Bears, Trains & Icebergs Tour

Overview

❖ Ride the Glacier Discovery Train

❖ Visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

❖ Float by Icebergs on Spencer Glacier Lake & 7 River Miles Down the Placer River Valley on the Most Scenic River Trip in Alaska

You won’t see more on a day on the AK Railroad than on this trip. Many of our guests tell us it is their best day in Alaska.

City: Anchorage

Mon 07 Jul

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $392.00

Make a reservation

Mon 07 Jul

Starting at $392.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Sack lunch included. Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions or requests ahead of time.

AK Railroad Tickets (Roundtrip)

Snacks

Air-conditioned vehicle

Restroom on board

Additional Info

Specialized infant seats are available
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels

What To Expect

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

Take a brief shuttle to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center for a guided & interpretive tour of the animals. The center is Alaska’s premier rehabilitation facility for injured and orphaned wildlife. AWCC Tour runs 1.5 hours and includes walking and driving options to view the animals. A sack lunch is provided with this tour.

Spencer Glacier

Spencer Iceberg Float - 2 Hours on the Water at Spencer Glacier and 7 River Miles down the Placer River

Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Reviews (114)

Debpetti1

Jul 2016

We chose to add the train ride from Anchorage along Turnagain Arm to this raft trip. Fun choice and beautiful scenery on the way to Portage. After the train dropped us off, we were issued rubber boots and lunch; we boarded an old bus and were driven to the shore where we were outfitted with life vests and rain ponchos. We wore layers of clothing, hats and gloves, as we were going to be on the water for hours. Good instruction on how to stay safe (and in the raft--the water is freezing at all times!). Our guide rowed us around the lake amid the icebergs. Very beautiful and surreal! We then floated down the fairly swift river past great scenery. Very fun! It was my husband's first raft trip, and he doesn't like swift water, but he said he had a blast and would do it again. Great investment for an adventure of a lifetime.

bgrk

Jul 2016

We were initially reluctant to do this due to cost, but decided to go ahead and book the tour. So glad we did! It was an awesome experience! Since we were staying in Girdwood, we drove to the Portage train station. The guides met us there and did a great job getting everyone fitted to rubber boots. Check in at the station was simple and quick. We boarded the train and and it is a quick ride to Spencer Whistle Stop. The information said sandwiches were available for sale on the train, but you don't really have enough time to buy and eat sandwiches if you board in Portage. We ate beforehand and were glad we did. You get off the train at Whistle Stop and take a short bus ride to the lake. After getting off the bus, you are given a life jacket and offered ponchos before getting on the raft. We rafted around the lake and some of the big icebergs floating in the lake. It was cool to be so close to the icebergs - you can reach out and touch them or even break a piece off to try for yourself! Our guide gave us the option of rafting to the glacier itself (which is about 1.5 miles) or floating down the river. We all chose the river. The river is very calm. There are maybe 2 places with slight rapids, but overall this is primarily a basic float trip. But the scenery is beautiful, very serene and relaxing. Our guide was great, lots of fun and made the ride very enjoyable. We were offered a bag with meat sticks, pretzels and chocolate candies. Hot chocolate was also offered. When the trip was over, we rafted to a place in the river where the train tracks run directly alongside. We stopped and got out and took off our life jackets. The train came along a few minutes after and we all climbed aboard. Funny to just get on the train in the middle of nowhere, and not at any kind of station. Only in Alaska! The return train ride was brief but gave us a chance to change back into our own shoes from the rubber boots. As soon as we arrived in Portage, we were quickly off the train. It was a truly great day and we really loved the experience. One suggestion- we packed sandwiches in our cooler and left in our vehicle at the Portage station. After we returned, we were able to have a quick meal. This worked great as we opted to visit AWCC directly afterward.

BillsToPay

Jul 2016

I actually booked a two week trip around this adventure. I thought - rafting among the icebergs - how cool. Let me tell you it was the PERFECT ending to a great trip! On June 1 we flew into Vancouver, spent 3 nights, then went on a 10 day sea/land cruise with Princess Cruise line. The evening we got to Anchorage (around 5pm) many of the folks we'd met on the trip were grumbling about the fact that they were going to eat dinner, then had to find something to do until midnight, when they had to head to the airport for their 2am flight. I tell you this because of the planning. The itinerary of the cruise was a bit exhausting. We purchased an extra night at the hotel outside the cruise package just so we could go on this side trip. We took about a 10 minute walk from the Hotel Capt. Cook to the Anchorage train station. After giving my name, the clerk handed me a folio with all my train and coach tickets included. We had purchased a stop at the wildlife conservation center for an extra $50 each. As the train left the station on a beautiful morning, we could see Mt. McKinley in the distance. The conductor also stopped the train once on our way to Girdwood so everyone could see the dall sheep up on the mountain. When we arrived at Portage, we were met by Carson who took us to the wildlife conservation center about 5 minutes away. She walked us through the property. This adventure was about 1 1/2 hours. It was interesting but overpriced. In addition to the elk, wood bison and black tail deer, they had 1 wolf, 1 bald eagle, 1 porcupine, 1 owl, 1 wolf...........I heard someone outside of our group complain about the $12 fee they had paid for what they saw. Although a sack lunch was included, this was a $35 excursion at best. Would not recommend this part for the price. Carson took us back to the train and we continued a short distance to Spencer where we got off the train with rubber boots we'd been given and put on buses. Now, on to what we are here to discuss. The amazing rafting trip. This area is only accessible by train. After an initial safety briefing, we embarked amidst the "iceberg maze". We were assigned to Carson for the rafting portion as well. She placed us right up next to the icebergs so we could touch them. After 15-20 minutes in this incredible lake (Spencer) at the base of Spencer Glacier, she paddled us down the 7 mile scenic river, providing us with a lot of meaningful information about the area and what we were seeing. Although we did not see any wildlife while rafting, we were able to witness the glorious beauty that God made just for us. This adventure was indeed the crown jewel of our entire trip!! Following the rafting, the train met us and took us a short distance back to our coach that took us back to Anchorage. I'm telling you this trip is a MUST!! We boarded the train at 9:30am and we returned to Anchorage around 6pm