Juneau: Helicopter Icefield Tour & Guided Glacier Walk

4.76

(537 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

We were already buckled in when our pilot, Jake, grinned back and asked if anyone had flown in a chopper before. I hadn’t — my hands were cold even before we lifted off from Juneau. The city shrank fast, and suddenly it was just white-blue icefields below, streaked with cracks that looked almost painted. You could hear the thrum of the rotors in your chest. Someone behind me gasped when we dipped lower; I think it was me.

Landing on Herbert Glacier felt strange — like stepping onto another planet, honestly. The air hit different up there: sharp and cold, with this faint mineral smell. Jake handed us these overshoes (not stylish but you’ll be glad for them) and led us out. He pointed at a stream running through the ice and said, “Go ahead, taste it.” So we did — glacier water is ridiculously pure, almost sweet? Never thought I’d remember that taste so clearly. We wandered around while he explained how old the ice was (older than most countries), and I tried to picture what it must’ve looked like centuries ago.

I kept thinking about how quiet it was except for the wind — no cars, no voices except ours echoing weirdly across the blue. At one point Jake laughed because I slipped a little on the ice; apparently everyone does their first time out here. The helicopter ride back was just as wild — you see Nugget Falls off to the side, all misty and loud even from above. When we landed again near the Goldbelt Tram area, my legs felt wobbly but in a good way.

I still think about that light on the glacier — kind of silvery, bouncing off everything. If you’re even a little curious about glaciers or want to feel small in a good way, this day trip from Juneau is hard to shake off after you’ve done it.