"More breathtaking than in a picture book. The guides were super nice, and the captain provided a safe cruise. The kayak tour was simply fantastic, as was the nature and wildlife that you see. Unfortunately, the full package was not offered; lunch was not included as described."
Valdez · Columbia Bay
Columbia Glacier Kayaking
Nine hours, a boat transfer out to the ice, and then sea level among icebergs that a cruise deck flattens into scenery.
From
$409
per person
Free cancellation
- 4.9 / 5 22+ Reviews
- 9 hours Duration
- All Gear Provided
- Instant Confirmation
- Free Cancellation
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Check Availability & Prices
Select your preferred date and time. Instant confirmation — free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
The Experience
Why Paddle Instead of Cruise
The trip people describe years later, and the reason is the height of your eyes.
Highlights
- Paddle among the icebergs of Columbia Bay at eye level, not from a deck
- Boat transfer out to the ice and back, with wildlife watching on the way
- Land on beaches uncovered by the glacier's retreat within the last few decades
- Small guided groups with all technical and waterproof gear provided
- A full nine-hour day - the deepest look at Columbia Glacier available from Valdez
What's Included
- Guided sea kayaking with all paddling equipment - kayaks, paddles, PFDs and spray skirts
- Rain gear, top and bottom
- Rubber boots and neoprene paddling gloves
- Dry bags for cameras and layers
- Hot drinks and trail-mix or pretzel snacks
- Boat transfer from Valdez out to the glacier zone and back
How the Kayak Day Works
Nine hours from the Valdez harbour to the ice and back.
Gear Up on Land
Meet at Pangaea Adventures, 107 N Harbor Drive, on the small boat harbour. Rain gear, rubber boots, gloves, dry bags and the safety briefing all happen before you go near the water.
Boat Out to the Ice
Columbia Bay is far too long a crossing to paddle in a day, so a boat carries you and the kayaks out — with wildlife watching along the way.
Paddle the Berg Field
Launch at the ice. Guides read the tide, keep a working distance from anything unstable, and pick the route around whatever the bay has done overnight.
Land, Eat, Paddle Again
Lunch on a beach that was under the glacier within living memory, then more paddling before the boat runs you back to Valdez.
Photo Gallery
Ice at Eye Level
What Columbia Bay looks like from a metre above the water.
Which Way to See Columbia Glacier?
Three real ways onto the water from Valdez, and one that people try first and regret. Prices are per person and live from GetYourGuide.
| Feature | RECOMMENDED Columbia Glacier Cruise | Columbia Glacier Sea Kayak | Meares Glacier Cruise | Skip the Boat, Look From Shore |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How close you get to the ice | Into Columbia Bay's iceberg field, as far as the ice allows that day | Sea level, inside the ice — bergs a paddle's length away | Engines off in front of an active calving face at Meares | ✗ No road, trail or viewpoint reaches Columbia Glacier |
| Length of day | 6 hours | 9 hours | 7.5 hours | Whatever you spend driving to a view that isn't there |
| Do you see a calving face? | Sometimes — the moraine and the berg field usually keep the face distant | Rarely up close; the ice field itself is the destination | ✓ Yes, this is the trip built around it | ✗ No |
| Wildlife on the way | ✓ Otters, seals, sea lions, porpoise, eagles; whales possible | ✓ Seen from the transfer boat and from the water | ✓ Longest crossing, so the widest range — plus a sea lion haulout | Eagles and otters from the Valdez shoreline |
| Comfort | Enclosed heated cabin, open decks, seats and toilets | On the water all day in supplied rain gear — cold and wet by design | Enclosed heated cabin, longest day aboard | Warm and dry, and no glacier |
| Food included | ✓ Hot soup lunch, free coffee, tea and water | Hot drinks and snacks — bring your own lunch | ✓ Morning snack, late lunch and a dinner roll | ✗ Nothing |
| Experience needed | None | None, but a full day of paddling on cold water | None | None |
| Free cancellation | ✓ Up to 3 days before | ✓ Up to 24 hours before | ✓ Up to 3 days before | Not applicable |
| Starting Price | From $409/per person | From $409/person | From $201/person | Free, and worth what you pay |
| Book Now | See Dates | See Dates | Browse Valdez |
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Before You Book
What Changes When You Sit a Metre Above the Water
The same bay, a completely different experience — and a much longer day.
