Best Denali Helicopter and Flightseeing Tours

If you’re visiting Alaska, specifically Denali, you need to see the mountains, mountain range, glaciers, and wilderness from the air. Denali helicopter and flightseeing tours are a once-in-a-lifetime experience! We went on a Denali flightseeing tour by plane during our Alaska travel with kids, and we can definitely say it’s one of the most unforgettable experiences we’ve had!

Yes, we also did a helicopter tour with dogsledding in Knik Glacier (this kind of tour is not available in Denali) and a bus tour of Denali National Park. They’re both awesome tours but what made our Denali flightseeing tour special was seeing the majestic Denali up close and landing on Ruth Glacier. It may be expensive but it’s totally worth it.

Here are some photos we took while on air and when we landed on the glacier:

It’s breathtaking, right? It’s like landing on a different planet. Now, before youask if you should take the glacier landing option, here’s my quick answer: duh, yeah!

Why Visit Denali?

What’s the big deal about Denali anyway? Denali, also known as Mount McKinley, is the highest summit in North America at a staggering 20,310 feet (6,190 meters). Denali comes from a Koyukon Athabascan word meaning “The High One.” Even from afar, Denali’s snow-capped peak and its surrounding glaciers are a breathtaking sight. It symbolizes Alaska’s natural beauty and a powerful force of nature. And up close? Now that’s a one-of-a-kind experience!

Helicopter vs. Plane

So, if you’re searching for Denali helicopter and flightseeing tours, you might wonder which kind of tour to take. In a gist:

• Do a helicopter tour if you want it a little more exclusive (since not many passengers can fit in a helicopter) and more exhilarating, with twists and turns and ups and downs during your flight (our pilot turned the helicopter on its side at one point!).
• Do a small plane flightseeing tour if you’re on a budget (it’s still expensive but not as expensive as a helicopter tour), in a big group (10 passengers are typical), or want a smoother ride.

Choosing the Right Tour

Once you decide what type of tour to take, consider the following factors:

• Duration: Do you prefer a short tour or a more in-depth exploration? Tours range from an hour to five hours.
• Inclusions: Are you interested in seeing Denali and the mountain range or exploring Denali National Park? Do you want a glacier landing? Are hotel pick-up and drop-off important? Knowing your priorities helps narrow down your options.
• Point of origin: Some flights start from Anchorage, and others from Talkeetna. Flying from Talkeetna, which is closer to Denali, makes more sense as you’ll almost immediately see the mountain range and glaciers. If you’re coming from Anchorage, you’ll see mostly flat lands before reaching the Alaska Range.
• Budget: Helicopter tours are typically more expensive but offer unmatched proximity. Flightseeing tours provide excellent value for a breathtaking experience.
• Travel with kids: Many tours cater to families with shorter durations and child-friendly considerations. Some offer discounts for kids.

Best Denali Helicopter Tours

What I like about this Denali Glacier Landing Helicopter Ride is that you get a mix of everything. You get to ride a helicopter, see Denali National Park from above, and land on a glacier. The actual flight is almost an hour, so that alone is worth the money. And 15-20 minutes on a glacier should be enough to soak in the atmosphere.

Now, Yanert Glacier is not part of Denali but of the Alaska Range. You won’t see Denali, the mountain itself, and its neighboring mountains and glaciers. But if that doesn’t matter much to you (a glacier is a glacier, right?), then this would be an excellent tour for your family.

Tour Features:

• Duration: 2 hours and 15 minutes
• Itinerary: The tour departs from Denali National Park and follows a scenic route over the park’s stunning landscapes, with a highlight glacier landing experience. After the landing, return to the starting point via helicopter.
• Group Size: 6 passengers
• Inclusions: Round-trip transportation from select Denali area hotels, helicopter flight, glacier landing experience, glacier overboots, and experienced pilot/guide.
• Operator: TEMSCO Helicopters Inc.
• Cost: $603.14 per person

Exploring Denali National Park on air and on foot offers a whole new perspective with this thrilling Helicopter and Hike Adventure. This immersive tour provides a unique opportunity to explore the rugged wilderness of Alaska’s most iconic national park, combining the excitement of a helicopter flight with the serenity of a guided hike through pristine landscapes.

