Day trip to the Kenai Fjords National Park

I think we can die or stop traveling now. Haha. That’s what I said to myself after this trip to Kenai Fjords National Park. I’m writing this article in the heat of the moment, the day after this day trip from Seward, Alaska. While we had planned a month-long road trip in the Yukon in August 2024, we decided to do a nice loop in Alaska, a dream of mine for a very long time. If you’re looking for a unique experience, don’t hesitate to read our account of driving the famous Dempster Highway, a round trip of over 1,600 km on a gravel road to touch the Arctic Ocean.

Although it wasn’t easy to plan the route, and we knew we’d have to return to Whitehorse (Yukon), we decided to spend a long week on the Kenai Peninsula. So here we are for three days in the town of Seward, at the southern tip of the peninsula. I knew the name of the place, but nothing more.

We’re used to boat trips, but mostly in the tropics where we’ve lived. We’ve done a few “cold” boating trips, such as to Glacier National Park (US/Canadian border) or the Queenstown Fjords in New Zealand. But it’s rare. After some hesitation (more on that later), we decided to take a day trip by boat to explore the Kenai Fjords National Park, through the Northwest Fjords, all with Kenai Fjords Tours.

Let’s get straight to the point. After a lot of research and hesitation about the price of the day trip (see below), we decided to try a nice day trip. We had a choice of several trips and booked the longest, the Northwest Fjord, the most remote and isolated fjord on offer, allowing us to get up close and personal with numerous glaciers and breathtaking scenery. As it turns out, this is the company’s most recommended trip, but it’s also the longest, so the sea can be rougher at times (which wasn’t the case for us).

When we booked we were told that there would be free parking with a company shuttle bus to take us to the departure point, which was perfect for the occasion and a very positive point. So here we are in the car park at 7.15am, it’s not hot but the weather is sublime. At 7.30am we board the shuttle bus, which takes us to the departure point in just ten minutes. We collect our tickets for the day and wait patiently in the gift shop for the 8am departure.

We set off on time with all the passengers. I don’t know exactly how many of us there were, but I think there were probably a hundred of us on the boat, which can be a bit intimidating at first glance. We climbed into the boat and managed to make ourselves comfortable on the upper deck. The boat is actually very large inside, spacious, clean and comfortable. We have a bench seat for six and large windows in front of us to admire the scenery.

We get a short speech (in English) from the skipper, who by the way is the most experienced skipper (having done this for over 25 years) and the only one who has sailed this far into the Fjord. We also meet the stewardesses, who seem very nice and give us a few safety instructions before we leave.

A few minutes after take-off we are served breakfast, including yogurt and a pastry. No coffee/chocolate included, which is a shame as we’re spending a few dollars…

After a short while we arrive at the pontoon of “Fox Island”, an island that can be explored on other tours offered by the company. In fact, the island is said to be home to a lot of wildlife, which can be seen on a walk around the island. Unfortunately (so to speak) our tour doesn’t end there, as we’re going much further than the classic tours and this requires navigation and crossing time. As I understand it, we drop off people who work there during the day and others who come to kayak. It’s a really beautiful place, with the green of the vegetation contrasting perfectly with the sublime blue of the sky. There are a few buildings that blend in perfectly with the surroundings.

And then we leave the area, discovering more and more huge glaciers on the heights.

After a while, we stop at the pontoon of Fox Island, an island that can be discovered on other company tours. In fact, the island is said to be home to a lot of wildlife, which can be seen on a walk around the island. Unfortunately (so to speak), our tour doesn’t end there, as we’re going much further than the classic tours and this requires navigation and crossing time. As I understand it, we drop off people who work there during the day and others who come to kayak. It’s a really beautiful place, with the green of the vegetation contrasting perfectly with the sublime blue of the sky. There are a few buildings that blend in perfectly with the surroundings.

And then we leave the area, discovering more and more huge glaciers on the heights.

Half an hour after leaving Fox Island, we’re sailing through some magnificent scenery and the captain announces that he’s seen a blow not far from the boat. We finally find the humpback whale not far away, enjoying a few jumps. Everyone is crazy about the idea of seeing a whale, and I can understand why. I have to admit that we’ve seen so many in Mayotte and Tahiti that I’m not as excited as the rest of the group, haha. Still, it’s always nice to see them. We’ll see a number of whales over the course of an hour or more and the captain will spend some time searching for these cetaceans in these ever so beautiful landscapes. Sometimes we’re treated to a few jumps, sometimes just a fluke!

It’s never easy for budding photographers, as the boat moves a lot, even when the sea is calm. As far as photography goes, for this boat trip and for those who are interested, I’m currently shooting with two cameras:

• My Sony A7 III (full frame) and the Tamron 150-500mm telephoto lens.
• The Sony A6000 (APS-C) and its wide angle lens, the Sony 10-20mm f/4

So it’s not so simple, as I have both cameras around my neck, both to shoot landscapes and to be ready to shoot wildlife, like the whales at the moment. I also like to shoot landscapes with a long focal length, even at 400mm. It really changes the perspective of things and is just as much fun.
In terms of equipment, I’ve been used to shooting with polarisation filters and neutral gradient (GND) filters for years. On this type of trip, the polarising filter removes reflections from the sea and is clearly a must for me. The GND allows me to balance the image when shooting, as the sky can be very hard and the camera struggles. We also have :

• Kase K9 filter holder + magnetic polarisation filter
• Nisi V7 filter holder + magnetic polarising filter
• Various graduated filters, but here I used a GND Soft Edge 0.9 and 1.2.

