South Side Explorer with Glacier Landing: Scenic Flight to Denali National Park

Our clients consistently share that the picturesque journey from Talkeetna to Denali National Park is the pinnacle of their Alaska vacation, with some even deeming it a transformative experience! Discover why Denali flightseeing excursions are continually ranked as the top tour in Alaska and hailed as the most exceptional mountain flight on the globe.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Talkeetna - You will start your excursion by checking into our log cabin office at the Talkeetna State Airport 45 minutes prior to your flight departure. Be sure to bring your sunglasses, light jacket (in the summer) and plenty of memory on your camera.

Board our ski-equipped aircraft and enjoy your pilots’ commentary about the geological history and local wildlife on your individual headset.

Continue your flight above Talkeetna and over the river systems of the Susitna valley as you enter into an incredible landscape of icefalls, glaciers and snow peaks. You’ll be awed by the Great Gorge of the Ruth Glacier, filled with a 4,000 foot thick river of ice, making this one of the deepest gorges in the world. Travel further into the range to explore the seven major glaciers that blanket the southside of the Alaska Range.

Add a glacier landing onto your trip for a highlight of your Alaska vacation. This will add 30 minutes onto your trip time for this chance to bask in awe inspiring scenery.

What's Included
  • Glacier overboots included
What's Not Included
  • gratuity
Location
14212 E 2nd St
East 2nd Street
We are located at Talkeetna State Airport at the end of E. Second Street
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(181 Ratings)
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Thomask_b
Aug 9, 2024
Must do activity! - We were welcomed by staff and greeted us friendly and professional. Luke was our pilot he was knowledgeable and friendly. He even offered to take pictures for us all as we excitedly explored the glacier.
Review provided by Viator
Familyluvs2travel
Aug 7, 2024
Incredible company, outstanding pilot, breathtaking experience! - My husband and I visited Alaska for my first time in early August. We knew we wanted to experience a fly over Denali National Park. After researching the various tour operators offering this service, it was a no brainer to book with Talkeetna Air Taxi. Not only were their Trip Advisor and Google reviews great, but what sold me was their policy to rebook or refund their tours. The other companies had a much more rigid refund policy. For those who have never traveled to Alaska, the weather changes daily and can be dramatic as well. We originally booked the Mountain Explorer with a Glacier landing for the first tour time of the day. There are multiple tour times offered throughout the day, so if the visibility or weather cancels an earlier tour, it’s possible to book a later tour if there is availability. We left the rest of the day open in our planning just in case. Unfortunately, the weather was not great on the day of our tour so they called us to tell us it was cancelled. The rest of the tour times were cancelled as well. But they offered to rebook us on the Mountain Explorer tour the next day without the glacier landing with a refund of the difference in pricing, so we rebooked it. When we arrived for the 4pm tour time the next day, they actually booked us on the South Side Explorer with glacier landing and we still received a refund on the difference in price. We were happy because we did want to have a glacier landing and we didn’t even ask, it was automatically done! Our pilot was Luke. He was fantastic! Super chill and greeted us wearing jeans and a t-shirt. I actually sat in the first passenger seat behind the cockpit and watched him fly the plane. It was fascinating. Each seat of the plane had a headset with volume knobs on each ear. Luke pointed out the names of the mountain formations as we soared around them. It was magical! Ruth glacier is huge and glorious in the air. Unfortunately, Denali was hiding in the clouds but the views of the other mountains was spectacular. The glacier landing was smooth. We had plenty of time to walk on the glacier and take pictures. It was worth every penny to have had the opportunity to do so. Since we sat in the same seats on our return, Luke made sure to fly back the opposite direction so we could see the views we missed on the way up. As we left the Denali mountain range, we could see views of the Talkeetna valley and various rivers which were breathtaking! Smooth landing back at the airport. Talkeetna Air Taxi is the best company for a fly over to Denali Park, hands down!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Musicecon
Aug 7, 2024
Out of this World Wonderful! - You must experience flying to Mount Denali with Talkeetna Air Taxi. Pilot Andy is phenomenal! They take great care of your safety and provide the experience of a lifetime. It was truly other worldly to fly above such a majestic mountain range and then land in the middle of it. The mountains are so large and grand you feel like you can reach out and touch them. Landing right next to the summit is awe inspiring.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bklynwantsthetruth
Aug 6, 2024
Excellent Must Do!! - The company runs a first class business and all the staff is friendly and courteous as well as very professional! Luke, our pilot was excellent as he navigated the mountains and glaciers! He played relaxing music and he was very knowledgeable of the areas as he narrated the experience and kept us well informed of any maneuvers he was making so we would not be caught off guard. Landing and stepping out onto a glacier was incredibly unbelievable with such magnificent views. This is a must do activity!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marysm6274yh
Aug 5, 2024
WOWZA!!! - An amazing experience that's more than worth the money. Experienced pilots in a comfortable plane show you sights only God could create. Beautiful doesn't begin to describe the trip! Have your camera ready...and spring for the glacier landing! It was awesome!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wittierthanu
Aug 4, 2024
An Amazing Experience - We had an earlier flight that was cancelled due to weather. Talkeetna Air was able to reschedule us to a flight at 6:30pm. Perfect. By the time of our flight, the weather had cleared and we flew to Denali and the glacier with Daniel as our pilot and guide. Daniel provided a lot of landscape information by pointing out how past glaciers molded the terrain below us. He pointed out the different peaks near Denali and talked about the history of climbing these peaks. We landed on Ruth Glacier and experienced some breathtaking scenery. The total flight was about 2 hours but we will have a lifetime to joyfully relive this experience. I can’t say enough about Talkeetna Air’s customer service. They kept us abreast of what was happening with the weather. They were easy to talk to and there was never a point I felt uneasy about the upcoming flight. No matter who your pilot is (they are all great), you will have an amazing and memorable experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan_r
Jul 30, 2024
Trip highlight! - This is a trip highlight! Must do! We loved the beauty of the mountains. We seemed so close to them but always at a safe distance. The glacier landing was so smooth and we loved playing in the snow.
Review provided by Viator
Rosea341
Jul 29, 2024
Amazing! - This was the highlight of our 2 week Alaskan vacation. Our pilot made us feel safe and was very interesting to listen too! The support emplyees were very welcoming and kind! I would highly recommend this company!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
505bc11
Jul 27, 2024
Glacier Landing is a Must Do! - Our Denali flightseeing with TAT is a must do! We weren't sure whether to do a longer flight without a glacier landing, or a shorter one with a landing. They highly recommended the landing, and I am so glad they did! Highlight of our whole trip. The whole TAT team clearly knows what they're doing and are very service minded. We felt very safe and were lucky to get a clear day with gorgeous Denali views.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Athaya_s
Jul 25, 2024
Great experience and... - Great experience and fantastic view out there, pilot is awesome with smooth landing. The sky and weather is super clear. So everything is perfect. Totally recommended !
Review provided by Viator