Flightseeing takes all different forms and brings you to many different views, so flightseeing out of Homer you know is going to be special. Beryl Air does an ideal Homer flightseeing trip leaving from the sea plane base and touring the entirety of Kachemack Bay, going over cove towns, glaciers, river valleys and, of course the world famous Homer Spit. If you didn’t have Homer flightseeing on your plans before, add it now because this is one of the most beautiful and diverse landscapes you can see from a float plane and you’ll love the views.
We’ve got the full scoop on what to expect doing Kachemack Bay flightseeing with Beryl Air and tips for making it a part of your visit to the Kenai Peninsula. If you have any questions about the experience or need additional recommendations, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help you plan a fun trip to Alaska.
Why do Flightseeing over Kachemak Bay from Homer
Seriously, the views of Kachemak Bay from the air are remarkable. We’ve done so many flightseeing tours, but doing the seaplane tour from Homer is one of the prettiest flights we’ve enjoyed. What really sets apart the Kachemak Bay flightseeing is the variety of sights you can see from the air, in particular the changing colors of the bay as the glacier rivers pour out. The turquoise braided rivers blending into the aqua colored tide as it mixes with the dark waters of the ocean is simply beautiful.
Beyond the incredible water of Kachemak Bay, there are also glaciers and mountains to see. The most spectacular is the Grewingk Glacier, which you can also hike to, as it winds down the mountain and calves off into a perfect glacial lake. You can see the icebergs floating in the lake and on the shore. If you haven’t done the hike in Kachemak Bay State Park yet, let this be your inspiration for it. More things to watch for from your Kachemak Bay flightseeing tour from Homer include scenic coves, small fishing villages and wildlife.
Yes! You can actually see wildlife from the seaplane on your flightseeing tour. Homer and Kachemak Bay State Park have a strong bear and moose population, so as you’re flying, keep your eyes peel for wildlife in the rivers and on the flats below. Our pilot with Beryl Air from Homer had amazing vision and was able to find bears and get us low enough and circle safely and watch a mama and her cubs fishing in a river. Amazing! Seriously, if flightseeing is in your budget, the tour around Kachemak Bay is gorgeous and an amazing opportunity to appreciate Alaska from the air.
Book Beluga Air flightseeing here! OR Book Wild Blue Air here!
Tips for a Seaplane Flightseeing from Homer
When you book your Kachemak Bay flightseeing from Homer, you’ll be doing a 60 minute tour. This is the perfect length for getting to see the whole of Kachemak Bay and the state park. Hopefully you’ll have beautiful, sunny weather for it, but even when it’s sunny it may be a little windy, which means it can be bumpy. I am a scared flyer and even though seaplanes are my favorite type of flying because they tend to be more smooth, the wind can cause a bit of turbulence. Having said that, let your pilot know if you’re nervous about the experience and they will be able to adjust the tour flight path to go through some less windy routes. One of the nice things about being on a smaller seaplane like a Cessna 206 with Beryl Air is that there are only 5 passengers usually, so it’s easy to accommodate passenger needs and interests about what they want to see.
If you get motion sickness, usually the Kachemak Bay flightseeing tour is pretty smooth, but you may want to take some precautions, like you might if you’re doing a boat tour. I’m not a fan of taking medication for motion sickness because it makes me tired, but pressure bracelets do help me quite a bit when I need them.
When it comes to photography during your flightseeing tour, you can absolutely bring a nice camera or just use your cell phone camera. I like using my big camera for getting some more interesting landscape and wildlife shots from the air, but a camera phone does a great job too for the beautiful wide angle photos. Enjoy the views, and if you get excited about photos, you’ll definitely have some great opportunities on your flightseeing tour from Homer.
Being Prepared for Kachemak Bay Flightseeing
One of the most common questions I get about flightseeing in Alaska is if it gets cold on the small airplanes. While it certainly can be cold when you’re doing a late season flightseeing tour from Homer or to Lake Clark National Park from Anchorage, more often than not I find that flightseeing tours tend to run more warm in the cabin. There are heaters and the sunshine can warm up the plane, so usually it’s very comfortable or borders on more warm than I like. When you’re dressing for your flightseeing, make sure you’re warm enough, but not so heavily layered that you’ll overheat. There’s not a lot of room or flexibility in a seaplane to be able to take off a puffy jacket, so keep it more cool if you can.