We continue through landscapes that are as breathtaking as ever after the “whale moment”. The views of the glaciers get closer and closer, and we come into different landscapes, closer to impressive rocky islands covered with fir trees. It’s quite a change from the beginning of the trip, when the relief was more distant. And then, having passed all these islands, we finally arrive at the highlight of the show.

We enter the Northwestern Fjord at a slow pace as it opens up before our eyes. It’s as if peace and tranquility have suddenly descended on our stunned eyes. The fjord is wide at first, but the scenery is unique, some of the most beautiful I’ve seen since I started traveling. It’s hard to describe in just a few words, but take my word for it! The landscape is a mix of snow-capped and ice-covered peaks, rocky outcrops and impressive mineral gullies, all set against a green background of firs. In the distance (for now) we can see the glaciers descending to the edge of the fjord – it’s magical. The fjord is home to several glacier tongues that come down to touch the water.

While we wait for the glaciers to get closer, we’re served lunch, which we really appreciate, especially in such a magical setting. We can choose between a wrap (very good) or chicken nuggets for the kids (with chips). Having spent a month in the Yukon/Alaska, I can confirm that MacDo nuggets can go to hell. Here, the nuggets are made with real chicken meat and taste good, not some mush that you don’t really know what it is (I’ve boycotted MacDo, definitely…). They also offer a small drink, which is excellent.

By the time we’ve finished our meal, we’re well into the fjord, and the panoramic views get better and better, bringing us even closer to the magnificent blue glacier tongues. On the sides of the fjord we pass by some even narrower arms. We don’t necessarily enter them, but they allow us to discover the beauty of the place. On our left, we pass an impressive wall of black and gray ice that descends to the water, where (as the captain will tell us on the return journey) we can even make out blocks of rocks that fell from the mountain and landed on the glacier.

As we make our way towards the end of the fjord, we finally see it: a magnificent glacier right in front of us. It’s easy to see the magnificent blue colour that stands out against the landscape – it’s simply stunning. The crevasses on the edges of the glacier are clearly visible, giving a beautiful impression of the fragility of the whole thing. The glacier descends over granite bedrock that has been completely polished by the retreating glaciers in the fjord. You can clearly see the marks of the boulders that have been wedged between the glacier and the rock, scratching the rock horizontally at this point. Frankly, the captain gives us some excellent explanations of the geology of the area, its formation and evolution over time.

Although we have an impressive glacier right in front of us (a veritable wall, probably tens of metres high), we can see other magnificent bluish glacier tongues clinging to the cliffs on either side – it’s magnificent. The captain tells us to keep a close eye on the ice wall in front of us, as it is showing signs of weakness and we can see small blocks of ice falling from time to time. Suddenly, without us really noticing, we hear a thud and see a huge chunk of ice fall and shatter in the icy water below. The sea lions sitting on the ice blocks in the bay don’t seem too upset, as they are used to this phenomenon. A mini-tsunami is created by the falling ice, even causing the boat to move quite a bit!

At this point, I have a very strange feeling, and tears well up in my eyes. On the one hand, I’m happy to be able to experience this magical, amazing, grandiose moment, but on the other hand, I have the feeling that it’s all fleeting, at least on the scale of our (short) human lives. The temporary nature of the site is very much on our minds, and we’re explaining to the children that when they grow up, they will surely not be able to see such an amazing sight… The captain supports this view by explaining that our photo is almost a souvenir (or almost). He tells us that in 1968 (if I’ve understood correctly), when the company was founded and the area wasn’t yet considered a “national park”, the boat had to be much further out in the bay because the whole bottom of the bay was under ice and icebergs as big as the boat were in the bay, which is not the case at all today. You can still see a few blocks of ice here and there, but they’re just little icicles…

We spent a good thirty minutes watching these magnificent landscapes and spectacles, always with this mixed feeling, but happy to be there, to be able to witness this, simply to live this experience. I’m deeply disappointed for Melanie who had to stay ashore, but seeing the children in awe of this beauty and telling her all about it that evening is just as magical!

We turned back into the bay and approached other glacier tongues that also ended in a wall, just as beautiful. The captain even gives us two turns in the middle of the bay to admire the grandeur of the place, and he explains that a glaciologist once asked him to do this so that he could take a panorama of the bay and compare it with old photos of glaciers of the time. A little body-warming coffee and we’re out of the bay, happy as children in front of a packet of sweets!

The captain takes us to Cataract Cove to see an impressive waterfall on our way out of the bay. I don’t know how high it is, but it’s easily 30 or 40 metres. In fact, it comes very close to the cliff and the spectacle of the water cascading down from the top is magnificent. We’ve seen this kind of breathtaking scenery before in the Queenstown Fjords on New Zealand’s South Island. It’s a shortstop, just ten minutes or so, but a great one!

