This is the perfect tour for those with limited time in Alaska. Experience magnificent Portage Glacier on this full-day tour from Anchorage, as well as famous Seward Highway, America's most scenic road. Hugging the edge of Turnagain Arm, stop at lookouts like Beluga Point to try to spot all sheep then, continue on to see even more wildlife at the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge (seasonal). Take a 1-hour cruise on Portage Lake to see Portage Glacier calving, and see where wildlife is rehabilitated at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Later, head high up on the Chugach Mountains for amazing panoramic views of the Anchorage bowl and beyond (weather permitting) This is a 6-hr tour (approx.)
Activity Level: EASY
Guests should be able to walk short distances on uneven ground. Trails surfaces vary from paved to uneven natural terrain. Tour participants must be able to walk a short distance and be able to get in/out of the tour vehicle with minimal assistance.
Inclusions & Exclusions
✔ Light snacks
✔ Bottled water
✔ Professional photographer guide (when available)
✔ Spanish-speaking guide (when available)
✔ Professional Local Guide
✖ Gratuities
✖ Food and drinks, unless specified
✖ Pickups from private homes, apartments or B&B's. If this is your case, please contact the supplier for the nearest pick up location
Departure & Return
Departure:
555 W 5th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501, USA
Return: End right where it started.
Itinerary
1
Beluga Point
Beluga Point is one of the scheduled stops. We will have narration about the area, its geology, unique features and history of the area. Guests will have time to take photos.
Duration: 15 minutes
2
Seward Highway
The drive from Anchorage to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center/Portage Glacier Area begins with spectacular views as you pass between the dramatic shorelines of Turnagain Arm and the jutting peaks of the Chugach Mountains. The Seward Highway is considered to be one of the most scenic highways in the US.
Duration: 2 hours
3
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
At the 200-acre Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, jaws drop in awe-even those of longtime Alaskans who've studied grizzlies and other animals up close. AWCC's mission is to preserve Alaska’s wildlife through conservation, research, education and quality animal care. The center, which opened to the public in 1993, also educates visitors about Alaska's wildlife. Coyotes peer out from behind the brush while a bald eagle swoops in on the salmon remains left by a grizzly bear. Wood Bison plod through 65 acres of tidal flat terrain, as part of a program that will one day restore the species to the Alaskan wilderness. Animals that cannot be released into the wild are given a permanent home at the center. Come be a part of these exciting programs and watch these animals display their natural, “wild”, behavior.
You will have about 90 minutes here to view these animals. There is coffee and food for purchase from vendors at the Center.
Duration: 1.5 hours
4
Portage Glacier
Portage Glacier Cruise is one hour from Anchorage. This cruise will take you right up to the face of a glacier. You’ll board the comfortable MV Ptarmigan, featuring an enclosed, heated cabin and open-air observation deck. The hour-long cruise is narrated by the US Forest Service, and you’ll navigate around bobbing icebergs and motor to within 300 feet of the towering wall of ice called Portage Glacier (one of Alaska’s most popular attractions). You may have an opportunity to hear the unmistakable rumbling of a calving glacier or rolling iceberg.
After the 1 hour cruise, you will have an opportunity to eat lunch at a nearby restaurant. Lunch is not included.
Duration: 60 minutes
5
Chugach State Park
Enjoy wide open panoramic views from a high overlook in the Chugach Mountains
Duration: 30 minutes
Additional info
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Specialized infant seats are available
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• May be operated by a multi-lingual guide.
• A minimum number of people per booking is required for this tour to operate.
• Glacier Cruise portion of the tour is subject to weather conditions.
• Activity level: EASY.
• Guests should be able to walk short distances on uneven ground. Trail surfaces vary from paved to uneven natural terrain. Tour participants must be able to walk a short distance and be able to get in/out of the tour vehicle with minimal assistance. We strongly recommend that guests requiring assistance be accompanied by a companion who is capable of, and totally responsible for, providing assistance. Neither Planet Earth Adventures nor our suppliers may physically lift or assist guests onto transportation vehicles or otherwise.
• We have limited number of infant/child seats. These must be requested in advance if you have a child. If it is NOT requested at the time of booking, we will NOT have them on the day of the tour.
