Experience the rugged beauty and the pristine natural habitat of rare Alaskan wildlife. Come explore the best of Southeast Alaska as we travel from the Alaskan capital of Juneau to the small village of Gustavus, the Gateway to Glacier Bay.

Glacier Bay Discovery itinerary at a glance:

• Day 1: Juneau – Mendenhall Glacier trek by Helicopter
• Day 2: Gustavus – Pleasant Island Sea Kayaking and Barlett Cove Hike
• Day 3: Gustavus – Glacier Bay National Park Day Boat Tour and Return Flight to Juneau

Hosted by an expert Alaska-based tour guide, professional naturalists, seasoned boat captains, and a veteran bush pilot, you will be immersed in the grandeur of the Last Frontier first-hand through numerous specially chosen outdoor, cultural, and wildlife-viewing experiences. Enjoy free time to hike by glaciers, shop for native art, have a craft Alaskan brew, or watch for marine wildlife on a beautiful pebble beach; leave the stress of travel and planning to us!

We will provide guests with upscale lodging at every destination, gourmet meals, and travel by road, sea, and bush plane. Our route will take us to discover glaciers, mountains, marine- and wildlife. Our journey continues to the awe-inspiring Glacier Bay National Park and the charming town of Gustavus, where we will sail among glaciers and whales in the most stunning place on earth. We finish where we began, in the beautiful coastal capital of Juneau, having explored the best of Southeast Alaska’s wildlife and scenery.

Juneau:
Downtown Juneau: Juneau is nestled in a beautifully unique landscape of temperate rainforest, glaciers, glacially-carved valleys, ocean, and islands. Downtown Juneau is a perfect mixture of modern city, native culture, and Last Frontier coastal town. Enjoy shopping, museums, art, and exquisite Alaskan cuisine along the waterfront. With ocean views, looming snow-capped peaks, and glaciers surrounding the city, you won’t have to look far for the perfect photo!

Mendenhall Glacier Helicopter Glacier Trek: The Mendenhall Glacier, one of the most beautiful and easily-accessible glaciers on the continent, sits just 13 miles away from downtown Juneau, making it one of the most popular and praised destinations in the city. The beautiful blue glacier is nearly a half-mile wide and boasts ice almost 1,800 feet deep; as part of the 1,500 square mile Juneau Icefield, the Mendenhall is in good company. We will take a once-in-a-lifetime helicopter flight to trek across the glacial ice, experiencing the glacier first-hand! Our professional glacier guides will be waiting to set you up with gear, explain glaciology and safety precautions, and guide you through the trek of a lifetime.

Gustavus:
Downtown Gustavus: Although more than 350,000 people come to see Gustavus each year, most of them never leave the bow of their cruise ships! A remote town of about 450 residents, Gustavus is known as the Gateway to Glacier Bay. Its coastline is covered in the softest sand found anywhere in Southeast Alaska, perfect for lounging and watching the whale, bald eagles, seals, and other wildlife frolic off the coast. Known for its sea kayaking through pristine waters, Gustavus is also a hub of adventure, as well as a wildlife Valhalla.

Sea Kayaking to Pleasant Island: On this ½-day sea kayaking excursion, we will gear up with our professional kayaking guides and head out into Icy Strait Passage. We will paddle to Pleasant Island, located just over a mile from the shores of Gustavus, and explore the remote coastline. While crossing Icy Strait Passage, we’ll keep an eye out for sea otters, porpoises, sea lions, minke whales, orcas, seals, and bald eagles. Closer to shore, we may see a multitude of intertidal creatures as we drift along in our kayaks. We will paddle to beautiful sandy beaches to stretch our legs and explore before returning to Gustavus.

