Private Glacier Trek Hiking

For guests who are looking for an advanced hike, but who march to a different pace, this private hike with guide to the Mendenhall Glacier is perfect for those looking to do it their way.

Private Glacier Trek in Juneau

For guests who are looking for an advanced hike but march to a different pace, this guided private hike tour to the Mendenhall Glacier is perfect for those looking to do it their way.

Set out with your private guide on your own private Juneau exploration. After departing the pier, you will be driven for approximately 30 minutes to the Mendenhall Valley and the trailhead. After a 30-minute check-in and gear orientation, you will begin an approximately 3-hour hike over a 4-mile trail. The hike is mostly uphill, through the rainforest along Mendenhall Lake. The first mile of the trail is well maintained and goes through forests with a few switchbacks. The remaining three miles of the trail are very off the beaten path and require hiking on bedrock with rock scrambling on steep sections. It's important to have sturdy hiking boots that provide good ankle support while hiking on the rocky terrain. For an average fit group, it takes just over two hours to hike to the glacier. The vertical elevation gain is about 800 feet. It is all worth it when you climb the final ridge, and the jagged face of the glacier bursts into view with its river of ice coursing behind it.

Once you reach the terminus of the glacier, you will be outfitted in trekking gear. Guides will instruct you step by step on how to trek in crampons on glacial terrain. This Juneau shore trip features close-up views of the many different features of a glacier. These MAY include ice caves, streams, crevasses, and other unique glacial formations. As a glacier is a constantly changing landscape, the actual sights seen during your trek will be finalized the day of the trek and will be based on weather, glacial condition, and guest's safety. The amount of time on the glacier is dependent on the tour group's pace and Alaska weather conditions for the day.

You will then return to the starting point along the same trail you hiked at the beginning.

Please Note: You must be in good shape and able to hike for 6 to 6.5 hours, covering about 9 miles round trip in a challenging environment (please see hike description above). It is important to have sturdy shoes or boots that provide good ankle support while hiking on the rocky terrain. Guests showing up with inadequate footwear will be denied participation and will not be entitled to a refund.

All participants will need to hike with a provided backpack the entire way on this trip. The backpack weighs approximately 10 pounds and holds mountaineering gear, snacks, water, and extra clothing that you may wish to bring.

About Shore Excursions Group

More trips from Shore Excursions Group

ABOUT US
Shore Excursions Group was created with one goal in mind: to provide exceptional travel experiences to cruise passengers in the ports they visit around the world. To accomplish this, we have compiled an exceptional array of tours delivered by local experts with decades of experience serving travelers and delivering excellent tours. Our owners and management team are comprised of seasoned travel industry executives who leverage their considerable experience to deliver memories of a lifetime.

We are experts in providing exceptional shore excursions. We understand that in today's fast paced world, vacations have become an increasingly important way to relax, reconnect with family and friends, and experience new and interesting places. With this in mind, we provide the highest quality tours by performing extensive research, and detailed reviews. While other companies also offer excursions, we strongly believe our expertise and approach set us apart. The large cruise lines sell shore excursions - typically in very large groups visiting high traffic sites. We focus on smaller groups visiting more interesting and authentic locations using more personalized local operators. While the cruise lines are experts in delivering cruises, we are experts in delivering shore excursions.

Our Approach
We believe quality service is not only highly valued by customers, but ultimately leads to better experiences and higher satisfaction. Unlike the cruise lines and other tour companies that rely almost entirely on websites, we encourage customers to call us. We want to invest our time answering your questions, providing input, and selecting the excursions that best meet your needs.

Our Tours
Our goal is to provide customers a wide array of exciting, appealing, and enriching tours. For those customers who prefer to travel in smaller groups with more personalized service, we offer a wide variety of small group tours around the world. These tours generally range in size from 2-12 people compared to larger tours which can number up to 50 people. While exploring the destinations and ports on this website, feel free to search for these "Small Group Tours". For those customers interested in private tours, we offer many outstanding excursions that allow you to travel with your party alone and, in many cases, to fully customize your tour. Search for "Private Tours" if you are interested in this experience. Our "Scenic" tours provide up close and personal access to some of the most spectacular natural environments on Earth from majestic glaciers in Alaska to spectacular reefs in the Caribbean. Our "Cultural" tours allow customers to experience local customs, entertainment and culinary delights ranging from tribal dances in Alaska to an outstanding local meal in Santorini, Greece. Our "Active" tours offer a multitude of exciting and adventurous ways to experience our destinations. Our customers can kayak the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, hike to a spectacular waterfall in Hawaii, or bicycle through quaint villages in France. Our "City" tours allow travelers to see the highlights of great cities around the world with unique insights provided by our expert tour guides.

