Private Scenic Turnagain Arm Glacier Tour from Anchorage
Overview
Available languages
6 hours
Mobile ticket
Experience Alaska your way on this fully private and customizable tour. Enjoy the freedom to set your own pace, request photo stops, and personalize the day to match your interests. As your local guide and photographer, I’ll capture the highlights—scenic views, wildlife encounters, and candid group moments—then send you a curated gallery of edited photos.
When people picture Alaska, they imagine wild animals, towering mountains, and endless glaciers. Turnagain Arm offers all of that—just a short, scenic drive from Anchorage. This breathtaking inlet is famous for its massive tides, rugged mountain backdrops, and the rare bore tide, where a single wave sweeps across the entire inlet.
We’ll journey the Seward Highway, one of North America’s most scenic drives. The road hugs the coastline, offering endless views and chances to spot moose, bald eagles, Dall sheep, and potenitally beluga whales. With private transportation and a flexible itinerary, this is about making the most it.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
What To Expect
Beluga Point
Beluga Point is one of the first scenic stops along the Turnagain Arm, just 20 minutes south of Anchorage. Perched above the dramatic tidal flats, it offers panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and the chance to spot Dall sheep on the cliffs and, during certain times of year, beluga whales following schools of hooligan fish through the inlet. It's a perfect introduction to the wild beauty of Southcentral Alaska and a favorite photo stop for guests.
Girdwood
Girdwood is a charming mountain town nestled in a lush valley surrounded by the Chugach Mountains, about 40 minutes south of Anchorage along the Turnagain Arm. Known for its vibrant arts scene, alpine scenery, and as home to Alyeska Resort, it’s a perfect place to stretch your legs, grab a coffee, or enjoy a meal. With towering spruce trees, cascading creeks, and cozy local businesses, Girdwood offers a peaceful, small-town atmosphere with big Alaskan character.
Options
Tour w/ Entrance Fee Included
Van Admission Ticket: Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center admission included Pickup included
What‘s Included
Bottled water
Entrance Fee (if option is selected)
Snacks
Lunch
Pickup points
Hilton Anchorage
500 West Third Avenue, Anchorage United States
Hyatt Place Anchorage Midtown
101 E Tudor Rd Anchorage United States
Hyatt House Anchorage
5141 Business Park Blvd Anchorage United States
Coast Inn at Lake Hood
3450 Aviation Ave, Anchorage United States
Marriott Anchorage Downtown
820 West 7th Avenue, Anchorage United States
Wingate by Wyndham Anchorage Downtown/Ship Creek
111 W Ship Creek Avenue, Anchorage United States
Home2 Suites by Hilton Anchorage/Midtown
4700 Union Square Drive Anchorage United States
Sheraton Anchorage Hotel
401 East 6th Avenue, Anchorage United States
The Hotel Captain Cook
939 W 5th Ave, Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage United States
Residence Inn by Marriott Anchorage Midtown
1025 35th Avenue Anchorage United States
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
21 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
This was honestly the...
Alyssa S,Jun 7, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00This was honestly the best thing we could’ve done to experience Alaska from a native. We got to see beautiful views, have a beer and some curry, and walk a trail straight out of a winter wonderland. I absolutely recommend this tour to anyone wanting a genuinely amazing tour.
Harris Family Adventure
tammyhE2569DD,Jun 5, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Perfect Day! I’m so glad I found Shane and Blueberry Tours, every part of our day was amazing. There were 11 of us, grandparents, daughters and son-in-laws, 5 grandkids, ages 10-66. We started out as the 6 hours tour, but we added more stops and sites as we went, ended up 9 hours. That might seem long, but it wasn’t, we could have kept going, so much to see! Shane is so helpful, experienced, friendly, highly, highly recommend doing this. From the start, it was so easy booking, communication throughout was perfect. He customized everything for us. The van was comfortable, clean, he even had snacks and water. Throughout the day and all the stops he explained the area and history which made it so special. Very organized, he had a spotting scope so we could see Dahl sheep, he had extra binoculars, then on top of that, he took family photos throughout. Our day couldn’t have been better, the weather was perfect a clear sunny day! From Potters Marsh, Beluga Point, Alaskan Wildlife Center, Portage Glacier Cruise, Virgin River Falls, Flat Top Mountain, amazing, amazing, AMAZING!!! I wouldn’t have changed anything, our day, the experience, the sites, perfect! The price, so affordable, Blueberry Tours offers a flat rate, we chose to add on the extra hours too. Very organized, very experienced, very helpful. Thank you Shane for this absolutely perfect tour!
