How to Choose the Best Kenai Fjords NP Tour
The day tour boat cruise from Seward is a popular activity for visitors from around the world. Even if you arrive in Alaska via a cruise ship, you will likely enjoy the boat tour, as it takes you deeper into the Kenai Fjords National Park. Several highly-rated companies operate out of Seward. Let's explore some details and choose the tour that best matches your expectations.
Kenai Fjords National Park Introduction
Kenai Fjords National Park is situated on the Kenai Peninsula, with its main gateway in Seward, located about 130 miles south of Anchorage. The park is home to the Harding Icefield, one of the largest icefields in the US, which gives rise to numerous tidewater glaciers. Some of these glaciers, such as Aialik, Holgate, or Northwestern, can be observed from the safety of a boat tour. Apart from the stunning glaciers, the park is also home to a variety of marine wildlife, including porpoises, sea otters, harbor seals, Steller sea lions, humpback whales, orcas, mountain goats, and bears. Similar to many areas in Alaska, this is a large national park with limited access. Typically, visitors have two options: exploring the park by boat or visiting the Exit Glacier area by car. In this article, we will focus on the boat tours that are available to visitors.
Are Kenai Fjords National Park cruises worth it?
Yes! In fact, Kenai Fjords cruises are our favorite boat tours in Alaska. They offer a fantastic way to spend half a day in Seward, with spectacular views and high chances of wildlife sightings. Being so close to one of the glaciers is also a very memorable experience. Considering how expensive most services in Alaska are these days, these tours are also relatively affordable (starting from around $140 + taxes in 2024). We include Kenai Fjords boat tours in almost all of our itineraries.
What to expect on a Kenai Fjords NP Boat Tour?
No matter which Kenai Fjords tour you choose, you should expect spectacular landscapes, wildlife viewing, and close glacier encounters on any cruise longer than 5 hours. While there is no guarantee, on most tours, you will have a chance to spot some marine wildlife, including whales, porpoises, or sea lions. Captains do everything they can to show passengers as much wildlife as possible, but as you can imagine, they can’t control everything.
Despite the size of the vessel, you should also expect educational narration, a heated cabin, and a meal. If you have any dietary restrictions, make sure to share them with the tour operator or your travel agent prior to the tour.
You should also expect that it will be cold. Even on a perfectly sunny day, it is chilly on the water, especially if you want to spend time on the deck. Plan on wearing your warmest layers, including a light winter hat and gloves. They can make all the difference! Also, a rain or wind layer can help keep you warm from the ocean breeze.
While sometimes wildlife encounters can be very close, in most cases, there will be a decent distance between you and an animal. Therefore, we always recommend taking a good pair of binoculars on this tour.
Best time for a boat tour in Kenai Fjords National Park
No matter when in the summer you visit Seward, you should always try to include this cruise in your travel plans. If you have flexibility in your schedule, it's generally recommended to visit in June and July for the best chances of whale watching, with August also offering some opportunities. Therefore, if whale watching is your main interest, consider visiting earlier in the season.
Seward experiences heavy rainfall throughout the year, so there's no guarantee of good weather in any month. However, historically, the early summer months are a bit drier in Alaska.
When visiting Seward, expect rainy conditions, so be sure to bring a good jacket and some warmer layers. Any better weather should be a pleasant surprise. With a positive attitude, you'll quickly fall in love with the town, its people, and its beautiful nature.
Best Boat Tour operators from Seward
Major Marine Tours and Kenai Fjords Tours are the two main cruise providers in Seward. There are some small differences between their tours, but in general, both companies are well-known and high-ranked, with good quality, larger vessels. If you are looking for a more comfortable, easy cruise, these two are probably your best bet. Their vessels can hold up to 150 passengers, with multi-levels, spacious decks, large windows, a good speakers system, restrooms, a snack bar, and a heated cabin, which can often be very useful in Alaska, even on a sunny summer day.
Both companies offer a meal during the cruise, but, in our opinion, the food shouldn’t be a deciding factor. We work with both of these companies regularly and can recommend them to anyone visiting Seward. Their tours range anywhere between 4 to 8.5 hours, and it’s up to you how long of a cruise you would like to take.
The main difference between these two companies is that Kenai Fjords Tours owns a lodge on Fox Island, so if you would like to catch a break on land (with a meal) during your tour, this company might be the right fit. Please note that not all of their tours stop on the island. You have to sign up for the specific cruise that includes this stop on the tour.
Aside from these two main players, several great businesses offer small boat tour experiences in Seward, including Seward Ocean Excursions, 60 Degrees Adventures Charters, or our most frequent partner, Northern Latitude Latitude Adventures.
