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

Tue 24 Dec

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $164.11

Make a reservation

Tue 24 Dec

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)

Trawlergirl

Aug 2014

We spent the most beautiful day cruising from Valdez to Whittier! The captain gave us so much good information and spotted all the wildlife quickly. The entire crew was friendly and helpful. We were lucky, only our group of 40+ was on board. Lunch was good also, they did well for preparing a meal in a boat galley. We got close to Columbia Glacier and we learned a lot about them and how they change. This was a highlight of our trip to Alaska!

Moitime1

Jul 2014

If you're looking for a nice tour out of Valdez, be sure to check the six-hour Columbia Glacier cruise that Stan Stephens does. While the glacier has receded quite a bit from 2008, it still covers a wide expanse. Although icebergs of varying sizes covered the waters leading to the glacier, we only saw it calve once. Lunch was a choice of clam chowder or minestrone plus a bagel with cream cheese & an Oreo packet for dessert. On the way back to port, we saw many sea otters, a few eagles, & a couple of humpback whales.

bonnybay

Mar 2014

The Stan Stephens cruise is very enjoyable. We went to Columbia Glacier on a cold, wet and rather miserable day, but the weather can't take away from the beauty of Prince William Sound. There is so much to see from the otters in Valdez harbour, stellar seals, orcas if you're lucky, puffins and the ever present and magnificent bald eagle. The cruise is in sheltered water most of the time and there is plenty of opportunities for wild life viewing along the shoreline. The lunch they serve is really tasty. The time spent at the glacier is not rushed so we had plenty of time to take photos and just enjoy it. On the way back to Valdez we stayed in the wheelhouse for a while, which you are welcome to do provided you don't touch any instruments! It was very interesting to view the cruise through the wheelhouse perspective. We hit a patch of rough water for about half an hour as we crossed the gulf. It got a bit uncomfortable and we were asked to sit down for the duration. The crew were great and did everything they could to help out. We have done this cruise twice now. We would recommend you wear rain pants on this cruise and dress in layers, including hat and gloves. It is freezing at the glacier.