NPS Photo

Glacier Bay day tour boat

Glacier Bay Day Tour

During the summer visitor season, a day tour boat departs the park service public-use dock at Bartlett Cove each morning for a full day tour to the tidewater glaciers. Along the way a National Park Service naturalist points out the wildlife and signs of Glacier Bay's recent de-glaciation and plant succession. Campers and kayakers may choose to get dropped off by the tour boat at designated camper dropoff locations. 

Passengers on the day boat tour typically stay at least the night before in Gustavus or at Glacier Bay Lodge but it is possible (weather permitting) to fly from Juneau the morning of the tour.

For reservations, contact the concessioner who operates the tour.

Other Tour Vessels

A number of tour vessels include a day in Glacier Bay as part of a longer itinerary in Southeast Alaska. Passengers usually stay overnight on these mid-sized vessels. Tours originate in Juneau or other Southeast Alaska communities.

For information and reservations, see your travel agent or review our Area Visitor Services Directory for a list of operators permitted to conduct tours in the park.

See Also:

Tour vessels are one of several ways to see Glacier Bay.

Vessel traffic in Glacier Bay is managed to protect the park and provide for a range of visitor experiences. Operators conduct tours in Glacier Bay under concession contracts issued by the National Park Service.

Learn more about the park's Nature and Science, History and Culture, and management.