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Aialik Glacier & Wildlife Day Trip

Experience a full-day adventure combining a wildlife boat tour and glacier kayaking in Kenai Fjords National Park

Tour Alaska's glacial fjords on a small, purpose-built boat

Kayak near the largest & most active glacier in the park

Keep an eye out for whales, sea lions, otters, and puffins

$499
per person
7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
May 19th through September 7th
Adult & Family Tour Options
Combines 2+ Hour Wildlife Boat Tour with Glacier Kayaking
This tour offers unparalleled wildlife viewing and the chance to kayak near the most actively calving glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park.
Book online now!

Learn More about our Aialik Glacier Day Trip

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Everything you need to know

Itinerary

Meet at our Downtown Office

At our downtown office you’ll meet your guide, gear up, and prepare for the adventure ahead. The water taxi departs promptly and we have lots to cover beforehand, so please arrive on time.

Our local water taxi (see tab below) often runs two departures, so we will contact you the evening before your trip to let you know which boat your group has been assigned and what time to arrive for check-in: 7:00 am or 7:30 am.

Wildlife Boat Tour to Aialik Bay

The 2+ hour water taxi ride to Aialik Bay is a wildlife experience in itself. We often encounter:

  • Whales
  • Sea lions
  • Sea otters
  • Puffins
  • Other marine and coastal wildlife

Unlike large tour boats, our water taxi is small and intimate, and you’ll have your knowledgeable guide by your side to share stories and insights as you connect with this inspiring place.

Kayaking in Aialik Bay

After arriving at our launch beach (about 3 miles from Aialik Glacier), your guide will lead an ice safety talk and paddling 101 session. Then you’ll spend approximately 3 hours kayaking. The exact route depends on conditions such as tides, wind, weather, ice, and wildlife, as well as your group’s pace.

Highlights include:

  • Dramatic fjord landscapes
  • Views of Aialik Glacier
  • Picnic lunch and hot drinks on the beach
  • Stories about why tidewater glaciers are vital to the marine ecosystem

Return to Seward

The water taxi will collect us from the same beach and provide another 2+ hours to search for whales and other wildlife on the ride back to Seward. Expect to return to the kayak shop by 5:30–6:00 pm.

  • Passionate and Knowledgeable Guide
  • Wildlife Boat Tour
  • Locally Made Lunch
  • Snacks and Hot Drinks
  • High Quality Rain Gear (if needed)
  • Transportation From Downtown Office
  • All Kayaking Gear
    • Personal Floatation Device
    • Spray Skirt
    • Neoprene Mitts
    • 10 Liter Dry Bag
    • Double Kayak & Paddle
The two most popular things to do in Seward are boat tours & kayak tours. Our Aialik Glacier Day Trip provides guests with a unique and meaningful combination of both in just one day!

Our water taxi to Kenai Fjords National Park follows a similar route to the large tour boats (through Resurrection Bay and Aialik Bay), but fits just 24 guests, compared to the 200+ guest capacity of large tour boats. Our guests enjoy more intimate wildlife viewing opportunities, as well as learning from a knowledgable guide (rather than over a loud speaker).

The trip is over 40 nautical miles by water taxi, so the water taxi costs make up over 60% of the per person price tag for this tour. We are fortunate to access such a spectacular backyard, but please remember this is remote backcountry, and it’s no small task to get out there.

Think of this tour as two-fold: a boat tour + a kayak tour. To do these tours separately, you’d need more time and more money, to purchase two separate full day tours and also two days of vacation expenses (lodging, dining, etc.). The combination of our small, purposeful wildlife tour with the chance to paddle in the most awe-inspiring fjord in the area – all in one day – makes this tour the ultimate fjords experience.

Combining a boat tour with a kayak tour also saves you an entire day of vacation, so you can explore and enjoy more of our breathtaking state!

Clothing Layers

Seward is located at the northern tip of the largest coastal rainforest in the world. Our tours run rain or shine, so we ask you to wear synthetic or wool layers of clothing (cotton does not insulate when wet).

Rain Gear 

We require a waterproof rain jacket and rain pants, as this is a full day tour in a potentially very cold and wet environment. If you do not have your own rain gear, we offer high quality rain jackets and pants for you to borrow at no extra cost.

Footwear

Please wear footwear that you’re comfortable walking in, will keep you warm, and you don’t mind potentially getting a bit wet (closed-toe water shoes, running shoes, and hiking boots are all fine options). Your guide will launch and land your kayaks from the beach and will work hard throughout the day to keep your feet as dry as possible.

Other Essentials

We provide pogies (neoprene paddling mitts) which will keep your hands warm while kayaking. You’ll want to be sure to have your own reusable water bottle, sunscreen, sunglasses, and hat.

Packing List

You will receive a trip-specific packing list upon booking, which will go into great detail about what else to bring. Keep an eye out for it in your confirmation email!

Tours With a Water Taxi

Applies to Fox Island Day Trips, Aialik Glacier Day Trips, and all Multi-Day Camping Trips:

  • More than 30 days prior: Full refund* (minus booking fees)
  • 15–30 days prior: 20% of total invoice charged
  • 8–14 days prior: 50% of total invoice charged
  • 0–7 days prior: 100% of invoice charged (no refund)

*Full refunds include trip fees, add-ons, and taxes, minus a $10 per person booking fee for half & full day trips and a $25 per person booking fee for multi-day trips.

For more information regarding our policies, click here.

Travel Insurance: We strongly advise purchasing a travel protection plan. See Travel Insurance for details.

In today’s dynamic travel environment, it’s important to protect your travel investment so you can relax and enjoy your trip. Unforeseen events such as flight delays, a sudden sickness or injury, or even baggage loss could impact your travel plans. Cancellation fees can range up to 100% of the trip cost, depending on the date and particular trip for which you’ve been holding spaces. For your convenience, we’ve partnered with GoReady Travel Insurance to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. For more information on available plans, click here.

Responsible travelers drive sustainable practices in the travel industry. With travel contributing up to 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions annually, it’s time for us think about our impacts.

Purchase carbon offsets for your flights to AK through our partner Offset Alliance, and your contributions will go directly to protecting a biodiverse coastal rainforest on Afognak Island, southwest of Seward. This rainforest acts as an important carbon sink, capturing 2.6 billion pounds of CO2.

We’ll support your decision to travel responsibly by sending you a discount code for 5% off of this tour. Click here to offset and save.

We’ve been fortunate to work with our local water taxi partner, Weather Permitting, for over 20 years! Their captains are the most experienced in Seward, their vessels are landing crafts that have been purpose-built for wildlife viewing & kayaking tours, and comfortably fit between 18 and 24 guests. Their double-catamaran hulls provide a balanced ride and are perfect for coastal Alaska. Sit inside the heated cabin or lounge on the covered back deck.

Weather Permitting operates a total of three Coast Guard inspected water taxi vessels, which offers us some flexibility, should a vessel need maintenance or have schedule conflicts. No other water taxi company in Seward has this level of infrastructure or flexibility when it comes to vessels available.

The water taxi assigns guests to their vessels the afternoon prior to each trip, so we won’t know to which boat your group is assigned until then. Depending on your departure, you’ll need to arrive at our kayak shop at 328 3rd Ave in Seward at either 7 am or 7:30 am. We’ll reach out to you the evening prior to your trip to let you know!

Enquire now

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$499
per person
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