Alaska and the Pacific Northwest · Seward, Alaska
Seward, kept on a card.
Seward sits at the head of Resurrection Bay with mountains all around, and it is where many one-way Gulf of Alaska sailings begin or end. The last card of the trip, or the first, has a glacier and a bay behind it.
Where the photos are in Seward
The Small Boat Harbor and the Waterfront Path
Day cruises to Kenai Fjords National Park leave from the Small Boat Harbor, and a stroll along the harbor and the waterfront path is certain to produce beautiful pictures, with snow-capped peaks behind the water.
Kenai Fjords day cruises
Half-day and full-day cruises range from four-hour wildlife cruises on Resurrection Bay to six-hour glacier tours and nine-hour fjord cruises, with whales, sea otters, sea lions, puffins and porpoises often seen.
Exit Glacier
About 12 miles from town, a 15 minute drive north, and the only glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park you can reach by road. A trail of about 1.2 miles each way climbs the valley to a wall of blue ice, moderately strenuous.
The Alaska SeaLife Center
About two miles from the dock, reachable by a free local shuttle, where you can watch Steller sea lions swim and look in on an octopus in its grotto.
The Resurrection Bay Overlook
A short drive up Nash Road gives panoramic views of Seward and Resurrection Bay, and it is one of the top photo spots in town.
How the light works
The bay is ringed by mountains, so the sun arrives late and leaves early: shoot the waterfront in the morning when the light comes across the water and the peaks are lit, and save the overlook for a clear moment. On the fjord cruises, gray skies make the ice a deeper blue, and low cloud on the peaks is part of the picture.
Before you go ashore
The cruise ship dock is a couple of miles from downtown Seward and the Alaska SeaLife Center, and a free local shuttle connects them, so check the shuttle route when you arrive. Exit Glacier is about 12 miles out, a 15 minute drive. Sailings that end here often connect to a train or a flight the same day, so keep your times in your pocket.
Details checked September 2026. Piers, fees and schedules change, so confirm with your ship's daily plan.
Questions people ask
- Can I drive to a glacier from Seward?
- Yes. Exit Glacier is about 12 miles from town, a 15 minute drive, and it is the only glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park you can reach by road. The trail to the ice is about 1.2 miles each way.
- How long are the Kenai Fjords cruises?
- Day cruises from the Small Boat Harbor run from about four hours to nine, from Resurrection Bay wildlife cruises to full glacier and fjord tours.
- How do I get to the Alaska SeaLife Center?
- It is about two miles from the dock, and a free local shuttle runs between them.
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