Our top pick111 reviews
10 hMatanuska Glacier Full-Day Tour
★ 4.8 · 111 reviews
- Ten hours, Walk the 27-mile Matanuska Glacier
- Entry fees and cleats included
- Most booked
- Free cancellation
$329
Check availability→ 
Matanuska Glacier walk
A Matanuska Glacier walk gives you guided time on the ice with gear included. We compared 10 tours from $315 with free cancellation; the top tour scores 4.8 across 111 reviews. It takes you from Anchorage to a glacier 27 miles long.
Price from
Walk on the ice$315
Today's lowest glacier walk across all 10 walks
Average rating
All 10 walks47
437 verified reviews across 10 walks
Your day
Shortest to longest6–10h
Shortest: Wilderness & Wildlife
Longest: Matanuska Glacier Full-Day
Free cancellation
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Everything you can book here
Ten guided days out of Anchorage, seven of them on the ice
Seven tours put you on the 27-mile Matanuska Glacier itself, with a guide, cleats and poles. Three more are day trips from the same city — Portage Glacier, the Chugach National Forest and the wildlife stops along Turnagain Arm. Prices from $315 for the walks.
Wildlife day101 reviews
6 hWilderness, Wildlife, & Glacier Experience
★ 4.8 · 101 reviews
- Six hours, Chugach National Forest by guide
- Wildlife centre entry included
- Day trip
- Free cancellation
$286
Check availability→ 
Portage Glacier73 reviews
8 hPortage Glacier and Wildlife Full-Day Tour
★ 4.5 · 73 reviews
- Eight hours, Portage Glacier and Turnagain Arm
- Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
- Day trip
- Free cancellation
$229
Check availability→ 
Hike and tour55 reviews
8 hFull-Day Matanuska Glacier Hike and Tour
★ 4.8 · 55 reviews
- Eight hours, Ice cleats for the glacier surface
- Round-trip transport from Anchorage
- Day trip
- Free cancellation
$369
Check availability→ 
Transfers includedRated 4.8
8 hMatanuska Glacier Hike with Transfers
★ 4.8 · 31 reviews
- Eight hours, Hike on the ice with a guide
- Transfers from Anchorage included
- Day trip
- Free cancellation
$329
Check availability→ 
Small group27 reviews
7 hGlacier View & Wildlife Anchorage Adventure Tour
★ 4.6 · 27 reviews
- Seven hours, Small group through the Chugach
- Scenic stops and wildlife centre
- Cheapest here
- Free cancellation
$177
Check availability→ 
Lowest fare on the iceRated 4.7
8.5 hHike Matanuska Glacier w/Alaska Honey, Wine Tasting
★ 4.7 · 21 reviews
- 8.5 hours, Glacier hike plus a tasting stop
- Alaskan honey and wine
- Guided tour
- Free cancellation
$315
Check availability→ 
Rated 5.0Winter tour
8 hMatanuska Glacier Winter Tour with Lunch
★ 5.0 · 16 reviews
- Eight hours, Gentler winter hike on the ice
- Lunch and winter gear included
- Guided tour
- Free cancellation
$354
Check availability→ 
Rated 5.0Groomed trail
8 hMatanuska Glacier Hiking Adventure
★ 5.0 · 2 reviews
- Eight hours, Guided hiking on the glacier
- Small group from Anchorage
- Day trip
- Free cancellation
$315
Check availability→ 
Photo lessonsNew listing
8 hMatanuska Glacier Hike with Photo Lessons
- Eight hours, Photo lessons on the ice
- Guide and glacier gear
- Day trip
- Free cancellation
$399
Check availability→ Two questions
Which Matanuska Glacier tour is yours?
Seen the ten above and still torn? Out of Anchorage there are really four answers. Give the glacier the whole day, with entry, cleats and a guide in one fare. Keep the fare down and take the shortest way onto the same ice. Come November to April, when the surface is snow-covered and the hike is gentler. Or spend the day at a different glacier, down Turnagain Arm.
