Pangaea Adventures
Pangaea Adventures
4.5
River Rafting & TubingGear RentalsHiking & Camping ToursNature & Wildlife ToursKayaking & Canoeing
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
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About
Join our upbeat, knowledgeable crew, as we offer a unique means of exploring a remote and stunningly scenic corner of Alaska. From sea kayaking amongst the icebergs and wildlife of Prince William Sound, to rafting the canyons of the Chugach Mountains, to backcountry hiking into the depths of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, we offer a wholesome array of fun ways to experience the Alaskan wild.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
654 reviews
Excellent
552
Very good
60
Average
19
Poor
14
Terrible
9
Ginny
Worcester, MA9 contributions
Jul 2021
My group of 3 friends participated in the 4 day/3 night kayaking camping trip from Columbia Glacier to Glacier Island. We can't say enough good things about the experience. From the very beginning, the staff at Pangea was kind, helpful, and accommodating. Kristina was very friendly and easy to work with. Typically trips like this are booked months ahead of time and we called with a week to go… somehow Kristina was able to squeeze us in and we are so grateful!
Our guide Ashleigh was incredible. She planned and prepared some amazing camping meals with dessert! She was a great mentor/educator and I came away from the trip with a number of skills that I will continue to use in the future. You can't control the weather and we had a very rainy first day, but Pangea made sure we were prepared with a great packing list and provided the rest of the equipment in great condition. It can be challenging to camp in the rain, but Ashleigh encouraged us and kept us smiling as we set up our dinner tent and camping tents on the Mars-like landscape carved by Columbia Glacier. Ashleigh helped us to appreciate the unique experience of camping where there was once a glacier, despite the rain. Our perseverance was rewarded by the next couple days of beautiful weather where we were treated to views of the snowcapped mountains behind Columbia Glacier, a family of orcas that decided swim right by our kayaks, and a group of humpback whales bubble feeding all day long in Prince William Sound. We also saw seals hanging out on icebergs, so many sea otters, sea lions, and puffins!
Ashleigh was well trained and very aware of the time, conditions, tides, and group ability. She made some great suggestions about where to go and how far to kayak each day so that we could have the best trip possible. Our goals were to see Columbia Glacier and hopefully whales which required lots of paddling, some good decisions, and a bit of luck. Ashleigh helped us have an incredible 4 days on the water and our trip with Pangea was the highlight of our time in Alaska.
Thank you Ashleigh, Kristina, and the rest of the team at Pangea for an unforgettable trip. I would highly recommend Pangea to anyone looking to explore Valdez by kayak!
Our guide Ashleigh was incredible. She planned and prepared some amazing camping meals with dessert! She was a great mentor/educator and I came away from the trip with a number of skills that I will continue to use in the future. You can't control the weather and we had a very rainy first day, but Pangea made sure we were prepared with a great packing list and provided the rest of the equipment in great condition. It can be challenging to camp in the rain, but Ashleigh encouraged us and kept us smiling as we set up our dinner tent and camping tents on the Mars-like landscape carved by Columbia Glacier. Ashleigh helped us to appreciate the unique experience of camping where there was once a glacier, despite the rain. Our perseverance was rewarded by the next couple days of beautiful weather where we were treated to views of the snowcapped mountains behind Columbia Glacier, a family of orcas that decided swim right by our kayaks, and a group of humpback whales bubble feeding all day long in Prince William Sound. We also saw seals hanging out on icebergs, so many sea otters, sea lions, and puffins!
Ashleigh was well trained and very aware of the time, conditions, tides, and group ability. She made some great suggestions about where to go and how far to kayak each day so that we could have the best trip possible. Our goals were to see Columbia Glacier and hopefully whales which required lots of paddling, some good decisions, and a bit of luck. Ashleigh helped us have an incredible 4 days on the water and our trip with Pangea was the highlight of our time in Alaska.
Thank you Ashleigh, Kristina, and the rest of the team at Pangea for an unforgettable trip. I would highly recommend Pangea to anyone looking to explore Valdez by kayak!
