We're in town for one day on a cruise. Had three grandchildren with us scheduled. Our flight way in advance. In the shop getting ready everybody was professional and the process is very streamlined. We flew to the Mead glacier and had the most amazing experience. The entire trip was fantastic. This excursion actually made our entire week. It was the best thing we did! read more

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Booked a "helicopter glacier discovery" excursion through our cruise line, which was partnered with Temsco. The location was right next to where our ship was docked, and we were met by the tour staff, who were awesome. As most excursions go, they're extremely organized, gave detailed but clear instructions about everything from the itinerary to safety procedures. The pilots, tour guides and other staff were all welcoming, helpful, informative and accommodating...if you ever take a trip to Alaska and have the opportunity to do a helicopter tour, I highly recommend doing so! It's definitely worth the money and an incredible experience. read more

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Great time! Pilots were courteous and informative. The team on the glacier was very informative as well. I would highly recommend their team for an excellent excursion. read more

Best Tour we did on our recent Cruise to Alaska! I would do it again and He'll Yes I highly recommend you do too! I have been to a lot of places and seen some Amazing things but this one tops the cake! As awesome and huge that the Grand Canyon is,this is Grander! Come up to a space that less than .001 percent of people in America have seen. You are in very goods hands and will leave amazed, bewildered and as I did feeling quite emotionally changed! read more

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GLACIER SLED DOG EXPERIENCE BY HELICOPTER We are just home from our cruise on the NCL Encore to Alaska. We stopped in Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and Victoria,BC and the cruise was round trip from Seattle. When I say the weather for our entire trip was nothing short of spectacular, I'm not joking. Every port we stopped at, and every excursion we went on we were told by everyone from shuttle drivers to excursion company staff, to the tour guides that this was the best weather they've had in 6 weeks, and if we were going to bring the nice weather with us, we were welcome back anytime. Full disclosure, I really had NO business doing this excursion. I don't like to fly, have a paralyzing fear of heights, and I'm allergic to dogs. But this is the excursion our group of 6 chose, and I did not want to not do this, and then have regrets or FOMO. We disembarked and walked 400 yards or so to the Temsco building. We were checked in, weighed (seriously, like on an airline luggage scale) and kitted out with a PFD and glacier boots for traction. The helicopters can take up to 6 passengers, plus the pilot. Our group was split up, and my husband and I were in an aircraft with another couple we did not know, and our pilot. The rest of our group stayed together, and they went with their pilot. The flight up to the glacier is about 20-25 minutes and is as stunningly beautiful as it was terrifying to me. Our pilot was great, giving us the tour, to let us know what we were seeing, and where we were going. I was doing really well for about the 1st 3-4 minutes of the flight, and then we started to climb, went over ridges, and eventually gaining nearly 6,000 feet of altitude. Mind you, I never felt inherently unsafe, just my typical fear of heights and flying. We arrived at the sled dog camp and landed on the glacier. It was about 40 degrees up there, and the sled dog caretakers were in shirtsleeves, telling us how amazing the weather was. One of the guys was actually doing a bit of sunbathing! I hate to call them 'kids' because that sounds patronizing and demeaning, but they were all SO young, SO enthusiastic, and are clearly in love with these animals, and take amazing care of them. We had a presentation on the history of dogsledding, some background on the Iditarod (our host is training to do the Iditarod someday), and then we met the dogs!. 6 of them were hooked up to the sled, and we got to see them transform from goofball dogs, to very hard working dogs as soon as their harnesses were on. Then, the piece de resistance......the PUPPIES. There is a litter of 5 month old puppies who may have been the cutest things I've ever seen, but, as I mentioned, I am highly allergic to dogs, so no cuddles for me. One of them was so relaxed with my husband, it fell asleep. Our flight back was much shorter, more direct, and we were back at TEMSCO's building in about 10 minutes. Now, I won't say I'm 'glad' I did it, because it really did step me WAY out of my comfort zone, but I am proud of myself for not chickening out. I was very impressed with TEMSCO's entire operation. Their building in Skagway seemed very new, had plenty of seating, and space, modern clean restrooms, coffee and water, and a small shop, who's prices were not terribly expensive. The entire staff were friendly, engaging, and were very reassuring. They also tend to have to cancel about 10% of the time. Oddly, that actually made me happy that they take safety so seriously that they will cancel and give full refunds. read more

