Prince William Sound Glacier Cruises

• It’s easy to get to from Anchorage (about an hour by car or rail to Whiitier where you depart)
• It's affordable: 3 excellent companies offer a Prince William Sound tour for under $140
• The waters are calm; tours are seldom cancelled due to weather
• Rainy days aren’t a problem—the waterfalls swell and more spectacular

Prince William Sound has the densest concentration of tidewater glaciers in the world, some flowing a dozen miles from ice-capped peaks to terminate in cliffs of ice towering hundreds of feet above the water. You'll also see spectacular waterfalls and wildlife, including bald eagles, seabirds, otters, Dall’s porpoises, and occasionally whales (but typically not on the same frequency as in Kenai Fjords National Park, your other main choice for an Alaska glacier cruise).

Preview top sights and day cruises with our Virtual Prince William Sound Tour »

Here are two more reasons why Prince William Sound cruises are so dramatic:

• You’re never far from shore. That means you’ll look straight up at peaks rising 2000-9000 feet right from the water’s edge
• The history of glaciation is evident everywhere you look, from newly-de-glaciated barren hillsides, to ancient moraines just below the water’s surface

“Shorter” cruises: (3.75, 4.5 or 5.25 hours) Venture into spectacular Blackstone Bay, where Blackstone and Beloit Glaciers tower 200 feet above your vessel, or cruise on a catamaran into famous Harriman Fjord to get an up-close view of the spectacular Surprise Glacier. You’ll watch the glaciers calve, see waterfalls, float among icebergs that sizzle and crack, see a bird rookery, and more! These shorter cruises are ideal for families or those with limited time:

• Major Marine Tours heads straight out to the glaciers where you’ll be able to listen to the icebergs, watch the glaciers calve, and feast on an all-you-can-eat salmon and prime rib buffet (a steal at $19). The meal is great, and a Chugach National Park ranger is on board every cruise.
• Phillips Glacier Quest Cruise takes you through the calm, scenic waters of the Sound and into the ice-filled, steep fjord of Blackstone Bay. Watch for calving or rolling icebergs, and learn about glaciers and wildlife from an on-board Forest Service Ranger.

“Longer” cruise: Venture deeper into the Sound, explore Harriman Fjords (named for the famous 1899 Expedition that mapped the area) which is even more spectacular than Blackstone Bay, park at Surprise Glacier which has the best calving in the whole Sound and is the highlight of the trip, and offer more and better wildlife viewing opportunities (sea otters, harbor seals, maybe whales):

• Phillips 26 Glacier Cruise (1:00p-5:30p, lunch included) boasts the fastest, most luxurious catamaran in Alaska, sees the most glaciers, and offers a no-seasickness-or-your-money-back guarantee. The vessel cruises at 45 knots and makes it all the way into College Fjord with a dozen glaciers named after Ivy League schools. If you want to see the most glaciers close-up, this is your ticket.