Beautiful day in Turnagain Arm area
Tallma,Jun 2, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My husband and I had a great time on the 6 hour private tour being driven around in a minivan by Shane to tour the Turnagain Arm area. We stopped at Potter Marsh, Beluga Point, Girdwood, Alyeska Resort, and the Wildlife Conservation Center, along with several other stops. It was the perfect combination of riding and getting out and walking to see and photograph the wildlife and scenery. Shane also takes great photos with his own personal camera and sent them to us immediately after we completed our tour. He also had water and snacks for us. He is very accommodating to make sure we went to the places of most interest to us. He has great knowledge of the area. It was a very pleasant, laid back and informative tour of the area.
Promp, professional and quite polite !
cowboybooth,May 25, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Shane took our family of four and our niece who lives in Anchorage, along the Palmer Hwy to Matanuska Glacier. The opportunity to hike around this phenomenon was just dreamy. Shane was so sweet because the 1st few miles, we were catching up with our niece …we were quite loud, so he is quite the gentleman. We loved hearing about his life. Shane is an exceptional driver…too careful for us mad max Houstonians ! He stopped for several times for photos with mountain vistas. You can’t go wrong with this personalized tour operator. He is very accommodating. We are booked for another trip tomorrow!
A must do
jankR8839KH,May 16, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This could not have been a better tour for us. The guide was great and we saw a tremendous amount. A must do
Awesome Tour and Tour Guide
701donk,Mar 8, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My family and I had a great time on this tour. Shane is an absolutely wonderful tour guide and we would highly recommend him. This tour included seeing Girdwood, the Conservation Center and a short hike to a frozen waterfall. Our favorite part was the hike as it was a little adventurous. Shane took many photos of us on the tour which helped capture the memories.
A wonderful private experience!
Jessica B,Sep 28, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00This tour was amazing, and honestly the best way to explore. Shane is such a great guide, he is personable and knowledgeable and fun to be around, He was able to give great suggestions for ways to tailor our itinerary to our interests and ways to accommodate my mother’s mobility issues, which allowed for such an enjoyable experience! We felt so taken care of, and really enjoyed how the private tour allowed us to spend the time our way- and that the views and ability to stop at any time gave us ability to get so many great 0ics! Shane would also take pics of us and the scenery and his photos are amazing which really helped us be able to stay in the moment and enjoy! We had such an enjoyable time that we booked an additional day and did the Hatcher pass tour which was also amazing with stunning views and if you have time I would also strongly recommend!
Alaskan adventure success!
jessicabJ6595RH,Sep 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was one of the most enjoyable tours I have taken! Shane was a wonderful guide who was so knowledgeable about the area. Shane was able to customize the excursion to suit my mother who uses a walker and we felt so spoiled and taken care of the ENTIRE TIME! This was so much better than previous experiences on big group tours because we could take our time and adjust stops, and felt luxurious and more personal. We enjoyed it so much we even booked a different tour to Hatcher pass for an additional day and that also exceeded our expectations. His photography skills really allowed us to be in the moment and have the ideal photos to take home as well!
Wonderful day seeing natural beauty of the area with Shane!
Laura S,Sep 14, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Shane was prompt, informative and helpful! We had a great day seeing the highlights of Anchorage area natural landscapes and animals. A couple of my favorites…the little trail back to a spectacular rain forest waterfall and the marsh bird sanctuary. We happened upon elk and saw all kinds of animals at the wildlife conservation center. Shane gave us great background info all day, and was a warm and friendly guide.
A day not to be missed
798micheley,Sep 8, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Shane was such a wonderful guide - timely, very knowledgeable about the area, and caring for my parents. We got to see all the great sites - beluga point (where we were lucky to see the beluga whales and the dahl sheep), the Alyeska team and Girdwood area, the wildlife conservation center, and a glacier! A fantastic day!
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Operated by Blueberry Tours