Cheap Helicopter Tours in Alaska

What is the cheapest helicopter tour worth booking?

That depends on what you want from it.

If you just want to ride in a helicopter

A short scenic flight is the obvious choice. Alpine Air’s Anchorage Helicopter Flightseeing Tour (30 min) flies from Girdwood into the Chugach Mountains and glaciers and back, with no landing. It starts at $459 on Viator, where it’s rated 5.0 from 16 reviews, and Alpine Air also sells it on its own website. GetYourGuide doesn’t list it.

That’s a perfectly sensible booking if your main goal is “I’ve never been in a helicopter and I’d love to see Alaska from the air.” You don’t need a glacier landing for that.

If you want to experience a glacier

Don’t stop at the cheapest scenic flight. Spend a little more for a basic glacier landing.

The cheapest on GetYourGuide is the From Palmer: Knik Glacier Helicopter Tour at $520: a 40 to 45-minute flight and about 45 minutes on Knik Glacier, rated 4.9 from 34 guests. The Anchorage: Knik Glacier Helicopter Tour with Landing is $522 for a one-hour tour with thirty minutes on the ice, and it has the best review record on this site, 5.0 from 90 guests.

For most first-time visitors, this is the price bracket we’d target. It isn’t the cheapest helicopter ticket, but it may be the cheapest tour that gives you the whole experience you came for.

Cheapest vs best value: not the same thing

Imagine you’re choosing between:

• Tour A: the 30-minute scenic flight from Girdwood, $459.
• Tour B: the Palmer flight with a glacier landing, $520.

The difference is $61.

If your goal is simply to fly in a helicopter, Tour A may be the better value. If your goal is “I want to stand on an Alaska glacier”, Tour B is clearly the logical purchase, and it gives you more time in the air as well. Saving $61 and then wishing you’d landed isn’t a saving.

That’s the most important rule when you shop for a cheaper Alaska helicopter tour: decide your non-negotiable experience first. Then find the cheapest tour that includes it.

What is the cheapest glacier helicopter tour near Anchorage?

For a glacier landing near Anchorage, budget around $480 to $520 per person.

The lowest published price is Alaska Helicopter Tours’ own Knik Glacier Landing, listed from $479 on its website, with:

• one glacier landing;
• a one-hour tour, about thirty minutes of it flying;
• departures from Alaska Glacier Lodge near Palmer;
• year-round operation.

On GetYourGuide, the cheapest landings are the Palmer flight at $520 and the flagship Knik landing at $522, both with free cancellation up to 24 hours before (7 days on the Palmer flight). South of Anchorage, the cheapest landing is Alpine Air’s one-hour Girdwood: Chugach Mountains Helicopter Flight with Landing at $629, which gives 15 to 20 minutes on the ice.

All of these cost far less than the longer multi-landing flights, which start at $749 direct and $762 on GetYourGuide. For a first-time visitor keeping costs down, we’d pick a basic one-landing tour.

Is the $762 tour worth so much more than the $520 tour?

Not for everyone. The Anchorage: Grand Knik Glacier Helicopter Tour with Landings costs $242 more per person than the Palmer flight. What that buys:

• more flight time, over two hours in all;
• three landings, including a peak looking down the length of the glacier;
• a guided walk among the meltwater pools.

That’s a genuine upgrade. But if all you wanted was to fly to a glacier, get out and experience the ice, the cheaper tour already does it, and with 45 minutes on the ice it gives you plenty of time there. Don’t upgrade automatically.

How to save money on an Alaska helicopter tour

1. Choose one landing, not several

Multiple landings sound impressive, but you don’t need them to experience an Alaska glacier. For a first flight, one glacier landing usually gives you everything you were after:

• flightseeing;
• glacier views;
• time on the ice;
• photographs.

Only pay for extra landings if they show you something genuinely different.

2. Skip dog sledding unless you want it

Dog sledding is one of the most expensive common upgrades. The jump on this site runs from:

• basic glacier landing: $520;
• helicopter glacier dog sledding: $769 from Girdwood, $816 in the Knik valley.

