Alaska Helicopter Tours Knik Glacier Landing: What to Know Before You Book
A one-hour helicopter trip from Alaska Glacier Lodge, near Palmer, with a 30-minute landing on Knik Glacier and the pilot as your guide on the ice. Reviewers rate the pilots and the landing very highly. The main thing to weigh is that only about half of the hour is spent flying.
Tour details
- Rating: 5.0/5 on GetYourGuide from about 90 reviews
- Price: from $522 per person when we checked on October 14, 2026
- Length: 1 hour, with about 30 minutes of flying and 30 minutes on the glacier
- Departs: Alaska Glacier Lodge, 29979 East Knik River Road, near Palmer
- Operator: Alaska Helicopter Tours
- Season: year-round, with fewer departure times in winter
- Cancellation: free up to 24 hours before
What to expect on the Knik Glacier helicopter tour
Alaska Helicopter Tours’ Knik Glacier Helicopter Tour with Landing leaves from Alaska Glacier Lodge on East Knik River Road, near Palmer. The pilot flies you up the Knik River valley, lands on Knik Glacier for 30 minutes and flies you back to the lodge, all within an hour. It started from $522 per person when we checked on October 14, 2026, and that price includes the flight, the landing and the facility and permit fees.
The calendar below shows open departure times on your dates. The listing currently offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Check Availability
The listing describes the landing spot as the middle of the glacier, on ice about a thousand years old, with blue meltwater pools, crevasses and ice formations around it. It also suggests filling your water bottle from the glacier, and some reviewers mention drinking the meltwater. On the flights, some reviewers saw moose, black bears or mountain goats on the valley walls.
We haven’t taken this flight. For this guide we checked the GetYourGuide listing and Alaska Helicopter Tours’ own planning guide, and read traveler reports in English, German, Italian, Spanish and several other languages, looking at what people said about the time on the ice, the flying, the weather and the seating.
There are four things worth knowing before you book:
- The flying adds up to about 30 minutes, roughly 15 minutes each way. The other half of the hour is spent on the glacier.
- The flight leaves from a lodge near Palmer, not from Anchorage, and transport from the city costs extra.
- Flights depend on the weather. Low cloud, high wind or icing can delay or cancel a departure.
- Every passenger is weighed at check-in. Guests of 250 lb or more pay a comfort surcharge, and groups can be split between helicopters.
The listing gives the flight and landing times, while the weight and transfer rules are in the operator’s planning guide. All but two of the roughly 90 ratings on the listing are five stars.
This is a good fit if your main goal is to stand on Knik Glacier for half an hour.
Knik Glacier landing or a longer flight?
The listing splits the hour into 30 minutes of “flightseeing” and a 30-minute glacier landing, and its description gives the return as a 15-minute flight over the Knik River. That leaves about 15 minutes for the flight out, through the Great Gorge or up the Knik. On the listing, the guide score is 5.0/5, transportation 4.9/5 and value for money 4.8/5.
The few less positive comments are about this split. One reviewer in 2023 said the 30-minute landing didn’t have much to see, and that more flight time with close-up views of the glacier would have made it better.
Two other Knik Glacier flights give more time in the air:
- Outbound Heli Adventures’ From Palmer: Knik Glacier Helicopter Tour started from $520 per person when we checked. Its listing gives a 40 to 45-minute flight and 45 minutes on the glacier with microspikes, over 1.5 hours, and it is rated 4.9/5 from more than 30 reviews. It flies from its own base in Palmer and sets a 300 lb individual seat limit.
- Alaska Helicopter Tours’ Grand Knik Glacier Helicopter Tour with Landings started from $762 per person. It lasts two hours from the same lodge, with three landings, and is rated 5.0/5 from more than 25 reviews. One reviewer described landings beside the Lake George glacier wall, at an overlook above Colony Glacier and on Knik Glacier itself.
The one-hour landing tour suits you if the walk on the glacier is the main draw and you’d like to be back at the lodge within the hour. The Palmer flight makes more sense if you want more flying for about the same price, and the Grand Knik tour if you’d like to land in more than one place.
Five tips before you book
- Plan your drive to Alaska Glacier Lodge before you book. The lodge is at 29979 East Knik River Road, near Palmer. Alaska Helicopter Tours puts it about 45 minutes north of Anchorage, and the listing calls it a one-hour drive. Without a car, call 907-272-7777 after booking to arrange a transfer. The operator’s planning guide lists round-trip transfers from select Anchorage locations from $79 per person.
- Book the flight early in your Alaska stay. If the weather cancels it, the operator first tries to move you to later that day or another date, and refunds in full if neither works. A flight early in your trip leaves more days to move to.
- Give accurate weights for everyone when you book. Weights are checked at check-in. Guests of 250 lb or more pay a comfort surcharge, and the operator says under-reported weights can lead to extra charges, rescheduling or cancellation.
- Wear closed-toe shoes with good grip. Open-toed shoes are not allowed, and the operator provides overboots and microspikes on its ice-landing tours. In winter it asks for snow boots, a warm coat, snow pants, gloves and a hat.