Booked our excursion at Skagway with Temsco Helicopters after a lot of research and they did not disappoint. It was definitely worth the money and we enjoyed every minute. Being able to see and walk on the glacier was such a cool experience! Everyone was so knowledgeable and things went super smooth. read more

Temsco Helicopters - Tours Near Me

This was a big highlight of my adventure in Alaska. The weather was impeccable when we went - so much so that our pilot was able to get us up to the second largest glacier - Mead. And it wasn't even as windy as expected. There truly is nothing like being helicoptered to the top of a giant glacier and getting to hike around on it. Bonus for being able to drink glacier water straight from the source. Majestic and incredible. If you're in Skagway this is an absolute must if you can afford it. I can't recommend it enough. read more

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Great ride, many thanks to the pilot. We flew over Detroit to the ambassador bridge.Saw many landmarks, the ice arena and football stadium

Pilot and dog sledding staff were all wonderful! The bus driver/office staff seemed to be having a rough day, but they did what they had to do. The helicopter tour to Denver glacier was stunning! Due to low visibility we had to be dropped off a mile away from the dog camp, where staff and a snow cat waited to take us to the destination. Unfortunately a quarter of a mile in, our SnowCat got stuck in the snow and we weren't able to make it dog sledding. Disappointing, but not within anyone's control. I can't say enough great things about the dog sledding staff on the glacier who kept spirits up among the disappointment and made sure we got escorted back where the helicopter picked us up. All in all, we got a full refund and can't be mad about that! I feel bad for the staff who wasted their time trying to pick us up but I hope to be back one day to try again! read more

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I planned an Alaskan cruise for my birthday this year. The highlight of our trip was to fly to a glacier in a helicopter and walk on it. Our previous helicopter excursion had to be canceled because we couldn't get into Juneau on our cruise ship due to high winds. Thankfully, we were able to get refunded and rebook. My first initial thought was to book directly with Temsco as they are the only outfit in Skagway with permits to fly up to the glaciers. I called and they politely said they were sold out for the next day but I could try booking with my ship's excursion desk as they are contracted with the cruise lines to keep a certain amount of space available. Great information from the person on the phone. I went down to the excursion desk on the Royal Princess to book. Luckily, I overheard that we could book online and pounced on the last two spots in the afternoon for Skagway. My helicopter excursion actually occurred on my birthday! We had an excursion that was ending just 15 minutes before our helicopter ride and made it to check in just in the nick of time. We were collected at the dock by our ship and bussed to the helipads. There is a 5 minute video on the bus for safety rules. Once at the helipad, they bring you inside to leave your belongings in a locker. You're given ice boots to go over your regular shoes. The ice boots have spikes on the bottom to give you more traction on the glacier. They also give you an inflatable safety vest that you must wear in the helicopter and on the glacier for safety reasons. Ian was our pilot and he was really informative. He happened to be the most experienced pilot and was able to fly us up onto the Meade Glacier. There are hundreds of glaciers in Skagway, but only the big ones get names. Meade is one of the big ones. The flight itself was indescribable. It was awesome to float through the mountains and up onto the glacier. We were given strict instructions on how to enter and exit the helicopter. Our guides on the glacier were informative and funny. My friend and I followed Corey around. She had the best stories. We had time to pose for photos and had a 40 minute walk on the glacier for exploration. We were able to drink glacier water too. It was the purest water I've ever had. The glaciers melt and reform every season but each warm winter, the glaciers are unable to replenish, so the glaciers recede more every year. Global warming is real, folks. The photos don't do it justice and it's definitely an experience of a lifetime. I'm glad I was able to check it off out my bucket list on my birthday. read more

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Alaska glacier via helicopter! Staff was amazing, tour was worth every penny. Extremely impressed with email follow up to set up trip, pilot was informative and our guide on the glacier was fabulous. A top notch company. read more

Andy was very nice, Great pilot and knowledgeable about any and all questions we had. He offered to take photos and assist in any way he could. I'm glad we were lucky enough to get paired with him. read more