If dog sledding is already one of your Alaska bucket-list experiences, that’s reasonable, and our glacier dogsledding page compares the two camps. If it isn’t, don’t add it just because the booking site presents it as the premium option.

3. Don’t pay for private unless privacy matters

On a shared flight you get the same:

• glacier;
• mountains;
• flight;
• landing;
• views.

Private flights make sense for:

• proposals;
• weddings;
• anniversaries;
• dedicated photography;
• special events.

For ordinary sightseeing, we’d keep the difference. Note that booking two seats doesn’t make a shared tour private; our guide to helicopter tours for two explains how private flights work here.

4. Compare flight time, not total duration

A cheaper tour can give you more of what you value. The $520 Palmer flight is booked as 90 minutes and the $522 flagship tour as one hour, but the Palmer flight gives you fifteen more minutes on the ice. Always look at:

• total duration;
• flight time;
• time on the ground or ice.

Don’t compare the headline duration alone.

5. Skip activities you can do more cheaply elsewhere

Some of the most expensive helicopter tours combine the flight with:

• glacier trekking;
• ice climbing;
• paddleboarding;
• swimming in a meltwater pool.

If you’re already planning a guided glacier walk somewhere you can drive to, such as Matanuska Glacier north of Anchorage, you may not need to pay for heli-trekking as well. Spend the helicopter budget on the part only a helicopter can give you.

6. Look at your whole Alaska itinerary

If you’re staying in Girdwood, a Girdwood helicopter flight may be better value than driving north past Anchorage toward Palmer just because another tour is a little cheaper.

If you’re staying in Anchorage without a rental car, a tour with convenient transport may end up cheaper than arranging taxis or a separate transfer.

Compare the total trip cost, not only the helicopter ticket price.

7. Check shuttle costs

This matters around Anchorage because the glacier flights all depart outside the city: the Knik tours from the Knik River valley near Palmer, the Girdwood tours from Girdwood Airport to the south. None of the tours on GetYourGuide includes transport.

Alpine Air’s shuttle from Anchorage costs $75 per person round trip, so $150 for two. Alaska Helicopter Tours arranges door-to-door transfers by phone. A tour that looks $50 cheaper can easily cost more once transport is added.

8. Use a rental car strategically

If you already have a car, driving yourself removes the transfer cost and turns the flight into a bigger day out.

Girdwood: combine the flight with Turnagain Arm, Alyeska and the Seward Highway viewpoints.

Palmer and Knik: combine it with Palmer, the Knik River area and the Mat-Su Valley.

9. Compare child prices for families

Families should never budget on the adult headline rate alone. Check:

• the child age range;
• the child fare;
• the infant policy;
• seat requirements.

Under FAA guidance the operators here let infants under two fly on a parent’s lap, but a child aged two or over needs a purchased seat.

10. Book a package only when you want both parts

A combined tour can cost less than two separate bookings, but only if you wanted both. Spending $1,000 to “save” $100 on something you weren’t going to buy isn’t a bargain.

Are there last-minute deals on Alaska helicopter tours?

Possibly, but we wouldn’t plan an important trip around them. Helicopters carry only a handful of passengers, and waiting can mean:

• your preferred departure is full;
• only the expensive tours are left;
• your group can’t fly together;
• you have less room to reschedule around the weather.

Last-minute booking makes more sense if:

• your dates are flexible;
• the helicopter is optional;
• you’re travelling alone or as a couple;
• you’re happy to skip it if nothing suitable is left.

If the helicopter flight is one of your main Alaska priorities, book ahead.

Are helicopter tours cheaper outside summer?

Not necessarily. The cheapest glacier landings near Anchorage run year-round, and the starting prices listed on GetYourGuide don’t drop for winter. Winter can bring:

• smaller groups;
• different scenery;
• different availability.

But don’t assume the off-season means a discount. Check the price for your actual date, because a helicopter doesn’t become cheap to run just because it’s February.

Is winter better value?

It can be, for a different reason. Even at a similar ticket price, you may get more for it:

• fewer visitors;
• a quieter experience;
• snow-covered scenery.

Winter also brings:

• short daylight;
• cold temperatures;
• more weather limits on flying.