Small boat tours range from 3.5 to even 9 hours and offer a more private experience, as in most cases, there are only six passengers and a captain. Most of these companies also offer the option to charter a boat, which allows you and your group to customize the tour to your needs. These tours, as expected, are more expensive than the bigger boat cruises.
Most boat tours cover similar areas of Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords National Park.
The simple rule is that the longer the tour, the further it travels, allowing more time to visit the glaciers or observe wildlife. Tours lasting 3.5 to 4.5 hours usually stick to Resurrection Bay, while those lasting 5.5 to 7.5 hours typically venture to Aialik Bay in Kenai Fjords National Park to visit one of the glaciers. Longer tours may offer more time at all locations or may go to Northwestern Glacier.
All of these glaciers are a little bit different but equally spectacular, so unless you have very specific expectations, they shouldn’t play a big role in your decision-making.
Big or small boat tour in Seward?
Before booking a boat tour to Kenai Fjords National Park, there are some factors to consider. Coastal towns in Alaska, such as Seward, are known for their unpredictable weather. Fog, low clouds, rain, and wind can (and will) potentially impact your tour. While rain or clouds are not typically a problem, severe winds can lead to limited travel within Resurrection Bay only or even tour cancellations.
Even larger vessels may sometimes be unable to enter the national park waters on particularly bad weather days, but it's more common for smaller boats. It doesn't happen too often, but there are usually a few days like this each summer. Just something to keep in mind. Choosing a larger vessel will also offer more comfort during adverse weather, with heated cabins providing a cozy space.
Smaller boats have much less cabin space, and you will feel it if the waters are choppy. However, they provide a much more private and intimate experience, allowing for interactions with the captain and fellow passengers. They are better suited for photography enthusiasts. When you book a small boat tour, you are also supporting a small, local Alaskan business.
While Major Marine is also a locally owned business, Kenai Fjords Tours is owned by Pursuit, a major player in the travel industry with many businesses and properties worldwide.
Best Family-friendly cruise from Seward
Most of our guests visiting Alaska with smaller kids go on a Resurrection Bay Tour with a visit to Fox Island offered by Kenai Fjords Tours. This 5-hour long tour departs at 12 PM, allowing families to have an easier morning. The tour includes a stop at the charming Fox Island Lodge, where lunch is served. Although it does not technically venture into the waters of a Kenai Fjords National Cruise, there are still beautiful sites to see and high chances for wildlife viewing, especially earlier in the summer. It's important to note that this tour does not take you close to any glacier. Therefore, families with older kids should probably consider a little bit longer tour, that goes to Aialik Bay, which will allow you to have some spectacular views of one of the glaciers.
Best Adventurous Kenai Fjords Boat Tour
Most Kenai Fjords tours are suitable for all ages and do not require any activity. However, if you're seeking a more adventurous experience, we highly recommend a tour offered by our partner, Sunny Cove Kayaking. This tour includes a small boat cruise through Kenai Fjords National Park, with opportunities for wildlife watching and kayaking near a tidewater glacier. It is perfect for visitors seeking a more active adventure. These tours are priced at $500 plus taxes in 2024 and are limited to only 12 passengers. The tour begins at 7:20 am and typically ends around 5 pm.
Best Kenai Fjords Tour For Photographers
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that photographers should focus on smaller boats and longer tours. There are plenty of advantages to being on a smaller vessel for taking photos. In most cases, we try to book our photography-oriented guests with Northern Latitude Adventures on their 7.5 or 9-hour tour, allowing them plenty of time at each location. If the group is four or bigger, we try to charter a boat to customize the tour to the client’s expectations. These tours are a bit more expensive and should be chosen only by those who are not prone to seasickness.
Best Kenai Fjords Boat Tour Overall
Unless a group has very specific expectations or needs (e.g., photographers), we typically schedule our guests for a 6-hour Kenai Fjords National Park tour with one of the local partners. These tours are offered by nearly all the tour operators based in Seward and will take you closer to one of the glaciers while also allowing for wildlife watching. In our opinion, unless you simply love being on a boat, and want to dedicate most of your day to this activity, this is the best length for the majority of visitors.
Major Marine and Kenai Fjords Tours run these tours twice a day, usually the first one at 8 AM and the second one around noon. Small boat operators usually run these once a day, starting early in the morning. If you are staying in Seward and don’t mind an early start, we recommend booking a morning tour since they tend to be less busy. If you are arriving by train or from another location for this tour, opt for a later one. Additionally, there is also a 3 PM tour with dinner for those who can’t make it any earlier (with Kenai Fjords Tours).