I booked a helicopter ride/ dogsledding excursion with my cruise line, and I'm not sure, but I think they're two different companies that work together. Overall it was an amazing experience, but I'd like to talk about Temsco only. The drivers that picked us up from the cruise ship and returned us were two younger gals, and they were great! Super nice, funny and informative. Once we got to Temsco, the young staff that prepared us for our adventure was great as well. I had my 5 year old son with me and they entertained the heck out of him! There was one young guy there in particular that my son just loved and thought was his new bff. They were so sweet with him. Our two pilots were great as well. I'm sorry I don't remember any of their names, but they were great! Thanks guys! read more

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This tour was amazing. Our pilot Jesse was fantastic and provided us with the spectacular experience as we flew over the mountain peak at 8000 feet and landed on a glacier. This is a must for an experience of your life. read more

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tour was great. all the staff were a joy and happy to help. Paul was an amazing pilot and tour guide of the glacier. would book again when we come back read more

Can not say enough good things. Despite it being a little pricey, we booked this excursion as part of an Alaskan cruise for late this past August. From the very beginning the were nothing but awesome - my husband is a very nervous flyer and from the time the representative met us at the dock they put him at ease. Upon arrival they work to get you geared up and in groups of four by size and weight for balance. Pilots were friendly and informative. The flight over Skagway and up to the Glacier is breathtaking. The team up on the Glacier was wonderful answering questions, sharing great information and keeping everyone safe - away from holes and tripping hazards. Plenty of time to explore and take photos. Awesome experience, WELL WORTH. The cost.... we'd do it again! read more

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Amazing experience well worth the price. Flying out to a glacier and dog sledding was something I will never forget and always treasure. This is the one thing you should do in Alaska, even considering the price. Words of advice. Do not book flights in the morning or evening. The fog is more likely to come in and cancel your trip. This happened to us in Juneau but luckily we could reschedule our tour for Skagway. read more

We booked the dog sledding in Skagway. Tour person was late, took our weight information, gave only 4 of us the speech about the additional charge if we are over 250lbs. We got to their location we were separated from the rest of the tour group and were weighed while everyone else listened to safety information. We weren't over limit but we sure felt body shamed. The four of us were lined up outside waiting for the helicopter to arrive then we watched 4 groups of people get loaded up and take off. We were then informed our excursion was canceled due mechanical issue, no other options provide we were just told we would get a refund. This location has zero customer service skills. Stay away from the Skagway location they don't think twice about ruining a once in a lifetime experience. We can't book this type of excursion at our next port, it's not offered read more

Not being "cruisers" in any sense of the word, my lovely fiancee and I were looking very forward to hopping off the Island Princess in our first port on the famed "Inside Passage" cruise of Alaska. More importantly we were very excited to hit solid ground in Skagway so we could immediately be lifted from said terra firma in a Temsco helicopter on our way to a dog camp on a glacier high above the tiny little town. We went twice. Free heli ride after the dog camp was too fogged in to get to, followed by a full experience a few hours later. We mushed our sled, we played with sled pups (see pic of Clubber above) and were treated hospitably and felt extremely safe in Temsco's whirlybirds. Our first pilot had flown choppers in 'Nam. Not only was he charming and a total tour guide, but if I was planning to get into a copter again... this is the guy i'd want flying. read more

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Every part of this ROCKED! First, you get in a helicopter. My first time. I thought I would get a bit of that elevator/rollercoaster feeling... nope. I can easily see how people who don't like airplanes would do helicopters. There is no WHOOPEE feeling. What you get to see, flying over and through the glaciers... the experience... that alone was worth the money. Then you land on the glacier, and meet the puppies. (All dogs are puppies to me) I was surprised to see so many Lab mixes. The dogs aren't all Husky looking. They are bread for temperament and have a lot of lab in them but look all kinds of different. They want to run SO BAD! It is nice to see how happy the dogs are to be doing this. And then you go mushing for a bit. You can take turns sitting on the sled or standing/driving behind it. (You have professional help the whole time). Then, like all this wasn't cool enough, you get to play with real puppies. You are actually part of their training. The puppies need to be exposed to all sorts of people. Helps to make a happier grown-up puppy. There is a reason that this is the most expensive of all the excursions offered on the boat. It is totally worth every penny. I mean, how many times are you going to be in Alaska? read more

