Norris Adventure: Seaplane, Paddle and Glacier Hike in Juneau
Juneau, United States

Norris Adventure: Seaplane, Paddle and Glacier Hike

Outty Ranking 59 5.0 · 17 traveler reviews5 hoursFrom $872

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September 2026

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Outty Ranking

59/100

Worth a Look. Our proprietary evaluation. How we score

Traveler rating

5.0/5

Based on 17 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.

Quick answer

Is Norris Adventure: Seaplane, Paddle and Glacier Hike worth booking?

Norris Adventure: Seaplane, Paddle and Glacier Hike is a 5-hour experience in Juneau, United States, from $872 per person. It scores 59 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Worth a Look, based on a 5/5 rating across 17 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.

Outty Ranking
59 / 100
Rating
5/5 (17)
Duration
5 hours
From
$872 per person

Experience 3 iconic Alaskan adventures—flightseeing, glacier hiking, and packrafting—all in just 5 hours! This Packraft adventure begins with a scenic flight that will head towards the mouth of the Taku Inlet. After lan

What you get

    About this experience

    Experience 3 iconic Alaskan adventures—flightseeing, glacier hiking, and packrafting—all in just 5 hours! This Packraft adventure begins with a scenic flight that will head towards the mouth of the Taku Inlet. After landing on the Norris Glacier fed lake, hike over the glacially carved terrain to a cove where your packraft awaits. From here, you will be outfitted in single person packrafts and introduced paddling techniques by your guides. Once you launch your packraft, your paddle to the glacier will take you past ice bergs to the Norris Glacier. As you approach the glacier, prepare to beach your boat right on the Norris Glacier. Trade out paddles for micro-spikes and explore the moonscape-like area of the glacier all by foot and get panoramic views of Norris and Taku glaciers. Look for crevasses, glacier pools, moulins, and other incredible ice features. Upon completion of your glacier hike, paddle back to shore. Your floatplane awaits to take you back to Juneau.

    What's included

    Included

    • Bottled water
    • Roundtrip van and floatplane transportation
    • Snacks
    • Paddling and safety instructions
    • Rain gear and rubber boots
    • Forest Service Fees
    • All necessary paddling and glacier equipment

    Not included

    • Guide Gratuities

    What you'll see and do

    1. Guests will be transported from pick up location to main office. At the main office guests will be outfitted in gear and have a chance to use the restrooms.

      60 minutes here

    2. Transport to the floatplane pond, followed by a 25 minute scenic flight to the Norris Glacier.

      30 minutes here

    3. During the Norris Glacier adventure, guests will hike, packraft, and trek on the glacier's surface. Following this experience, a floatplane will transport guests back to Juneau.

      150 minutes here

    4. Guests will return to the main office to de-gear and be transported back to pick up location.

      60 minutes here

    Where it starts and ends

    Meeting point

    Juneau

    Located at the base of the Mt. Roberts Tramway, the C-Sign is ABAK’s primary downtown meeting location for cruise passengers and clients staying in the downtown area.

    Hotel pickup

    Pickup is available for selected locations. Pickup begins about 10 minutes before departure.

    Ends at

    Located at the base of the Mt. Roberts Tramway, the C-Sign is ABAK’s primary downtown meeting location for cruise passengers and clients staying in the downtown area.

    Before you book

    Cancellation
    For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
    Languages
    en
    Ticket
    Mobile Only
    Runs on
    Every day
    Group size
    Up to 6 travelers per booking
    Operated by
    Above and Beyond Alaska

    Know before you go

    • Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
    • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
    • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
    • Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness
    • Clients will be outfitted in single passenger packrafts.
    • A specific amount of time on the ice cannot be guaranteed. The amount of time on the glacier is dependent on the group's pace and weather conditions.
    • Visiting specific features such as ice caves, moulins, etc. cannot be guaranteed. Your guide will assess potential hazards on the trip to determine if a particular area is safe to trek upon or enter.
    • Clients must be able and conditioned to paddle 1 hour roundtrip, know how to swim, and hike on uneven terrain up to 2 miles.
    • Minimum age is 10 years old. There is a weight restriction of 250 pounds per participant due to plane carrying capacity.
    • Minimum requirement to operate this tour is 4 guests. With group departures we try to maximize our trip capacity and subsequently may need to alter the time to accommodate additional customers. If your trip's departure time changes we will notify you as soon as possible.
    • Due to the inherent risks involved in this type of tour, pregnant guests are not permitted to participate.
    • This trip operates in all weather conditions (barring unsafe conditions, to be determined by ABAK) – please dressing appropriately.
    • Clients must disclose information regarding pertinent medical conditions/history, allergies and any type of restriction or limitation that might introduce a higher degree of challenge on this trip.
    • RELEASE OF LIABILITY/ASSUMPTION OF RISK FORM: Every participant on the trip must sign a Release of Liability/Assumption of Risk form at the start of the trip. Alterations and/or deletions to the waiver are not permitted.
    • Safety harnesses fit up to 42 inch waist size and 28" inch leg size. Not able to accommodate larger waist/leg sizes.
    • You must include the following in the comments section when booking: raingear & shoe sizes for each passenger, (for adult men and women, S-XXL and youth, S-L) and any pertinent medical information. Smallest shoe size that can be accommodated is Youth 2 and largest is Adult 14.
    • Maximum weight is 250 lbs per person