If you and your kids are more into wildlife and game for a wilderness adventure and less into seeing glaciers up close (or if you’ve already done this kind of tour), this is a great option for you. But personally, I’d rather take the bus tour inside Denali National Park and take a flightseeing tour with a glacier landing. Just that’s me.

Tour Features:

• Duration: 5 hours
• Itinerary: The tour departs from Denali National Park and follows a scenic route over the park’s stunning landscapes, with a highlight glacier landing experience. After the landing, return to the starting point via helicopter.
• Group Size: 10 passengers.
• Inclusions: Round-trip transportation from select Denali area hotels, helicopter flight, glacier landing experience, and experienced pilot/guide.
• Operator: TEMSCO Helicopters Inc.
• Cost: $528.95 per person

Best Denali Airplane Flightseeing Tours

This Denali Experience Flightseeing Tour promises a bird’s-eye view of some of Alaska’s most iconic natural wonders, offering an unparalleled perspective of the rugged terrain and towering peaks that define this remarkable region. You get close enough to Denali’s summit (6 miles), and you get to see Ruth Amphitheater, the Great Gorge, Tokositna and Ruth Glaciers, the sharp ridges of Mount Huntington, the hanging glaciers clinging to Mount Hunter, and the famous Moose’s Tooth. Glacier landing is optional.

Here’s the flight route (from K2’s website):

The operator, K2 Aviation, is family-run and family-friendly. Children from 3 to 12 years old get $50 off, while those two years old and younger get a 50% discount (on the other hand, consider taking your kids when they’re already a bit older). But the Denali National Park fee is already priced in. The small plane flies at a lower altitude, so your kids experience less discomfort with changes in pressure. The south side of Denali is also usually calm and less bumpy. Plus, K2 has a playground with a miniature cabin, lawn games, a playhouse, and full-sized swings to keep your kids occupied while waiting for the flight.

Tour Features:

• Duration: 1 hour
• Itinerary: The tour departs from Talkeetna and follows a scenic route over the Alaska Range, with highlight views of Denali, before returning to the starting point.
• Group Size: 10 passengers
• Inclusions: Small plane flight, Denali National Park fee, loaner sunglasses, and professional pilot/guide.
• Tour operator: K2 Aviation
• Cost: $335.13 per person

This Denali Flyer Tour is K2 Aviation’s most popular tour and the one we took. This is a great balance between the shorter Denali Experience Tour and the longer and more expensive Denali Grand Tour, where you can see all sides of Denali. Aside from the south side, you’ll also see the stunning views of the 45-mile-long Kahiltna Glacier (the longest in Denali National Park), Little Switzerland, the Kahiltna Base Camp, Mount Foraker, Mount Hunter, Moose’s and Bear’s Tooth, Ruth Glacier, and the Great Gorge. That’s a lot to take in.

The flight route (from K2’s website), as you can see below, is longer:

And, of course, you get to land on the magnificent Ruth Glacier, which gives you the feeling of landing on another planet. It’s long and massive, stretching for about 40 miles (64 km) in length and reaching a width of up to 6 miles (10 km) in some areas. Because it’s near Denali’s base, standing on Ruth Glacier allows you to appreciate Denali’s scale and grandeur from a unique perspective.

Tour Features:

• Duration: Approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes
• Itinerary: The tour departs from Talkeetna and follows a scenic route over the Talkeetna Mountains and Denali, with highlight views of the mountain and surrounding glaciers, plus landing on Ruth Glacier. After the flight, return to the starting point.
• Group Size: 10 passengers
• Inclusions: Small plane flight, Denali National Park fee, loaner sunglasses, and professional pilot/guide.
• Tour operator: K2 Aviation
• Cost: $543.89 per person

This Denali Southside Tour is Talkeetna Air Taxi’s (TAT) counterpart to K2 Aviation’s Denali Experience Tour. They have practically the same route with an optional glacier landing, except TAT has the concession to land on any glacier landing site, depending on weather conditions. This means they may or may not land on Ruth Glacier, which has pros and cons.