Everyone who has done both says a version of the same thing: the cruise is the trip you recommend, and the kayak is the trip you remember. It is worth understanding why before you spend more than twice as much on it.
Scale only works at sea level
From a cruise deck, an iceberg is an object in a landscape. From a kayak it is a wall. A berg that read as a white lump from twenty feet up becomes a blue cliff a few metres off your bow, and the first genuine surprise is the sound — ice fizzing as air trapped for centuries escapes into the water, sharp cracks from somewhere you cannot see, the occasional deep noise of something rolling.
You also get silence between those sounds, which no motorised boat can offer. It is the single thing paddlers mention most.
It is a guided expedition, not a technical one
There is no kayaking prerequisite. Guides brief you on land, the boats are stable sea kayaks, and the day is broken up by landings and lunch. What the day does demand is ordinary fitness and a tolerance for being outdoors on cold water for most of nine hours. Rain gear, rubber boots, neoprene gloves and dry bags are all supplied — bring warm non-cotton layers to go underneath, and your own lunch.
The guiding is not decorative. Bergs calve and roll without warning, and the whole route is chosen around what the ice has done since yesterday. Tides here swing hard and move the field with them. When a guide tells you where to sit relative to a berg, that is not a preference.
What the day includes, and what it does not
A boat carries you and the kayaks out to Columbia Bay and back — the crossing is far too long to paddle in a day, and anyone who implies otherwise has not done it. Hot drinks and trail-mix snacks come with the trip; lunch does not, and you will want more of it than you expect. Paddling in cold air burns through food.
Between paddles you land on gravel beaches that the glacier itself uncovered within the last few decades — ground that is still sorting itself out, with nothing growing on it yet. It is a strange thing to eat a sandwich on.
Who should book the cruise instead
If you have one day in Valdez, if anyone in the party has mobility limits or gets seasick, if you want to be warm between sightings, or if the wildlife matters more than the ice, the six-hour cruise is the better buy and not by a small margin. It also costs less than half as much and leaves you an evening.
Book the kayak if the ice is the reason you came, you have a full day to give it, and you would rather be cold and close than warm and far. Our cruise vs kayak guide works through the decision properly, and the which-tour guide covers the whole Valdez catalogue.
Guest Reviews
What Paddlers Say
4.9/5
from 22 verified guests
Ratings and review counts are the tour operators' live figures on GetYourGuide and may shift slightly day to day.
"We had an incredible Columbia Glacier kayak tour with Pangaea Adventures in Valdez.Our guides, Logan and Ella, were amazing, fun, and extremely knowledgeable. They shared great international perspectives and you could tell they do this out of pure passion. Captain Nick was super cheerful and maneuvered the boat masterfully through the floating icebergs.This tour is professional, educational, and fun, worth every penny. Thank you Logan, Ella, and Nick!"
"Our guide, Rose, was exceptional. She handled some difficult clients and situations with composure and grace, and still made sure our experience was fabulous. She was friendly, highly knowledgeable about the area, highly qualified as a guide, and exuded confidence. We were wowed by the beauty of the glacier and felt it was the highlight of our 2 1/2 week’s trip to Alaska. It was cold and wet, yet still the best experience. If you are considering going, I can’t recommend it enough, but also listen to their advice about how to dress!! I’d add hand and toe warmers to their packing list."
