BUCKET LIST! 5.0 In my fairytale dreams, I've always wanted to take a helicopter up to a glacier and go dog sledding atop a snowy mountain. The reality of fulfilling this dream almost vanished as fog hovered too low throughout the day, resulting in tour after tour being canceled (with refunds issued). Even though our scheduled departure time of 3:30 had come and gone, there was still a glimmer of hope, although nothing was guaranteed. We were transported to the airport, about 10-15 minutes away, to await the pilots' decision on whether it was safe to proceed. I felt confident that we would get to go up and that everything would be okay, and it was! We gathered in the briefing room for a quick overview of what to expect and were issued waterproof boots to wear. This was also our last opportunity to use the restroom before heading out. The next thing I knew, we were being harnessed into our seats, with my husband and me seated up front next to the pilot. To balance the helicopter, passengers were assigned seats according to their weight. It worked out perfectly for us! The aerial views of Glacier National Park, Dawes Glacier, and the surrounding Juneau landscape were absolutely amazing. The helicopter ride itself was about 15 minutes, from takeoff to landing. As we approached Herbert Glacier and looked down at our landing site at base camp, it felt like something straight out of a movie. We were on a mission to meet those pups! The weather was cold, but we never felt a chill. As they say, "There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing." We were definitely prepared with our down jackets, gloves, and waterproof gear. Once at base camp, we were introduced to the mushers and their working dogs. We learned about life at base camp and how these dogs are most comfortable in temperatures at -20 degrees Fahrenheit. We then enjoyed a good 30 minutes of dog sledding, switching positions at a stop midway through the ride while our musher called out commands to the dogs. After our sledding adventure, we chatted with the mushers, petted the very excited dogs, and took in our surroundings from the mountaintop. The sheer enormity of the peaks and the abundance of snow and ice were breathtaking! When the helicopters arrived to take us back to the airport, we boarded just as we had earlier. Taking off once again was phenomenal! The entire round-trip experience lasted about two hours. There was never a boring moment as we took in the breathtaking landscape from above, imagining what it must be like to spend months at a time at base camp and go dog sledding with these amazing dogs. If you've ever dreamed of doing this, just DO IT and check it off your bucket list! A Few Things to Keep in Mind: 1) Plan your cruise early in the season. If you're hoping to book this excursion, consider traveling during the months before July. We went in mid-late June. Because of the melting snow and ice, operators generally cannot offer this experience after the end of June, although the timing may vary from year to year. Just don't cut it too close to the end of the sledding season! 2) Be prepared for weather-related cancellations. With the unpredictable weather, there is a high chance that this excursion may be canceled. These decisions are made for everyone's safety, including yours and the crew's. Fog and rain can roll in quickly, making visibility too poor for safe flying. While a cancellation may be disappointing, safety comes first. I hope you get the opportunity to experience this once-in-a-lifetime adventure! We're so glad we did! read more

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Matt was an awesome pilot and took us to an amazing glacier with awesome views. He pointed out many interesting sites and was a great tour guide as well. Highly recommend! read more

Coastal Helicopters - Glacier - Aerial Tours Near Me - Juneau, Alaska

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10/10 if I could! Coastal Helicopters' dog sled tour was the best part of our week, hands down one of the best experiences of my life. Matt, our pilot, was fantastic, skilled, professional, and made the flight itself feel like part of the adventure. Once we landed, Lissa the musher took over and gave us an unforgettable time with the dogs. Her passion and knowledge really came through. If you're even thinking about booking this tour, stop hesitating and do it. Ask for Matt and Lissa, you won't be disappointed! read more

It's the most amazing thing I've ever done. I felt safe the entire trip start to finish. Friendly staff, comfy hoodies and you can actually drink the glacier water if you bring a water bottle. I bought one on site just before my flight. The dogsled camp was fantastic, so many happy dogs! There was a local artist that works there and sells stickers, prints and earrings which was pretty cool. Only complaint: I asked them to leave me on the glacier but they said no. Rude. read more