See it before you pay for it
What the ice actually looks like under your cleats
The Matanuska ends at Mile 96.5 of the Glenn Highway, and a shuttle runs from the gate to the terminus, so the walking starts where the ice does. On the surface it is ridges, meltwater channels and crevasses your guide reads for you. In winter the same ground turns white and a snow machine sled carries you out to it.
Side by side
On the Matanuska, or out to Portage and the Chugach
Two different days leave Anchorage each morning. The Matanuska days drive northeast up the Glenn Highway and finish with hours on the ice in cleats. The Portage, Glacier View and wilderness trips head for the Chugach and Turnagain Arm, see a glacier from the ground, and cost less.
Swipe the table sideways →
| Hike Matanuska Glacier w/Alaska Honey, Wine Tasting | TOP PICKMatanuska Glacier Full-Day Tour | Portage Glacier and Wildlife Full-Day Tour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per person | $315 | $329 | $229 |
| What it is | A Matanuska ice hike, then a honey and wine tasting | A full day from Anchorage built around the glacier walk | A day down Turnagain Arm to Portage Glacier |
| Time it takes | 8.5 hours | 10 hours | 8 hours |
| Where you start | Anchorage | Anchorage | Anchorage |
| Do you walk on Matanuska ice | Yes, with cleats on | Yes, with cleats on | No — this day stays off the Matanuska ice |
| Where you end up | On the glacier, then at a tasting stop | Out on the 27-mile long Matanuska Glacier | Beside Portage Glacier, on the Seward Highway |
| Guide | Local Alaskan guide | Local Alaskan guide | Local Alaskan guide |
| Gear supplied | Ice cleats, snow pants | Ice cleats, helmet, poles | None needed — you stay off the ice |
| Entry fees | Glacier entry ticket in the fare | All entry fees in the fare | All entry fees in the fare |
| Cancellation | Free cancellation up to 24 hours | Free cancellation up to 24 hours | Free cancellation up to 24 hours |
| Check dates | Book this one→ | Check dates |
TOP PICK
Matanuska Glacier Full-Day Tour
$329- What it is
- A full day from Anchorage built around the glacier walk
- Time it takes
- 10 hours
- Where you start
- Anchorage
- Do you walk on Matanuska ice
- Yes, with cleats on
- Where you end up
- Out on the 27-mile long Matanuska Glacier
- Guide
- Local Alaskan guide
- Gear supplied
- Ice cleats, helmet, poles
- Entry fees
- All entry fees in the fare
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours
Reserve now, pay later · Instant confirmation
Hike Matanuska Glacier w/Alaska Honey, Wine Tasting
$315- What it is
- A Matanuska ice hike, then a honey and wine tasting
- Time it takes
- 8.5 hours
- Where you start
- Anchorage
- Do you walk on Matanuska ice
- Yes, with cleats on
- Where you end up
- On the glacier, then at a tasting stop
- Guide
- Local Alaskan guide
- Gear supplied
- Ice cleats, snow pants
- Entry fees
- Glacier entry ticket in the fare
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours
Portage Glacier and Wildlife Full-Day Tour
$229- What it is
- A day down Turnagain Arm to Portage Glacier
- Time it takes
- 8 hours
- Where you start
- Anchorage
- Do you walk on Matanuska ice
- No — this day stays off the Matanuska ice
- Where you end up
- Beside Portage Glacier, on the Seward Highway
- Guide
- Local Alaskan guide
- Gear supplied
- None needed — you stay off the ice
- Entry fees
- All entry fees in the fare
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours
Verdict
Take the full day from Anchorage
It is the day almost everyone here should book, because the drive to Mile 96.5 is the same two hours whichever tour you pick and only this one gives the ice a long stretch of its own. All entry fees, ice cleats, helmet and poles are in the fare, rated 4.8 across 111 reviews.
Check dates and availability→Before you book
The ice is walked with a guide
You can drive to this glacier — the entrance is at Mile 96.5 on the Glenn Highway, where Trailhead Rd turns off and a shuttle runs down to the terminus. The surface is uneven, cut by meltwater and re-routed from one week to the next, so it is walked with a local guide, in ice cleats, with a helmet and poles handed out at the edge. The entry fee for the private land is already inside the fare.