Temsco Helicopters - Puppies! - Tours Near Me

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THIS IS THE THING TO DO IN ALASKA! Probably the highlight of my life was going for a helicopter ride over the mountains and glaciers and then going dog sledding! (You can just go to the glaciers if you want instead of dog sledding). We walked right up to the counter in Skagway, but we were on stand by to get on the list. If you're with a cruise ship, book it either before you get on the ship or the first thing when you get on the ship 'cause it is totally worth it! Also, Skagway can often have 4 or 5 ships at a time so that's a lot of people who want to do this for very few spots. Also, this was very expensive, but I figured that this was a once in a lifetime thing so it's worth it! We watched a quick video and then geared up for our copter ride. There were six of us in the copter (Try to get the front if you can!) and then they took us for a ride over the mountains to the dog camp. The ride was absolutely beautiful! I must have taken thousands of pictures just from the ride! When you get there they split you up into two dog teams so that there's three of you on each sled and a leader. The dogs are so nice and sweet, and I found out that they want to run and pull the sled and when they see other dog getting ready they get very jealous! The ride was just a loop and we all took turns standing (but the leader was really the one in control). They offer gift photos and at the end you get to pet the doggies! When I was there, one had just given birth so we saw the puppies! Absolutely fantastic! read more

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This was a phenomenal experience for our family! Although that kind of goes without saying when you're referring to a helicopter ride in beautiful Skagway, Alaska. Temsco goes above and beyond to make the experience both SAFE and FUN! Before we even left for vacation, I called Temsco to ask if it was appropriate and safe to bring a toddler--2 years old. They assured me they take little ones up all the time, and the kids--even those little ones--LOVE IT! They also assured me that we would all be perfectly safe. We showed up for our morning tour and were ushered into a waiting room where we first watched a safety demonstration, then were fitted for all of our gear: vests, boots, etc. Based on weight, we were assigned a copter and informed where we would sit in it--all based on weight (yes ladies, you gotta disclose the poundage). I was luck enough to get the middle front spot--right next to the pilot. My husband and son were behind me. The pilot was informative and very open to questions. The flight to the glacier was about 15 minutes. Once we got there and had a chance to take in the amazing surroundings, a guide took over and walked us around--showing us various glacier highlights. All-in-all, it's a once in a lifetime experience. And if anyone is on the fence--do it! You won't regret it and Temsco has it down. Excellent reputation for an excellent company. Never a worry! A NOTE TO PARENTS WITH TODDLERS: Our little guy hated the boots he had to wear and insisted on being held the whole time w were on the glacier. Lucky for me (again), he only wanted daddy to hold him, so I was free to wander and take pics. He enjoyed the helicopter ride for about 5 minutes, then after that, he could care less. He just wanted a treat. He never complained about the headphones he had to wear--and he has a rep for sometimes being difficult about such things. Point being: If he wasn't free, it wouldn't have been worth the $$ to take him--saved it for when he's a little older and appreciates it more. NOTE FOR EVERYONE: Like most of the other reviewers, we booked this tour through our cruise line, Royal Caribbean. It was was about $300 per person, but because our kid was under 3, his ticket was free. (I understand RC picked up his fare, not Temsco.) read more

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Charged my dad $100 extra for being 8 pounds over (while fully clothed) the 250 pound base charge. The other two people in our party are far under 250, so they wouldn't cut a break on the average party weight. However they didn't weigh the other 8 people who came later from the cruise ship, some who could have been over 250 pounds. When we asked about them not being weighed, they claimed they didn't have time to weigh the others and they take their word for their reported weight. Clearly the weight issue isn't actually $afety. Either weigh everyone or don't claim it's about "safety" of the helicopter weight limit and balancing. read more

