Guides were great and it was a nice tour to get a little taste of everything--watching marine animals on a boat, glacier viewing, canoeing, and hiking. Everything was well organized. Canoeing to the glacier is the main event and the other things are secondary. So don't expect to see tons of whales like you would on a whale watch or to go on a long hike like you would on an actual hiking excursion. But I thought they were great add-ons to the day. First we took an hour long boat ride from Skagway to Glacier Point. The two guides kept an eye out for wildlife and slowed down when they spotted whales and sea lions so we could all get a good look. When we got to Glacier Point, we took a short bus ride to an area where we were outfitted with boots and life jackets (they also had extra clothing layers and bug spray for those who needed it). From there we did a short hike through the forest to the lake (about 1/4 mile and there was a small 4x4 vehicle that took an older couple directly to the lake). At the lake we got into 12-person canoes and headed over to the Davidson glacier. There is also a motor on the canoes, so you only do some paddling. Pretty much anyone with good mobility can do this tour. It's pretty cool to get close to the glacier although it's somewhat less impressive as you get very close because the front part of the glacier is covered in dirt (due to a landslide a couple of years ago). Afterwards, they provided box lunches before we headed back on the boat to Skagway. They're basic cold turkey sandwiches, but it was decent. On the way back the boat stopped at a place where lots of sea lions congregate, it was pretty cool. The trip took about 6-6.5 hours total. We booked through the ship (which I think is the only way to do so). It was on the pricey side, but as far as Alaskan excursions go I think it was worth the money considering the length of the tour and variety of activities. I'm always afraid of excursions booked through the ship because many are overcrowded. This one wasn't bad because we split onto two boats for the trip to Glacier Point and onto four canoes when we paddled over to the glacier. So it had a relatively small/medium group feel to it. read more

My wife and I took a 30 mile trip to Davidson glacier where we donned wet suits and took canoes right up to the glacier. The 30 mile trip in the boat was expertly helmed by Emily (the driver) and Ally (the mate) who kept us entertained in both directions. On the way back they stopped at a huge waterfall for pictures and it was here that Ally took the picture of my wife that I will treasure forever. I highly recommend this group tour and especially the caring crew of the transport boat. read more

Our family just got back from Alaska and this was by far the highlight of our trip! The guides we so nice and knowledgeable. So worth every penny. This tour really gives you Alaska at its best. Every step of the way you truly get to experience Alaska. Walking up to the glacier was just icing on the cake! I would HIGHLY recommend this adventure for anyone who wants to truly see Alaska at its best! read more

Glacier Point Wilderness Safari - Canoeing back from the glacier. - Boating Near Me

We went on Alaska Excursions' Davidson Glacier tour. It was well worth the money. It is one of the top things we did on our vacation. You are literally a stones through from the glacier in all of its beauty and awe. The excursion was 6 hours of fun, adventure and learning, starting with a high speed boat ride from Skagway Harbor to Glacier Point. The boat ride was amazing both going and returning. Elise narrated the tour supplying us with lots of interesting and educational information about glaciers and the area. She worked with boat captain Connor making sure we had a great ride with plenty of photo ops. with great scenery including bald eagles, harbor seals, water falls and breath taking views of glaciers. Arriving at Glacier Point we were met by guides Kevin, Jake and Nate. They actually live on the island and are totally into their jobs. They provided us with sandwiches and other treats before boarded small busses to their base camp. The guys provided a lot of information while at the same time being very entertaining. At their base camp they out fitted us with boots, life vest as well as wind breakers for anyone who wanted one. We then walked thorough a beautiful wooded trail to an area where we boarded canoes which would take us to the Davidson Glacier. The ride to the glacier provided magnificent views of the glacier. Kevin was the guide for our canoe, which transported us a little over a mile to the glacier. Kevin gave us the history of the area, explained how a glacier is formed and how the glacier has changed over time. We walked the rest of the way to the glacier, at times walking through several inches of water - thus the boots. We were given ample time at the glacier. This is an amazing lifetime experience. The guys gave us a lot of information about the glacier itself. They offered to take pictures and answered questions before taking us back the way we came. The tour was well-coordinated and conducted with safety in mind at all times. The whole experience - boat ride to glacier point, bus ride and walk around glacier point, canoe ride up to the glacier - was an amazing once in a life time experience, only made even more perfect by the knowledgeable, caring and fun staff who work for Alaska Excursions. They have done a great job in recruiting these bright young people from all over the country to make this one of the best tours I have ever been on. Special thanks to Elise, Connor and Kevin, a talented group of people. They love what they do; they care and it shows. I highly recommend this tour for a fun filled day and lifetime experience. read more