The flight route (from TAT’s website) is similar to K2’s:

Price-wise, TAT is a better deal as (a) the base price is lower, (b) the 30% discount is better than K2’s $50 discount, and (c) babies are not charged. The add-on for the glacier landing is priced lower. And even if you add the $15 Denali National Park fee, TAT is still cheaper.

Tour Features:

• Duration: 1 hour (w/o glacier landing), 1.5 hours (w/ glacier landing)
• Itinerary: The tour begins with a scenic flight over Talkeetna and its surroundings, with the option to add a glacier landing experience. After the flight, return to the starting point.
• Group Size: 10 passengers
• Inclusions: Round-trip transportation from select Talkeetna hotels and professional pilot/guide.
• Tour operator: Talkeetna Air Taxi
• Cost: $276.20 per person ($397.80 w/ glacier landing)

This Denali Mountain Voyager Tour is the equivalent of K2 Aviation’s Denali Flyer Tour but is priced lower, making it an irresistible deal. At $475.15 versus K2’s $543.89, it’s a better option. It’s priced almost the same as K2’s shorter Denali Experience Tour with glacier landing ($472.46). And if you have kids, the savings add up because of the bigger discount.

The route is the same, including The Southside Seven Glaciers (Kahiltna, Ruth, Tokositna, Eldridge, Kanikula, Buckskin, and Coffee) along with Denali’s massive sister peaks, Mt. Hunter and Mt. Foraker. The glacier landing may or may not be on Ruth Glacier, though. But then again, you have more chances of your glacier landing pushing through since TAT can select other landing sites.

Here’s the route (from TAT’s website), similar to K2’s Denali Flyer tour:

Tour Features:

• Duration: 1 hour and 15 minutes (w/o glacier landing) or 1 hour and 45 minutes (w/ glacier landing)
• Itinerary: The tour departs from Talkeetna and follows a scenic route over the Talkeetna Mountains, with the option to add a glacier landing experience. After the flight, return to the starting point.
• Group Size: 10 passengers
• Inclusions: Round-trip transportation from select Talkeetna hotels and professional pilot/guide.
• Tour operator: Talkeetna Air Taxi
• Cost: $353.60 per person ($475.15 w/ glacier landing)

This immersive Grand Denali Tour promises an unparalleled aerial exploration of Alaska’s iconic Denali and surrounding landscapes. It offers breathtaking views and the opportunity for an up-close encounter with a pristine glacier. You will visit the south side, east and west, and the north side to see the Arctic alpine tundra of Denali National Park’s remote interior. You’ll also see The Wickersham Wall of Denal, the greatest continual vertical relief in the world.

Check out the route (from TAT’s website):

And, for comparison, here’s the counterpart tour (from K2’s website):

K2 also has a similar tour called the Denali Grand Tour, but it is priced higher ($609.78 with glacier landing) versus $591.17 for TAT. Although, with the $15 Denali National Park fee, they’re pretty much even. Both have great reputations and excellent reviews, so really, you can’t go wrong either way. TAT’s advantage comes when you have kids since you get a slightly more significant discount.

Tour Features:

• Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes (w/o glacier landing) or 2 hours (w/ glacier landing)
• Itinerary: The tour departs from Talkeetna and follows a scenic route over the Denali National Park, with highlight views of the mountain and surrounding glaciers. The option for a glacier landing adds approximately 30 minutes to the tour duration. After the flight, return to the starting point.
• Group Size: 10 passengers
• Inclusions: Round-trip transportation from select Talkeetna hotels, professional pilot/guide, and unparalleled aerial views.
• Tour operator: Talkeetna Air Taxi
• Cost: $414.37 per person ($591.17 with glacier landing)