Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier Tour: Sailing a 30-Mile Fjord to Ancient Ice
I love glaciers, and I really love Alaska. So, what’s better than traveling up a gorgeous Alaskan fjord for 30 miles to reach a huge tidewater glacier? Not much, that’s what I’ll say! It’s precisely why I wanted to hop aboard the Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier Tour to see and photograph the landscapes around Juneau.
At first, I was a bit like “hmm, this isn’t too exciting.” But then we got into the fjord, and it was like a switch happened. The terrain got wild; the glaciers started appearing; and I couldn’t figure out where to look because it was all incredibly beautiful.
Inside, you’ll get my experience spending all day on a boat for the Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier Tour, tons of great photos, and more insights to help you decide whether to take this trip as well.
My Experience on the Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier Tour from Juneau
I was a bit groggy on my first morning in Juneau. After grabbing a hearty breakfast near my airport hotel, I took a 15-minute ride downtown. Usually, I’m someone who is always running late, but I made sure to adhere to their ‘arrive 15 minutes before the tour starts’ request.
After all the boring stuff and passing by massive cruise ships, we were finally out of the no-wake zone heading out on our adventure day. Then our captain slowed down the boat. Humpbacks!
Whales near Juneau
A mom and a calf were hanging out in the Juneau waters, enjoying all the nutrients they’d need before making their long journey south in a couple of months. (Whale watching in Juneau is one of the best activites to see whales in America.)
After ten minutes with them, we started heading south again while they moved north. Once the two whales dove, I turned around, and then they breached! I couldn’t believe I broke the cardinal rule and turned my back on them. I was so bummed. It was the only breach they gave us.
Heading into the fjords
With the slowdown thanks to the humpbacks, we reached the mouth of the Endicott Arm at the two-hour mark. From here, we had 30 miles to travel to reach the Dawes Glacier. Even though I’ve done the Kenai Fjords Wildlife Cruise out of Seward, Alaska, I had never experienced a fjord like this one.
At the entrance is a gorgeous hanging glacier, and that’s just the start! The fjord’s continuous grandeur floored me as we ventured deeper and deeper. The mountains grew higher and sharper. The waterfalls dazzled. The icebergs became more numerous.
I was blown away. The entire scene felt like something out of a NatGeo documentary.
According to my camera timestamps, it took an hour from the start of the fjord until we first saw the Dawes Glacier. At this point, our captain’s driving could have been mistaken for drunk boating, as he had to weave between icebergs in an effort to keep us from being the next Titanic.
Even though we could see the glacier, it didn’t mean we were that close. This is a MASSIVE tidewater glacier, and it took us another 40-ish minutes to get remotely close. In the meantime, the crew picked up a couple of small pieces of ice to let us pass around.
The Dawes Glacier
The Endicott Arm was quite impressive, but being this close to a glacier was the highlight of the trip. The tour boasts that you get around 30 minutes close up to the glacier. They did a pretty good job keeping their word. We floated back and forth, giving everyone plenty of opportunities to take photos and watch the glacier calve.
Our tour didn’t get to see any massive, wave-creating calvings. (We did get a small one.) While it would have made for a great photo, I prefer my glaciers to stay intact.
Getting to look closely at the glacier’s textures, color, and more was phenomenal. I had never gotten this long with a tidewater glacier before, and I enjoyed being able to slow down and soak it all in.
Heading back to Juneau
Sometimes these out-and-back tours can feel a bit stale once you’ve seen the trip’s climax. This one, for the most part, didn’t feel that way. (Well, maybe a bit at the end.) As we headed back, our captain took us close to a waterfall that poured into the sea. But he didn’t just get the boat close.
He soaked the deck! With all my camera gear, I stayed off the wettest part but still got misted. Talk about a wild and fun experience!
Then further on, someone spotted a bald eagle awkwardly swimming in the water. We slowed down to watch it eventually reach shore and pop out with a big Sculpin fish. After a couple of moments on land to get situated, it took off to enjoy a tasty dinner without the watchful eyes of us tourists.