The helicopter glacier tour is amazing. At $299/person, it is not cheap, but it is great. This was our favorite excursion of the whole trip. Our pilots were very nice, informative, and good at flying. A little bit of tossling, but not an unreasonable amount. Our only major beef was that when we booked our tour through M&M tours, somehow we ended up not on the books for Temsco, so when we planned for a 9am tour we were told that Temsco had no idea we had reservations and as a result we had to push our tour to 12:30. Fortunately, we had no conflicting excursions and were able to adjust our schedule for the change in reservation, and because I am not sure if it was M&M at fault or Temsco, I need to at least acknowledge that someone messed up and both parties blame the other. Be sure to verify your reservation the week or day prior to showing up, just in case. read more

We had a fantastic time on this excursion thy we booked through our Princess cruise. The glacier was breathtaking and our helicopter pilot was very informative. I only wish we got to walk around more on the glacier. It went by too fast a there was so much more to see! read more

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Service and the excursion (helicopter/ dog sledding) was an amazing once in a lifetime experience. I was so disappointed as the night before as my booked excursion was cancelled in Juneau. I left a voice message with Temsco and the called me early the next morning and fit me in. So grateful!! read more

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Skagway: Temsco Helicopter glacier tour. I'm sure they are also the service that supplies the ship excursions, but we walked right up without reservations. I would not call the experience "personal" but it was very professional. They have their glacier tour down to a science! Load up three birds, flying tour on the way to the glacier. Climb out onto the ice and be met by their guides that stay on the ice all day. After you get out, the previous tour enters the helos and returns. Lather, rinse, repeat. A very smooth and impressive operation. We loved it. Actually walking on a glacier and exploring its cracks and crevices was an awesome treat. 40 minutes on ice. No military discounts. read more

Snow and puppies! That alone and I would have been a happy camper, but than you add in the Helicopter ride over the glaciers, which was unbelievable and the dog sledding, this was a wonderful experience that was worth the money. read more

We've become pretty seasoned at taking helicopters places and this was one of the best helicopter tours we've been on in terms of efficiency and overall experience. It was no-nonsense and not a lot of waiting around... And also not a lot of Super Mario "I see a rainbow circle let's fly through it" BS. I didn't get airsick once and there were people of all ages on the tour. We signed up for Princess Cruises SGY 800 "Glacier Discovery by Helicopter" because honestly we were uncertain how exciting walking on a big chunk of ice would be... But it was completely worth it to be transported to this otherworldly place for a reasonable amount of time (but not so long you're getting bored), if not for the amazing scenery and geological wonders you won't find anywhere else, the photo safari ops. Oh-- and the guides are great too. Very knowledgeable and fun! FYI- before you fly, they supply you with orange vests (presumably to contrast the blue ice color more for visibility reasons like if you fall down a large crevasse) and also what can only be described as moon walking shoes (to keep you from eating sh*t while moon walking on the ice). My one complaint would be that it IS possible to have a bad seat in the chopper... You might be, for instance, a skinny person whose counterbalance is another skinny person leaving the fatter people to have the window seats... While you're stuck sandwiched between some fat people. All your pictures from the chopper could have big people bobble heads in them. Just sayin. Overall, though, a very safe, professional and awesome place! A must do! read more

What an amazing experience with such a great group of guides. From the time they picked us up at the ship all the way through to the helicopter ride onto Mede Glacier and then back I could not have been more impressed with the knowledge, kindness, and fun we had. It may be a bit pricey but it is well worth it. Standing on a glacier and taking a drink of the purest water in Alaska was a highlight of my trip and something I will never forget. read more