Written August 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lindsaysuewho
Peoria, AZ1 contribution
Jun 2020 • Family
What an amazing experience Pangaea gave to me and my family. We booked a 6 person trip out to the Columbia glacier with Captain Tim and guides Seth and Dan. Everyone involved was obviously very experienced and passionate about Alaska wildlife, the environment, and giving us a great time. They went above and beyond with friendliness and interesting factoids about Alaska all day long. The boat ride was beautiful, and experiencing kayaking out among icebergs and in full audience to the vast Columbia glacier was I describable; totally surreal. I loved that this was a small company, you could totally see how much they cared. We were blessed to have amazing weather and made it all the way to the glacier but even if the elements had not allowed I know the crew still would have made it a special and surreal experience. I will never look elsewhere for a sea kayak guiding company. I am so glad I chose Pangaea. Book a tour with them a you will not regret it.
Written June 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We appreciate the glowing review, Lindsay! And thank you for visiting us in Valdez, we're honored to have been able to provide this experience for you and your family! Cheers!
Written July 5, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lynn M
5 contributions
Jun 2020
Went on a day tour kayaking near Columbia Glacier. Usually the minimum group size is 4, but they took out a smaller group (3 people total) because it was the first day of the season. Our guide, Seth, was great, and the company's owner, Tim, was our wonderful captain. Both offered lots of good information about the area and were very flexible and accommodating. We had extra guides-in-training along who were helpful to us, too. There was no way of predicting what the ice would be like, and unfortunately it was a little too impacted for our kayaks to make it around the corner to see the glacier, but later Tim motored the boat to get us good views of the glacier face and surrounding mountains. It was a cloudy day but we still got some good views, and the clouds create better colors for the icebergs, anyway. Also saw many otters, some seals, bald eagles, etc. along the way. Tim has outfitted the boat with some additional protections for COVID (plexiglass dividers in the cabin, etc.) Note that it will be hard to maintain 6 feet of distance and the boat ride is long (2+ hours), but everyone wears a mask on the boat! Overall a highly organized and professional outfit, creating a perfect day trip.
Written June 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for the 5 star review, Lynnea! We're glad you enjoyed the trip, despite the conditions. And thank you for letting Pangaea be a part of your Alaska vacation. Come back and see us again sometime!
Written July 5, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Caitlin Watts
2 contributions
Aug 2021
From the moment our guide got in touch a few days before our tour we knew this would be an incredible experience. We did the three day Columbia glacier kayak + overnight lodge stay, and frankly it was the best money we've spent in Alaska in a long time (we visit yearly, so that says something!) The glacier was spectacular, and Tim (owner and our captain) did a great job of slowing on our ride to scope out wildlife. We saw jellyfish, otters, sea lions, and a curious harbor seal. Our guide, Kyle, was a perfect fit for us, and we felt he kept us engaged and moving but never drove us beyond our physical comfort zone (which for a trip that involved three days of kayaking, felt very mindful and attentive). But the real treat of this particular excursion was staying with Chris at his lodge. All hours of the day we could hike the area, eat blueberries and salmon berries right off the bushes, and watch otter pups frolicking in the shallows between leaping pink salmon. A black bear showed up right in the front yard (small and harmless, eating berries just like we were). It was a spectacular home base for kayaking (we saw seals and a TON of curious otters that came right up beside our kayaks if we stayed still, and a number of eagles), and Chris himself was a font of knowledge and entertainment, as well as a phenomenal cook - we ate better those two nights than most of our trip out to restaurants!
Frankly I could rant and rave on, but book this trip! Seriously!
Frankly I could rant and rave on, but book this trip! Seriously!
Written August 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We love hearing how much guests love these trips. We take great pride in our guides and ensuring the best possible experience we can facilitate. Thank you for choosing Pangaea for your vacation in Valdez, we hope this experience continues to shine bright for you!
