Juneau Shore Excursion: Helicopter and Airboat Tour of Taku Glacier

After port pickup in Juneau, travel to a local airport, where your helicopter is ready and waiting for you to board (max of 6 passengers per helicopter). After a brief safety briefing, the blades spin into action and you’re in flight.

Enjoy the immense beauty of Tongass National Forest, the largest forest in the US that spans most of southeastern Alaska. Your eagle-eyed pilot points out any wildlife along the way, including bears, birds and wolves. Soak up panoramic views of hanging glaciers and ice-capped summits.

Land near Taku River inside the park, and slip on a provided full-body thermal survival suit. Then take a short walk over to your airboat and meet your seasoned captain, with over 20 years’ worth of knowledge of the river.

Travel down the river and marvel at sights very few people get to enjoy: up-close, premier views of Taku Glacier, the most massive in the Juneau Icefield at 4,845 feet (1,477 meters) thick. Stretching roughly 36 miles (58 km) in length, Taku is rare in that it is growing rather than receding.

Listen to engaging commentary on the area as you admire frozen rivers of ice trapped between hills and sapphire- and turquoise-tinted floes. On Taku Watershed, learn about the wild-salmon spawning grounds in the freshwater channels. Depending on the season, you may glimpse caribou, bears, moose, wolves, mountain goats, or migratory birds like the trumpeter swan.

Following your riverboat ride, climb back aboard your helicopter and land on Taku Glacier. Disembark and follow your pilot for a walk on the advancing level of the glacier, where you’ll be amazingly close to plunging crevasses, blue ice and other glacial shafts.

Your glacier exploration by foot complete, return to your helicopter, which zips you to Juneau for your transport back to port.

Worry-free Shore Excursion:


We will ensure your excursion ends with ample time for you to return to Juneau port for your ship’s departure. In the extremely unlikely event your ship has departed, we will arrange for transportation to the next port-of-call. If your ship is delayed and you are unable to attend this activity, your money will be refunded. See our terms and conditions for full details.