Glacier Bay National Park Visitor Center: Conveniently located right inside the Glacier Bay Lodge (our lodging during our time in Gustavus), the Glacier Bay National Park Visitor Center will be our one-stop-shop for information on the local flora, fauna, natural and cultural history around Gustavus and the national park. Glacier Bay National Park is the ancestral homeland of the Huna Tlingit clans who sustained themselves for centuries on the abundant resources of the land and sea. Several exhibits explore the park’s natural and cultural history. There are several activities we can participate in, such as park ranger-led films, a 1-mile walk to Bartlett Cove, and a Healing Totem Talk in the evening in conjunction with the program at Xunaa Shuká Hít (Huna Tribal House).

Day Boat Sailing to Glacier Bay National Park: We will set sail on a high-speed catamaran from Gustavus for a 7-hour excursion that you will never forget. We’ll spend the day on the waters of Glacier Bay, see magnificent tidewater glaciers, ancient snow-capped mountains, whales, stellar sea lions, rare birds such as puffins, coastal bears, seals, eagles, and so much more. The landscape and ecosystems will change dramatically as we pass rainforests, lichen-covered rocks, and dramatic ice. We will linger by at the faces of the Margerie and Grand Pacific Glaciers, two towering masses of ice and snow rising 245 feet above the ocean and stretching another 100 feet beneath the water. The ice that calves from the face of the two glaciers is an average of 200 years old, allowing you to watch the passage of time as they crash into the water. This incredible Alaskan tour will leave you speechless.

Day 0: Arrival Day
Upon your arrival into Juneau, your guide will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel. Once you are settled, you will have free time to enjoy the state capital of Alaska. Your guide will let you know at what time to meet the next day to start your adventure through Southeast Alaska.
Meals on your own.

Day 1: Juneau – Mendenhall Glacier Heli Trek Adventure 
We will start our journey in the beautiful Mendenhall Glacier Valley! Our adventure begins as we step onto the helicopters waiting to whisk us away onto the glacier ice. We’ll gear up with our professional glacier guides for a trek across the ice. We will hear about glaciology, the natural history of the area, and glacier safety as we trek. We will have lunch in downtown Juneau. The rest of the day will be at your leisure to explore Alaska’s capital city.
Included: B-L.

Day 2: Gustavus – Flight to Gustavus, Glacier Bay National Park Visitor Center, and Sea Kayaking around Pleasant Island
After breakfast we will fly to Gustavus, the Gateway to Glacier Bay, one of the most popular destinations for those visiting Alaska. Once in Gustavus, we will visit the Glacier Bay National Park Visitor Center where we will learn about the park, the flora and fauna, and the people that have been inhabiting this area since the dawn of time. Several exhibits explore the park’s natural and cultural history. There are several activities to participate in, such as park ranger-led films, a 1-mile walk to Bartlett Cove, and a Healing Totem Talk in the evening in conjunction with the program at Xunaa Shuká Hít (Huna Tribal House). Glacier Bay National Park is the ancestral homeland of the Huna Tlingit clans who sustained themselves for centuries on the abundant resources of the land and sea. After lunch, we will hop in our kayaks and cross the Icy Strait. During this excursion to Pleasant Island, keep an eye for sea otters, porpoises, sea lions, minke whales, orcas, seals, and bald eagles. We will paddle along the coast to explore the multitude of intertidal creatures before returning to Gustavus for dinner and leisure time.
Included: B-L.

Day 3: Gustavus – Glacier Bay National Park Day Boat Tour and Flight to Juneau
Today, we will have an early start as we board the Glacier Bay day boat and sail 130 miles through the illustrious and jaw-dropping Glacier Bay. This 7-hour tour will take you on a journey through land- and seascapes rich with wildlife, sailing through a waterway that was under a river of ice only 250 years ago. A National Park Ranger will provide informative commentary throughout the tour. We will sail very close to an isolated island to observe seabirds and marine mammals. Tufted and Horned Puffins and the Common Murre nest here, alongside Pelagic Cormorants and Black-legged Kittiwakes. The area is also the best place to see Steller Sea Lions, as their feeding grounds are close! We will enjoy lunch amidst the icebergs from the tidewater glaciers ahead. After lunch, you will be able to get closer to the river of ice hundreds of feet thick and nearly a mile wide. This will be our chance to see and hear the ice calving into the water – something you will remember for years to come! Upon arrival back to Gustavus, we will board a plane to return to the Juneau airport, where you will be able to connect with a flight home or return to your hotel.
Included: B-L

Note: While not included in the cost, our guides can facilitate group dinners at our favorite spots in town.