Written August 13, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tatanka78
Anchorage1 contribution
Jul 2021 • Family
My wife and I took our children (10 and 7) on the Schoup Glacier kayaking adventure and highly recommend it. Our kids had some kayaking experience before in lakes but not anything as large as Prince William Sound. The ask wasn't too difficult for them and the guides (Tim & Hallie) were amazing. They were engaging, insightful and entertaining whether talking to an adult or my 7 year old. Great people and organization.
Written July 22, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are so happy that you and your family enjoyed the Shoup Glacier kayaking excursion with Pangaea. Thank you for choosing us to be a part of your Alaskan adventure!
Written July 22, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Siyun L
12 contributions
Jun 2021 • Family
We did the sea kayaking tour, it was an all-day tour. The tour had about 10 people and 2 guides. First, the boat took the group to Columbia Bay Glaciers (about 1.5-2 hr I think), then the group kayaked right in front of Glacier (with same safe distance of course). It was awesome, spending half day enjoy the massive and gorgeous glacier, peaceful while hearing thunder sometimes caused by ice falling down from glacier. And we saw stunning iceberg too, iceberg only last several days, so each trip may spot different ones. It was absolutely amazing.
Our guide was Ben, a great guy. He constantly looked out for wild life when we are on boat. We were able to see orca family on our way to Glacier and back from Glacier. We learned a lot from Ben about Valdez and its wild life.
All Pangaea Tour staffs we met are friendly. On our tour day, which is foggy, one guy asked for rescheduling his reservation to the next day, the staff had no problem reschedule it for him, even with that short notice. Talking about weather, at beginning I was worried about Valdez weather, it seems always raining. But don't put off by the weather, because the glacier and iceberg are more beautiful in cloudy and raining days. The blue ice pops out more. And the tour provides heavy duty rain gear, so no worry about rain. As for the fog, it usually opens up away from shore, but I heard from our guide there are times the fog is too heavy to have glacier visible.
Our family rates this tour the best experience in our trip. It's better than cruise boat. We highly recommend doing sea kayaking in Valdez with Pangaea Tours!
Our guide was Ben, a great guy. He constantly looked out for wild life when we are on boat. We were able to see orca family on our way to Glacier and back from Glacier. We learned a lot from Ben about Valdez and its wild life.
All Pangaea Tour staffs we met are friendly. On our tour day, which is foggy, one guy asked for rescheduling his reservation to the next day, the staff had no problem reschedule it for him, even with that short notice. Talking about weather, at beginning I was worried about Valdez weather, it seems always raining. But don't put off by the weather, because the glacier and iceberg are more beautiful in cloudy and raining days. The blue ice pops out more. And the tour provides heavy duty rain gear, so no worry about rain. As for the fog, it usually opens up away from shore, but I heard from our guide there are times the fog is too heavy to have glacier visible.
Our family rates this tour the best experience in our trip. It's better than cruise boat. We highly recommend doing sea kayaking in Valdez with Pangaea Tours!
Written July 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello and thank you for taking the time to submit a kind review for Pangaea! It's stellar reviews like yours that allow us to keep doing what we do. We're glad you enjoyed your kayaking experience with us, and we are grateful that you choose Pangaea to be a part of your Alaskan vacation!
Written July 5, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Northwalker
Anchorage, AK5 contributions
Jun 2020
We did an independent kayak trip in and around Columbia Bay and Glacier Island. Pangaea was great at answering our pre-trip questions, dropping us off in Heather Bay, and picking us up eight days later on Glacier Island. They even accommodated our change in pickup time and date conveyed the prior evening through our Garmin Inreach. Great service and friendly folks!
Written July 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark&Cher
Stewartsville, NJ8 contributions
Aug 2021
The guide and staff were excellent. The views stunning. Our guide was most knowledgeable and made the tour that much more enjoyable.
The weather was cold, windy and pretty constant heavy rain, After several hours of paddling all were rain soaked and most shivering cold. Our guide put up a tarp shelter to protect us from the rain while we ate lunch. He accommodated many cold people with dry clothes and when those ran out - gave up His own wool mittens!!!
