Whittier, Alaska

Whittier sits at the end of Passage Canal in Prince William Sound, about 60 miles south-east of Anchorage, and is a main embarkation port for Gulf of Alaska cruises. More about Whittier →

Aerial daylight view of Whittier harbor on Passage Canal beneath snow-capped Chugach peaks and green forest
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Ship schedule by month

October 2026 · from today · all times local (Alaska Time)

No more ships are scheduled in Whittier this month

Try another month.

Cruise Ships in Whittier

Today and the next 7 days · all times local (Alaska Time)

Today · Thu 22 OctNo ships
0 people in port
No cruise ships today

Next 7 days

  1. Thu
    22 Oct
    –No ships
    0 ships
  2. Fri
    23 Oct
    –No ships
    0 ships
  3. Sat
    24 Oct
    –No ships
    0 ships
  4. Sun
    25 Oct
    –No ships
    0 ships
  5. Mon
    26 Oct
    –No ships
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  6. Tue
    27 Oct
    –No ships
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  7. Wed
    28 Oct
    –No ships
    0 ships

Thousands of people in port, guests plus crew. Crowd level compared with a typical Whittier day.

Planning a day in Whittier?

The crowd calendar shows every ship and how busy the port is, hour by hour, plus the quietest and busiest days for the next 90 days.

See the Whittier cruise crowd calendar

Where is the Whittier cruise port?

Chugach Glacier Gateway cruise terminal, 1313 Prince William Sound Drive, Whittier, AK 99693, on Passage Canal; reached by road through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel.

Terminal

Getting to the Whittier cruise port

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) → Chugach Glacier Gateway terminal

96.9 km · ~78 min by car

About 97 km, roughly 1 h 20 min by car, plus waits for the tunnel opening. The tunnel toll is about USD 13 round trip for a passenger vehicle.

Typical prices, approximate. Fares change with demand, traffic and time of day.

TransportTypical priceJourneyGood to know
Drive (tunnel toll)
$13per vehicle
Varies
Approximate fare. Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel round-trip toll for passenger vehicles.
Cruise-line or terminal-partner transfer
Variesper person
Varies
Pre-arranged cruise-line transfers or the terminal partner Pacific Alaska Tours.

Typical prices, approximate. Fares change with demand, traffic and time of day.

Driving to the port

Tunnel: summer (1 May–30 Sep) 5:30 am–11:15 pm, winter (1 Oct–30 Apr) 7:00 am–10:45 pm, direction alternating every 30 minutes; Whittier-bound openings on the half hour. Luggage storage at the terminal: $14–20 per bag.

Whittier Cruise Terminals

1 terminal

Chugach Glacier Gateway terminal

Cruise terminal with a 1,645 ft double berth for two ships, a 508 ft floating dock and a 30,000 sq ft passenger processing area.

Parking at the Whittier cruise port

Official port parking
$27/ day

Daily rate · per vehicle · confirm before travel

Terminal parking lot within walking distance of the cruise terminal; no reservation required; pay on arrival by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover).

Parking facilities

FacilityServesRatesReservationRate notes
Terminal lot – cars and SUVs
Chugach Glacier Gateway terminal
~$27/day
—
Serves Chugach Glacier Gateway terminal · Reservation: —
Per night.
Terminal lot – RVs
Chugach Glacier Gateway terminal
~$37–47/day
—
Serves Chugach Glacier Gateway terminal · Reservation: —
Per night, RVs under 30 ft. · Per night, RVs over 30 ft.

Where to Stay Before Your Cruise

Pick the area first. Typical nightly prices, approximate.

Downtown Anchorage

$146–205 / night

Fly in the day before; most cruise transfers start here.

Typical hotel

$146–205 / night
Port ~78 minAirport ~12 min

About 1 h 18 min drive to Whittier plus tunnel wait.

Hotels here
  • Hotel Captain Cook
  • Clarion Suites
  • Wildbirch Hotel

Girdwood

$271 / night

Resort village halfway to Whittier.

Typical hotel

$271 / night
Port ~44 minAirport ~53 min

About 44 min to the terminal; Glacier Discovery train stops here.

Hotels here
  • Alyeska Resort

Eating in Whittier

Coffee per item
$2.50
per item
Soft drink per item
$1.75
per item
Bottled water per item
$1.50
per item

Prices are approximate, in USD. Lunch and dinner up to about USD 30; breakfast up to about USD 20. Drink prices are Anchorage prices, at City Grind Cafe (Anchorage City Hall): coffee about USD 2.50, soft drink 1.75, water 1.50.

Where to eat

Harbor Triangle

Small cluster of cafes and seafood spots by the Whittier small boat harbor, including Swiftwater Seafood Cafe.

Destination

About Whittier

Whittier sits at the end of Passage Canal in Prince William Sound, about 60 miles south-east of Anchorage, and is a main embarkation port for Gulf of Alaska cruises. Ships berth at the Chugach Glacier Gateway terminal, which has a double berth for two ships and a parking lot within walking distance.

The only land route is the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, at 2.7 miles the longest combined vehicle and railroad tunnel in North America, which alternates between cars and trains. Most of the town's residents live in one building, the Begich Towers, and glacier cruises into Prince William Sound leave from the harbour.

Time zone
Alaska Time
Currency
USD

Things to Do in Whittier

Portal of the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel with its traffic signals and gate, set against a forested mountainside
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Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel

At 2.7 miles, the longest combined vehicle and railroad tunnel in North America and the only land route to Whittier; built during World War II, it alternates between cars and the Alaska Railroad every half hour.

Tidewater glaciers flowing down snowy mountains into the calm waters of Prince William Sound
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Prince William Sound glacier cruises

Home to 150 glaciers; tour boats and catamarans visit tidewater glaciers in places such as Blackstone Bay and Harriman Fjord, with whales, sea otters and harbor seals often spotted.

Lit display cases of World War II photographs and memorabilia inside the Prince William Sound Museum in Whittier
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Prince William Sound Museum

Displays on Whittier’s origins as a secret World War II military installation and on the builders of the tunnel.

Narrow dirt path through low green brush and spruce trees on a misty day along the Horsetail Falls Trail
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Horsetail Falls Trail

Two-mile trail off Blackstone Road up Blackstone Ridge to views of Horsetail Falls; a roadside pullout offers easier viewing.

Cruise Ships Visiting Whittier

Holland America Line

Azamara Cruises

HX Expeditions

Norwegian Cruise Line

Oceania Cruises

Regent Seven Seas

Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection