Cruising Alaska's Stunning Glaciers
During the last Ice Age, most of Alaska was covered with glaciers. Today, five percent of the state still remains locked in ice. The towering beauty of Alaska's remaining glaciers place them among the most popular and unique features of the northern state. Expect to see these striking vistas from the deck of your cruise ship.In fact, three different glaciers are on the top-ten list of the most visited attractions in the state. Glacier tours, whether by your Alaska cruise or land or sky tour, allow you to explore these spectacular natural beauties up close, in comfort and safety.
Why Are Glacier Cruise Tours So Popular?
Glaciers are actually flowing rivers of ice moving inch by slow inch across their riverbeds powered by the weight of tons of ice and the forces of gravity. Not only are they strikingly gorgeous, but they also change from year to year. Ice arches form and disappear, icebergs calve from the main mass, the edge moves forward or recedes, all depending on the climate that year. Glacier tours are never boring even from the deck of your Alaska cruise ship, because you never see the same view twice.Besides the amazing vistas, the winds and constant movement also create a variety of unusual sounds. From the deck of your Alaska cruise, the roar of a calving glacier and haunting creaks of the ice grinding against itself are sounds as memorable as the sights.
Glacier Tours by Land
It is worth leaving your Alaska cruise ship behind for a while, for
Exit Glacier is particularly well-suited to viewing by land. It begins
only a short walk from the parking lot, and visitors can feel the
dwarfing height of the glacier face looming above them. Informative
tours led by park guides give you a feel for the background and history
of the area, as well as ensuring that you see the best parts of the
glacier. Exit Glacier also allows camping right on the ice.Glacier Tours by Sea
However, many of Alaska's most beautiful glaciers are found in remote areas difficult to reach by car or train. Tours by sea bring you to these hard-to-reach locations in comfort and style. Alaska cruise ships offer amenities like expert guides, heated cabins, hot meals, and a leisurely view as you sail with the ice giants.
A popular location for Alaska cruise glacier tours is Prince William Sound, home to dozens of named glaciers. Prince William Sound boasts Piedmont, Alpine (hanging), and Tidewater glacier types, and calving icebergs are a common sight. Your skilled crew brings your cruise ship close enough to experience, but stays far enough away for safety.
Glacier Tours by Air
Another way to access hard-to-reach ice giants is by air. Again leaving your cruise ship, these flightseeing tours take you to spectacular unpopulated locations where there are no roads. You'll see the glacial plains on Mt. McKinley, Alaska's largest mountain or the enormous Juneau ice field.Some airborne tours even set down on the glacier, giving you a panoramic view over surrounding mountains and plains from atop the blue-green ice. These tours complement your Alaska cruise creating an unparalled complete image of some of nature's grandest handiwork.