Anchorage: Knik Glacier Helicopter Tour with Landing

About This Experience

This is the shortest, cheapest and best-reviewed way to stand on Knik Glacier. You check in at Alaska Glacier Lodge on East Knik River Road — about an hour's drive north of Anchorage — and fly out in a light helicopter with a pilot who narrates the whole way.

The flight runs roughly thirty minutes each way over the Knik River valley and into the Chugach, low enough to pick out crevasse fields, meltwater rivers and waterfalls running off the ice. Pilots watch for moose, black bears, Dall sheep and mountain goats on the valley walls, and will circle for a better look when something is worth seeing.

Then the skids touch down on the glacier itself and you get thirty minutes on ice that fell as snow around a thousand years ago. It is quiet in a way that is difficult to describe until the rotor winds off. Bring sunglasses — the glare off clean ice on a bright day is severe.

The lodge does not include transport from Anchorage in the price, but transfers can be bought separately: call the operator on 907-272-7777 after you have booked to arrange one. Most guests drive themselves, and the Old Glenn Highway approach is worth the trip on its own.

Highlights

• Thirty minutes of flightseeing over the Knik River valley and the Chugach Range
• Thirty minutes on the surface of Knik Glacier, ice roughly a thousand years old
• Crevasse fields, meltwater rivers and glacier waterfalls seen from a few hundred feet
• Pilot-narrated wildlife spotting — moose, black bear, Dall sheep and mountain goats
• The cheapest landing tour from the Knik River base, and the highest-rated on the site

What's Included

• ✓ 30-minute helicopter flightseeing
• ✓ 30-minute glacier landing
• ✓ Facility and permit fees
• ✓ Pilot narration throughout

Not Included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off from Anchorage
• Food and drinks
• Gratuities

What to Bring

• Closed-toe shoes with grip
• Sunglasses — glare off clean ice is severe
• A warm layer; it is colder on the glacier than at the lodge
• A refillable water bottle

Good to Know & Caveats

• Departure is from Alaska Glacier Lodge on East Knik River Road, roughly an hour's drive north of Anchorage — not from Anchorage itself.
• Transfers from Anchorage can be purchased separately; call the operator on 907-272-7777 after booking to arrange one.
• Flights are weather-dependent. Low cloud, wind or icing will delay or cancel a departure, and morning slots historically fly more reliably than afternoon ones.
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
• Pets, smoking and drones are not permitted, and open-toed shoes are refused at check-in.

Meeting Point

Alaska Glacier Lodge, 29979 East Knik River Road, Palmer