Whittier: Alaska's Most Remote Port — and a Glacier 15 Minutes Away

Whittier sits at the end of Prince William Sound, accessible only by the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel — a one-way shared road/rail tunnel 4 km long through the Chugach Mountains, with alternating traffic directions every 30 minutes. The town is very small: approximately 215 residents, most in the single 14-story Begich Towers building that also houses the post office, bed-and-breakfasts, and most town services. Cruise ships berth at the Whittier Small Boat Harbor dock. The scenery around Whittier — tidewater glaciers, forested mountains, Prince William Sound — is the draw, not the town. Most activities involve boats, kayaks, or the road to Portage and Anchorage.

From the pier, almost everything walkable in Whittier takes 10 minutes. For Portage Glacier: Portage Glacier Road, 16 km from Whittier — rent a bike or arrange a taxi ($20–30 one way). Portage Glacier Day Lodge at the end of the road (free to visit); Portage Glacier cruise boat tours (US$35–40) run from the lodge. For Prince William Sound glacier and wildlife tours: operators depart from the small boat harbor — 26 Glacier cruise (US$169–189, full day) covers Columbia, Harvard, Yale, and other tidewater glaciers. For Anchorage: Alaska Highway Tours and shared shuttles run (US$25–40 one way, 1.5 hours). The tunnel is toll-free for pedestrians and cyclists; car traffic pays $13.

Prince William Sound has more tidewater glaciers than any other location in North America outside Canada — the 26 Glacier cruise covers 6 hours and up to 26 named glaciers in the sound. Columbia Glacier calves house-sized icebergs; Harvard and Yale Glaciers at the end of College Fjord tower 100 metres above the waterline. Sea kayaking in the sound (half-day, US$75–95 per person with a guide) is the closest-contact glacier experience available from the pier. The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, 20 minutes from the tunnel exit toward Anchorage, has bears, moose, elk, bison, wolves, and raptors in large naturalistic enclosures (US$22 adult) — a practical stop on the way to or from Anchorage.

US Dollars. Tipping: 18–20% at restaurants, 15% for tour guides, 10–15% for shuttle drivers. Alaska's service economy depends heavily on gratuities — tips are not optional. Most Whittier businesses accept cards; carry some cash for the smallest vendors. The tunnel is alternating-direction on a 30-minute schedule — check the current opening direction before driving in either direction.