Two-minute check
Which Matanuska day fits yours?
Three things decide it: how long you want on the ice, whether you want an Anchorage hotel pickup or your own drive up the Glenn Highway, and what the day adds afterwards. Answer three questions before you pay.
How are you getting up the Glenn Highway?The ice is entered at Mile 96.5, then a shuttle runs down Trailhead Rd
How are you on your feet?Glacier ice is uneven under cleats, and the walk in crosses loose moraine
How long a day do you want to give it?Two hours of Glenn Highway each way sits inside the Matanuska days
Answer the three questions above
You’ll get the one that fits your answers, and the thing about it that catches people out.
Six ways to spend the day
437 reviews across ten Alaska glacier days
Ratings and review counts are the operators’ own numbers on GetYourGuide, shown as published and updated with the page.
4.7
★★★★★
Based on 437
verified reviews
5 ★88%
4 ★9%
3 ★2%
2 ★1%
1 ★0%
All ten Anchorage glacier days on this page, rated on GetYourGuide.
Read all 437→🧊
Matanuska Glacier Full-Day Tour
From $329 · 111 reviews
★★★★★
The longest day, and the most booked one here
Ten hours out of Anchorage: the Glenn Highway to Mile 96.5, the shuttle down to the terminus and a guided walk on the 27-mile (43 kilometer) long Matanuska Glacier. All entry fees, ice cleats, helmet and poles are in the fare, with snacks and water along the way. Rated 4.8 across 111 reviews.
🏔
Full-Day Matanuska Glacier Hike and Tour
From $369 · 55 reviews
★★★★★
Eight hours, with the cleats on for the walk itself
A full-day guided hike across the glacier with round-trip transport from the meeting point, ice cleats fitted before you step on and winter gear handed out when the season calls for it. The guide reads the surface and talks through the natural history of the valley on the way. Rated 4.8 across 55 reviews.
🚌
Matanuska Glacier Hike with Transfers
From $329 · 31 reviews
★★★★★
Collected at your door in Anchorage
Hotel or Airbnb pick-up and drop-off, then a guided hike across the glacier, past towering ice formations and around crevasses. Glacier admission, safety gear, gloves and snow pants come with the fare. Rated 4.8 across 31 reviews, and the one to book if nobody in your party wants to drive.
❄
Matanuska Glacier Winter Tour with Lunch
From $354 · 16 reviews
★★★★★
Rated 5.0, with lunch at a local eatery
A gentler winter hike, with pickup and drop-off at select Anchorage hotels, all the glacier equipment, and lunch at a local eatery at the end of it. Rated 5.0 across 16 reviews, and winter is when the surface is under snow rather than meltwater.
🍷
Hike Matanuska Glacier w/Alaska Honey, Wine Tasting
From $315 · 21 reviews
★★★★★
The lowest fare onto the Matanuska ice
A leisurely guided hike on the glacier, then handcrafted Alaskan honey and a wine tasting on the way back to Anchorage. The glacier entry ticket, ice cleats and snow pants are in the fare. Rated 4.7 across 21 reviews, and at $315 it is the least expensive way onto this ice on the page.
🗺
Portage Glacier and Wildlife Full-Day Tour
From $229 · 73 reviews
★★★★☆
A second glacier day, off the Matanuska ice
Eight hours the other way out of Anchorage: down Turnagain Arm on the Seward Highway to Portage Glacier, with the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center on the route and all entry fees in the fare. Rated 4.5 across 73 reviews. A different glacier, seen rather than walked on.
What it really costs
What a Matanuska Glacier walk costs, line by line
Prices are per person and cover the whole day: the two-hour drive each way from Anchorage, the entry fee onto the private land at Mile 96.5, and the cleats, poles and helmet you walk in. What moves the number is how long you stand on the ice.