There was disappointment. My wife and I got excited when we saw the boat returning for us. We had expected shelter and warmth given the days environment. Instead the boat was very cold as the doors to the cabin needed to be left cracked open as there was no functioning windshield defroster. we sat by the front door in the small breeze huddled together cold for the 2 hour boat ride back. Features of others passengers, cold and huddled, told the same story.
Had this been less money I would dismiss this last part, however this was a serious amount of money for my wife and I as we also covered our daughter and son in law. Was not the best way to end the trip.
The weather was cold, windy and pretty constant heavy rain, After several hours of paddling all were rain soaked and most shivering cold. Our guide put up a tarp shelter to protect us from the rain while we ate lunch. He accommodated many cold people with dry clothes and when those ran out - gave up His own wool mittens!!!
There was disappointment. My wife and I got excited when we saw the boat returning for us. We had expected shelter and warmth given the days environment. Instead the boat was very cold as the doors to the cabin needed to be left cracked open as there was no functioning windshield defroster. we sat by the front door in the small breeze huddled together cold for the 2 hour boat ride back. Features of others passengers, cold and huddled, told the same story.
Had this been less money I would dismiss this last part, however this was a serious amount of money for my wife and I as we also covered our daughter and son in law. Was not the best way to end the trip.
Written August 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
krzmarzick25
1 contribution
Aug 2021 • Family
Our guide Kyle toured us out to Gold Creek by kayak where we had lunch with hot cocoa and tea. The journey provided many wildlife inhabitants including a sea lion fighting of birds for his salmon. A pair of harbor seals curiously followed us along our journey under the carful watch of a bald eagle. A young marmot looked at us in puzzlement as a zombie fish passed by. Kyle enhanced the tour with his knowledge of the area and provided extra pictures for us after its conclusion. This trip is well worth the money and would recommend to anyone as my 14- and 12-year-old will have memories to last a lifetime.
Written August 17, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sylvia W
6 contributions
Jun 2020
We were thrilled to get a new sea kayaking adventure under our belts. We have never taken a guided tour and were very pleased with our experience. The captain Tim was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. Unfortunately, the ice was very thick so getting close to Columbia was out of the question due to safety concerns. It provided us a unique opportunity to explore a recently exposed bay area that was filled with icebergs. The guides Seth, Natan, Dan, and Nadine were excellent with leading us through relatively new territory and providing a unique and fun experience. We would overwhelmingly recommend them to anyone looking for an adventure in the Valdez and Prince William Sound area.
Written June 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wondering if it is OK to take my almost 4 year old son to any of the Kayak trips? thanks
Written July 29, 2021
Our age minimum for our Duck Flats tour is 6 years old and for the rest of our tours (Gold Creek, Shoup Glacier, and Columbia Glacier) the age minimum is 8 years old. It can be a pretty tiring day for young ones and our equipment is size limited, so the kids might be swimming in it if they're too little.
Written August 7, 2021
As much as you can. Guiding generally doesn't pay the greatest and the employees depend on tips, similar to the restaurant industry. Of course, they have your life in their hands, so you might as well slide 'em an extra ten.
Written May 30, 2020
what is the price grossly for one day trip per person?
Written June 5, 2018
Hey Ted, thanks for asking! We have 4 different kayak trips, and each are priced differently. Our 3-hour Duck Flats local paddle is $75 per person, or the 6-hour Gold Creek coastal kayak is $109 per person. We also have our 8-hour Shoup Glacier our which is $209 per person, and then our most popular trip is the 10-hour Columbia Bay Kayak tour, which is $259 per person. While there are no added taxes or fees, the price does not include gratuity. You can check out our website for more descriptions of each tour. Feel free to call or email us if you have any more questions!
Written June 5, 2018
Are two day kayak outings offered in July? If so, which glaciers could you expect to see closeup?
Written May 14, 2018
Hey! Yes we can absolutely run a camping trip in July. And we offer a variety of trips, so depending on what you are hoping to see and how much paddling you want to you, we can set you up with a Shoup Glacier overnight trip or a camp trip out near the icebergs of Columbia Glacier. Call our office or email us to arrange your summer vacation with us!
Written May 15, 2018
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