive where you go—the flexible routing means you chase the morning's best wildlife reports instead of following a fixed itinerary, which is what turns a seven-hour boat ride into a hunt for breaching whales and calving glaciers.