    Photos

    Norris Glacier Seaplane, Packraft, and Glacier HikeNorris Glacier Seaplane, Packraft, and Glacier HikeNorris Glacier Seaplane, Packraft, and Glacier HikeNorris Glacier Seaplane, Packraft, and Glacier HikeNorris Glacier Seaplane, Packraft, and Glacier HikeNorris Glacier Seaplane, Packraft, and Glacier Hike

    What travelers are saying

    Outty’s summary of the themes that recur across 15 traveler reviews. Written by us, not quoted from reviewers.

    The guide

    6 mentions

    Travelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.

    Knowledge and storytelling

    5 mentions

    Reviewers describe the commentary as informative rather than scripted.

    Physical effort

    5 mentions

    Expect real walking or climbing: reviewers mention the effort involved.

    Photo opportunities

    4 mentions

    The views and photo stops come up again and again.

    Food and drink

    3 mentions

    The tastings and food stops are a highlight for most reviewers.

    Value for money

    2 mentions

    Travelers feel they got more than they paid for.

    Traveler reviews

    15 verified traveler reviews for Norris Adventure: Seaplane, Paddle and Glacier Hike. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.

    5 star
    15
    4 star
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    3 star
    0
    2 star
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    1 star
    0
    Sort
    Missy701 · August 2026

    Phenomenal Experience

    This experience was phenomenal! The staff throughout the day were great! Knowledgeable and friendly and very accommodating to our questions and requests. We rode with Jerry out to the lake - great pilot and experience! Clara was an incredible guide on the glacier! Young but so knowledgeable. Easy to follow rules. We got to hike around and see so many things on the glacier! We were on the glacier for about an hour. Even got to go down into a shallow crevice and drink some glacier water! Great information throughout the experience. Gear/equipment was all clearly well cared for and in great condition. 10 out of 10 experience.

    Response from the operator: Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear you had such a great experience from start to finish. We’re glad you enjoyed exploring the glacier, learning along the way, and making the most of your time on the ice. We truly appreciate you choosing Above & Beyond Alaska and hope to adventure with you again!

    via Tripadvisor

    D4455XVsonjas · July 2026

    Stunning Tour with Amazing Guides

    Excellent experience, I highly recommend this tour group!! We did the Norris Glacier Adventure: Flight Paddle Hike as an excursion in Juneau as part of an Alaskan cruise on the Island Princess. All of it was fantastic, the flight on the sea plane, the kayaking, and the hike on the Norris glacier. Stunning scenery with amazing guides. Communication with Princess though was not great, no one on the ship could tell us what we needed to wear or pack, so here is what the tour ACTUALLY provides: water proof boots, microspikes (not true crampons but the microspikes are perfect for the conditions), waterproof pants to go over your regular ones (wear these, they keep your pants dry while kayaking), waterproof jacket (I had lots of top layers and ended up not wearing this, but others may like it), large dry bag with plenty of room for layers, neoprene gloves (for kayaking, I used my own pair of gloves which were fine), helmets for kayaking and on the glacier (I wore a tight fitting hat under the helmet), water bottle, snacks (not lunch, but the snacks are good). So you only need to wear comfortable shoes for getting to the tour, some warm layers (check the weather, we were lucky to have beautiful sunny conditions), and your own hat and gloves. Extras socks can also be useful, the boots don’t come in half sizes, so an extra pair to help them fit better can be helpful, but the staff does a great job helping you find a pair that fits. Also bring hand warmers if you know your hands get cold easily. Our tour ticket from the cruise line said not to bring a bag, but you can indeed bring your own bag, you’ll just repack what you need into the dry bag that the tour provides during the tour and leave your own bag and shoes in the locker bins at the tour office while on the trek. Again, phenomenal experience with excellent guides. This is an amazing tour!!

    Response from the operator: Thank you for such a thoughtful and detailed review! We're so happy to hear you had an amazing time on the Norris Glacier Adventure and enjoyed every part of the experience, from the seaplane flight to the paddle and glacier hike. We especially appreciate you sharing such helpful packing tips for future guests. We'll be sure to pass your kind words along to our guides---they'll be thrilled to hear them. Thank you for choosing to adventure with us, and we hope to welcome you back to Alaska again someday!

    via Tripadvisor

    Coastal523288 · July 2026

    Best excursion ever!