"Great tour. With great guides. Very professional team in terms of gear, transportation and guiding. Very relaxed kayak tour in a stunning setting. Highly recommended 👏👌"
"If you do 1 tour in Alaska, this is the 1 to do! We were immediately greeted by excited smiles-our guides, Baird, Logan & Rose got us outfitted with everything we needed to be comfortable for the day, including warm/rain gear & boots. We had a very short walk to the boat where the professional and safety-focused crew (captained by Nick) took us on a comfortable, beautiful boat ride from Valdez harbor through Prince William Sound where we saw (aided by the guides) sea lions, sea otters & numerous birds. Our lead guide Baird provided interesting information about the wildlife & area throughout the day. We then stopped on a beach where we were provided everything we needed to kayak towards the glacier, including instructions & miracle kayaking gloves. We kayaked at a relaxed pace among the growlers, taking in our surroundings, & paddled to the breathtaking glacier! On our way back to port, we were warmed up with hot choco & saw whales-thx to our crew! The crew & tour were amazing."
"tl;dr - if you are considering sea kayak, Pangaea should be the one, without a doubt. We went on a full day kayak @ Columbia glacier with the guides - Macy & Baird (I hope I got their names right) - were amazing. They made our experience 10x better. We spent 2.5 hours kayaking right in front of Columbia Glaciers - paving our ways through the icebergs. They also provided gears to keep you (little) warm and dry. And a hot chocolate was cherry on top in the middle of Ocean. Thanks, Pangaea! Thanks for helping us unlock one of the most amazing experiences we've ever had."
"This trip was amazing!! The Guides were all amazing - especially Anna who remembered my name right away (which nobody ever does)! She was also extremely personable and answered everyone’s questions thoroughly and enthusiastically! She even listened to me talk about so many of my own personal crazy traveling experiences which I really appreciated, (especially since I almost always travel by myself) and she shared some of her own travel experiences too! She was the best tour guide ever! The boat ride to the kayaking location was beautiful and we could sit or stand as we pleased inside and outside the boat! Anna also lent me binoculars to look at a bald eagle. The kayaking itself was amazing too and they gave hot chocolate and tea when we stopped on a beach and trail mix on the boat. I’ll never forget this tour! It was the best tour I’ve ever been on! It restored my faith in tours! I usually don’t go on tours on my trips but I’m extremely glad I went on this one!"
"A wonderful adventure and a fantastic team of guides. I highly recommend it."
Read all 22 verified reviews
See All ReviewsGet Inside the Ice, Not Alongside It
Nine hours, small guided groups, and all the gear that keeps you dry. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure. Starting from $409 per person.
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Columbia Glacier Kayaking — Frequently Asked Questions
What the nine-hour paddle day actually asks of you.
From $409 per person for the full nine-hour guided day. That covers the boat transfer out to Columbia Bay and back, all paddling equipment, rain gear top and bottom, rubber boots, neoprene gloves, dry bags, hot drinks and trail-mix snacks. Lunch is not included — bring your own.
No. Guides brief you on land, the boats are stable sea kayaks, and the day is broken up by landings and lunch. What you do need is ordinary fitness and comfort being outdoors on cold water for most of nine hours.
No, and any description that suggests otherwise is wrong. Columbia Bay is far too long a crossing to paddle in a day, so a boat carries you and the kayaks out. You launch at the ice, paddle among the bergs and along the shore with a lunch stop, and the boat runs you back.
Bergs can calve and roll without warning, which is precisely why this is guided. Guides keep the group at a working distance from anything unstable, read the tide — which swings hard here and moves the whole field — and choose the route around the day's ice. Their spacing instructions are not suggestions.
Lunch and extra water, warm non-cotton layers to wear under the supplied rain gear, a hat, gloves and sunglasses, sunscreen for the glare off ice, and a camera in a case. Everything that keeps you dry is provided; everything that keeps you warm underneath is on you.
The operator lists it as unsuitable for people with mobility impairments and for anyone prone to seasickness — the transfer crosses open water. If either applies, the six-hour cruise gets you into the same bay with a heated cabin and seats.
The trip runs in ordinary Alaskan weather; rain gear is supplied for a reason. It is cancelled only when conditions make the crossing or the ice unsafe, and operator cancellations are refunded in full. Build one spare day into a Valdez itinerary anyway.
Weeks, for July and August. Groups are small and Valdez has one outfitter running this trip, so peak dates go early. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure means booking ahead costs you nothing.
Still have questions? Email us at info@columbiaglaciertours.com
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