Within a short drive from Anchorage, you can fill a day with the most quintessential Alaskan experiences.

Breathe the mountain air and scan the inlet for whale spouts. Witness the calving of a glacier and spy the area’s best-known animals. A Portage Glacier day tour from Anchorage will cram the best of Alaska into just a few hours.

Read on for your guide to Portage Glacier, one of the most breathtaking day trips from Anchorage.

How do you get to Portage Glacier from Anchorage?

Portage Glacier is just shy of 100 kilometers south of Anchorage via the Seward Highway, a drive of about 1.5 hours.

From Anchorage to Portage Glacier by car

From central Anchorage, take C St and W 15th Ave to AK-1 S/Gambell St. This is the Seward Highway, and you will continue on this for 77 kilometers.

From the highway, turn left on Portage Glacier Rd, a toll road requiring a fee of around US$15 per passenger car. Continue straight for about 2 kilometers, following signs for the Portage Pass trailhead.

Guided tour to Portage Glacier from Anchorage

It’s hard to keep your eyes on the road with so much to see along the Seward Highway. Don’t bother renting a car or paying tolls when a guided tour can get you to Portage Glacier so easily. Options range from round-trip transfers to private outings.

Sit back in comfort with your camera ready on the drive. At the trailhead, lace up your boots for a hike, or rent a bike or kayak for added adventure. Hop aboard the MV Ptarmigan for a scenic cruise to the glaciers’ edge. Fully-guided tours typically include stops at the Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) and Alyeska Ski Area.

What is the typical itinerary of a Portage Glacier day trip from Anchorage?

Your schedule for a day trip to Portage Glacier varies with the type of tour you choose.

You can begin a self-guided tour any time from 9 AM to 3:30 PM. The last return shuttle for the day departs from Portage at 5:30 PM. You have the freedom to fill your day however you’d like. Rent a bike or kayak, reserve boat tickets, take a hike or relax at the lodge.

For small-group or private guided tours, depart from the Anchorage Visitor Center or with pickup from your hotel in the morning or early afternoon for the 2-hour drive to Portage Glacier. Along the Seward Highway, make stops for views at Beluga Point and Bird Point.

At the glacier, you’ll have several hours to explore, including a 1-hour cruise on Portage Lake. Also during the journey, spend an hour in Girdwood and 2 hours at the AWCC either during your drive there or your return. Your outing will last 5 to 8 hours, including transportation, depending on your chosen tour.

What kinds of tours can you take to Portage Glacier?

Shuttle transfer without guide to Portage Glacier from Anchorage

The least expensive way to have a day at Portage Glacier is by round-trip shuttle from Anchorage. Labeled as “self-guided” tours, this option gives you tons of freedom for how to spend your time at the glacier. With frequent departures from Anchorage, the Turnagain Shuttle allows you the flexibility of departure time and length of your visit.

Guided tours to Portage Glacier from Anchorage

Join a small group of like-minded nature lovers and a passionate guide for an outing to Portage Glacier and a wildlife tour. Guided tours pause at unmissable viewpoints and attractions during the drive, and higher-cost tours often include entrance fees for a boat ride, tramway ride and visit to the AWCC.

Private tour to Portage Glacier from Anchorage

Whether you’re a couple or a bustling group of 12, private tours to Portage Glacier streamline your day. Relax with door-to-door transportation from your Anchorage hotel, a guide all for yourselves and the comfort of company that only you choose.

For a worthwhile extra cost, add a cruise to the glacier, a Mt Alyeska tramway ride and entrance to the Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center during the drive between Anchorage and the glacier.

How much does a tour to Portage Glacier from Anchorage cost?

The most budget-friendly option for reaching Portage Glacier are self-guided tours at US$100 per person. This service covers transportation between the two sites along the picturesque Seward Highway. There is an extra cost of about US$45 per person to take the lake cruise to the glacier.

