Beyond the boat cruise, you can hike the Harding Icefield Trail, sea-kayak to a tidewater glacier, take a flightseeing tour over the icefield, and join free ranger programs at Exit Glacier. Seward operators also run glacier ice climbing, fishing charters and Bear Glacier Lagoon kayaking. Remember the geography: Exit Glacier is the only part of the park you can drive to, so almost everything else is reached by boat, water taxi or air.
The activities below range from free and self-guided to premium and guided. If you only do one thing, make it a boat cruise; if you have more time or want a different angle on the same landscape, the rest of this page is how to build it out.
Ways to experience the park
Season, whether you need a guide, and how you get there.
| Activity | Season | Guided? | How you access it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boat cruise | ~mid-May–Sep | Operator-run | Departs Seward's small boat harbor |
| Hiking (Exit Glacier & Harding Icefield Trail) | Trails snow-free ~June–Sep | Self-guided | Drive/shuttle to Exit Glacier |
| Sea kayaking (Aialik Bay) | Summer | Guided | Water taxi from Seward (~2+ hrs each way) |
| Flightseeing | Summer | Operator-run | Flights from Seward |
| Ranger programs | Summer (free) | Ranger-led | Exit Glacier Nature Center |
| Ice climbing / glacier trek | Summer | Guided | Exit Glacier, with a Seward guide |
| Fishing charter | Summer | Guided | Departs Seward |
| Winter (ski / fat bike) | ~Nov–Apr | Self-guided | Exit Glacier Road (closed to cars) |
Operators, prices and season dates change each year — confirm current details when you book.
Cruises & sea kayaking
Day boat cruises
The classic — half to full day
- Half-day Resurrection Bay or full-day tidewater-glacier cruises from Seward
- The one way to reach the calving glaciers and Chiswell wildlife
- See our boat tours guide to choose
Sea kayaking
Guided day trips
- Guided Aialik Bay glacier paddles from Seward — e.g. Kayak Adventures Worldwide
- Reached by a ~2+ hour water taxi each way, then roughly 3 hours of paddling
- Bear Glacier Lagoon paddles thread among floating icebergs
- Go guided; the cold, exposed water is serious — see safety
Hiking, ranger walks & the Junior Ranger program
Hiking
Exit Glacier area
- Easy, partly paved trails to glacier viewpoints
- The strenuous Harding Icefield Trail, about 8 miles round trip
- The only maintained trails in the park — see Exit Glacier
Ranger programs
Free, summer
- Ranger-led walks daily, typically 10am and 2pm
- Start at the Exit Glacier Nature Center; about 90 minutes
- No reservations required
Junior Ranger
All ages
- Complete a booklet to earn a badge
- Exit Glacier Junior Ranger Walks in summer
- Fjord Junior Ranger Walks at the Seward visitor center
Flightseeing, glacier trekking, fishing & winter
Flightseeing
Summer, operator-run
- Fixed-wing flights over the park and Harding Icefield from Seward
- Trips starting around 30 minutes — e.g. Seward Air Tours
- The fastest way to grasp the icefield's scale
Glacier ice climbing & treks
Guided, summer
- Guided ice climbing and glacier walks on Exit Glacier
- Run by Seward guiding companies
- Confirm operator, season and skill requirements when booking
Fishing charters
Guided, summer
- Saltwater charters from Seward for halibut, salmon and rockfish
- Half- and full-day options with several operators
- Confirm current trips and prices with the operator
Winter activities
Roughly November–April
- With the road closed to cars, ski, snowmachine or fat-bike toward Exit Glacier
- A quiet, low-season way to reach the glacier
- Check conditions and avalanche risk first
A note on what's verified: boat cruises, hiking, ranger and Junior Ranger programs, guided Aialik Bay kayaking and Seward flightseeing are well established. Ice climbing, Bear Glacier heli-kayak trips, fishing charters and winter tours are offered by Seward operators too, but their 2026 dates and prices should be confirmed directly before you book.
Things-to-do questions
Hike the Exit Glacier trails and the strenuous Harding Icefield Trail, sea-kayak to a tidewater glacier in Aialik Bay, take a flightseeing tour over the Harding Icefield, join free ranger-led walks at Exit Glacier, and do the Junior Ranger program. Seward operators also run glacier ice climbing, fishing charters and Bear Glacier Lagoon kayaking. Everything beyond Exit Glacier is reached by boat, water taxi or air.
Yes, on a guided trip — the outer coast is cold and exposed. Seward outfitters such as Kayak Adventures Worldwide run guided day trips to Aialik Bay: a water taxi of about two-plus hours each way, then roughly three hours of paddling near the glacier. Bear Glacier Lagoon, with its floating icebergs, is another popular paddle. Don't kayak from Seward out to the fjords yourself.
Yes. Fixed-wing flightseeing over the park and the Harding Icefield is offered from Seward, with trips starting at about 30 minutes — a fast way to grasp the scale of the icefield and the glaciers that flow from it. Seward Air Tours is one established operator.
Yes, and they're free. In summer, rangers lead daily walks at Exit Glacier, typically at 10am and 2pm, starting from the Exit Glacier Nature Center and running about 90 minutes, with no reservations required. There's also an all-ages Junior Ranger program with booklets and badges.
Yes. The only maintained trails are at Exit Glacier, the park's one road-accessible area: easy, partly paved trails to glacier viewpoints, and the strenuous Harding Icefield Trail, about 8 miles round trip. Exploring the icefield itself requires glacier-travel and crevasse-rescue skills.
Related guides
Kenai Fjords tours & experiences
Other experiences you might enjoy — glacier and wildlife cruises, sea kayaking and flightseeing from Seward and Aialik Bay.
Build your Kenai Fjords day
Start with a cruise, then add a hike, a paddle or a flight. Leave a flexible day for the weather.