Glacier Bay National Park is one of the most spectacular charter destinations in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site covering 3.3 million acres of tidewater glaciers, fjords and wilderness coastline in Southeast Alaska. A motor yacht provides the heated and stable platform needed to push deep into the inlets where glaciers calve directly into the sea, anchor in silence with only the creak of ice for company, and move efficiently between locations across the long summer days. The eleven motor yachts available in these waters include expedition-style vessels purpose-built for cold-water cruising and larger crewed yachts suited to multi-week Alaskan passages.
Charter rates for a motor yacht in Glacier Bay range from around 50,000 to 150,000 euros per week. An advance provisioning allowance of roughly 30 percent covers fuel, National Park entry permits and anchorage fees along the route. The charter window runs from late May through mid-September, with July and August providing the most reliable weather and the greatest glacier accessibility.
The standard itinerary departs Bartlett Cove near the park visitor centre and heads north through the West Arm toward Tarr Inlet, where the Grand Pacific Glacier and Margerie Glacier both calve directly into tidewater. The East Arm and Muir Inlet offer a quieter route with excellent kayaking from the stern. A longer voyage continues south through Icy Strait and Chatham Strait toward Sitka, or extends north to Haines and Skagway at the head of Lynn Canal.
