Gray Line of Alaska

Portage Glacier Cruises

Offer: Receive one Portage Glacier Cruise free with the purchase of accompanying cruise. Experience the rugged beauty of Portage Glacier from the top of the M/V Ptarmigan.

One of the most spectacular sights in Alaska is glacier calving, when massive chunks of ice break away and plunge into the water. And one of the very best places to witness calving is Portage Lake, located an hour south of Anchorage. Here, Alaska's second most visited attraction is just a boat ride away: mighty Portage Glacier.

A tour of Begich Boggs Visitors Center on Portage Lake offers a first look at the glacier through interpretive displays, including a walk-in simulation of a glacier fissure. Due to its retreat in recent years, however, Portage Glacier is no longer visible from the visitor's center.

As the only sightseeing vessel on the lake, Holland America's mv Ptarmigan provides a way for travelers to approach the glacier and observe "the action" up close. The 80-foot dayboat was constructed specifically for safe navigation of iceberg-strewn waters and to maximize the glacial sightseeing experience while minimizing the environmental impact. Moving carefully through a field of bobbing icebergs, the mv Ptarmigan heads toward the far shore of Portage Lake. The vessel seats 200 passengers and features both a fully enclosed, heated cabin with expansive windows and a topside deck for outdoor viewing of the glacier. Amazingly, the mv Ptarmigan can cruise to within 300 yards of this Ice Age wonder, allowing for superb views and photography.

The one-hour tour allows about 20 minutes in front of the glacier to view its blue-white hue, deep fissures and calving ice shards that plunge into the lake below. To enhance passengers' experience and their understanding of this "river of ice," the cruise is fully narrated by a representative of the U.S. Forest Service. By design, the vessels' sound system cannot be heard from shore, ensuring that this naturally peaceful setting is preserved for wildlife as well as for other visitors.
 

Save $29 with the TourSaver on Portage Glacier Cruises - one of Alaska's top attractions.