- Bring sunglasses and an empty water bottle. Both are on the listing’s packing list, and the bottle is for the glacier water.
How the Knik Glacier flight runs
You check in at the lodge, where staff weigh each passenger and give a safety briefing. The operator says that arriving late for check-in can mean a shortened, rescheduled or cancelled tour. Neither the listing nor the planning guide gives a check-in time, so ask when you book.
Seats are assigned on the day by weight and balance, including who sits in front. Alaska Helicopter Tours flies three-passenger Robinson helicopters and a six-passenger Astar, so a family of four may fly in two aircraft. The operator says split groups land at the same spot.
The flight out takes about 15 minutes. The pilot narrates and watches for wildlife, and a 2026 reviewer said their pilot spotted bears and mountain goats on the way back. After 30 minutes on the glacier, the return flight follows the glacier river down the Knik valley to the lodge. Allow for the drive and check-in on top of the hour.
Stop 1: Knik Glacier
Your pilot is also your guide on the ice, and reviewers describe them leading a short walk, picking spots for photos and explaining what you’re looking at. One recent reviewer said the pilot took them along a few different routes so they could see more of the glacier. Pilots named in 2026 reviews include Alec, Ryan, Liam and Alex.
In summer the surface carries meltwater pools and streams. In winter the glacier is covered in snow. An October reviewer described a “wintery day in the sun” on the glacier and said they would like to come back in summer too.
Several first-time helicopter passengers said the pilot put them at ease.
Flying in October and winter
The operator flies year-round, seven days a week. In winter it only operates in daylight, so early-morning and late-afternoon departures aren’t available. Reviews from October to March are as positive as the summer ones. Our best-time guide compares the seasons month by month, including daylight hours and what the glacier looks like.
Other practical things to know
- The commentary is in English.
- Alaska Helicopter Tours sells its glacier tours for all ages. One 2026 reviewer flew with a one-year-old and said it worked well, and two 2024 reviewers said staff helped older guests and guests with limited mobility.
- Pets, smoking and drones are not allowed.
- Food, drinks and gratuities are not included.
- Alaska Helicopter Tours’ own website listed its Knik Glacier Landing from $479 when we checked, against $522 per person on GetYourGuide. We didn’t check whether the two prices include the same fees. GetYourGuide’s listing offers reserve now, pay later.
Is the Knik Glacier helicopter tour worth it?
Yes, if half an hour on Knik Glacier is what you’re after and $522 per person fits your budget. For that price you get the round-trip flight up the Knik River valley, a 30-minute landing with the pilot as your guide, and the facility and permit fees. Transport from Anchorage, food and tips are extra. Reviewers rate the guiding 5.0/5, and their lowest score is value for money, at 4.8/5.
If you want a longer flight, consider the Palmer tour for more flying at about the same price, or the Grand Knik tour for three landings. If you are staying in Girdwood or driving down Turnagain Arm, the Girdwood glacier landing tours are closer.
If you book, check the forecast the day before your flight, while free cancellation still applies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do you spend on Knik Glacier?
Thirty minutes on the ice. The flying adds up to about 30 minutes more, roughly 15 minutes each way, so the whole tour takes an hour, plus check-in and the drive to the lodge.
Does the tour leave from Anchorage?
No. It leaves from Alaska Glacier Lodge, 29979 East Knik River Road, near Palmer, which the operator and the listing put 45 minutes to an hour from Anchorage. Transport isn’t included. You can call 907-272-7777 after booking to arrange a transfer, which the operator lists from $79 per person round trip.
Does it run in October and winter?
Yes. Alaska Helicopter Tours flies its Knik Glacier tours year-round, seven days a week. In winter it only operates in daylight, so there are fewer departure times, and the glacier is covered in snow.
What happens if the weather is bad?
If the operator decides it is unsafe to fly, the tour is cancelled. It first tries to move you to later that day or another date, and refunds in full if that isn’t possible.
Is there a weight limit?
Every passenger is weighed at check-in. Guests of 250 lb or more pay a comfort surcharge, and guests of 290 lb or more have to fly in the operator’s Astar helicopter. The operator says under-reported weights can lead to extra charges, rescheduling or cancellation.
Is it worth paying more for the Grand Knik tour?
It is worth considering if you want more time in the air or more than one landing. The Grand Knik tour started from $762 per person when we checked, for two hours and three landings from the same lodge.
How we put this together
We haven’t flown with Alaska Helicopter Tours. This guide is based on the GetYourGuide listing, the operator’s planning guide and glacier tour pages, and traveler reviews from every star rating and in several languages, including the less positive ones. Prices and ratings were checked on October 14, 2026, and can change. We earn a commission if you book through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you.
Stand on Knik Glacier This Week
A thirty-minute flight over the Chugach, thirty minutes on the ice, and free cancellation up to 24 hours before you fly. Check live dates and prices.
Check Availability & Book