Two of the most popular tourist activities to do when you’re visiting Alaska are flight seeing and dogsled experiences. Did you know that you can put the two together and enjoy helicopter flight seeing AND dogsledding on a glacier? You can do a helicopter dogsled tour from Seward, Alaska and you’ll love it. Seward Helicopter Tours does a really fun, beautiful experience on Godwin Glacier that’s an unforgettable addition to your Alaska trip. We’ve got the details for planning and making this adventure happen for you!
Highlights of the Godwin Glacier Helicopter Dogsled Tour
Of any flightseeing we’ve done anywhere, including Hawaii or the Grand Canyon, this is the most fun helicopter trip. Departing from the small Seward airfield, Seward Helicopter Tours does a speedy ascent up to Godwin Glacier, flightseeing along the way. Once there you get to meet the team of sled dogs and get set up for a ride on an actual dogsled with a professional dog musher. They whisk you through the snow on a dogsled, and it’s more fun than you might expect.
When your mushing is done you get to meet the dogs and fall in love with each and every one. Visiting dogsled camps or farms is a very special experience. These dogs genuinely and deeply enjoy their jobs and it’s very visible. The mushers love the dogs beyond measure and you can tell how invested they are in the dogs’ health and happiness. Now, take that experience and put it on Godwin Glacier and you have the Seward Helicopter Tours versions of flight-sledding… They don’t call it that, but it’s awesome.
Note: I do wish this tour was longer for the price. While you are getting dogsledding and flightseeing all in the same experience and it’s unforgettable, I finished wishing I had another half hour of either part of the experience. Still worth it, but also I enjoyed it enough to want more.
What to Bring for your Seward Helicopter Tour
Just like with a seaplane tour, you can’t bring a lot of gear on a helicopter flight. With Seward Helicopter Tours you get to make a landing and walk around for dogsledding and such, so you’ll need to dress warmly for that, but besides that, the only gear is just light camera gear that you can wear around your neck.
I brought my small camera and my phone camera and was well covered for photography needs. A GoPro would be useful for the dogsledding portion of the Seward Helicopter Tours landing on Godwin Glacier, as being on a dogsled is a really unique experience and the view is a wonderful perspective. Helicopter dog sled tours are very fun and unique!
Tips for the Godwin Glacier Helicopter Dogsled Tour
The best tip I have to doing flightseeing with Seward Helicopter Tours (or any flight outfitter) is to trust the pilots to show you the best views and to wear DARK COLORS on your flight. The reason for the dark colors is because light colors reflect on the windows of the helicopters and will show up in all your photos. Dark colors allow you to see very clearly without reflections, thus making both your views and photos much better.
Another great idea for a fun helicopter glacier landing is to wear solid shoes that give you good traction on the glacier. Wearing sturdy shoes or hiking boots is a good way to ensure walking on the glacier is a comfortable and safe experience for you. Some guests don’t want to do a lot of exploring when landing on Godwin Glacier, but how often will you actually be in such a cool place? I absolutely recommend walking around a bit with recommendations and guidelines from the pilot while you have time between flying and dogsledding.
There are a lot of glacier lakes and streams that form on Godwin Glacier in summer or fall, so there can be a lot to see during your glacier time. Get guidance on what/where to poke around during your landing for a safe, one-of-a-kind experience. And don’t forget to give lovin’ to the sled dogs!
Alternate idea: if this isn’t in your budget but you want to have a dogsledding experience, there are quite a few sled dog operations that are open to the public for visiting and tours. One of my favorites is Dream a Dream Sled Dog Tours up in Willow, near Talkeetna. You may not be able to go mushing on a glacier, but they have ways to help you experience it.
Parking for Seward Helicopter Tours
Seward Helicopter Tours is happy to pick you up anywhere in the Seward area, but you’re welcome to drive yourself too. If you do drive yourself, you can park at the helicopter office right there at the Seward airport (it’s not huge). It’s nothing to stress about, but do allow yourself plenty of time to arrive and get checked in for your helicopter tour.
Parking address: 2210 Airport Road, Seward AK 99664
Ethics of Dog Sledding and Sled Dog Operations
We are very careful about animal tourism of any sort and only share/write about operations and opportunities that we feel are ethical and sound. There’s often talk about dogsledding and concern that it’s not in the animals’ best interest or even, as PETA may say, is cruel. If you’ve ever met a sled dog or been to a sled dog farm or operation, then you know that’s not true. Sled dog mushers and their teams are some of the most caring, heartfelt people I’ve ever met. The way their dogs are treated is impeccable, often with the needs of the dogs being placed before that of the musher/sled dog owner.
If you see sled dogs before, during and after they’ve been training or racing, then you see the joy and purpose they find in dogsledding. They are so full of energy and excitement all through the process. Add to that the love and attention their mushers give them, and you’ll understand that dogsled culture is not cruel or unethical.
Tour Operating Info
To complete your planning, here is all the information to plan and book your helicopter dogsled adventure.
- Operating Dates/Season: mid-May through first week of September
- Tour office phone number: 907-362-4354
- Company website: Seward Helicopter Tours
- Tour check-in address: 2210 Airport Road, Seward AK 99664
- Tour booking links: Godwin Glacier Helicopter Dogsled Tour
More Things to Do in Seward
Seward is a fun, beautiful small town. Located on Resurrection Bay on the southeast side of the Kenai Peninsula, you’ll find a very walkable downtown area with shops, galleries, bars and restaurants. Here are a few additional things you can add to your time in Seward to make the most of your visit:
- Alaska Sea Life Center – aquarium and education center with puffins, seals and more
- Iditarod Mile 0 – original starting point of the Iditarod dogsled race
- Seward Waterfront walking path – a great way to take in the town and Resurrection Bay
- Visit Exit Glacier – this is the only drive-to part of Kenai Fjords National Park
- Deep sea fishing trip – try your hand at catching halibut or ling cod from Seward
- Kayaking tour or rentals – there are lots of great paddling spots in Seward and the rest of the Kenai
Dining in Seward
I’ll be honest, Seward is not my favorite town for cuisine in Alaska. That doesn’t mean it’s bad, but its options are limited. I always like to set realistic expectations for anyone visiting a place for the first time. Having said that, here are our top picks for dining in Seward:
- Porthole Cafe – in the marina, food truck
- Resurrection Roadhouse – located at the Seward Windsong Lodge
- Red’s Burgers – walk up dining
- Highliner Restaurant – great food, well established
- Lone Chicharron – solid choice for Mexican food
- Seasalt Alaskan Grill & Bar – pricey but very good
Where to Stay in Seward
Find a great place to stay in or near Seward. This part of the Kenai Peninsula has lots of cabins, vacation rentals and beautiful lodges, both deep in the wood or in remote areas. You’ll enjoy it!
More ideas for your visit to Seward:
I hope you’re excited to experience the Godwin Glacier helicopter dogsled tour. Between the beautiful views and sense of Alaskan adventure, I know you’ll love it. If you have any questions about visiting Seward, other glaciers, or 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!
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