Columbia Glacier Sea Kayak Day Tour
About This Experience
Nine hours, and the only way to be at sea level inside Columbia Bay's iceberg field rather than looking at it from a deck. A boat carries you and the kayaks out from Valdez; you put in at the ice and paddle among it.
The scale takes a while to land. From a kayak, a berg that looked like a lump from the cruise boat is a blue cliff a few metres off your bow, and the ice is audible in every direction - fizzing as ancient trapped air escapes, cracking, occasionally rolling. Guides keep a working distance from anything unstable and read the tide, which swings hard here and moves the whole field with it. Between paddles you land on beaches that were under ice within living memory, eat lunch on gravel that is still sorting itself out, and get the full story of what Columbia Glacier has done since 1980.
It is a long day and a genuine expedition, but not a technical one: the paddling is guided, the boats are stable sea kayaks, and all the gear that keeps you dry is provided. Groups are small, and the guides - named again and again in the reviews - are the reason people come back.
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
Not Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Lunch - bring your own
What to Bring
- Lunch and extra water - hot drinks and snacks are provided, a midday meal is not
- Warm non-cotton layers to wear under the supplied rain gear (wool or synthetic)
- A hat, gloves and sunglasses; glare off ice is fierce even under cloud
- Sunscreen for the reflected light
- A camera in a case, plus binoculars if you have them
Good to Know & Caveats
- This is a full day - around nine hours door to door - and most of it is outdoors on cold water.
- The ice sets the itinerary. Tides here swing hard and calving rates change daily, so the route is decided on the day and no two trips are the same.
- No kayaking experience is required, but you should be comfortable sitting in a boat and paddling for stretches at a time.
- Payment is due in full 30 days before departure; cancellations made more than 72 hours before 8am on the day of departure are fully refunded, and no-shows are charged in full.
- If the operator cancels for weather you are refunded, but build a spare day into a Valdez itinerary anyway.
Not Suitable For
- People with mobility impairments
- People prone to seasickness
Meeting Point
Meet at Pangaea Adventures, 107 N Harbor Drive, on the Valdez small boat harbour. You gear up here, then a boat runs you and the kayaks out to the ice.
What Travelers Say
Rated 4.9/5 by 22 verified GetYourGuide travelers.
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.
— Fabio, August
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!
— Diana, July 29
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.
— Kristen, July 27
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need kayaking experience?
No. Guides brief you on land, the boats are stable sea kayaks, and the paddling is broken up by landings and lunch. What you do need is reasonable general fitness and comfort with being on cold water for most of a day.
How does the day work - do I paddle the whole way from Valdez?
No. A boat carries you and the kayaks out to Columbia Bay, which is far too long a crossing to paddle in a day. You launch at the ice, paddle among the bergs and along the shore with a break for lunch, and the boat runs you back to Valdez.
Is it dangerous to kayak near icebergs?
Bergs can roll and calve without warning, which is exactly why this is a guided trip. Guides keep the group at a working distance from anything unstable, read the tide, and choose the day's route around the ice conditions. Following their spacing is not optional.
How is this different from the cruise?
Scale and proximity. The cruise gives you six warm hours, a big viewing platform, lunch and far more wildlife-spotting range. The kayak gives you nine hours, sea level, silence, and ice a paddle's length away. Most people who have done both say the kayak is the one they still talk about - and the cruise is the one they would send their parents on.
What if the weather is bad?
The trip runs in ordinary Alaskan weather - rain gear is provided for a reason. It is cancelled only when conditions make the crossing or the ice unsafe, and cancellations by the operator are refunded in full.