Weather delays and associated considerations: Alaska Yukon Discovery Tours may change the scheduled itinerary due to weather, conditions, or operational conflicts. If, for any reason, one of the scheduled itinerary elements is unable to operate as planned, we will implement alternate tour programming which may involve alternate locations and/or different activities.

For Interactive Map Click Here

We work with the best upscale and conveniently located hotels in Juneau, Haines, and Gustavus. To that extent, we have partnered with the following lodging options to ensure the best experience possible for our guests.

Lodging in Juneau: Four Points by Sheraton
Four Points by Sheraton Juneau offers modern comfort in the historic downtown district of Alaska’s capital. With spacious accommodations, contemporary amenities, complimentary Wi-Fi, plush bedding, and both ocean and mountain-scape views, you won’t want for anything. Conveniently located just footsteps away from shops, restaurants, and museums. The hotel has a sports bar and grill and 24-hour fitness center, as well as waterfront access right out the door.

Lodging in Gustavus: Glacier Bay Lodge
Glacier Bay Lodge offers the only hotel accommodations within the national park. The Lodge, tucked into the spruce trees that line Bartlett Cove, offers magnificent sunset views of the Fairweather Mountain range. With clean, comfortable, Alaskan-inspired rooms, you’ll rest well after your full days of adventure, surrounded by the quiet Alaskan rainforest. The lobby sports a massive stone fireplace to cozy up and reminiscence on the scenery around you in the evenings, and provides world-class meals straight from the Alaskan waters next door.

Trip Documents:

• Trip Itinerary – Detailed trip itinerary
• Know Before You Go FAQs – Printable list of FAQs
• Juneau Travel Information – How best to get to and from Juneau, Alaska
• Packing List – Overview of personal clothing and accessories for your Alaskan travels
• Waiver – Printable waiver for your review
• Terms & Conditions – Overview of terms and conditions associated with this trip

Group Price: $3900 (+ tax, in USD)
Single Supplement: $450.00

Private Booking Price:
$4,300 Price per person – 2 people
$3,900 Price per person – 3 people
$3,700 Price per person – 4 people
$3,670 Price per person – 5 people
$3,500 Price per person – 6 people

All prices are per person based on double occupancy.

2024 Dates: June 9, 23, July 7, 21, August 4, 18, September 1
2025 Dates: June 8, 22, July 6, 20, August 3, 17, 31

What is included in the standard vacation price?

• Professionally planned itinerary
• Expert guides and private escorts throughout your vacation
• Upscale hotel accommodations
• Breakfast and lunch per the itinerary
• All activities as listed on the itinerary
• All equipment necessary for all included activities
• Transportation to and from all included activities
• All admission charges for all included activities
• Transfer between destinations on the itinerary
• Airport transfers

Guests are responsible for the following:

• Air transportation to the departure city
• Gratuities for guides, bus drivers, waiters, and special guides
• Alcoholic beverages during included lunches
• Dinners (While not included in the cost, our guide can facilitate group dinners at our favorite spots in town)
• Travel Insurance

To book your adventure, follow the steps below:

1. 1. Please call to confirm availability at 1-800-766-3396 or fill out an online form to request more information via this link: Contact Us
   2. Place a deposit to reserve your spot; this can be placed over the phone by credit card, check in the mail, or through our payment gateway.
   3. Once the deposit is confirmed, you will receive a welcome packet with all the necessary registration forms and trip information. We kindly ask that you submit all the necessary trip registration information at least 45 days prior to your trip.

   For private booking or custom-made itineraries, please speak to one of our consultants:

   Call 1-907-313-4422
   Monday – Friday
   8am – 4pm – Alaska Standard Time

   Connect with Us!