Glacier National Park Highlights

Here are some of the sites you shouldn't miss:

The Grand Pacific Glacier is a massive 25-mile long, 2-mile wide glacier that starts in the National Park and extends across the Canadian border into British Columbia. 

Neighboring Margerie Glacier, is known for its dramatic calving with iceburgs crashing into the sea below. 

Johns Hopkins Glacier is massive and approached frequently by sea kayak. 

Icy Strait at the entrance of Glacier Bay is excellent for Humpback whale watching. Bring your binoculars! 

Bartlett Cove is the trailhead for hikes into the forest along the Bartlett River. Wildlife here includes humpback whales and puffins.

 

What to Expect on a Cruise of Glacier Bay

Glacier Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve, is surrounded by high mountain peaks, including Mount Fairweather, and 8 massive tidewater glaciers that calve ice into the bay dotted with icebergs.

As you enter Glacier Bay through Icy Strait and near the town of Gustavus, a National Park Ranger joins us to uncover coves and corners of the bay that most visitors, especially those on a large cruise ship, will miss.  

Listen as the quiet stillness is broken by the thunder of tons of ice calving into the sea. A native Tlingit interpreter joins you to share local lore and legends.

Hundreds of miles of glacially formed fjords are here for you to explore by kayak, zodiac, on foot, and by small ship cruise.

Best Glacier Bay Small Ship Cruise Lines for 2025-2026
 

• UnCruise - Alaska is the company's birthplace and boasts the most itinerary options, whether for 7, 12, or 14 nights.  Almost 25 years later, innovation continues to be the core of its motto. The upscale 84-passenger small expedition ship Safari Endeavour leads the Glacier Bay National Park cruises. The Safari Explorer, Safari Quest, Wilderness Discoverer, Wilderness Adventurer, and Wilderness Legacy are other fleets plying this route. 
• Lindblad Expeditions - has small, swift expedition ships that can explore fast-moving channels where wildlife gathers. Holds National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service special permits to access Glacier Bay, National Park. Custom built by Nichols Brothers Boat Builders in the USA, the National Geographic Quest and National Geographic Venture are ideal for expedition travel.
• Alaskan Dream Cruises - has all-inclusive, small vessel expedition itineraries that offer a mix of excursions in intriguing towns, native villages, and adventures in Glacier bays and remote wilderness, immersing you in True Alaska. A former Bering Sea crab harvesting boat, Kruzof Explorer, leads the Glacier Bay National Park itineraries. Other ships include Chichagof Dream, Admiralty Dream, Alaskan Dream, and Baranof Dream.