About this activity

Mornings at Spencer Glacier are the most serene & consistently magnificent time to paddle. Kayak around icebergs and up close to the Spencer Glacier terminus face. Hike onto the glacier moraine and get up close to the blue wall of ice. Enjoy two Alaska Railroad Trains: The Coastal Classic & the Glacier Discovery Train, traveling thru the most scenic Grandview & Tunnels sections of the AK Railroad. The total iceberg kayak paddle distance is approximately 4 miles. Please let us know your experience level so that we can tailor your Alaskan glacier kayak tour to your party’s ability & ambition. Minimum of 2 guests needed to book.

See the boat

What is included

Use of equipment

AK Railroad Tickets (Roundtrip)Other

Chugach Adventures' was one of the few adventure tour companies that fully and safely operated in 2020 and 2021. We created an extensive COVID-19 mitigation plan to successfully operate for both our travelers and our employees and are committed to continuSafety other

Contactless payments for gratuities and add-onsSafety contactless payments for gratuities and add

COVID-19 vaccination required for guidesSafety covid 19 vaccination required for guides

GratuitiesFees

Guides required to regularly wash handsSafety guides required to regularly wash hands

Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staffSafety hand sanitizer available to travelers and s

Lunch included. Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions or requests ahead of time.Food and drink

Max Weight - 240 lbs and Max Height - 6'3". We can provide a raft lake tour for guests that don't meet weight and height restrictions and provide the same tour by raft.Health other

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuriesNo back problems

Public transportation options are available nearbyPublic transportation nearby

Regularly sanitised high-traffic areasSafety regularly sanitized high traffic areas

Service animals allowedPets welcome

SnacksFood and drink

Transportation vehicles regularly sanitisedSafety transportation vehicles regularly sanitized

Itinerary

1
Spencer Glacier
8 hr - 6:45 AM – Coastal Classic departs Anchorage 8:05 AM – Coastal Classic departs Girdwood 9 AM – Arrive at Spencer Glacier Whistle Stop 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM – KAYAK Tour on Spencer Lake. 1:00 PM – Lunch 2 PM – Scenic Train Ride to Grandview thru the Upper Placer River Gorge Canyon (The Most Scenic Section of the AK Railroad) 5:15 PM – Arrive in Portage and board motorcoach back to starting location 5:45 PM – Return arrival to Girdwood 6:45 PM – Return arrival to Anchorage

Cancellation policy

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

All sales final

Weather cancellation available

May cancel if minimum travelers are not met

Refund rules

0% refundable until 0 days before departure

Reviews

5/5

Float Rafting Magic

This adventure starts with a short and relaxing train ride during which you select the size of the boots you will be using during the rafting portion of the excursion. After a good safety briefing, safety security vest on, we joined a float with a very experienced rafting guide for a tour around the glacier lake… it was wonderful to see the various blues and turquoise of the glacier and some of the floating ice blocks showing off as natural sculptures. After the lake, Class 2 rapids for a short period, giving us great and safe thrills, followed by a leisurely paced drift along the river during which we saw eagles and several water birds species. We even had a nice hot chocolate on the raft. The tour actually ends right in front of the train to cap a great excursion !

Reviewed by sweethummingbird - 2022-09-25

5/5

Excellent operation and tour

My family of 4 - 2 kids 8 and 11 - did the Blue Glacier Kayak & Grandview Tour. Our weather wasn't the best - it was a cold and rainy day, so we were pretty apprehensive going in, but it did give the glacier a moody and atmospheric feel and we had a great time regardless (good rain gear and warm clothes was key). Our 3 guides were fantastic and it was very cool to be out on the lake in front of Spencer Glacier , passing giant icerbergs, with no other people around. We didn't get very close to either the Glacier or any icebergs. After getting off the train at the Whistle stop, we took a short bus ride to the shore. After a safety briefing and instructions, we kayaked about 2 miles to a rocky beach where we had a snack (rice krispie treats and hot chocolate.... how have i never combined these things before??), then did a short hike to a glacier viewing spot. After kayaking back to the 1st beach we had a picnic lunch under a large tent where they had a fire going to warm up. I really liked that they used all reusable containers and bags for the lunch. All the guides are required to be Alaska residents so its great to talk to them about life in Alaska which adds to the experience. The 2nd part of the day was a narrated guide through the stunning Grandview region in the glass domed car of the Alaska Railroad train... this would have been much better if the weather had been better as it was foggy , limiting the views. But it was still beautiful scenery and you go through a series of tunnels alongside a deep gorge which was cool. There also were a number of other passengers with babies and small children that clearly had reached their limits of time sitting on a train, and then were clashing with other disturbed passengers, which created a bit of a circus vibe onboard. At the turnaround point (in a very remote and beautiful area) we were able to get off the train and take a short hike to a waterfall and a lookout point. This part of the tour is run by Alaska Railroad, the Chagach Adventures guides are not with you, but meet you again at the end when you disembark. All in all highly recommend Chugach Adventures and this tour !

Reviewed by LaurenDell - 2022-09-01

5/5

Great day on Spencer Lake

We had a glorious day on Spencer Glacier with Kyle from Chugach Adventures. He rafted us to the glacier for a short walk & lunch, imparted lots of great information. Great equipment, quality guides, wonderful day.

Reviewed by KathyOBJ - 2022-08-24

5/5

Must do

This was one of the best things we did in Alaska. Guides were great, equipment was good. Had a blast kayaking through the icebergs towards the glacier. Finishing the day with a cocktail on the observation deck of the train was a nice ending.

Reviewed by Rob S - 2022-07-30

5/5

An amazing day

We had an amazing day kayaking on the lake next to the glacier and riding the train up to Grandview. Great combination of sports, fun, education, entertainment while kayaking and a gentle train ride through some of the most amazing scenery. Really good food for lunch including veggie and gluten free options. The best part, though, where the guides. Super nice & knowledgeable. They made it feel like we were out there with a group of friends. Well done!

Reviewed by 360travelling247 - 2022-07-21

Glacier Blue Kayak & Grandview Tour

About this activity

See the boat

What is included

Itinerary

Cancellation policy

Refund rules

Reviews

Float Rafting Magic

Excellent operation and tour

Great day on Spencer Lake

Must do

An amazing day

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