Helicopter Glacier Dog Sledding
Whether you are 2 or 92, our helicopter flight and glacier dog sledding tour combination will delight any traveler in search of an unforgettable Alaskan experience. Featured on the Travel Channel in 2014, we love sharing the magic of an Alaskan winter during the summer with our glacier dog sledding tour!
HIGHLIGHTS
★ Amazing 15-Minute Scenic Helicopter Flight
★ Fly Over Godwin Glacier and See Seward from the Air
★ 30 Minute Snowy Dog Sled Ride in a Breathtaking Landscape
★ Sit Back and Relax or Help Mush The Team with Your Guide
★ Meet Real Iditarod Racing Huskies
★ Cuddle Adorable Sled Dog Puppies
★ No Extra Gear Needed. We provide it all.
★ Appropriate for All Ages. Children 2 and Under Ride Free.
★ Complimentary Pick Up and Drop Off at all Seward Area Hotels.
“ I felt the experience was extremely personal and we had plenty of time with the dogs, the mushers and in the helicopter. It was our most memorable excursion on our trip and one I will always be grateful we were able to do.” – Amy
The Details
| Departures: | 9:00, 10:20, 11:40, 1:00, 2:20, 3:40, 5:00, 6:20 |
| Length: | 90 Minutes |
| Price: | $519 / adult |
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What To Bring:
| Sunglasses, Sunscreen, Jacket, Sneakers or Boots |
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Booking Tips:
| This tour requires good visibility so we can fly. If you are in Seward for more than one day, we recommend booking your trip on your first day so that if there are issues with visibility we can reschedule you for later on in your trip. |
| Weather Policy | If we cannot fly, there is a full refund. If you have the time, we will work to reschedule your tour. |
Tour Description
Want to cross two things off your bucket list? Look no further than our helicopter glacier dog sledding tour. This amazing 90-minute excursion combines the best that Alaska has to offer — glaciers, flightseeing, dog sledding, and snow — to create an epic tour that will leave you talking about it months after your vacation has ended. “Highlight of our trip!” and “Opportunity of a lifetime!” are just some of the positive feedback we receive from our guests.
Our Glacier Dog Sledding Tour departs from our office located at the Seward Airport. Once At our office, we will prepare you for your trip. We have all the gear you need. We have boots that will go over your shoes to help keep them dry. We have rain jackets. And if you are a little nervous about the weather being cold, we even have mittens. The weather in Seward typically ranges between 55° and 75°.
On the glacier itself, the temperature can vary from about 40° to 90° depending on the weather but these are temperatures you will likely see throughout your trip, not just on our excursion so be sure to pack accordingly. First-time visitors to Alaska are sometimes surprised by both how warm and how cold various parts of the state can be. We highly advise that you dress in layers and wear sunglasses. It can be very bright on the glacier and conditions on the glacier can also differ greatly from conditions in Seward.
Once geared up, we will teach you how to safely enter and exit our helicopters. We primarily fly Robinson 44 helicopters which have room for three passengers as well as a small backpack or handbag. This means that everyone gets a window seat! If you are part of a larger group, don’t worry! We have multiple helicopters on-site and are experts at working with large families, tour groups, and are even great at throwing big corporate events complete with catering!
After going over the safety features of our helicopter, it’s time to fly! Sit on our sunny porch and watch for eagles, who nest in the trees on the far side of the airport, as you wait for your helicopter. Once your helicopter lands, our staff will walk you out to the helicopter and help you get in. Once onboard, our friendly pilots will introduce themselves, make sure you are ready, and then it’s up, up, and away! Our pilots are experienced, professional, and an absolute blast to fly with.
“We decided to book a Summer Glacier Dogsled Tour for our family of 4 (2 young adult daughters). The entire experience was definitely the highlight of our week in Alaska! We can’t stop talking about it! Thank you for sharing so generously the passion you feel for the dogs and for dog sled racing. There was nothing “canned” or “tour” about it – you guys made this one of our best-ever vacation memories, definitely our WOW Alaska moment.” – Amy J
Never flown in a helicopter? It is much smoother than ride than flying in an airplane. Our pilots have pinpoint precision and can go just about anywhere. We pride ourselves on our excellent safety record
As you leave the Seward Airport, you will fly over a beautiful braided river that terminates in the ocean. This is a popular spot to see brown bears fishing for salmon. As the helicopter flies towards the mountains and over Resurrection Bay, keep an eye out for otters and whales. Although rare, humpbacks and orcas are known to come into the nutrient-rich water of the bay to feed.
As the helicopter approaches the mountains, you’ll pass over a beautiful grassy meadow. Then, as you round a corner and enter the mountain valley check out several beautiful waterfalls. Look even more closely and try to spot mountain goats as they make their way along the rocky cliffs.
