Denali Flightseeing Tour from Talkeetna: Glacier Landing Option

Denali from the Air: Glaciers, Gorges & a Chance to Land on Ice

You fly 1.25 hours above Denali's glaciers and peaks in a small ski-equipped aircraft with a pilot's live narration on your headset. The optional glacier landing adds 30 minutes and lets you step onto the ice. Local transfers to Talkeetna airport are available. Bring a camera and expect to see the Kahiltna Glacier, the Ruth Glacier's 4,000-foot gorge, and seven major glaciers across the Alaska Range.

Step-by-step itinerary

Flightseeing tour over Alaska glaciers

• Check in at Talkeetna State Airport
• Bring sunglasses, light jacket, camera
• Board ski-equipped aircraft
• Listen to pilot commentary on headset
• Fly over Talkeetna and Susitna valley rivers
• View icefalls, glaciers, and snowy peaks
• See Great Gorge of the Ruth Glacier
• Explore seven major glaciers in Alaska Range
• Optional glacier landing for extra 30 minutes

The experience

There's a moment, maybe twenty minutes into the flight, when the river valleys drop away and you're looking straight down at the Kahiltna Glacier: 45 miles of ice and ridged earth stretching into the Alaska Range like something from another planet. You can't quite believe you're seeing it from a small ski-equipped plane with headsets on, listening to your pilot explain the geological layers as they pass beneath you. That's the feeling this flightseeing tour from Talkeetna builds toward. It's not a sightseeing bus or a crowded observation deck. It's a 1.25 hour flight that takes you over the Susitna Valley, past the Great Gorge of the Ruth Glacier (which is 4,000 feet of solid ice, one of the deepest gorges on earth), and through a landscape of seven major glaciers that most people only see in photographs.

The day starts at the Talkeetna State Airport, where you check in 45 minutes before departure at the log cabin office. Bring sunglasses, a light jacket if it's summer, and a camera with plenty of memory. You'll need it. Once you're airborne, the pilot's commentary comes through your individual headset, so you're not straining to hear over engine noise or competing with other passengers. The flight follows the river systems north, and the scale of it hits you gradually: the icefalls, the snowy peaks, the ridges of earth and ice that seem to go on forever. If you add the glacier landing option (which extends your trip by 30 minutes), you'll actually touch down on the ice, step out onto the snow, and stand in that landscape instead of just looking at it from above.

Local transfers within Talkeetna to the airport can be arranged when you book, though if you're staying more than 3 miles from town, you'll need to make your way to the airport address (14212 E. Second Street, Talkeetna AK, 99676). The whole experience (flight, narration, the weight of seeing Denali's glaciers up close) is built around small groups and a pilot who knows the geology and the wildlife. Infants can come along (they sit on an adult's lap), and it's suitable for all fitness levels since you're sitting the whole time. It's the kind of thing you book early in an Alaska trip because once you've seen the range from the air, everything else you do in the state feels connected to it.

What’s included

• Your flightseeing tour includes the 1.25 hour flight in a ski-equipped aircraft, live narration from your pilot delivered on an individual headset, and local taxes.
• Local transfers within Talkeetna to the airport can be arranged.
• The glacier landing option is available for an additional fee and adds 30 minutes to your flight time.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 1 May 2027

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (2 to 11 years) · Infant (under 2)

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish

Audio guideChinese, Japanese and Korean

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 27 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Talkeetna Air Taxi

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want to see Denali's glaciers and peaks without hiking or a multi-day expedition. The flight does the traveling for you. Expect to be airborne for 1.25 hours with views that change constantly. If you add the glacier landing, plan for closer to two hours total and the chance to step onto the ice.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (2 to 11 years); Infant (under 2).

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.

How long is the flightseeing tour from Talkeetna?

The flight is 1.25 hours (75 minutes). If you add the glacier landing option, it extends to approximately 1.75 hours total.

Can you land on a glacier during this tour?

Yes, a glacier landing is available as an add-on option. It adds 30 minutes to your flight time and lets you step out onto the ice.

What's included in the tour?

The tour includes the flight, live narration from your pilot on an individual headset, and local taxes. Glacier landing is optional and costs extra.

Do I need to arrange my own transfer to Talkeetna airport?

Local transfers within Talkeetna to the airport can be arranged when you book. If you're staying more than 3 miles from town, you'll go directly to the airport at 14212 E. Second Street, Talkeetna AK, 99676.

What should I bring on the flight?

Bring sunglasses, a light jacket (especially in summer), and a camera with plenty of memory for photos.

What glaciers will I see?

You'll see the Kahiltna Glacier (45 miles long, the longest in Denali National Park), the Ruth Glacier's Great Gorge (4,000 feet of ice), and seven major glaciers on the south side of the Alaska Range.

How early do I need to arrive before my flight?

Check in at the log cabin office 45 minutes before your scheduled departure time.