Swipe sideways →
| What you do | Price | What that buys | Cancellation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glacier hike with honey and wine tasting | $315 | 8.5 hours, entry ticket, ice cleats, snow pants, tasting after the hike | Free cancellation |
| Full-day tour from Anchorage | $329 | 10 hours, all entry fees, cleats, helmet and poles, snacks and water | Free cancellation |
| Winter tour with lunch | $354 | 8 hours, hotel pickup, all glacier equipment, lunch at a local spot | Free cancellation |
| Full-day hike and tour | $369 | 8 hours, roundtrip transport, ice cleats and winter gear, local guide | Free cancellation |
| Glacier hike with photo lessons | $399 | 8 hours, safety orientation and gear, photo lessons on the ice | Free cancellation |
Costs the listing doesn't show you
- Four hours of Glenn Highway. Mile 96.5 is about two hours from Anchorage each way, and that drive sits inside the duration quoted for each Matanuska day.
- The hours are not all on the ice. A tour counts the briefing, the shuttle down Trailhead Rd and the gear fitting as well as the time in cleats.
- Your own layers. Cleats, helmet and poles come with the tour; the waterproofs, gloves and stiff-soled boots are yours to bring.
- Weather decides. The ice is walked on the day it allows, so a spare day in Anchorage is worth keeping.
What is genuinely included
- All entry fees at the glacier, so the private land at Mile 96.5 is paid for
- Ice cleats, a helmet and poles, fitted at the edge of the ice
- A local guide who walks in front and re-routes as the surface moves
- Round-trip transport from Anchorage on most of the tours on this page
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before, with a full refund
The honest answer
Is a Matanuska Glacier tour worth it?
Three hundred dollars and up for a glacier you can drive to — the question is fair. The ticket covers the two hours each way up the Glenn Highway, the entry onto private land at Mile 96.5, the cleats and poles, and a guide who knows which part of the terminus is walkable this week.
What makes it worth it
- All entry fees are inside the fare, so the private land at Mile 96.5 is paid for
- Ice cleats, a helmet and poles are handed out before you step onto the surface
- A local guide who reads the ice, on a glacier 27 miles (43 kilometers) long
- Round-trip transport from Anchorage on most of the tours on this page
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours, so booking early costs you nothing
Keep in mind
- Mile 96.5 is about two hours up the Glenn Highway, each way, from Anchorage
- The quoted hours include that drive, the briefing and the shuttle to the terminus
- Three of the ten days here stay off the Matanuska ice altogether
- Weather closes the ice, so keep a spare day if the glacier is the point of the trip
- The surface is uneven under cleats, which the listings say plainly
The day, hour by hour
Anchorage to the terminus and back
Look at the forecast, then book anyway
Free cancellation runs to 24 hours, so holding a date costs you nothing. Weather decides on the morning, and the earlier departures have the best odds of going.
Pick-up in Anchorage
Most of these tours collect you at a hotel or a meeting point in town. You bring warm layers, waterproofs and boots stiff enough to take a cleat.
Up the Glenn Highway
About two hours north-east through the Matanuska Valley, with the river on one side and the Chugach on the other. This is where the guide talks and the mountains start.
Mile 96.5, and the turn onto Trailhead Rd
The entrance sits by the bridge over Hick’s Creek. All entry fees are in the fare, and a shuttle runs from there down to the terminus of the glacier.
Cleats, helmet, poles
The guide fits the gear at the edge of the ice and shows you how to walk in cleats. Short, flat, deliberate steps, and the first few minutes feel strange to everyone.
On the ice
Ridges, meltwater channels and ice formations on a glacier 27 miles long. The route is cut fresh, because the surface moves from one week to the next.
Back down the valley
Gear handed back and the Glenn Highway again, with a lunch, a tasting stop or a wildlife pull-off on the way, depending which of the ten you booked.
Best time of day
Take the early departure, and the valley has the evening
These two work in opposite directions, which is why the day holds together. Early departures are the ones least likely to be stood down by weather, the terminus is quietest before the later groups arrive, and the guides are working ice they checked that morning. The Matanuska Valley is the reverse: the light lands on the Chugach late, and the pull-offs along the Glenn Highway empty as the tours turn for home. Put the cleats on early and drive back down the valley in low sun, and the day has done what you came for.
