Anchorage: Knik Glacier Helicopter and Paddleboarding Tour
About This Experience
Paddleboarding on a glacier sounds like a stunt until you see the pools. Through summer, meltwater collects on and beside Knik Glacier in basins deep enough and calm enough to paddle, hemmed in by walls of blue ice. This tour flies you to one of them and puts you on the water in a dry suit.
It is a four-hour outing built around that, with guides who carry bear-safety and medical rescue gear and who run the safety brief properly. Dry suit, flotation device, leash, throw rope, board, paddle and microspikes are all provided; lunch is included. Some guests get in the water as well as on it, which is a genuine cold-shock experience and entirely optional.
This is the most physically demanding tour on the site after the ice climbing. The operator asks for a moderate level of fitness and a tolerance for extreme cold, and it means both: you are outdoors for up to four hours on and around ice, in weather that can turn.
At $1,416 per person it is also the joint most expensive. What you are buying is a half-day with guides on a glacier that almost nobody else is standing on, not a flightseeing trip with an activity attached.
Highlights
- Paddleboard a turquoise meltwater pool on the surface of Knik Glacier
- Dry suit, flotation device, leash, throw rope, board, paddle and microspikes all provided
- Four hours on the ice with guides carrying bear-safety and medical rescue equipment
- An optional plunge into glacial meltwater for anyone who wants it
- Lunch included, on the glacier
What's Included
- ✓ Round-trip helicopter flight
- ✓ Experienced guides
- ✓ Dry suit
- ✓ All safety gear — flotation device, leash and throw rope
- ✓ Paddleboard, paddle and microspikes
- ✓ Lunch
Not Included
- Transport from Anchorage
- Additional food and drinks
- Gratuities
What to Bring
- Warm base layers to wear under the dry suit
- Sunglasses and sunscreen — reflected glare off ice and water is intense
- A refillable water bottle
- A camera you are happy to have near water
Good to Know & Caveats
- The tour is weather-dependent and you are outdoors for up to four hours.
- A moderate level of fitness and a tolerance for extreme cold are required.
- Guides carry bear-safety and medical rescue gear as standard.
- Transfers from Anchorage can be purchased separately by calling the operator after booking.
- Weapons, sharp objects, backpacks, alcohol and drugs are not permitted.
Not Suitable For
- Non-swimmers
- Anyone with a low tolerance for cold
- Guests unable to balance on a board or get themselves back onto one
Meeting Point
Alaska Glacier Lodge front desk, 29979 East Knik River Road, Palmer
What Travelers Say
Rated 5.0/5 by 10 verified GetYourGuide travelers.
An absolute MUST do!! If you’re going to spend money on one thing make it this. We had the most amazing experience doing the helicopter ride and paddleboarding. Being one of the fist torus of the season it felt super special and the guides were beyond fabulous. Tom, Haylie and Taylor made it so fun, we were able to totally customise what we did with our time on the glacier and they helped us out with everything. All the guides were super knowledgeable about the glacier and shared all they knew which was super interesting. They showed us a “death hole” and a second paddle boarding pool where we were able to walk through a channel to get through. Everyone back at the base site and our pilots were super lovely and we couldn’t recommend this tour more!! Thank you for the lifelong memories!
— Sophie, May 16,
I recently took a helicopter tour to a glacier, and it was an unforgettable experience. Everything about the trip was perfect, from the breathtaking views to the smooth flight. The pilot was professional and knowledgeable, making us feel safe and informed throughout the journey. The sights were absolutely stunning, and landing on the glacier was like stepping into another world. I highly recommend this adventure to anyone looking for an extraordinary experience. Definitely a 10/10! And girls who assist us on the glassier were so friendly and give us amazing experiences of swimming and hiking on there, also be sure that u will have more then enough pictures from them, totally recommend and worth the price
— Карина, June 15
Awesome ! Our guides were amazing. Very knowledgeable and super chill. My wife and I had the best time and would def recommend to anyone if they are visiting the area.
— Matthew, Septemb
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to have paddleboarded before?
No. The water is flat and enclosed and the guides run a full brief, so complete beginners manage. Balance and cold tolerance matter more than technique — you are on a board in a dry suit beside a wall of ice.
Is the dry suit enough to keep me warm?
A dry suit keeps water out; it does not insulate on its own. Wear warm base layers underneath — a thermal top and bottom plus wool socks — and you will be comfortable. In just a t-shirt you will not be.
Do I have to get in the water?
No. The plunge is optional and plenty of guests skip it. If you do go in, expect genuine cold shock: this is meltwater a few degrees above freezing, not a swim.
Why does it cost so much more than a landing tour?
You are buying four hours of guided time, a full kit of technical gear, lunch and a considerably longer helicopter commitment. A straight landing tour is one hour of aircraft and thirty minutes on the ice.
What if the pool isn't there?
Meltwater pools form and drain with the season and the weather, so guides pick a site on the day. Early season and after a cold snap the options are fewer; midsummer is when the pools are at their best.
Other Glacier Flights to Consider
Anchorage: 90-min Flight with 2 Landings
Anchorage Area: Helicopter and Glacier Dogsled Tour
Anchorage: Helicopter Glacier Dogsledding Tour
Anchorage: Grand Knik Glacier Helicopter Tour with Landings
Anchorage: Knik Glacier Helicopter and Hiking Adventure Tour
Anchorage: Knik Glacier Helicopter and Ice Climbing Tour
From Palmer: Knik Glacier Helicopter Tour