Our expedition was booked by the cruise line (Silversea), so we didn't do any research beforehand. What luck that they use Temsco for helicoptering and Alaska Icefield for dogsledding! Actually, we didn't even know that two separate companies were involved in our expedition until we got home and started to write our review(s). Reading other reviewers comments after returning home actually added to our appreciation of "our" adventure; weather and other events change so widely and rapidly that it is fun to see which experiences matched ours and which differed. The consistent match is that this tops most people's lists. Our experience: Cruise lines berth on either side (or middle) of Skagway harbor, so your trip to the heliport may be a stroll across the parking lot or a short bus ride. I'll attach an annotated photo of the harbor. At the heliport you receive safety training, life vests, and overshoes. We flew on a crystal clear day in late May, so all we needed to wear were sneakers and light sweaters. I wore hiking shoes, a mistake which meant that I needed HUGE overshoes. You cannot carry purses, loose hats, backpacks, extra lens bags, etc. onto the helicopter, so you leave them in "honor" lockers at the heliport. You obviously can carry sunglasses and cameras; just be sure that you have a zoom lens for the latter - preferably stronger at the wide-angle end. Everything is safe in those lockers, by the way, but if you are the nervous type, just leave that stuff back on the ship. The Temsco helicopters seat five, but only four passengers were on all of the ten or twelve flights that we saw take off and land. I would guess that Temsco reads Yelp reviews (Yay!!) and doesn't use that center seat anymore. After take-off, you soar through the harbor, and then up 5,000 feet or so to the dog camp. Our pilot was informative, friendly, and clearly happy to be showing us his beautiful workplace. At the camp, you are helped from the helicopter and onto the snowcapped (about six feet in May 2015) glacier. All four of us were thankful for this; it's been a long time since we'd been walking in snow. Actually, being from California, it had been a long time since we had seen water in any form. As other have noted, the dogs are happy and playful. They get excited with each new flight arrival because they know that it's almost time to mush. Friends back home had dissed our plans to go dog-sledding as exploitive of animals, but they're way off the mark. Unfortunately they haven't had the opportunity to see these guys in action. Mushers at the camp explain the how sledding works, introduce you to the dogs, and let you interact with them at your (and the dog's) comfort levels. The sleds hold four guests and the musher; you stop along the long looping trail to trade places and take pictures. As another reviewer noted, you do feel more in control on the curves when you're in the "standing" place as opposed to the "seated" places; you have a hand grip. I don't think that anybody has ever fallen from a sled, but even if you did, it would be a two-foot roll into soft snow. P.S. DO buy the photos taken by the camp photographer. Not only are they good, but they may be the only way to identify Alaska Icefield Expeditions as your tour operator. For us, it was the way to find them and Temsco to write this review! At the end of the ride you (possibly) get to play with the puppies. Of course this depends on whatever whelping is going on. In our case the puppies were five weeks old, and the dam had just started letting them out of her sight. Yes, you DO want to take them home with you, and No, you can't. : ( Maybe, if they just put big pockets in those life vests.... Then it's time to helicopter back to port, deplane, and see all of those lucky people just starting their adventure. read more

Really fun and friendly crew that where very informative. Also while flying out to the glacier our pilot taught us a lot about the fjord and the geography of the surrounding landscapes. While on the glacier the guides where really good at telling us about the history and movement of the glacier. It was my first time in a helicopter and it felt very safe and all the pilots seem very experienced. It's an awesome trip and definitely worth it the fjords, mountains and the glaciers where beautiful. I will definitely recommend this trip and I hope to go on it again someday. read more

Temsco Helicopters - Really great experience well worth the price - Tours Near Me

This was definitely one of the highlights of our trip to Alaska. We booked ahead through the cruise -- more expensive ($550 per person), I'm sure, but worth it to guarantee the experience. The helicopter ride was scenic and thrilling, but the dog sled ride was the trip of a lifetime. We were lucky to be there on a beautifully clear day to enjoy the glaciers and swirling clouds. We're from South Florida, so the snow was a treat too-- got to have snow ball fight! The guides and mushers were friendly and patient, and you could tell that everybody, especially the dogs, loved what they did. Temsco was organized and very safety conscious. This is a must for kids 8 and up. read more

We did a helicopter excursion with this company and then walk on a glacier with our 3 and 6 year old children last week. We almost cancelled this excursion as it is pricey but SO glad we didn't!!! Everyone was fantastic that worked here and always called the kids by name. They were super friendly! This excursion was also one of the most memorable moments of our vacation. Our children got to walk on an actual glacier and we all got to drink glacier water! So much fun and HIGHLY recommended!! read more

Wow! What an experience of flying to the glacier and then hiking on it too. Our pilot, Cameron, was fabulous in pointing out all the different features on the glacier and scenic sights as we fly to and from. A truly can't miss experience if you're in Alaska. read more

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I did the Dog Sledding + Glacier Flightseeing tour at the end of June and it was an incredible morning! The employees were all nice and knowledgeable, and I appreciated the safety precautions they took before sending us off in a helicopter. The helicopter ride to Denver Glacier was breathtaking, and the dog sledding was just as fun as I had imagined. I highly recommend this excursion if you're in Skagway! read more

