Kenai Fjords National Park is 58,000 acres of Alaskan wilderness. Choose from a 6-hour catamaran cruise or the traditional 7 1/2-hour cruise on an 85-foot vessel. Each tour covers 120 miles and leaves from Seward, Alaska, which is 125 miles south of Anchorage. The tour includes Kenai Fjords National Park and the Chiswell Islands National Wildlife Refuge. The 6-hour tour is available May through September and the 7 1/2-hour cruise is available June through August. Both tours are $150, as of 2011. Tourists can observe the habitats of sea lions, killer whales, mountain goats and a number of sea birds. A national park ranger accompanies every cruise. You can bring your own snacks, and there is also a buffet.
Glacier tours depart from Whittier, Alaska on a 100-foot cruise vessel. Whittier, which is 50 miles southeast of Anchorage, is only accessible by railroad or a toll road and tunnel that is only open at specified times. Be sure to call in advance for availability. Tour visitors can see 1,700-foot glaciers, as well as seals, otters and sea birds. The 5-hour tour is available May through September and the cost is $107, as of 2011. A Chugach National Forest Ranger accompanies every tour. A salmon and prime rib buffet is available for $19.
If you want to see Alaska's wildlife, this is a good choice. Visitors on the 5-hour tour can observe whales, sea lions, porpoises, bald eagles, puffins and other marine life on a 115-foot vessel. The boat departs from Seward and offers views of the Chugach and Kenai mountain ranges. Available May through September, the tour costs $69, as of 2011. There is a snack bar on board.
This 55-mile tour departs at 6 p.m. and returns at 10 p.m. Travelers can see Bear Glacier, the biggest glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park, along with whales, sea otters and sea lion colonies. The tour boat operates June through August and the cost is $79, as of 2011. A salmon and prime rib buffet is available for $19 and a national park ranger is on every tour.