    We have been on many excursions in our travels to Alaska and beyond and this is one of the greatest! The communication and arrangements were perfect and the guides had everything we needed to feel warm and comfortable in the cold. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the glacier and allowed us to explore.

    Response from the operator: Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear this adventure stood out among your travels. We’re glad our team helped you feel comfortable and prepared while sharing their knowledge and allowing you to fully experience the glacier. We appreciate you choosing to adventure with us and hope to welcome you back to Alaska again someday!

    via Tripadvisor

    gregoryhY2430DL · September 2025

    Fun, safe way to explore an Alaskan glacier

    I typically shy away from organized tours and prefer to explore on my own, but I am glad I made an exception for this ABAK Norris Glacier Tour. Our driver, Kelsey, gave a great orientation; our guide, Rainey, was thoughtful, informative, and funny, and our pilot, Jason, was a pro! So cool to fly in such an iconic airplane (Alaska Seaplanes’ de Havilland Beaver)! Norris provided a stunning welcome to our small group under the bluebird skies. I never would’ve thought that a glacier could tell so many stories and be so entertaining. Thank you ABAK!

    Response from the operator: Thank you so much for your review! We're so glad to hear that you enjoyed your time at the Norris Glacier with our guides. Thank you for making us a part of your time in Alaska!

    via Tripadvisor

    Sightseer0112 · August 2025

    Extraordinary & unique! Above & Beyond all expectations.

    This was the highlight of our Northwest WA trip & Alaska cruise. ABAK, specifically "the Corys," pilot & and guide, we're the best! We wanted to do an excursion that we couldn't do in our home state. It's totally worth every penny. The seaplane ride was very smooth. Cory, the pilot, was very competent, helpful, and pleasant. Cory, the guide, took us to a moulin. I liked that he wanted to give us the chance to experience something very few tours get to as you never know what mother nature is going to provide. It was amazing!!!! Words & pictures don't do it justice. We got to go inside the moulin. We could drink the flowing water if you were adventurous! He was very knowledgeable about the glaciers & the area. Very helpful with our gear, which was all provided by ABAK. take this excursion. You won't regret it!

    Response from the operator: Wow, thank you so much for this glowing review! We're so glad you thoroughly enjoyed your experience in the seaplane and exploring the glacier with both Coreys! It is truly such a stunning place. Please join us on another adventure soon! We appreciate you making us part of your Alaskan vacation.

    via Tripadvisor

    Good to know

    Duration
    5 hours
    Free cancellation
    Up to 24h before
    Minimum age to book
    All ages
    Availability
    Bookable today
    Runs on
    Every day
    Hotel pickup
    Available for selected locations
    Booked in 30 days
    6
    Verdict
    Worth a Look

    Why this scores 59

    The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.

    Traveler sentiment (30% weight)90
    Review evidence (18% weight)33
    Booking momentum (14% weight)25
    Value for money (12% weight)4
    Listing quality (10% weight)85
    Local standing (8% weight)64
    Booking flexibility (8% weight)100

    Norris Adventure: Seaplane, Paddle and Glacier Hike: questions travelers ask

    Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Juneau.

    How much does Norris Adventure: Seaplane, Paddle and Glacier Hike cost?

    +

    Prices start at $872 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Juneau usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.

    How long does Norris Adventure: Seaplane, Paddle and Glacier Hike take?

    +

    Plan for about 5 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Juneau is not rushed.

    Is Norris Adventure: Seaplane, Paddle and Glacier Hike worth it?

    +

    It holds an Outty Ranking of 59 out of 100, which we label "Worth a Look". That score blends traveler sentiment (5/5 across 17 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable last minute in Juneau, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.

    Can I cancel or reschedule Norris Adventure: Seaplane, Paddle and Glacier Hike?

    +

    Yes. Cancel free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window the booking is non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded.

    Is Norris Adventure: Seaplane, Paddle and Glacier Hike suitable for kids and families?

    +

    Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 5-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.

    How far in advance should I book Norris Adventure: Seaplane, Paddle and Glacier Hike?

    +

    Around 6 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Juneau can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.

    What should I bring or wear?

    +

    Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Juneau and add a light layer if any part of the 5-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.

    Where does Norris Adventure: Seaplane, Paddle and Glacier Hike start and how do I get there?

    +

    The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Juneau within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.

    What are the best things to do in Juneau?

    +

    Juneau runs Mendenhall Glacier trips, whale watching in Auke Bay, helicopter glacier landings with dog sledding, and rainforest hikes. Most tours are timed to cruise ship windows, so we weight clear duration and pickup detail. On Outty we rank every Juneau experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include Juneau Wildlife Whale Watching, Juneau Wildlife Whale Watching & Mendenhall Glacier, Mendenhall Glacier Lake Canoe Tour. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.

    When is the best time to visit Juneau?

    +

    May to September, peaking for humpbacks in June and July. Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.

    How many days do you need in Juneau?

    +

    Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.

    Do I book through Outty or through the operator?

    +

    Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.

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