Choose winter because you want winter Alaska, not because you’re hunting for a discount.

Is booking direct cheaper?

Sometimes. The clearest case near Anchorage: Alaska Helicopter Tours lists its one-hour Knik Glacier Landing from $479 on its own website, while the matching one-hour tour on GetYourGuide is $522. Other tours, such as the $520 Palmer flight, cost about the same either way.

Helicopter tours are sold through:

• operator websites;
• travel marketplaces such as GetYourGuide and Viator;
• Alaska tour sites;
• hotel concierges;
• tour packages.

Whichever you use, compare:

• the final price;
• the cancellation terms;
• the shuttle;
• taxes and fees;
• payment rules;
• what’s actually included.

Don’t give up cancellation flexibility to save a small amount

Helicopter flights depend on the weather. Before choosing the cheapest offer, ask:

• What happens if the operator cancels?
• Can I reschedule?
• Do I get a refund?
• What if I need to cancel myself?

Every tour on GetYourGuide here can be cancelled free up to 24 hours before (7 days on the Palmer flight), and Alpine Air rebooks or refunds in full if the weather cancels a flight. Saving $20 isn’t much use if the terms are much worse.

Short scenic flight or glacier landing: which is better value?

Choose the short scenic flight if:

• budget is the priority;
• you mainly want the experience of flying in a helicopter;
• you already have another glacier activity planned;
• you don’t particularly care about walking on the ice.

Choose the glacier landing if:

• glaciers are one of the main reasons for your Alaska trip;
• you’ve never stood on a glacier;
• this may be your only Alaska helicopter ride.

For most first-time visitors, we’d spend the difference.

One landing or three: which is better value?

The Grand tour gives you noticeably more, but it also costs almost half as much again.

For someone who has never landed on a glacier, the basic landing is probably the value sweet spot. For someone who loves aerial photography or wants a longer helicopter day, the longer tour may be worth it.

Scenic flight or dog sledding: which is better value?

If dog sledding is your dream, the more expensive combination can be excellent value, because you’re getting two big Alaska experiences in one trip. If you don’t care about dog sledding, it’s money you didn’t need to spend.

How much should a couple budget?

Short scenic flight: from about $918 for two, at $459 each on Viator.

Basic Knik glacier landing: from $1,040 for two, at $520 each.

Longer multi-landing flight: from $1,524 for two, at $762 each.

Glacier dog sledding: from $1,538 to $1,632 for two, depending on whether you fly from Girdwood or the Knik valley.

Add transport if you aren’t driving. Our guide to helicopter tours for two goes through every tour for a couple.

How much should a family budget?

For four people, even the cheapest glacier landing at $520 each comes to $2,080 before transport or extras.

That’s why families should pay particular attention to:

• seat rules for young children;
• transport;
• whether dog sledding is worth the upgrade;
• whether everyone in the family wants the helicopter ride.

Check the weight rules as well. One operator charges an extra $350 if a party’s combined weight means it has to fly in two helicopters.

What should you not cut to save money?

Weather and safety standards. Never choose an operator because it seems willing to fly when others cancel.

A landing you care about. If standing on the glacier is the whole reason you’re booking, don’t drop it to hit an arbitrary budget.

Sensible cancellation protection. Particularly if your Alaska itinerary is complicated.

A reputable operator. The cheapest flight isn’t worth it if you’re uneasy about the company’s professionalism, communication or policies.

What can you safely skip?

For most first-time visitors:

• Skip the private aircraft, unless it’s a special occasion.
• Skip multiple landings, unless the extra scenery appeals.
• Skip dog sledding, unless you already wanted to do it.
• Skip specialist glacier activities, unless you’re specifically interested in them.
• Skip the longest tour, unless it adds real flight time or new places.

The cheapest sensible plan for an Anchorage visitor

Option 1: the cheapest helicopter ride. Book the 30-minute scenic flight from Girdwood. Best if the helicopter ride itself is the goal and a glacier landing isn’t essential.

Option 2: the best-value first Alaska helicopter tour. Book a one-landing glacier tour and budget about $480 to $520 per person. This is the option we recommend most often.

