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Kayak Tours in Alaska: Prince William Sound Whales & Glaciers Adventure

Why choose Sea Quest for your Prince William Sound Kayak tour in Alaska?


  • Experienced Guides: Our guides have extensive knowledge of Prince William Sound and are certified instructors. They will ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable tour.
  • Small Group Sizes: We keep our tour groups small to provide a personalized experience and ensure that everyone has plenty of time to explore.
  • Customizable Itineraries: We offer a variety of tours that can be tailored to your interests and skill level. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced kayaker, we have a tour that is perfect for you.
  • Quality Equipment: We use only the best kayaking equipment to ensure your comfort and safety. Our equipment is regularly maintained and inspected to ensure that it is in top condition.
  • Commitment to Sustainability: We are committed to protecting the environment and the wildlife of Prince William Sound. Our tours are designed to minimize our impact on the environment and to promote sustainable tourism.
  • Wildlife Viewing Opportunities: Prince William Sound is home to an abundance of wildlife, including whales, sea otters, sea lions, and porpoises. Our tours offer excellent opportunities to see these magnificent animals in their natural habitat.

Ready to Start Your Adventure?

Kayak Tours in Alaska: Prince William Sound Whales & Glaciers Adventure

See calving glaciers in Alaska's prince William sound from a kayak

Many people requested that we design an Alaska kayak tour that begins from Anchorage as it is the easiest city in Alaska to get to. So we came up with a new kayaking adventure that we think exceeds all our Alaska favorites. The Prince William Sound kayak tour showcases the absolute best attractions of sea kayaking in Alaska in a superlative fashion.

Prince William Sound is a vast glacially-carved bowl of fjords that radiates from the deeper water center. Each fjord terminates at the snout of a glacier that spits icebergs into the fertile waters. The glaciers lead upslope into the ice fields and snow-capped peaks of the Chugach Mountains. The dynamic scenery and abundant wildlife are magnets to those who seek a kayaking adventure.

This kayak trip is similar in many ways to the Frederick Sound kayak tour in that it combines humpback whale watching with glacier kayaking. But the Prince William Sound adventure features the extra bonus of visiting the best location in Alaska for sea kayaking with orca whales. Additionally, this kayak tour enables us to approach even closer to glaciers and the locations where icebergs are created. Like all of our other Alaska tours, the humpback whale watching is excellent.

Prince William Sound Alaska Kayak Tour Itinerary

  • Day 1: Fly into Anchorage, Alaska to spend the night at a hotel to get rested for your kayak adventure. Meet the group and kayak guides at 6:30pm for a briefing and final check of everyone’s personal equipment.
  • Day 2: After breakfast we will board a van bound for Whittier where we transfer to a charter boat. The water taxi will drop us off on Knight Island and return to Whittier. We will camp on nearby Squire Island after a short afternoon paddle that will incorporate a lesson on sea kayaking skills and safety. Later we’ll get to know each other around a beach campfire.
  • Day 3: Knight Passage is the best place for orca whale watching from sea kayaks in Alaska. We will keep on an eye out for killer whales as we explore Squire Island and Mummy Bay. This will be a good day to get settled into a smooth stroke in preparation for our big crossing of Knight Passage the next day. Daylight hours are quite long and there is time for photography, fishing, beachcombing, or just lounging around. Your expedition staff is available at all times to lead walks, identify flora and fauna, and discuss the natural history of the area.
  • Day 4: The crossing of Knight Passage to Point Countless presents a nice challenge of 4 miles. To make it even more interesting, we will pass through a constellation of small islets called the Pleiades, a great haul-out area for harbor seals and Steller’s sea lions. Humpback whales and orca whales are commonly seen in the passage, too. Our campsite at Dual Head faces the main whale feeding area so we may even see them from shore.
  • Day 5: Today we head towards the glaciers pouring into the aptly named Icy Bay. We will watch the procession of icebergs move in and out of the bay as they ride the tidal currents. Calving glaciers and crevasses in the glaciers will create a background rumble and roar at times. We will decide on where to camp based on our kayaking speed; Tiger Glacier for fast groups or Nassua Fjord for average groups.
  • Day 6: Nassua Fjords invites us to explore the face of Chenega Glacier. Many harbor seals give birth to pups on the floating ice where they are safe from bears. Orca whales frequently hunt the seals when they aren’t safely up on the ice floes. We will need to be careful here as the glacier often calves huge bergs, creating waves in the process.
  • Day 7: More exploration in the kayaks and interesting hikes to view the glacier from a higher perspective. The upland habitats support black bear, deer, moose, and even timber wolves so we will keep our eyes open for tracks and scat.
  • Day 8: Last chance to explore in the kayaks. We will visit a black-legged kittiwake colony on the way to our rendezvous with the charter boat. The voyage back will be our last chance for some quality whale watching. After showering in our Anchorage hotel, it is traditional to meet for a farewell no-host dinner to share stories of our vacation and bid each other farewell.
  • Day 9: Off to your next adventure!

Alaska Kayak Tour Quick Facts

Meeting Location: Anchorage, Alaska.

Kayak Trip Fee: 7 days. $2999 per person for groups of 10. Small group surcharges apply.

Kayak Tour Dates: Available on a custom trip basis only, please provide us with your requested dates and group size.

Duration
7 Days
Group Size
All Group Sizes
Age Range
All Ages
Activity level
Beginner Friendly
Starting From
$2999
DEPARTURES
May - Sept.
Custom
LOCATION
Alaska
Rated 4.8 / 5 (237 Reviews)

Frequently Asked Questions


What sorts of wildlife can I see on a kayak tour of Prince William Sound?

You can see many forms of wildlife in Prince William Sound including:

  • Orca whales
  • Harbor seals
  • Steller’s sea lions
  • Humpback whales
  • Black bear
  • Deer
  • Moose
  • Timber wolves
  • Black-legged kittiwake

Where can I kayak in Alaska?

Prince William Sound is one of the most superb places to kayak in Alaska. One advantage of kayaking from Prince WIlliam Sounds is it’s close proximity to Anchorage. Beyond that there are spectacular glacially carved fjords with fantastic icebergs created at the their terminal glaciers.

 

 

What sorts of things are their to do near Anchorage?

One fun activity is to join a sea kayaking tour to Prince William Sound where you can see jaw dropping glaciers from the cockpit of a kayak.

Gear List


We provide the following:

Sea kayaks, all related sea kayaking tour gear, safety & communication gear, tents, sleeping bags, cooking equipment, all meals at basecamps, charter transport to and from wilderness campsites, kayak lessons and expert guides.

What you need to bring:

Outdoor clothing and personal items.

Maps & Routes


 

Please Note:

We partner with a sister company in Alaska. Based off our availability we may refer you to them. Our prices and itineraries are similar but not identical.

Please note that itineraries of Alaska kayak trips may change spontaneously due to Mother Nature’s whims!

Trip fee does not include charter boats/flights.

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