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This was by far the best excursion we did while on our trip to Alaska. I'm terrified of heights and flying but my friends talked me into doing this and thank god they did! We were picked up from the cruise port and transported to the airport where we were given special shoe coverings and shown safety videos. From there we were in the helicopter and on our way to the glacier. Our pilot Corey was amazing and spoke about different things as we were flying over them. My fear quickly faded once I saw how beautiful Alaska looked from up above and I was in front (best seat in the house). The ride itself was smooth and fun. Once we landed on the glacier we were able to walk around, take some pictures and even drink up some of the natural glacier water. (Tip: take an empty water bottle). I can't recommend this company enough. Don't miss out on this once in a lifetime experience! read more

Coastal Helicopters - Aerial Tours Near Me - Juneau, Alaska

Immediate 5 stars, this was the best experience of our entire trip. Everyone from the initial shuttle pickup to the helicopter teams to the dogsledders were so friendly. We lucked out with perfect weather. I've always wanted to take a helicopter so taking one in alaska to a glacier?? count me in! We felt safe the entire time. And then the dogsledding! the dogs are obviously so loved and really enjoy giving the rides. Our musher was so knowledgeable and really raised the dogs. our group had 6 so we joined with another group of 2 and it really felt like we had the whole glacier to ourselves. I will be recommending this excursion to everyone I know visiting Juneau, truly a once in a lifetime experience. read more

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Our 2pm tour was cancelled with no notice, leaving us no time to figure out a backup plan while we were in Juneau. I'm frustrated that despite the tour group knowing several hours in advance, they couldn't be bothered to notify the 8 of us, and now it looks like I get to battle with them to get the $6K they owe me back. read more

Bucket list checked off. Amazing experience. Dog sledding and glacier landing. Well organized and felt safe. The pilots (different pilot each way) and sledding guide (Lissa) were fantastic. The scenery--in the air and at both landing spots was epic. Highly recommend Coastal Helicopters. Reserve early and do this. read more

Honestly, just the best experience ever! Emails, phone calls, everything was amazing! Highly recommend! read more

Coastal Helicopters - Beautiful Herbert Glacier landing! - Aerial Tours Near Me - Juneau, Alaska

Awesome ride to Herbert Glacier!!!! The check in process is easy and smooth and the staff are super friendly and helpful and make sure you have everything you need before you go. They provide overshoes with traction so your feet stay warm and dry and you (hopefully) don't slip! Don't forget to bring a water bottle to fill with water from the glacier. Brett was a fantastic pilot. I've been on several helicopter rides for work and leisure and this was the smoothest despite some non pleasant weather. I felt super safe and enjoyed the trip! He also helped jog my glacier vernacular. Amazing value for the price! read more

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Coastal Helicopters took us on the trip of a lifetime to the top of a glacier. They are so organized, detailed, and safety-oriented. I felt completely safe with our entire family in one helicopter. Their guide was informative, polite, and very experienced. I lived in Alaska and it truly is wild and rugged. An experienced guide is really important. The glaciers are changing so rapidly that we didn't want to miss the opportunity. read more

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What an experience of a lifetime!!! I'm so happy I went through with booking this excursion and especially with coastal helicopters. I was on a cruise and was interested in doing a helicopter tour, I ended up booking directly with coastal helicopters because it was way cheaper than doing it through the cruise line. I also liked how coastal helicopters landed at Hubert Glacier and not Mendenhall Glacier as I thought this glacier looked prettier and had less foot traffic. The tour guides were very easy to locate and drove us to the airport where they have their own little location. Upon arriving you check in and they weigh you so they can assign you a seat in the helicopter in order to balance it out. You then watch a safety video and get some snow boots to put on over your shoes. Our pilot was amazing!!! (I forgot his name but he was very tall and skinny and had light brown hair and was from a different country). He made us feel so safe and comfortable and had really smooth landings, it really made the experience so much better! I do wish it was a little longer on the glacier but we were there for approx 20 min and our pilot took us on a walk around and offered to take plenty of photos of us. I would super recommend doing this tour! read more

