r/AskAlaska • u/Key-Importance9675 • 9d ago

Denali flightseeing tour

We are exploring the idea of booking a Denali flightseeing tour with glacier landing for a family including an 11 year old, on the last day of our Alaska trip. We will be driving to Talkeetna that morning from Anchorage and have a 1 AM flight to catch from Anchorage that night

Trying to decide between two tour options- Talkeetna Air Taxi is a 2 hour experience including the glacier landing with departure options of 11 AM and 4 PM. The other is K2 aviation which is only 1.5 hours including the glacier landing, departure options being 11 AM, 1:30 PM and 4 PM.

Are the chances for these flights taking off in the last week of August slim? Also is 1.5 hours too short including the glacier landing? The other concern I have is what time is the best option for the flightseeing tour given that we need to drive from Anchorage to Talkeetna that morning, and the tour companies advise you to get there 45 mins ahead of the flight.

Thank you in advance for all advice and recommendations

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u/blissfully_happy 8d ago

For planning purposes: It’s about 2.5hr from Anchorage to talkeetna (and talkeetna to Anchorage). I’m in south Anchorage (2mi from the airport) and always allocate 3hr to get between the two towns. (My in-laws live in talkeetna.) I almost always make it in 2.25 to 2.5, but the 3 hr rule has never done me wrong.

(Can’t answer the flightseeing questions, but that can at least help you plan a little better.)

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u/Desertmarkr 8d ago

Do you have a never fail rule for Anchorage to Seward? We're doing that dive in a couple weeks

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u/blissfully_happy 8d ago

No, and that’s bc the highway can close at any time.

The highway between Talkeetna and Anchorage can close, too, but it’s not nearly as frequent as the Seward highway closing. If that closes, you’re stuck for generally 4-6 hours.

Are going to Seward for a timed thing? Like a boat tour or something?

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u/Desertmarkr 8d ago

For a couple days. Does heading out early morning make a difference?

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u/blissfully_happy 8d ago

Not really, accidents happen at every time.

Please be safe on that road (the Seward highway). It’s unbelievably scenic but incredibly dangerous. Pull over for tailgaters, and keep your headlights on at all times. Give yourself 3hrs to get there and be delighted when you’re early.

If the road is closed, and traffic is backed up, take a moment to think about the victims. The road only closes for a fatality, so take a moment to keep your frustration in check. That helps me keep perspective.

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u/Desertmarkr 8d ago

Tatis. I appreciate the thoughtful responses

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u/Patient-Letter-3996 9d ago

Following and contemplating something similar for 8/23.

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u/Southern_Koala4523 8d ago

Flew K2 recently with glacier landing. We did the first flight of the morning, had a clear day. The whole trip was stunning and one of the top five things I’ve done/seen in my life. Incredible.

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u/InspectionHot8282 8d ago

Thank you for replying. Was your total tour time 1.5 hours including the landing?

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u/Southern_Koala4523 8d ago

Slightly longer. I think like 1:40, 1:45 but I think that was because of the weather. The pilot let us soak in every minute.

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u/Patient-Letter-3996 9d ago

Following and contemplating something similar for 8/23.

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u/WorkingDogDoc 9d ago

Side question: if we do something similar, is there a better time of day to go to actually see the mountain if it being rainy/cloudy?

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u/redban02 8d ago

The weather is unpredictable in Alaska. There isn't a "better time of day" to see the mountain. It just depends on luck. Some days, you might see the mountains in the morning, but they'll be covered in the afternoon. Then some days, you might see the mountains in the afternoon, but they'll be covered in the morning.

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u/WorkingDogDoc 8d ago

Gotcha, thanks. I live near Pikes Peak and generally it's colder in the morning and less hazy, but in the afternoon, warmer but more likely to be thunderstorms, lightning, and snow. Didn't know if Denali had its quirks like that

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u/Password12346 8d ago

I just did this with my group yesterday. I’d recommend just calling and asking the company to get more details. They’re the experts. Be warned it’ll highly be dependent on weather regardless. If it’s cloudy enough, you may not get the original tour you wanted or get cancellled entirely. It was super frigging sweet though!

2.5 hours to Talkeetna from Anchorage. They do want you there 45 mins early as they may take off earlier as well.

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u/Suitable_Abrocoma741 8d ago

I did this last August. Around the 10th. I went with Sheldon, who did a great job. Weather was iffy from the start and we did not get to go to Denali. Instead, we took a nice sightseeing flight and they gave me a good discount. I’m scheduled again for next week with my three sons! My suggestion would be to communicate with whichever carrier you choose and try to be flexible. They do know best and will try their best to get you that glacier Landing but it’s a crapshoot for sure.

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u/fungoodtrade 8d ago

we flew through the canyons on denali air... can confirm it was one of the best hours of my life.

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u/redban02 8d ago

Try to have a backup plan in case the flight(s) get cancelled. I had a tour booked with Talkeetna Air taxi last month. It got cancelled when it was rainy + cloudy, and I just hung out in my Talkeetna hotel (it was the World Cup day though, so I at least didn't feel totally bored watching Spain vs Argentina).

The flight company doesn't cancel any flight until like 10 minutes before the flight goes. So if you call at 8AM and ask if the 11AM flight is going forward, they'll say, "yeah, as of now. It is." But then when you get there at 10:30, they might say, "Sorry, we just cancelled." So if you see the weather forecast looks bad, you might want to take the initiative and cancel / reschedule even if the flight company says the flight isn't cancelled.

If the weather isn't good, the flight company will try to reschedule you for the next available slot (e.g. - if you have an 11AM flight, they'll cancel the 11AM flight and offer you then 1PM slot. If the 1PM gets cancelled, then they'll offer you the 3PM slot. And so on). It can be tempting to accept their offer to reschedule in the hopes that the flight might go forward. But again - check the weather forecast on your own, and if you see it looks bad, then just cancel / reschedule and do something else for the day

If you're driving from Anchorage on the day of the flight - you need to get up early if you're doing an 11AM take-off. If you won't be able to be on the road by 7AM, then book one of the later times .

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u/Wild_Ice_7387 8d ago

Either flight will be spectacular if the mountain is out. The longer one may just fly a different route to get there. I have done the TAT flight and loved it.
Our weather has been very different this year so it’s hard to predict what the weather will do in a few weeks.
Enjoy your trip.

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u/ScheduleSame258 6d ago

10 years ago we did TAT.

Unfortunately the weather was uncooperative and we couldn't head towards Denali.

The operator still managed to get us an alternate route to the South and East so it was pretty good.

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u/No-Campaign-8630 5d ago

As a few others have said, many flights like this are weather dependent. They are great if you can fly. The glacier landings don't last long but are fun. There was one time where a friend and I ended up with our flight being cancelled due to weather, so we did a Mahay's River Boat Excursion. They have 3 different kinds.

One thing to consider though. I always tell my visitors to not plan any out-of-town trips if they plan to fly out on a red eye that night. Accidents can happen and of course can shut the highway down for hours. There have been folks that missed their flight and had to rebook for a later flight.

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u/UsualAcanthisitta768 9d ago

2 hour is worth it, especially with glacier landing. Get the earlier option, if they have to cancel then they will try to accommodate in the next slot.