On the ground
What the ice actually looks like
The terminus
Mile 96.5 on the Glenn Highway, then a shuttle down Trailhead Rd to the edge of the ice.
On the surface
Twenty-seven miles (43 kilometers) of ice, and one of the most studied glaciers on earth.
The gear
Ice cleats, helmet and poles are handed out before anyone steps onto the surface.
The winter version
From November the surface is under snow and a snow machine sled carries you out to it.
What it's like
One glacier you can drive to, and the two hours to reach it
Most people arrive in Anchorage with one picture in their head: themselves, standing on a glacier. Then they look at a map, see ice in every direction, and assume the hard part is choosing. In this valley it is simpler than that, and worth knowing before you book anything.
The Matanuska Glacier is the one you can drive to. It comes down out of the Chugach into the valley that carries the Glenn Highway, and the entrance sits at Mile 96.5, by the bridge over Hick’s Creek, where a side road called Trailhead Rd drops toward the ice. From there a shuttle runs down to the terminus. That is about two hours from Anchorage, and it is the same two hours whichever of these tours you book.
Driving to it and walking on it are two different things. The land at the entrance is private and the entry is paid, which is why the listings on this page say “all entry fees” in their inclusions — that cost is already inside the fare. And the surface itself is opened with a guide, in ice cleats, with a helmet and poles handed out before anyone steps on.
The glacier is, in the operators’ own words, “the 27-mile (43 kilometer) long Matanuska Glacier”. What you walk is a small, worked part of the terminus: ridges, meltwater channels and ice formations that the guides re-route around from one week to the next. It is one of the most studied glaciers on earth, and the guides tend to say so.
So the real decision is what else you want the day to hold. Seven of the ten tours here put you on the Matanuska ice. They differ by length — eight hours to ten — and by what is bolted onto the drive back: lunch at a local eatery, a honey and wine tasting, photo lessons on the ice, or nothing at all beyond the glacier itself.
The other three go the other way out of Anchorage and never touch this ice. A wilderness day in the Chugach National Forest, a full day down Turnagain Arm to Portage Glacier, and a small-group scenic run with the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center on the route. They are on this page because people ask what fills a second day in Anchorage, and because it is better to say plainly which days are glacier walks and which are not.
Winter changes the walk rather than closing it. Between November and April the surface is under snow, the hike is gentler, and at least one operator rides part of the way out on a snow machine sled. The winter day from Anchorage is rated 5.0, and it comes with lunch and all the glacier equipment.
The plan that works is usually the dull one. Book the ice for the first clear morning you have, let someone else drive the Glenn Highway, and keep a spare day in Anchorage in case the weather turns. Free cancellation runs to 24 hours, so holding a date early costs you nothing.
While you're in Anchorage
The three days people add when the glacier is already booked
You want a spare day here for the weather, and Anchorage is a good place to keep one. A wilderness day in the Chugach National Forest, a full day down Turnagain Arm to Portage Glacier, and a small-group scenic run with the wildlife centre on the route. None of the three steps onto the Matanuska ice.
Practical
Plan the walk
Five things decide how the day goes: which of the ten tours you pick, what you wear over your boots and under your jacket, when you book, whether you take a hotel pickup or drive the Glenn Highway yourself, and how much daylight the month gives you in Anchorage.
The full day from Anchorage
Ten hours, the longest on this page, built around the walk on the ice. All entry fees, cleats, helmet and poles in the fare.
Eight hours with transfers
Collected at a hotel or Airbnb in Anchorage, driven both ways, and guided across the ice in between.
The winter tour
November to April, when the surface is under snow, the hike is gentler and lunch is part of the day.
With a tasting or photo lessons
Two of the tours add something to the drive back: Alaskan honey and wine, or photo lessons and action shots on the ice.
The hiking adventure
A guided hike on a groomed trail across the glacier, with the entrance fee and the driving handled for you.