We booked the afternoon through Royal Caribbean as a highly recommended tour and it was a wonderful day. The hour long boat ride was picturesque and our naturalist Jess had a lot of information to share about the area. Once on land, we had our simple lunch of turkey sandwiches and a snack pack. Then we drove in buses to a covered outbuilding and suited up in full rain gear. We walked about a quarter mile to the canoes. The actual rowing was minimal as there are motors aboard. Beautiful scenery everywhere. Once we got close enough to the glacier we got out and walked toward an ice cave opening in the glacier. It was simply magnificent to see something so amazing so close up. Our guide had just returned after being gone a few days and commented several times about how the glacier and area changes so quickly. His enthusiasm for the wilderness was infectious. Thanks guys, it was one of the highlights of our trip! read more

Glacier Point Wilderness Safari - Ice cave at the foot of the glacier. Part of the ceiling had just come down weeks before our trip. - Boating Near Me

We recently took this excursion and it was amazing! The guides were all terrific - friendly and knowledgable. The scenery was extraordinary. Getting to experience a glacier up close was an incredible thing - would highly highly recommend this trip to anyone. And a special word about our boat captain Emily - she was awesome! read more

So much fun! Don't go to Alaska without experiencing this excursion. It was a true adventure. The boat ride out has spectacular views of the tree and cliff lined fjord. The short trek from putting on wet gear up to the canoes is a walk through a temperate rain forest. Once aboard your large canoe the most beautiful thing you've ever seen starts to appear on the horizon. Touch the glacier, listen to it's melt both trickle and pour out into a wide river. The glaciers are disappearing so it's humbling and yet wonderful that you are standing at the foot of a massive, soon to be extinct, natural phenomenon. DON'T miss this! and DO bring the guides a bottle of whiskey. It helps them pass the time while playing cards in the evenings when the tourists leave and the bears are close. read more

Dude worth every penny! Bring your cameras and go pros. The staff were all extremely professional, knowledgeable, charismatic, hilarious, hardworking AND HANDSOME MY GOLLY! It was so much fun riding the canoes and trekking through the delta/small streams to get to the glacier. Truly an experience like no other. GO GO GO before it's gone. The glacier is shrinking away more and more each year!! GO! Just a note: might be a good idea to bring a small towel and a extra pair of socks!!! You will most likely get water in your boots!!!! my feet were soaked! Also if you are bringing small kids - expect that you may have to carry them to prevent water from getting into their boots while walking through streams. read more

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This adventure was awesome! We got to see lots of wildlife, get close to the glacier, and we had amazing tour guides! Lunch was satisfying and we got amazing pictures to take home. We learned how to catch crabs in pods. It was a little expensive, but 100% worth it! The only thing that could have made this trip better was less rowing in the canoe. read more