Temsco Helicopters - Dog sledding on Denver Glacier! - Tours Near Me

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This was my first helicopter flight, tho' my wife had flown on one before. This is a well-heeled, completely professional outfit. The discipline and planning involved are immediately visible. The excursion was exacting and precise from start to finish. Tho' there is an obvious need for rules and regs, the entire staff made us feel both welcome and comfortable. Once shod with "glacier boots" that fit over your tennis shoes, you board the helicopter in a precise order to balance the craft. Our pilot was Kevin and he was just excellent, knowledgeable and quite interactive. He showed us around the glacier upon which we landed and taught us about the area and it's natural history as we made the journey. Hint: No matter how warm you feel while in Skagway, do not be deceived into thinking that it will be the same on the glacier...it's cold there, so dress appropriately...gloves, hats, etc. read more

We took a Helicopter tour that was offered by Princess Cruises through Temsco Helicopters, during a visit to Skagway. The operator picked everyone up at the pier in Skagway and drove us a very short distance to the heliport just across the way. Before getting on the helicopter, we were outfitted with safety gear, (boots, floatation device etc.) and then shown a short video on safety. Temsco just implemented a "no bags" policy on their helicopters, so if you take a backpack or other bag, you will not be able to take it. They have a large locker to place your items during the flight. Our flight was to the Reed Glacier about 20 minutes or so away. There are about 5 or 6 helicopters and they all load up and leave at the same time. They fly the same path and route to the glacier where everyone lands and gets out. You spend about 40 minutes on the glacier, which is about the time it takes the helicopter to make the 20 minute flight back to the heliport to pick up another load of people and return back to the glacier dropping them off and then picking you up. The glacier was very interesting. They have guides on the glacier that show you a few of the features during your visit and answer questions. The weather the day we were there was absolutely beautiful so we were able to see superb views during the flight up to and back from the glacier. The flight was smooth, we had a great time. read more

In Dec 2013 I booked the Glacier helicopter tour with Temsco in Skagway. When the cruise shipped arrived the clouds were low and thick. My 1:45 PM tour was in jeopardy. My initial call to Temsco confirmed that the morning flights were cancelled and that unless the clouds cleared all tours were in jeopardy. I called again at 11:30 and was told my 1:45 tour had in fact been cancelled. Around 12:30 the clouds had lifted noticeably and at 1:15 I again called Temsco to see if any of the tours that were still scheduled for the afternoon had availability. None did. With nothing to do we went into Skagwlay to walk around. I ran into a Rep from M&M tours, a reseller of all tours. I asked what was available and told them of my cancelled tour with Temsco. This was at 2:00, 45 minutes after Temsco told me there were no tours available. They said they had a 3:30 helicopter tour available so I booked it for $30 more. I asked which company the tour was with and was told there was only one operator in Skagway, Temsco. How could this be? I called back Temsco for an explanation. Apparently, according to them, within that 45 minute window they 'added' tours. I was annoyed that Temsco NEVER called me about the available tours and the additional $30 I had to pay. I asked for Temsco to refund me the $30 difference which they refused giving every lame excuse they could think of. This is no reflection on the trip itself or the pilot which was great but if in Juneau use another provider. If in Skagway take your chances. Very unprofessional and unaccommodating company with no sense of customer service. read more

This was the first time after traveling the world, I've ever had to complain about a tour and the canned, unapologetic response from the company was infuriating. When paying over $400 for the trip in advance, you should know that 4 people will be STUFFED in the back seat of the helicopter, RUINING the views and travel experience for the 2 people stuck in the middle. I was one of those stuffed in the back seat and at the height of 5'8" my "high amount of visibility" was primarily the backs of other people's heads and the seat in front of me. The people to my left and right were happily photographing and filming their experience while blocking all my views from the side windows. The space is also not wide enough for 4 adults. I was forced to sit with my shoulders pulled forward and inward with my hands between my knees for the entire ride. I've been left with the feeling I was ripped off and the company has no problem with that. Visited June 2016 read more