The three days that stay off the ice
Wilderness in the Chugach, Portage Glacier down Turnagain Arm, and a small-group scenic day. Good days out, but not walks on Matanuska.
Warm layers, every month
You are standing on ice with wind coming off it. It is colder on the glacier than at the highway, in July as much as January.
Waterproof jacket and trousers
Meltwater, rain and wind come at you sideways in the valley, and a shell is the difference between a good walk and a long one.
Boots that take a cleat
Ice cleats are fitted over your own boots, and they need a stiff sole and an ankle to hold onto.
The glacier gear is supplied
Ice cleats, helmets and poles come with the tours on this page, and the winter days add winter gear on top.
Gloves, hat, sunglasses
Ice throws the light back at you, and bare hands on a pole in wind is the thing people regret.
Something for your camera
Cold drains batteries faster than you expect. A spare in an inside pocket earns its place.
Book the ice for your first clear morning
If the weather closes the walk you still have a day in hand to try again.
Free cancellation to 24 hours
Booking early costs nothing, so hold a date as soon as your plans are firm.
Check what the hours include
A Matanuska duration covers about two hours of Glenn Highway each way, the briefing and the shuttle as well as the ice.
The entry fee is inside the fare
Listings say “all entry fees” because the land at the entrance is private and the entry is paid.
One price everywhere
Operator office, platform or hotel desk — the fare is the same. Booking ahead buys the date, not a discount.
Check the minimum age
The longer hikes set it higher than the gentler winter days. It is on each listing.
Mile 96.5, Glenn Highway
The entrance is by the bridge over Hick’s Creek, where Trailhead Rd turns off toward the ice.
The shuttle to the terminus
From the entrance a shuttle runs down to the edge of the glacier, and the cleats go on there.
About two hours from Anchorage
North-east through Palmer and up the Matanuska Valley. The same drive back again at the end of the day.
Without a car
Most of the tours here include round-trip transport, and several collect you at a hotel in Anchorage.
Staying at Glacier View
If you sleep out at that end of the valley you are already beside the entrance when the tour starts.
Winter driving
Short daylight and ice on the Glenn Highway. It is the strongest argument for letting the tour do the driving.
Best time
When to come
Guided tours run through the year, because the road to Mile 96.5 is the road Alaska keeps open. What changes month to month is daylight, how the surface walks, and whether you cross the ice on foot or ride a snow machine sled out to it.
Jun – Aug
Long light, bare ice
Daylight deep into the evening, which is what makes a 10-hour day out of Anchorage feel unhurried. The surface is bare ice with meltwater channels, and the Chugach and Portage day trips are at their busiest.
May & Sep
Shoulder weeks
Still long days, fewer vehicles at the terminus, and the same guides with more time for your group. A good window if you want the glacier hike and a Chugach day trip in one trip to Anchorage.
Dec – Feb
Winter, sled and lunch
The winter tours ride a snow machine sled out to the glacier, which makes for a gentler hike, and winter gear comes with the ticket. The 8-hour winter day with lunch is rated 5.0 by 16 travellers.
Mar – Apr
Snow, returning daylight
Light coming back fast and the glacier still under snow, so the winter format holds. Book a few weeks out for the hotel-pickup tours — free cancellation holds up to 24 hours before.
Worth knowing
Six things that aren't in the listing
01
You can drive to this glacier, but you walk it with a guide. The entrance at Mile 96.5 is on private land, a shuttle runs from there to the terminus, and the ice cleats, helmet and poles are handed out at the edge.
02
Two hours each way is inside the Matanuska durations. An eight-hour tour is roughly four hours of Glenn Highway, plus the briefing, the shuttle and the walk. Only the ten-hour day gives the ice a long stretch of its own.
03
Three of the ten days never touch this ice. The wilderness day, the Portage Glacier day and the small-group scenic run go the other way out of Anchorage. They are good days out, and we mark them so nobody books one expecting the Matanuska surface.
04
Winter does not close it. Between November and April the surface is under snow, the hike is gentler, and one operator rides part of the way out on a snow machine sled. The winter day is rated 5.0 across 16 reviews.
