Matanuska Glacier Walk
What your day looks like
Try our most popular tour! Journey two hours north of Anchorage and explore the Matanuska glacier’s many features, including ice caves, glacial blue meltwater pools, and sweeping views of this scenic valley. The Matanuska Glacier is a frozen 27-mile river of ancient ice. Thousands of years old, this massive glacier is tucked at the head of the Matanuska Valley. You will spend two hours trekking the ice with our expert guides, learning how the Matanuska Glacier was born and how it shaped the surrounding landscape. Walking on ice is slippery fun, so we provide our guests with helmets, a trekking pole (walking stick), and microspikes that attach to their shoes. We require our guests to bring sturdy footwear (stiff-soled hiking boots or shoes) and suggest an extra pair of socks. Don’t be surprised if your shoes get covered with “flour,” the glacial till of finely-ground rock with a texture like talcum powder (it makes for great facials!). This all-inclusive tour allows you to warm up with hot beverages and a hearty lunch (provided) at a local lodge as well as complimentary snacks and water. Conclude your adventures with transportation back to your Anchorage hotel. Need additional outdoor winter gear for your tour? By request at the time of booking, Salmon Berry Tours can provide snow pants, boots, and gloves from our lending closet, if available.
The experience, in brief
- Journey north of Anchorage and explore the Matanuska Glacier
- The Matanuska Glacier is a frozen 27mile long river of ancient ice
- Learn how the Matanuska Glacier was born and how it shaped the landscape
- Explore blue meltwater pools and awesome ice formations
Your day, step by step
Anchorage
Hiking at Matanuska Glacier.
What to know before booking
Included
6:1 Guide to Guest Ratio Microspikes Helmet & Trekking Pole Admission to Glacier Park
Not Included
Guide gratuity Drone Usage Permit Ice climbing
Restrictions
This tour does require walking on uneven surfaces for at least two hours, with stepping up and down required, so guests must be able-bodied. Mobility Restrictions. Dietary Restrictions.
Meeting & Pickup
Meet at our office (515 W 4th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501). Hotel Pick-Up on request (limited availability).
Languages Offered
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Planning Notes
Minimum age: 8 Hotel pickup offered: No Confirmation: Manual By Business
What travelers are saying
Tour was great. I would have liked more time on the ice
Guides were awesome, Harley and Micah Best way to see the glaciers, we saw them by boat, helicopter and this trip. Definitely this was the best way to experience them
Perfect day. Our guides were lovely and knowledgeable, Harley and Micah. Facility at base of glacier is remarkable and so clean. The glacier itself is absolutely amazing and getting to walk on it is a once in a lifetime treat that is the only way to experience a glacier. Lunch at Long Tifle Lodge was great
Lou Mei and Racheal were amazing! Very knowledgeable. We loved Lou Mei energy! 100% recommendation this excursion.
Excellent service
This was a great tour! The meeting place was downtown so that was easy for us, but they also picked people up from further away. They provided helmets, spikes, and walking sticks, as well as great guides, Tim and Mary, who made it fun and interesting. The van ride to the glacier was pleasant and we stopped to take photos along the way. We had great weather at the glacier and enjoyed getting to walk around on it and see the various formations. Afterwards, we ate on the back deck of a nearby restaurant and could see the glacier from there. We had considered visiting a different glacier as a shore excursion from our cruise, but discovered that those other excursions didn't involve actually walking on a glacier. So instead we did this tour the day before our cruise and are so glad we chose to do it this way. Highly recommended!