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Booked this as part of cruise to Alaska excursion...yes, it's expensive but for once in a life time experience is worth it. Awesome chopper company for the helicopter ride to dog sledding...staff is friendly as they get everyone in the proper shoe gear and also based on weight, they assign you seating on the chopper to evenly distribute the weight...cuz you don't want to be off balance (Note: please don't lie about your weight when providing info). Follow all the safety instructions, no taking pictures while going onto or coming straight off the chopper as it's a hazard. Your tour guide on the chopper will answer any questions you have as well as point out some views on the way. Smooth take off an landing as they take you on a 15 minute chopper ride to dog sledding location. Once done with dog sledding, they take you back. Take in the scenery on the chopper and once on the ground. Glad we came with nice weather and it wasn't that cold out. Make sure to bring a real camera along and not just a smart phone camera... so that you have pictures on both to share. Definitely would do this again... read more

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We took a tour with Coastal last week and had an awesome experience. From start to finish the employees were friendly, helpful, and provided excellent service. Harley was our pilot and he was professional, knowledgeable, and very personable. We felt very safe and had a great time. We would definitely book with Coastal again! read more

Coastal Helicopters - Aerial Tours Near Me - Juneau, Alaska

Such an amazing experience. I've never been in a helicopter and was nervous up until takeoff. Our pilot and guide Tarek was incredible. Takeoff and landing was so smooth I swear he tie a chicken nugget to the copter and accurately dip the nugget in a bowl of sauce. He took us to a part of the mendenhall glacier and gave the tour. We walked on the glacier and even drank some crisp cool glacier water. Instantly felt rejuvenated and so alive! Thank you Coastal Helicopters and Tarek for the perfect experience. PS - don't forget to tip your pilot! read more

Coastal Helicopters - That blue ice is 600 years old! - Aerial Tours Near Me - Juneau, Alaska

I know the reviews for this company have been solid, but I feel somewhat disappointed by the experience. Here are the reasons: The excursion seemed very commercialized - they had 6 passengers (vs. 4 in an ideal scenario) along with the driver on one helicopter. We all felt extremely cramped. I could barely twist my neck to see the views outside as there is no breathing space. I was waiting to get off the helicopter as it felt so suffocating. The walking tour was practically not existent. We landed on the glacier, but had barely 10 mins or even less. Didn't have any time to actually relax. It was over in a jiffy. The ride back was short. Overall, I absolutely did not feel wowed by the experience, and could have instead gone some other non-helicopter walking tour. Or I would pay a bit more to do a helicopter ride at Talkeetna to go on Denali summit. It was really not worth it. Want to call out the following: 1- They were very accommodating with mobility requirements for my mom. We got a picked up in an ADA vans. 2-They were on time. 3- The instructors were very friendly and pleasant. read more

The was no doubt the best tour I've ever done. The shuttle drivers were great they were very talkative giving advice on local things to do. Our pilot was amazing. Unfortunately I don't remember her name. We got to land on the glacier and got to see some pretty cool stuff. Was very cold on the glacier. Very different experience going to the top vs. seeing it from the bottom. It is pricey but it's definitely an experience worth doing at least once in your lifetime. read more