Then, not more than 10 minutes later, we reached another group of humpback whales! In an effort to get everyone back on time, we didn’t spend too long with these guys and kept the pedal to the metal back to Juneau.
By the end of the trip, a lot of us were pretty tired – 8 hours on the water will do that to you. But it was such a beautiful and exhilarating day. Many Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier Tour customers were on a cruise ship, but they still said they hadn’t seen anything like this before.
I’d agree. It was spectacular and gave us a close-up look at Alaska’s beauty and why these places are protected for future generations to enjoy.
Want to take this tour? Book it here.
Why the Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier Tour is Worth It
I’ve never been so close to a glacier for so long (without standing on it). And spending so long inside the 30-mile Endicott Arm was mesmerizing. As we weaved through it, there were new sights on each side that would be the highlight of most boat tours anywhere else.
This tour is so freaking worth it and will blow your socks off. I’m still blown away by how stunning the Dawes Glacier was. Its brilliant blue was magical, and seeing the textures was thrilling.
It reminded me of Superman’s Fortress of Solitude.
While it is a little pricey, for a full-day tour, it’s an easy call to see something so unique and special.
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Photos from the glacier and fjord adventure day in Alaska
This place was truly incredible. I was super stoked with the shots I landed. If you are interested in purchasing any, you can do so here.
What to know before booking the Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier Tour in Alaska
How much does this cost? And how long is the tour?
It’s a decently pricey tour, but somewhat similar to others in the Juneau area. This one costs $329 for a full-day tour. We boarded around 8:30 am and returned to the dock a bit before 5pm. So, for spending the entire day out and about, it’s not a bad hourly price tag.
Kids 3-12 are slightly discounted at $289 per person. Infants two and under are free.
What days do they run tours?
They run tours Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. They don’t run tours on Friday, which threw a wrench into my Juneau trip, but I eventually moved things around and everything lined up.
If you need other tour ideas in Juneau
Here are 20 I Recommend.
When does the Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier Tour start and stop each year?
This tour typically follows the cruise line season in Juneau, which is usually May to September. For the 2026 season, the final tour date you can book on their website is September 13.
Are they no longer running the Tracy Arm Fjord tour?
Correct. Due to a 2025 landslide that dropped 64 million cubic meters of rock into the water, it is currently unsafe to travel up that fjord. So much debris fell into the water that it triggered a “megatsunami with an initial wave of 328 feet, or 100 meters,” according to a recent study published in the journal SCIENCE.
“The tsunami pushed water as high as 1,580 feet, or 481 meters, up the slope on the opposite side of the fjord and, as it traveled to Tracy Arm’s mouth, stripped the surface of the mountain face to bare rock,” wrote the Alaska Beacon.
FAQ Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier Tour
Here’s a quick list of things to bring on the tour:
– Jacket
– Beanie
– Hat, Sunglasses, and sunscreen
– Camera and Phone
– Water bottle
– Binoculars
Yes! You get lunch on board. It’s a simple sandwich, chips, and a cookie. They also have complimentary coffee and hot chocolate. You can also purchase beer or a glacier-ice margarita.
You definitely could. I think it’s more likely to see seals or sea lions on the floating ice near the Dawes Glacier. That said, we did get to spend some time with humpbacks leaving Juneau and saw a bald eagle with a fish on the way back to port.
Seadrome Dock, Downtown Juneau, 76 Egan Drive, Juneau, Alaska. It’s right across from the downtown bus terminal and Four Points Sheraton and an easy walk from the cruise ships.
Final Thoughts on the Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier Explorer
I know it takes up (sort of) a full day in Juneau, but I highly, highly recommend the Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier Tour. You’ll get to see some really special places most don’t get to see with their own two eyes.
Plus, there’s a good chance of seeing wildlife on the way there and back.
So, if you’re up for an adventure and to get closer to a glacier than you’ve likely ever been before, this is the trip to do!
Until next time, adventurers, stay safe.
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