With an hour-long flightseeing tour, whether it’s this Kachemak Bay tour from Homer or another flight, it’s a short flight and not typically one to bring snacks and drinks on. Water is okay, but out of respect for the pilot and other passengers, try to avoid bringing food.
I mentioned taking photos while flightseeing and bringing a bigger camera, I think it’s important to consider what lenses you have with your for this sort of tour. Being on a seaplane or small plane, whether it’s a 206 with Beryl Air or a helicopter with Outbound Heli Adventures, you’re limited in how to shoot through a close-up window. Using a large lens typically doesn’t work well for flightseeing. I would recommend up to a 250mm lens for easiest use and for the general flexibility of shooting. A 400mm lens is the largest I would try for photos with, and only if it has a broad range down to 80mm or so. You’ll figure it out.
Getting to Beryl Air for Homer Flightseeing
The Homer Floatplane Base is where you’ll do Kachemak Bay flightseeing with Beryl Air from. Several other companies fly from here too, but the seaplane base is where Beryl Air operates their flightseeing and National Park tours out of. This is located between the Homer Spit and the main town area. Beluga Lake is the body of water the seaplanes leave from, and then off you go towards the Cook Inlet or the mountains. There is plenty of parking at the office, and if your timing is right, there’s even a restaurant at the seaplane base.
Beryl Air Tour Operating Info
To complete your planning, here is all the information to plan and book your adventure if you’d like to fly with Beryl Air (for this tour, they were my flying service). I enjoyed the way they run their flightseeing tours and highly recommend them.
- Operating Dates/Season: typically May through September
- Tour office phone number: 907-299-5494
- Company website: BerylAir.com
- Tour check-in address: 1308 Lake Shore Dr, Homer, AK 99603
More Homer flightseeing options are available from the Beluga Lake floatplane base:
More Things to Do on the Kenai Peninsula
The Kenai Peninsula is my old stomping grounds, so I love to share all about it. Cooper Landing is rather in the middle, set on Kenai Lake and the Kenai River, and then Seward is the Southeast side and Homer the Southwest side. Most people in the Lower 48 hear the word “Kenai” and automatically think salmon fishing, and rightly so. The Kenai, Kasilof and Russian Rivers are amazing for salmon fishing. I pulled my biggest ever king salmon (chinook) on the Kasilof River.
Seward is a beautiful city set on Resurrection Bay. This is the start of Kenai Fjords National Park and the gateway to the Gulf of Alaska. Deep sea fishing and wildlife cruises are the top activities in Seward. Homer is very similar with its fishing culture and guides, but it’s set on Kachemak Bay. The world famous Homer Spit is a must see (oh, Salty Dog…) and you cannot miss the non-sunset from here in the summer months.
Here are some suggestions for more tours and things to do on the Kenai Peninsula.
Where to Stay on the Kenai Peninsula
Where you choose to stay on the Kenai Peninsula depends on what you have planned and how you want to wrap up each day. If you want to be close to your activities and your plans are mostly in Seward and Cooper Landing, any place on the east side of the Kenai should be good for you. If you’re fishing and kayaking in Homer or Kenai (town), then the west side is a better home base.
I like being on the Seward side for shorter trips to the Kenai Peninsula because it’s more than an hour closer to Anchorage so you both get there and return to Anchorage with less driving time. The cost is consistent across the Peninsula, so that likely won’t influence where you want to stay. The other thing to consider is what you do at the end of each day. Seward, Homer and Kenai all have town areas with restaurants and such. Cooper Landing is more rustic and spread out, but it’s got places like Gwin’s Lodge, Cooper Landing Brewing Co and the dining Room at the Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge.
Check out the map below to find a good option.
I hope you’re excited to experience flightseeing over Kachemak Bay from Homer. Between the beautiful views and sense of Alaskan adventure, I know you’ll love it. If you have any questions about visiting Homer or the rest of the Kenai Peninsula, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to help with travel planning for an Alaska Trip!