Coastal Helicopters - Helicopter - Aerial Tours Near Me - Juneau, Alaska

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This was an EPIC experience in ALASKA - something we won't forget. A Coastal Helicopter person met us by the ship port and transported us to the Juneau Airport. After going thru security gates, we got to their building and watched a safety video. They weighed us, came up with a seating chart to distribute weight in helicopter - then outfitted us with boots and rain gear (if needed) for exploring the glacier. We met our pilot, Turek, who took us to the helicopter. They have French made helicopters with headphones and microphones to hear/speak with the pilot. Away we went! Down the coast of Alaska with AMAZING scenery. We then followed a small river up to the source, the Herbert Glacier. Absolutely stunning! We flew around and then landed on the glacier. The old ice is DEEP BLUE like a crystal. Stunning. We hiked around looking at the crevasses and getting photos. We were on the glacier about 30 minutes and the weather was GREAT the day we did this. When everyone was ready , it was back to the helicopter for another amazing ride back to Juneau. This is WELL worth the money - it will likely be your favorite excursion of the trip! Turek was very personable, experienced and fun to fly with! read more

Coastal Helicopters - Aerial Tours Near Me - Juneau, Alaska

I've heard this is one of the best excursions to do while in Juneau, unfortunately we never go to experience. We had this excursion set up for months and had the excursion cancelled at the last minute. I understand from the safety perspective, but we contacted the company 3 times the same day before our flight because we could tell the weather didn't look great, and they told us the flight was still scheduled. Our port time in Juneau was limited and with the last minute cancellation, we had very limited options for other excursions we could do. I really wish the company would be honest and upfront and let us know there is a chance the flight might not make it when the weather isn't looking good so that we can plan other activities and excursions for the day. The company should look into providing an alternate excursion if the flight is cancelled. The lack of communication caused us to have a wasted port day in Juneau. read more

I really enjoyed my helicopter ride and dog sledding experience! Mish was an awesome musher and Cash was an excellent lead dog. If you do this, check the weather! It's not as cold as you might think! read more

This is a must do tour. Helicopter landing on a glacier....HELL YEAH! You start with a short safety video and are provided with boots that go over your shoes or boots. They allow you better grip on the glacier. Then you are given your seat assignment for the helicopter. It is based on weight where they place you. You cannot take selfie sticks on board or any other bags. But do bring an empty water container because the water is the freshest most amazing water you will ever taste. Once strapped in you take off for the glacier. The ride was much smoother than I anticipated. The views are amazing and then you land on a glacier. You are allowed to get out and walk around a bit. So amazing! I highly recommend this tour. It is pricey but worth it as it is a once in a lifetime experience. read more

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Alaskan Cruise Adventure! This was the most expensive excursion we booked, but it was totally worth it! As we were planning our Alaskan Cruise excursions, we decided to book directly on the company's website instead of through the cruise ship (mainly because it was cheaper). We originally booked a helicopter + dog sled package. However, a couple weeks before our trip, we were notified that because of the warm weather and a lot of the slow has melted, we could no longer do the dog sled. So, we decided to keep the helicopter option as planned. The pilot was great and flew the helicopter smoothly. The sights we saw of Juneau was breath taking. I highly recommend this to everyone! It is expensive but it will be the best experience you will have on this trip. read more

Coastal Helicopters - Aerial Tours Near Me - Juneau, Alaska

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The best time ever! Our musher, Sam, was awesome. She knew so much about the glaciers and ecology. Sam taught my son (12) about the dogs and their nature and the importance if keeping th healthy and happy. Imean it wasn't enough that it was a breathtaking experience, but totally educational also. Sam was awesome. I highly recommend it. We were chatting with some of the others who worked there a.d they were all great, but we felt very lucky to be with Sam. I highly recommend this activity. You won't ever forget it. ​​ read more

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My wife, 12 year old son and my Father in Law and I had an amazing helicopter tour of Herbert Glacier. Our pilot was amazing and did a wonderful job during flight and on the landings. The landing on the glacier was epic. So cool. Hard to have words describe how amazing and beautiful the glacier is up close and from a distance. Stunning. read more