For tours with a live guide, prices range from US$215 per person to US$360 per person. All guided tours to Portage Glacier also introduce you to the town of Girdwood and the Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC). These tours usually provide door-to-door service from Anchorage hotels plus bottled water and snacks during the drive.

However, lower-cost tours do not include fees for attractions at the stops. The 1-hour boat ride to the glacier on Portage Lake costs US$45 per person. A tramway ride to the top of Mt Alyeska costs roughly US$50 per person, and the entrance fee for AWCC costs US$20 per person.

Private tours cost US$1,250 per group of up to 12 people, as little as US$105 per person. These tours do not include tickets for the glacier boat ride, Mt Alyeska tramway ride or AWCC.

What will you see and do on a Portage Glacier day trip?

Portage Lake area

While the glaciers take center stage on your day trip, the area teems with eye candy. You’ll find yourself awestruck by the towering Chugach Mountains, the placid lake and the seemingly endless network of trails to explore. Even if you don’t spring for boat ride tickets, you can fill your excursion with hiking, biking or kayaking.

Fill your lungs with mountain air on the 3.3-kilometer Portage Pass trail that skirts the lake and affords spectacular views of the glaciers. On a hike of just over 2 kilometers, find yourself at the foot of a glacier on the Byron Glacier Trail.

The Trail of Blue Ice is perfect for biking or hiking. This paved 8-kilometer trail allows anyone to take in the delectable mountain scenery. Trek or wheel along the wooded path to the shores of Portage Lake and near enough to Explorer Glacier to capture some great shots.

It will be hard to turn down the chance to go on a boat cruise of the lake for the closest look possible at the glaciers. Enjoy an hour on the water, scanning the scene for wildlife and glacial activity. When you hear an ominous booming sound, keep your eyes out for calving glaciers, when tons of frozen water crumble into the water at its feet.

Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center

A refuge for animals who couldn’t survive in the wild, the Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center provides a habitat for 12 types of endangered local species. A visit to AWCC is a way to guarantee wildlife sightings if you only have a short time in Alaska.

Get your camera ready for shots of brown and black bears, musk oxen, wood bison, a wolf pack and much more. The animals have over 80 hectares of space, a well-educated staff and plenty of care to help them thrive. Be reassured that your money is going to support good work.

Seward Highway

One of the most beautiful roadways in America, the drive is an excursion in and of itself. Travel between Anchorage and Portage Glacier takes a little less than 1.5 hours. Yet, the numerous viewpoints and parks along the way are too tempting to pass by. If you book a guided tour, you’ll get the chance to stop at Potters Marsh, Beluga Point and Bird Point for wildlife viewing.

Potters Marsh, at the southern edge of Anchorage, is a wetland boasting meters of boardwalk over a lovely habitat for birds, beavers, muskrats and insect species. Don’t forget a pair of binoculars for your stops along Turnagain Arm. Views of this stretch of water are rewarding enough, but the chance of spotting whales or a bore tide is an added bonus.

When is the best time to visit Portage Glacier?

The best time visit Portage Glacier is in the summer (June to August), when the weather is relatively warm, and the days are long, offering ample daylight for sightseeing and hiking. Boat tours to the glacier are typically available during this time, providing close-up views.

Are Portage Glacier tours wheelchair friendly?

Unfortunately, most Portage Glacier day trips are not wheelchair friendly. Tours advertised as wheelchair accessible can accommodate you if you have a collapsible chair with removable wheels and travel with a helper.

Tips before your visit

If you're planning to take a boat tour to get closer to the glacier, book in advance, especially during the peak summer months.
Dress in layers, as temperatures can vary greatly. Waterproof and windproof outer layers are recommended, as well as sturdy, waterproof hiking boots.
Bring a camera with a good zoom lens for capturing the glacier and wildlife from a safe distance.

What other day trips can you do from Anchorage?

Portage Glacier: Day Trips and Tours from Anchorage, Alaska