When Godwin Glacier comes into view you will be spellbound.The toe of glacier, or where it terminates, is where we see the blue ice glaciers are commonly known for. Look down below to see giant fissures and crevasses in the ice as we fly over this frozen river of us.
We will follow the glacier up and slowly gain elevation until we reach the accumulation zone, the area where it snows heavily throughout most of the year. Annual Snowfall on Godwin Glacier exceeds one hundred feet of snow! You’ll be in utter disbelief as the helicopter lands at our dog camp at just how much snow there really is. You’ll want sunglasses, it’s bright!
As the helicopter lands, make sure you have all your belongings as our glacier staff will come help you out of the helicopter and escort you towards our camp. This is about a 10-20 meter walk. We like to tell our guests that the ground is uneven and the snow can be punchy at the height of the day, but it is not slippery. This is some of the only walking guests will have to do making it appropriate for all ages and activity levels. Those worried about conditions should let our staff know so that we can be extra attentive.
Our dog sledding camp is the home-away-from-home for our mushing staff, who work in rotating shifts, living in this remote haven taking care of our dogs and sharing their enthusiasm for mushing with visitors like you. Our guides will introduce themselves to you and then explain to you what life is like living on a glacier taking care of sled dogs. Your guide will walk you into the kennel where you will meet some of our famous canine athletes before going out on the trail. Our dogs are all very friendly but to ensure a positive experience for both our guests and our dogs, we always teach our visitors how to interact with dogs. Under the supervision of one of our guides, we invite you to pet and play with our dogs — though you certainly don’t have to.
“This was an AMAZING experience from start to end. Everyone we encountered during this tour was top notch. Flight-seeing, glaciers, mushing and the cutest puppies….it was such a surreal experience…memories for a lifetime!” – Christine D
After getting your fill of kisses, it’s time to mush! We use a unique double-driver dog sled and we give all our guests the option to sit and relax or to help mush the team under the supervision of the guide. Before hitting the trail, we will go over the basics of dog sledding. We explain how to sit on our sleds so the driver can maneuver more easily. We also go over what gear we use and why it’s important. Most importantly, we teach those helping to mush the team, all about how to stop a dog team! Believe it or not, in dog sledding the toughest thing we have to teach the dogs is how to stop!
Before we set off, the dogs generally bark and jump to show their excitement — they really love their job — and if you have a good camera this makes for some fantastic action shots. Then, with the command of “alright” the team falls silent and starts to take you around beautiful Godwin Glacier. Our guides are all highly passionate, experienced, mushers who excel at telling stories and sharing their love of dogs with you. Hear captivating stories from racing events like the 1,000-mile long Iditarod Sled Dog Race or the Copper Basin 300.
Every now and then, your musher will stop to take photos of you and the team. We know photos are an important part of any vacation and we are happy to help you capture your glacier dog sledding tour. The photo opportunities here are absolutely unbelievable! During these stops, you can also say hello to the dogs or watch and try not to laugh as they roll around in the snow.
Time flies when you are having fun and before you know it your 30 minutes of mushing will be over. When you get back to dog camp, you are given another opportunity to say hello and pet the dogs. This is a great time to go up to the lead dogs and pose with them for a photograph. After you go dog sledding, You have approximately 30 more minutes on the glacier which you can use to stage group photos, meet our puppies, or to simply kick back and enjoy the scenery.
“One of our favorite experiences in Alaska! Even as Alaskans, this trip blew our minds! It’s so much more than dogsledding. It doesn’t get better than this.” – Ben P
Every year we raise one or two litters of puppies on Godwin Glacier. Having you visit us, gives us an excellent opportunity to socialize our young dogs! When you’ve had your fill of puppy kisses, we invite you to relax on our outdoor porch. Sit back, enjoy the sunshine, and take in the beautiful scenery. On cooler days, enjoy our propane fire or go inside our guest tent.
Before you know it, you’ll hear the helicopter as it makes its way back to camp to pick you up. Your Guide will help you snap a quick photo in front of the helicopter before helping you onboard. Then, it’s time to fly back to Seward! Back in our office, we have complimentary coffee, hot chocolate and tea available in our office and eagerly wait to hear about your experience!
We strive to present an accurate representation of our tour. All timing is approximate. Note that the actual tour order on the glacier may differ.
What Sets Us Apart
We are the smallest glacier dog sledding operation in the state of Alaska and pride ourselves on our high-quality hands-on tours that focus on providing one-on-one experiences. We emphasize great customer service and great dog care — our dogs absolutely love what they do.
Our operation is owned by two Iditarod racers, Travis Beals and Sarah Stokey, who oversee the running of our remote glacier dog sledding camp.
Extras
Want more time on the glacier? No problem! All guests have the option of purchasing an additional 30 minutes of glacier time.
Our Dogs and Tour Guides Race In
