Columbia Glacier Cruise from Valdez

Overview

This 6-hour tour explores the fjords and passageways of the Prince William Sound in route to South-central Alaska's largest tidewater glacier – Columbia Glacier. Your all-Alaskan captain and crew will share with you the history of the Sound and point out the marine wildlife and bird life in the area such as sea otters, seals, sea lions, whales, porpoises, eagles, puffins and more!

City: Alaska

Sat 21 Sep

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $164.11

Make a reservation

Sat 21 Sep

Starting at $164.11

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Lunch: Served around 12:00 PM is a light soup lunch.

Light refreshments: Complimentary coffee, tea and water.

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Children must be accompanied by an adult
We do provide a vegetarian option, however are not able to meet all special dietary needs. If you have specific restrictions or needs please feel free to bring your own meals/snacks.
Face masks provided for travellers
Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
Gear/equipment sanitised between use
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
Guides required to regularly wash hands
Regular temperature checks for staff
Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
COVID-19 vaccination required for guides

What To Expect

Columbia Glacier

Columbia Glacier is the largest glacier in south-central Alaska. Each day Columbia calves off around 8 million tons of ice. Depending on this ice flow we will navigate the large ice bergs getting as close to the face of Columbia as the ice and safety dictate.

Prince William Sound

Prince William Sound is a protected part of the ocean that we cruise in. It is rich with wildlife, glacier, beautiful glacier carved fjords and history.

Stan Stephens Glacier & Wildlife Cruises

Stan Stephens Cruises has been operating tours in Prince William Sound for 50 years.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (118)

ronald m

May 2015

This cruise was well worth the money!! The Captain made every effort for the passengers to see as much wildlife and scenery as possible. The Captain was very informative about the wildlife, Columbia glacier, and history of Valdez. The cruise was about 7 hours long. The lunch consisted of soup, bagel, and cookies. We were able to see sea otters, sea lions, Humpback whales, Dahl porpoises, harbor seals and puffins. This is definite trip to take if you visit Valdez.

billk1954

Oct 2014

I truly think we saved the best for last! Our two week trip driving up the Alaska Highway and touring our 49th state ended with the fantastic Columbia Glacier cruise from Stan Stephens Glacier and Wildlife Cruises. It was a partly cloudy morning with little wind as we left Valdez Harbor, but sitting outside you need to be bundled up when it is early September. But being outside is the only way to see all of the sites that the captain points out during the trip. The wildlife we saw was remarkable - sea otters, sea lions, bald eagles, Dall's porpoises, and a humpback whale! But the highlight is the Columbia Glacier. Prince William Sound begins to get more and more crowded with small icebergs - some blue, some dirty from their trip down the glacier to the sea. Our captain told us that he got the boat closer than he ever had before - a third of a mile - to the face of the Columbia Glacier (hopefully he doesn't say that to every tour!!). Sometimes, we would see a large chuck of ice break away from the face of the glacier - then a few seconds later we would hear a loud "crack" and a rumble like thunder as the sound finally reached the boat. Truly an amazing experience! We had hot clam chowder and a bagel as lunch, and coffee was free during the trip. It rained a bit on the way back to Valdez, so we spent most of that part of the trip inside, where it was warm and toasty! We saw where the Exxon Valdez ran aground years ago and learned of all the cleanup efforts...also saw the terminus of the Alaska Pipeline as well. This is a highly recommended tour!!!

Txgal

Sep 2014

Stephens Cruises provided a wonderful cruise with excellent staff. We departed Valdez early and traveled through Prince William Sound to the Columbia Glacier. The boat was small so the boat was able to approach very close to the glacier. Large pieces of glacial ice floated all around in the water near the boat. We saw harbor seals lying on the floating ice. We saw and heard parts of the glacier falling into the water. On the trip back we saw Orca Whales. The crew served a hot lunch during the cruise that was very good. The cruise was one of the highlights of our Alaska trip.