Day Tour from Anchorage (7-Hours)
Trip Highlights
Experience the Highlights of the Turnagain Arm.
See stunning scenery along the scenic Seward Highway.
Photo Opportunities along the way with stops at Beluga Point and Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge.
Visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.
Enjoy a 1 hour Cruise on Portage Lake to view Portage Glacier.
Enjoy Wide-Open Panoramic vistas high above the Chugach Mountains (weather permitting)
TOUR ITINERARY (7-Hours approximately)
Experience the highlights of the Turnagain Arm! This day tour departs Anchorage for the scenic drive south along the edge of the Turnagain Arm on the Seward Parkway. This road is considered to be America’s most beautiful and scenic road, crossing mountain passes and majestic valleys. Along the way we will try to spot moose, caribou, eagles and other wildlife. On our way towards Portage Glacier, we will make a couple of stops for photo opportunities along the Turnagain Arm. We will stop at Portage Glacier see as living glaciers continue to carve the landscape and shape the life on the Chugach National Forest.
Although Portage Glacier is no longer visible from the Visitor Center, due to its retreat, the face of the glacier is still partially in Portage Lake. Find out why Portage Glacier is one of Alaska's most popular attractions. Visit the sheer, awesome face of a mighty Alaska glacier located just an hour from Anchorage. Cruising across Portage Lake on the MV Ptarmigan, you'll stand just 300 yards from a relic of the Ice Age and watch for fractures of ice break off the glacier and crash into the water below
Afterwards, we will travel to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center opened to the public in 1993. It is located on 200 acres at the southern edge of Turnagain Arm and the entrance to Portage Valley. The center’s mission is to provide care and rehabilitation for injured and orphaned wildlife and to provide wildlife education and awareness. Animals that are unable to be released or survive in the wild are given refuge in the center's spacious habitats. Here people can safely get close, observe and photograph some of Alaska's largest land animals, including moose, bison, elk, deer, caribou, bears muskox, wolves, small mammals and birds of prey. During spring and summer, visitors can often witness the rehabilitation of orphaned baby animals of various species.
After an informative visit through the Conservation Center with the largest of Alaska's wild animals, your tour will continue on towards Anchorage. Lunch* can be purchased from one of th food vendors at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Later, weather permitting, we will ascend the Chugach Mountains for amazing and panoramic views of the Turnagain Arm and beyond!
Allow up to 7 hours round trip (approximate) from Anchorage for this tour. Complimentary snacks and water are provided during the tour. *Lunch is not included. Tour operates May 15 to September 15. (tour time is approximate and can be impacted by accidents or road construction)
TOUR DATES, COST & TOUR INFORMATION
TOUR DATES: Daily Departures from Downtown Anchorage Area.
DEPARTURE TIMES: 9:00am May - September (Tour starts after hotel pick-ups*)
TOUR COST: $249 per person. All groups are subject to a minimum group size in order to depart.
WHATS INCLUDED IN THIS TOUR:
Small Group Guided Tour
Local Alaskan Guide (English Speaking)
Spanish Speaking Guide (when available)
Admission to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
1-hour Cruise on Portage Lake to see Portage Glacier
Chugach National Forest Ranger/Narrator onboard the cruise (English Speaking)
Optional Lunch Stop
Photo stops along the way
Stop at the Glenn Alps Scenic Overlook (weather permitting)
Complimentary snacks and water are available throughout the tour
Local Anchorage area Pick Up & Drop Off
ABOUT LOCAL AREA HOTEL PICK-UPS* & ALTERNATE PICK UP LOCATION:
Hotel pick ups* for this tour start between 8:45 - 9am. Tour will begin after hotel pick ups are complete. Please allow up to up to 4 hours round trip from Anchorage for this tour. Tour times are approximate and can be affected by accidents on the road and/or road construction. We do not pick up at private homes, businesses, apartments or B&B's, if this is your case, please call about alternate pick up location. Drop off at Anchorage's Ted Stevens International Airport may be available upon request.
* Hotel pick ups are limited to three (3) hotels per tour. These pick ups are based on a first-come first-serve basis so book early to confirm your pick up. If we exceed 3 hotel pick ups we will consolidate pick ups to one location, likely the Egan Convention Center located at 555 W. 5th Avenue.NOT INCLUDED:
Guide Gratuity (not expected but appreciated)
ACTIVITY LEVEL: EASY: Guests should be able to walk short distances on uneven ground. Trails surfaces vary from paved to uneven natural terrain. Tour participants must be able to walk a short distance and be able to get in/out of the tour vehicle with minimal assistance. We strongly recommend that guests requiring assistance be accompanied by a companion who is capable of, and totally responsible for, providing assistance. Neither Planet Earth Adventures nor our suppliers may physically lift or assist guests onto transportation vehicles or otherwise.
CANCELLATION POLICY: A MasterCard or Visa is required to make your reservation online. Your card will be charged when you book your trip. We require at least 48 hours notice for cancellations otherwise a cancellation fee of 50% may be charged. No-shows or cancellations with less than 24 hours notice will not be eligible for a refund. Late arrivals that miss the departure will be considered a no-show.
FAMILY TRAVEL AND AGE LIMITS: Planet Earth Adventures welcomes families on tours and we often arrange custom tours and departures. We have a minimum age requirement of 6 years for our tours. We believe that you, as a parent or guardian, are best qualified to decide whether or not your child would enjoy the experience without compromising the comfort of others. Families traveling with children 6 years or younger should inquire about a private tour.