Our People
In our experience, exceptional travel experiences are almost always delivered by exceptional people. With that in mind, we utilize a comprehensive approach to select and employ the leading tour guides and tour providers around the globe. We hold our people to very high standards which we measure by our comprehensive Quality Control process and, most importantly, by our customer feedback, which we will actively seek from each of our customers.

Our Owners
Shore Excursions Group is owned by seasoned travel executives possessing extensive experience across many sectors within the travel industry.

Bradford J. Miller
Mr. Miller is the former Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer for Abercrombie & Kent, the World's leading luxury travel company. In that role, Mr. Miller was responsible for contributing to Abercrombie & Kent's international growth through the development and acquisition of tour products and travel experiences around the world with a specific focus on cruising and land based experiences. Prior to joining Abercrombie & Kent, Mr. Miller held a variety of executive positions with Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises for more than a decade. These positions included Vice President of Guest Sales & Service, Vice President of Brand Development, and Vice President of Onboard Revenue (which included shore excursions). Mr. Miller also led Celebrity Expeditions, a collection of outstanding and unique tours around the World.

Michael Bonner
Mr. Bonner has over a decade of experience working in the cruise industry in a variety of roles for both Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Viking River Cruises. Most recently, Mr. Bonner was the Chief Operating Officer for The Scholar Ship, a Royal Caribbean program aimed at providing college students onboard educational programs in conjunction with enriching shore excursions around the world. Mr. Bonner also helped co-manage Viking River Cruises U.S. Operations, and he ran the corporate, strategic, and deployment planning functions at Royal Caribbean. While at Royal Caribbean, Mr. Bonner was responsible for forming Royal Celebrity Tours, Royal Caribbean's land-based tour operation in Alaska, which takes cruise passengers on multiple day tours through the interior of Alaska either before or after their cruises. Prior to working at Royal Caribbean, Mr. Bonner was a consultant for Booz Allen & Hamilton.

from $323.00 (USD)

Per Person

Tour Type

Private

Group Size

Private

Activity Type(s)

Active

Tour Duration

9 Hours

Activity Level

Difficult

Tour Leaves From

An approximately 5 to 25 minute walk, or an approximately 5 minute shuttle ride (not included, approximately $5 US per person) is required to reach your departure location.

Food/Beverage Provided

A hearty, healthy snack and bottled water are included.

Special Instructions

As you will be visiting a river of ice, dress in layers with a good coat. Guests should also bring gloves and a hat. Sunglasses are highly recommended for glare off the ice. Sensible hiking shoes or boots, not sneakers, and comfortable hiking pants are recommended. It is important to have sturdy shoes or boots that provide good ankle support while hiking on the rocky terrain. Guests showing up with inadequate footwear will be denied participation and will not be entitled to a refund.

Restrictions

Guests must be physically fit and able to climb over rocks, slippery surfaces, and have no major mobility issues. Guests must disclose information regarding pertinent medical conditions, history, allergies, or any type of restriction or limitation that may introduce a higher degree of challenge on this trip. Children must be at least 8 years of age, able to hike 9 miles roundtrip on their own, and accompanied by an adult. The smallest size shoe a crampon will fit is size 2. The largest shoe size we can accommodate is men's size 14. Due to the inherent risks involved, parents may not carry their infants or toddlers, and women at any stage of pregnancy may not participate in this trek. Sturdy shoes or boots that provide good ankle support are required. We strongly recommend you do not book another tour for at least one hour after this tour concludes. All participants must sign a waiver form at the start of the trip.

Terms & Disclaimers

ID:

7621802

Location

Juneau