Alaska / Glacier Bay
10 Guests
Bartlett Cove
Blue Mouse Cove
Reid Inlet
Russell Island
North Sandy Cove
Ranger-narrated glacier cruise
Sea kayaking in Muir Inlet
Wildlife viewing for brown bears and mountain goats
Whale watching near South Marble Island
Photographing Tarr Inlet’s tidewater glaciers
Margerie Glacier
Johns Hopkins Glacier
Lamplugh Glacier
Gustavus
Fairweather Range
June through August is the only real window, since the National Park Service permit system for private vessels runs June 1 to August 31 and most park facilities close outside that period. July offers the calmest water and best odds of active glacier calving, while June and August bring slightly fewer other boats in the bay. Winter charters aren’t practical, since Bartlett Cove’s services and most anchorages are inaccessible.
Gustavus Airport (GST), a short flight from Juneau, is the main gateway and sits a few kilometers from Bartlett Cove, where most charters begin. There’s no road connecting Gustavus to Juneau or anywhere else in Alaska. Some itineraries instead cruise directly from Juneau by boat, which takes roughly four to five hours each way depending on conditions in Icy Strait.
Blue Mouse Cove and Reid Inlet, both in the bay’s West Arm, are popular overnight stops within reach of Lamplugh and Reid Glaciers. North Sandy Cove, closer to the entrance, suits shorter visits or a first night before heading further up-bay. Anchoring options are limited by park regulations in places, so most captains plan the route around ranger guidance given at check-in.
Two to three days lets you reach both the East and West Arms, including Margerie and Johns Hopkins Glaciers, without rushing. A single long day trip from Juneau or Gustavus is possible but only covers the West Arm’s main glaciers. Guests combining Glacier Bay with a wider Inside Passage itinerary typically budget three to four days total, including transit.
Yes. Any vessel entering Glacier Bay National Park waters between June 1 and August 31 needs a permit, and the park caps the number issued each day to limit disturbance to whales and other wildlife. Permits are typically arranged well ahead of the season through the park’s reservation system, so this should be one of the first calls made when planning a Glacier Bay charter, not a last-minute step.