Traviia
Norris Glacier Seaplane, Paddle and Guided Hike Tour Image 1
Norris Glacier Seaplane, Paddle and Guided Hike Tour Image 2
Norris Glacier Seaplane, Paddle and Guided Hike Tour Image 8
Tap to open gallery
Google's Verified Seller

We are a trusted seller of Google, ensuring quality and reliability

Instant confirmation

Get your booking confirmed instantly

Free cancellation

Up to 72 hours before the experience starts

Highlights

  • Reach the remote Norris Glacier wilderness by floatplane, combining a scenic flight, packrafting on glacial waters, and glacier trekking in one guided half-day adventure.
  • Enjoy a seamless experience with round-trip van transfers from the meeting point, a 15-minute floatplane flight to Norris Lake, and all logistics handled by experienced staff.
  • Explore the landscape by paddling across the lake in a single or double packraft before continuing on foot across the glacier with professional guides.
  • Stay equipped throughout the journey with paddling gear, glacier and safety equipment, rainwear, US Forest Service permits, and all technical gear required for the excursion.
  • Follow wilderness-trained guides who manage route planning and glacier safety, with time to enjoy snacks during the outing and take home a souvenir water bottle.

Your Experience

Norris Glacier Seaplane, Paddle and Guided Hike Tour Image 1
Norris Glacier Seaplane, Paddle and Guided Hike Tour Image 2
Norris Glacier Seaplane, Paddle and Guided Hike Tour Image 3

Access the remote Norris Glacier by a 15-minute floatplane ride, then packraft on glacial waters, and hike on the glacier surface in a guided tour.

Getting started

Begin at the designated meeting location, where you check in and meet your professional guides for a brief overview of the day. Board the round-trip van transport from the meeting location that takes you to the floatplane base. After a short safety orientation, you get ready to board the aircraft for the flight to Norris Lake.

What to expect

Norris Lake and floatplane flight

Enjoy round-trip transportation and a 15-minute floatplane to Norris Lake, landing on a remote glacial lake near Norris Glacier. You travel in a small aircraft that typically seats six passengers, surrounded by an alpine landscape shaped by ice.

Features

  • Scenic flight: Take the 15-minute floatplane to Norris Lake, with your pilot flying you over glacier-fed terrain before touching down on the lake’s surface beside the ice.

  • Comfortable transport: Use the round-trip van transport from the meeting location and the included round-trip transportation to move seamlessly between the meeting point and the floatplane dock, so all transfers are pre-arranged for your group.

  • Expert guidance: Rely on professional guides who are certified in wilderness safety and first aid, and who begin assessing weather and route conditions from this first stage of the trip to keep the route within the tour’s physical and safety requirements.

  • Permits included: Benefit from US Forest Service permits that allow your group to access designated areas around Norris Glacier and its lake legally and in compliance with local regulations.

Packrafting on Norris Lake

Once on Norris Lake, the experience shifts to paddling across glacial waters in compact, stable craft. You travel toward the glacier’s edge in single or double-passenger pack rafts as part of a moderate to strenuous outing.

Features

  • Glacial waters: Packraft on glacial waters using single or double-passenger pack rafts, following your guide across the lake for approximately one hour of paddling round-trip, subject to conditions and group ability.

  • Equipment included: Make use of all paddling equipment and glacier gear, including paddles, personal flotation setups, and glacier-specific gear suited to cold, wet conditions on the lake.

  • Rain gear provided: Stay dry on the approach with rain gear that includes a hooded jacket, rubber boots, and pants, reducing exposure to splashes and glacial meltwater while you paddle.

  • Hearty snacks: Refuel partway through the on-water and shore portions of the tour with hearty and healthy snacks and a souvenir water bottle that you can keep after the trip.

Norris Glacier hike

After reaching the glacier margin, you transition from packraft to glacier trekking. This hike on the glacier surface covers up to 2 miles on uneven terrain, with time on the ice depending on group pace and weather.

Features

  • Adventurous terrain: Hike on the glacier surface as part of the glacier trekking component, with your guide choosing the exact route and duration on the ice based on current conditions and group fitness. The specific amount of time on the ice cannot be guaranteed and may vary.

  • Safety glacier gear: Wear all glacier safety gear, including a helmet, micro-spikes, harness, and trekking poles if needed, along with broader safety equipment that supports secure movement on snow, ice, and exposed rock.

  • Guidance for a safe journey: Follow your professional guides as they manage the moderate to strenuous hike, taking into account the tour’s physical requirements and ensuring that visiting specific features such as ice caves or moulins happens only when conditions allow, and only if it is safe.

At the end of your glacier hike, you return by packraft across Norris Lake to the floatplane, then fly back to the base and use the round-trip van transport from the meeting location to conclude the tour where you started.

Inclusions & Exclusions

  • 5-hour guided tour with a floatplane ride, a hike, and packraft paddling
  • Professional guides
  • 15-minute floatplane to Norris Lake
  • Hike on the glacier surface
  • Packraft on glacial waters
  • Round-trip van transport to/from the meeting location
  • All paddling equipment & glacier gear
  • US Forest Service permits
  • Rain gear (hooded jacket, rubber boots, and pants)
  • Snacks
  • Glacier safety gear (helmet, micro-spikes, harness, and trekking poles if needed)
  • Souvenir water bottle
  • Professional photography
  • Gratuities

This product offers multiple ticket options. Some items above (like transfers or fast-track access) may only apply to specific options — confirm what's included when you select yours.

Ticket Delivery

  • Your voucher will be emailed to you shortly.
  • Display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the starting point.
  • Please check your final voucher for the starting point details & specific instructions.

Cancellation Policy

Free cancellation up to 72 hours before the experience starts.

Frequently asked questions

Clear answers to the most common questions travelers ask before booking this experience.

Booking FAQs

Wear clothing suitable for getting wet and for changing outdoor weather conditions throughout the glacier adventure. Inform the operator of any medical conditions, allergies, or physical limitations before departure. Provide the correct body weight for each participant when making your booking.

Modifications or deletions to any section of the required liability waiver are not permitted. Children under 10 years of age cannot participate in this tour.

This experience is not suitable for guests who cannot meet the required paddling and hiking demands. Participants should be prepared for approximately 1 hour of round-trip paddling and up to 2 miles of hiking over uneven terrain. Pregnant guests are not permitted to join due to the physically demanding nature of the tour.

This adventure combines glacier trekking, sightseeing, and a scenic floatplane flight. All participants must sign a Release of Liability and Assumption of Risk Form before departure. The complete experience lasts approximately 5 hours. Participation is limited to guests aged 10 years and older. The tour is rated moderate to strenuous in difficulty. A weight limit of 250 lbs applies per passenger for the flight; additional fees may apply for guests exceeding this limit. Passengers may be weighed by the floatplane operator before boarding. The primary operating season runs from May through September. Tours operate in all weather conditions unless ABAK determines conditions to be unsafe. Time spent on the glacier varies depending on weather conditions and the pace of the group. Access to glacier features such as ice caves and moulins cannot be guaranteed. Participants will be assigned to either single- or double-passenger packrafts at the operator’s discretion. Your guide will evaluate current conditions and determine which glacier areas are safe to access. Residential pickup service is not available. Avoid scheduling other excursions immediately before or after this experience, and notify the operator if you have another excursion planned on the same day. Tours may be canceled due to low enrollment, unsafe conditions, or participants not meeting the required physical standards. If ABAK cancels the tour before departure, a full refund will be provided. Tours canceled because of cruise ship schedule changes that cannot be accommodated with a reschedule are fully refundable. The floatplane used for this experience accommodates up to six passengers.

Similar experiences you'd love