05
Book the ice for your first clear morning. Weather closes walks, mornings give the best odds, and a cancelled walk still leaves you a day in hand. Free cancellation runs to 24 hours.
06
Boots matter more than jackets. Cleats are strapped over your own footwear, so a stiff sole and an ankle are what make the first hour comfortable. Everything else you can layer.
Round out the trip
Booked alongside
Go deeper
More on walking the Matanuska Glacier
Common questions
Matanuska Glacier tours, answered
Can you walk on the Matanuska Glacier?
You can, and it is done with a guide. Every tour on this page that reaches the ice is led by a local guide, with ice cleats, a helmet and poles handed out at the edge. The entrance is at Mile 96.5 on the Glenn Highway, by the bridge over Hick’s Creek, and a shuttle runs from there down to the terminus. Walks on the ice start at $315.
Do you need a guide for the Matanuska Glacier?
The tours sold here are all guided, and that is what the operators offer. The surface is uneven, cut by meltwater channels and re-routed week to week, so the route is walked by someone who was on it that morning. The gear that makes it possible — cleats, helmet, poles — comes with the tour rather than being hired separately.
How far is the Matanuska Glacier from Anchorage?
About two hours north-east, up the Glenn Highway through Palmer and the Matanuska Valley to Mile 96.5. That drive, both ways, is inside the durations of the Matanuska days, which is why the shortest tour that reaches the ice still runs eight hours.
How long is a Matanuska Glacier tour?
Eight hours for most of them, ten for the full day from Anchorage, and 8.5 for the one that adds a honey and wine tasting on the way back. The three days that stay off this ice run six to eight hours.
How much does a Matanuska Glacier tour cost?
Tours that put you on the ice start at $315, with the full day from Anchorage at $329 and the winter tour with lunch at $354. The nearby days that stay off the Matanuska ice start lower, at $177. The fares onto the ice already cover the entry fee at the glacier, the cleats and the guide.
Is the Matanuska Glacier hike hard?
The listings describe walking on an uneven ice surface in cleats, with a shuttle covering the approach rather than a long hike in. The winter tour is the gentler one, and one operator rides part of the way out on a snow machine sled. Each listing states its own minimum age and fitness note.
Can you visit the Matanuska Glacier in winter?
Yes. The winter tour from Anchorage runs with lunch, hotel pickup and all the glacier equipment, and it is rated 5.0 across 16 reviews. Between November and April the surface is under snow, the ice formations stand out, and the day is built around shorter daylight.
One PDF · no account needed
Two days out of Anchorage — the plan we'd follow
Which morning to book the ice, which of the ten tours matches the day you have, and what to do with the spare day the weather may hand you. Built from the operators’ own listings and the same live prices as this page.
- All ten tours, with times and what each fare covers, from the listings
- Which seven reach the Matanuska ice and which three stay off it
- The order to do them in, so the weather works for you rather than against
- What to wear on the ice, month by month
Check your inbox
The plan is on its way. If it isn't there in a minute, look in Promotions.
Why trust this page
How we put this together
Checked, not guessed
Durations, inclusions and operator names come from the live GetYourGuide listings for each tour. Prices and ratings are read off the same listings and updated with the page.
How we pick
The guided Matanuska Glacier days bookable from Anchorage are on this page, along with three nearby days that people ask about. Nobody pays to be featured.
We mark what is not a glacier walk
Three of the ten tours here go the other way out of Anchorage and never touch the Matanuska ice. We say so on the card rather than leave it to the pick-up.
The ice, stated plainly
You drive to Mile 96.5, the entry fee is inside the fare, and the surface is walked with a guide in cleats, a helmet and poles. We lead with that, because it decides more of your day than the price.
The answer
Give the glacier a whole day, and let someone else drive it.
Mile 96.5 is two hours up the Glenn Highway, the entry fee and the ice cleats are already in the fare, and the walk itself is led by someone who was on that surface in the morning. Tours onto the ice start at $315. Book the first clear day you have and keep a spare one in Anchorage.
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