Option 3: the best-value upgrade. Choose a longer, multi-landing flight only if you value extra flight time, photography and a wider range of scenery.

When is the cheapest tour a bad buy?

A cheap helicopter ride is poor value if you finish it thinking, “That was nice, but I wish we’d landed.” If you know before booking that a glacier landing is essential, filter out the flight-only tours straight away.

Is an Alaska helicopter tour worth splurging on?

If your trip is mostly about:

• glaciers;
• mountains;
• remote landscapes;

then a helicopter gets you to terrain you could never reach otherwise. In that case, spending around $520 on the right helicopter tour makes more sense than spending $459 on the wrong one. Our guide to whether a helicopter ride in Alaska is worth it goes into this in more depth.

Our recommendation: best value near Anchorage

For most visitors balancing experience and price: choose a shared helicopter tour with one glacier landing. Expect to spend about $480 to $520 per person for the basic experience near Anchorage, depending on where you book. The Palmer flight at $520 gives the most time on the ice of any tour on this site.

We’d only go cheaper if you don’t mind missing the glacier landing. And we’d only spend more if the upgrade adds something specific that matters to you:

• more flight time;
• several worthwhile landings;
• dog sledding;
• a guided glacier activity;
• a private occasion.

That’s the simplest way to avoid both extremes: paying for extras you don’t need, and saving money on a tour that doesn’t give you what you came to Alaska for. If you’re still choosing between the north and south of Anchorage, our guide to helicopter tours near Anchorage compares Knik and Girdwood.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest helicopter tour in Alaska?

Near Anchorage, the cheapest helicopter ride is Alpine Air’s 30-minute scenic flight from Girdwood, from $459 on Viator. The cheapest glacier landing is Alaska Helicopter Tours’ Knik Glacier Landing, from $479 on the operator’s website or $522 on GetYourGuide, and the Palmer flight at $520.

How much is a cheap helicopter ride near Anchorage?

A scenic flight with no landing starts at about $459. For a glacier landing, expect about $480 to $520 per person, or $629 from Girdwood.

What is the cheapest way to land on an Alaska glacier by helicopter?

Book a basic single-landing glacier tour, not a multi-landing flight or an activity combination. Near Anchorage that means a Knik Glacier landing tour, from $479 direct or $520 on GetYourGuide.

Is a cheap scenic helicopter flight worth it?

Yes, if your main goal is to experience a helicopter flight and see Alaska from above. If you want to stand on a glacier, spend the extra on a landing.

Are helicopter tours cheaper in winter?

Not necessarily. The cheapest glacier landings near Anchorage run year-round, and the starting prices listed on GetYourGuide don’t drop in winter. Check the price for your actual date.

Is it cheaper to book an Alaska helicopter tour in advance?

Not automatically. Booking ahead mainly gets you better availability and more room to reschedule around the weather; it doesn’t guarantee a lower fare.

Is booking direct cheaper than GetYourGuide, Viator or another marketplace?

Sometimes. Alaska Helicopter Tours lists its Knik Glacier Landing from $479 on its own website against $522 on GetYourGuide, while other tours cost about the same either way. Compare the final price, the cancellation policy, transport and what’s included.

How can couples save money on an Alaska helicopter tour?

Book a shared flight instead of a private helicopter, choose one glacier landing instead of several, and skip activity upgrades unless you want them. Two people on the $520 Palmer flight pay $1,040.

Is a private helicopter tour worth paying extra for?

Usually not for ordinary sightseeing. It makes sense for a proposal, an anniversary or dedicated photography.

Is a glacier landing worth the extra cost?

For most first-time visitors, yes. The cheapest landing costs about $60 more than the 30-minute scenic flight and adds time on the ice.

Is dog sledding worth the extra cost?

Only if dog sledding itself matters to you. It adds roughly $250 to $300 per person to the cheapest glacier landing.

What is the best-value helicopter tour near Anchorage?

For most first-time visitors, a shared single-landing glacier tour at about $480 to $520 per person. On this site, the Palmer flight at $520 gives the most time on the ice.