We went on this excursion last week, 7:30am-2pm. What a beautiful place, excellent guides, etc! We were picked up at the end of the dock in a van. We learned we were the only 2 from our ship (NCL Pearl) on the excursion! They had 2 from NCL Jewel and quite a few from a Princess ship and Cellebrity Millennium. Apparently its a max of 70 for each of the morning and afternoon tours, and we had under 40 as it was early season. We booked direct through their website and I don't remember seeing it listed through NCL, so that is probably why there weren't many NCL folks. Their loss! We were driven to another dock to meet up with the rest of the group, then boarded one of two 24 passenger boats they used (they have 3 total). I was a bit hesitant with the small boat (I had been expecting a 50-100 passenger boat based on some previous reviews) as I get sea sick, but it was a mostly smooth ~60 min ride, and I had taken meds so was fine. They warned us about having no restroom for ~90 min. The seats were bench style facing inboard. There were small platforms fwd & aft to take photos from when we stopped. We had a boat captain and a guide for that portion. The guide kept us entertained with local history, pointed out wildlife, etc. We made at least one scenic stop each way (I think it was a waterfall on the way out and a huge sea lion area on the way back). Once we got to Glacier Point we walked up a short hill through the beach up to an old school bus. It was about a 5 minute ride, and we met our guides for the day (the ones who actually live on the island April-October). Then we got to the staging area with 4 outhouses and a covered seating area. We exchanged our shoes for rubber boots, they provided extra outerwear upon request, and got life jackets. We were allowed to either leave our personal items there, or bring them. I didn't have an issue wearing my backpack for the whole excursion, including on the canoe (bottom is wet though so don't expect to set a bag down). I was glad I brought a second pair of hiking socks, as the rubber boots don't have any real padding or anything to keep your feet warm, and there was some wading involved. I was expecting outhouses as it is a rural setting, but for how much we paid, you'd think they could at least install a $20 toilet paper holder instead of just setting the roll on dirty plywood? No running water, but hand sanitizer was provided. They also didn't give us any bottled water until we had lunch at the end of the tour, so I was glad I brought some. Once we were outfitted we walked ~20 min through some woods to get to the canoes. They each hold 10 passengers and a guide in the back. We were in the back, which was nice to be able to hear the guide well, but it wasn't quite as good as a view as the front, and my pants got splashed a bit a couple times by the guide's large paddle (good thing it wasn't too cold). The canoes have a motor, but our guide had us paddle quite a ways, although we took many breaks. It was much more difficult going out than coming back with the current. Our guide was very knowledgeable and I felt safe. The canoes were very very stable. It was interesting to hear how they lived out there for the summer. There were 11 guides in total and apparently they usually only have 2 positions turn over each year, which seems very low for essentially a summer job. I was slightly hesitant booking this so early in the season and was afraid we'd get a newbie, but even if they were, they start in early April, so by early to mid May when they start tours, they aren't really newbies anymore. It was a gorgeous canoe paddle out to the glacier. We beached the canoes and were able to get out and get fairly close to the glacier. It was 360 degrees of beautiful! The photos don't do it justice. Apparently that was pretty lucky; often they can't walk too close (streams of melting glacier water get too deep), and sometimes they can't even get out of the canoes. Then we headed back on the canoes, did the reverse short hike (a bit of elevation gain but overall easy for most folks), took off our gear, and took the reverse bus ride. Then we were back to the beach area and were led to a gazebo for lunch. It consisted of a bottle of water, a turkey/cheese/lettuce/wheat bread sandwich with mayo & mustard packets, pre-sliced apples, and trail mix. It hit the spot but was nothing special. Then we had the reserve boat ride back, with the same boat captain & guide. We were asked if we wanted a van ride back to the ship or to just get off at the pier. We walked from that pier into town (~20 min), then back to the ship later. Overall this excursion was more strenuous then I expected, but plenty doable for me even though I'm out of shape (although only 30ish). I was very pleased with it and think it was a fairly good value at $208pp all considered. Definitely be prepared for anything, and be patient, as its a lot of travel to & from. Worth it! read more

We booked the Glacier Point Wilderness Safari through Disney Cruise Line. We were a family of 6- grandparents, parents, 2 teenagers. For all of us it was the highlight of our trip! The wilderness was stunning. Our guide, Steven, did a great job. We canoed up to the glacier, then beached the canoe and walked around up by the face of the glacier. It was stunning. The guides were having the time of their life, and their love of the Alaskan wilderness was apparent. We lucked out with beautiful weather, and saw several whales on the trip to/from Glacier point. I'd highly recommend this tour if you're looking to get away from the crowds and get out into nature. read more

This was phenomenal! I booked through princess and was so impressed by the beauty and majesty of the Davidson Glacier. Thank you, Jay, for being so accommodating and knowledgable. Would love to do this excursion again! Well worth the price. read more