We leave the fjord for good to continue our route in search of wildlife, especially birds. The scenery really changes here as we head for the high, rocky islands of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge at the Chiswells Islands. Gone are the views of the glaciers, replaced by stunning views of the rocky cliffs of the islands around us.

Our first stop is a monumental rock covered with thousands of seagulls and puffins, just like the ones we saw in Newfoundland, but unfortunately impossible to get close to. The captain explains a lot about nesting and the right seasons. We come across a swarm of orange jellyfish, some of which are eaten by the birds, for the second time that day. We then moved on to other rocks in the area, as full of birds as ever. The noise is amazing and sometimes we can even see beautiful caves in the rocks!

Continuing on, the captain takes the boat to a rock sloping towards the sea, the side of which is completely covered with sea lions sunning themselves on the rocks, the same ones we saw in San Francisco. They’re not very active, but they make a hell of a noise!

We begin our return journey, still in splendid scenery, alternating views of glaciers to the left and rocky islets to the right. It’s as beautiful as ever. The captain continues to make slow progress in search of the local marine fauna. Several times we come across dolphins and some kind of small black and white orcas, which are actually Dall’s porpoises (I think). I have to admit I had to look it up as I didn’t understand it when he explained it to us. They’re actually having a great time playing with the boat, haha. We’re even lucky enough to spot a grey whale on the way back, not far from the finish line, shyly showing its fluke. We’re even treated to a lovely biscuit at 4pm, while Téo nods off, probably under the influence of the sea air!

We arrive at the port in Seward at around 4.30pm, after a long day at sea and, above all, with stars in our eyes. Still under perfect skies, we go back to reception to see what we can do to get Melanie’s ticket refunded. On medical advice (we had been in hospital a few days before), the company reimbursed us for the trip, which was really fun.

I wouldn’t be afraid to say that this was probably the best boat trip I’ve ever been on. Everything is there. We were delighted and the trip really lived up to our expectations. The captain was attentive, the crew were first class and what can I say about what we saw on the boat during the day! The captain’s knowledge of the geography, geology, flora and fauna is clearly evident and it’s great to have great explanations. He always had something to say, an anecdote; you could feel his passion.

And the day itself will stay with us forever. Unlike the day trips you can do on the islands, here we’re treated to a succession of sublime landscapes that change throughout the day, from rocky, mountainous landscapes to glaciers and wildlife watching. It’s really first class. What’s more, the weather conditions were ideal, with beautiful blue skies all day, just as Windy and I had predicted. It just goes to show that it’s worth checking the situation to give yourself a good chance of having an excellent outing (even if weather forecasting isn’t an exact science). The sea was as calm as you could wish for, so no seasickness for anyone!

As usual, a few quick words on the practical side.

As is often the case, it all depends on where you’re coming from. We came from Whitehorse, where we’d picked up our motorhome for a month-long trip. But you’ll probably fly into Anchorage, the state capital, if you’re visiting Alaska from France. From there, all you have to do is head south to the Kenai Peninsula, where we spent the week.

For your stay, I recommend renting a car (which involves either camping or staying in an Airbnb – which clearly isn’t cheap) or renting a motorhome, which is what we did.

For our part, we were in a motorhome, so we found places to sleep in the wilderness outside of town, but we also did some research to find you some good spots. Here are a few recommendations:

• Harbour 360 Hotel Seward: This charming hotel offers spectacular panoramic views of Resurrection Bay and the surrounding mountains! In other words, the location is exceptional. And when it comes to amenities, it’s got it all: indoor pool, hot tub and comfortable rooms!
• Spruce Lodge: A great hotel with everything you need for a great stay in Seward: comfortable, well-equipped rooms! Plus, you’re in the middle of a forest and beautiful mountains. Just the place for a relaxing break.
• The Vue B&B: a beautiful 3-star establishment in 100% natural surroundings! Some rooms even have a magnificent sea or mountain view (your choice). They’re well equipped and decorated to make you feel at home during your stay in the region. One small detail: the kitchen is shared.

We’ve also written an article about where to stay in Seward.

There are also plenty of campgrounds to choose from, such as the Waterfront Park Resurrection South Campground, the Alice Campground or the Seward KOA Journey (by the way, we stayed a little further north of the latter).

Note that there’s a free dump station in Seward, on the waterfront, not far from a campsite.

Based on our discussions and research, here are some other things you might like to do in Seward:

• Marine life exploration at Resurrection Bay (4 hours)
• Guided hike to view Exit Glacier from the top

As you can see, for lovers of wide open spaces and spectacular scenery, a visit to Kenai Fjords National Park is a must. Glaciers, rock formations, waterfalls and magnificent mountains. And let’s not forget the wildlife, with sea lions, whales, schools of jellyfish, birds and more. One thing’s for sure, you’ll come back from this trip with memories and images etched in your mind!

I’m going to stop here for this article and you can take my word for it, you won’t regret this trip!

Written by Sylvain PONS

Twice, over a period of about 2 months, I had the opportunity to explore several corners of the United States, taking advantage of the best it has to offer. I decided to share some of my experiences with you!

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