Don't get me wrong, I had a great experience with Coastal for the Christmas light flights. Tickets were reduced for charity and it was only about an 8 minute ride, but being my first helicopter ride it was the best 8 minutes. You would've been crazy to knock the goofy smile off my face. I had been looking into a helicopter/dog sled tour with them and didn't see the date I was looking for listed on the website. I gave them a call and they were able to find me a spot. Flash forward to the day of- I get a call from them about an hour before I was supposed to show up (it's only a 5 minute drive from my place) saying that I was the only one booked for the day and would I like to reschedule. Now, I have a crazy work schedule and sporadically get 1 day off here and there, which wouldn't have made future booking possible. They were very professional about it and I opted for a refund. I know it's not Coastal's fault that they hadn't been booked for the day, but was merely expressing my disappointment for something that I had been looking forward to read more

Coastal Helicopters - Christmas Light Flight - Aerial Tours Near Me - Juneau, Alaska

Booked a helicopter glacier ride. Picked up at the pier and brought to the airport helipad. 5 passengers plus a pilot. 15 minutes to the Herbert Glacier. Stayed for 30 minutes then flew back. Truly an amazing adventure. Too short but worth it. They are very diligent and very safety conscious. We never felt uncomfortable. Walking on the glacier was fabulous and we loved tasting the water from the fissures and crevices. It was about 15 degrees colder than in port right around freezing. Here I am drinking pure glacier water. We highly recommend this. Mark & Nancy. read more

Coastal Helicopters - Aerial Tours Near Me - Juneau, Alaska

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Please note there is a 50/50 chance that this company will actually come through in flying. But what's so frustrating is the last minute cancellation they provide. My flight was scheduled to depart at 2pm and despite calling them twice in the morning and noon time which they confirmed still flying, they finally reached out to me 7 mins before 2pm departure to notify me helicopter tour was cancelled. I wish they would of been honest with me since the morning and notified me that the tour was not going to go through so I could of arranged another tour for Juneau since I'm only on this cruise in town for 7 hours. So, now i'm stuck in Juneau with no tours or excursion due to their lack of communication. I'm so disappointed with this company. Good luck booking with them. read more

Was the most amazing excursion of all.... Gary was so professional in the ride and offered great insight on the glacier. Was truly the trip of a lifetime! read more

Coastal Helicopters - Family standing over a waterfall inside the glacier - Aerial Tours Near Me - Juneau, Alaska

Great chopper company! We used them to attempt some rock-climbing on the Mendenhall Towers. (ultimately, conditions didn't allow us to summit) We waited for a few hours, hoping for a weather window, and they were able to get us in there quickly and safely. Pilot was friendly and knowledgeable about the area, especially for a non-climber. Only bummer was the high cost, but I guess that's choppah-life. (I also would've liked a tiny amount more of safety training, I had never done a "live drop" before and ended up DOING IT LIVE.) read more

NEVER AGAIN, DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY. This is the worst company I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with. They canceled our tour in Alaska in June of 2022. Now $3000 and 11 months later, May 2023, and only received half my refund!!! $3000 lost, complete scam. I have appropriately submitted a refund claim and called and emailed repeatedly until I am blue in the face. Supposedly approved a refund for ONLY HALF of what I paid. Their travel insurance is an absolute joke. They canceled our trip and have the audacity of trying to only refund half. They kept $1,500 for a 10-minute helicopter ride and 10 minutes on a glacier, our total trip was supposed to be 3 hours. BIGGEST SCAM. read more

Excellent helicopter tour onto a glacier. Employees from shuttle driver, to those working at the office/field, and pilot are all friendly and helpful. We recommend this tour and it's a great way to see the glacier and surrounding area of Juneau to appreciate Alaska splendor. read more

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Amazing adventure to our Alaskan dog sled camp. Our dog sled guide Sam was amazing! The camp is well tan and the dogs are the cutest!!! We then got to do an additional landing on a glacier and our pilot was amazing. She was so skilled in her job and showed us so many amazing features to the glaciers. Today was one for the books and will be remembered forever. read more

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Shore excursion that had been planned months ago was cancelled last minute, leaving us with very limited and unexciting options for our short time in Juneau. Helicopter ride/dog sledding is easily the main event for many tourists' Alaskan cruise vacation and we don't appreciate not having been notified earlier so we could have scrambled to find another company whose helicopter did take off that day (7/26/23). read more

This is a fantastic company to do a helicopter tour with! The staff was very friendly, patient, and informative. They pick you up from downtown/your cruise port and take you to their site. Once you get off the van, they give you boots and rain jackets if necessary. They even help you get the boots on over your shoes. This company goes to a different glacier than all the other companies. Most go to Mendenhall Glacier but then there are tourist every where getting in all of your photos! i'm so glad this company goes to a different glacier than everyone else. The glacier was beautiful! Our pilot was Evan, he is absolutely fantastic. Extremely humble, friendly, and helpful. He offered to take tons of photos for us and show us good areas where to take photos. We did the glacier walk around tour. It was 1 hour total with 30 minutes of flight time. I thought the prices were reasonable. Definitely cheaper than booking through the cruise line directly. The one thing that does suck is that there are 6 seats in the helicopter and the two people that have to sit in the middle get screwed, the other 4 people will have great views. Seating is determined by weight, so if you are thin you will probably be stuck in the middle, and they can't switch it around on the way back either. I understand that this is how they have to arrange seats, but it is really unfair for the middle people. read more

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WOW!!!! We went on a cruise through Alaska and one of our excursions was through Viator where we took the helicopter ride to the glacier, did dog sledding then another helicopter ride were we walked on a glacier. It was excellent!!! The staff was top notch and the dogs that pulled us on the dog sledding were awesome and so friendly. Good workers! Also it was my wife and my first time in a helicopter. I can't say enough good things. It was the best excursion we took. read more

We were disappointed that our helicopter to the dog sleds was downgraded due to a cloud on the musher camp, but the downgrade was a helicopter to a glacier walk so don't feel too sorry for us! I appreciate the company's attention to safety and the experience we DID have was superior. Check-in was easy and efficient; our chopper pilot, Harley, was knowledgeable and patient with my 9 year old's questions; and Alaska--well, Alaska is awe-inspiring. We initially had our cruise scheduled for 2020 and the helicopter excursion booked through a third party for service by Coastal Helicopters. The third party booking agent was refusing to refund our prepaid money for the excursion despite the pandemic that cancelled our cruise. I contacted Coastal Helicopters directly and they were AMAZING--quick to refund our money, hassel-free. I told them then, that when this Alaska cruise DID happen, I would book directly through them becuase of their customer service, and I stand behind that decision. I'll be returning to Alaska again to check off that dog sledding bucket list item, and when I do, I'll be contacting Coastal Helicopters for the experience! read more

Staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. Chopper ride up was breathtaking and way smoother than a plane ride! Musher Joey was great to talk to and laid back. Wish him the best with his dog team and goal of the Iditarod. If you get a chance to interact with the dogs do it and don't forget to take a turn standing on the back of the sled while the dogs are running!! read more

I got really lucky to have booked them last minute for a private helicopter up to the Glencier and to do dog sledding. Our pilot was so informative and very kind! One of the best experiences ever!!! Thank you, Coastal helicopters, for the last mintue accommodation and arrangement. I highly recommend anyone who visits Alaska to take this private tour! read more

We did the helicopter/dog sled trip yesterday. It was AMAZING! Coastal helicopters' employees were the perfect mix of fun and professional. You could tell they are great at their jobs and that they love it as well. They made sure safety was a priority! I highly recommend, it was worth it! Wade was our guide with the dogs and he was awesome! read more

We had the absolute most amazing time in Juneau. The team at Coastal helicopters were amazing the dog sledding was one of the highlights of the trip. The staff was fantastic. They were super nice and even took us around the town on the way back to our cruise to show us more of the city. They deserved more than 5 stars!! If you get the chance - book this trip!! read more

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