Valdez cruise port

Columbia Glacier, Keystone Canyon waterfalls and the quiet end of Prince William Sound.

Valdez sits at the head of a fjord on the east side of Prince William Sound, ringed by 5,000 foot peaks, with the end of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline across the bay and the Columbia Glacier an hour out by boat. Ships tie up at the Kelsey Dock beside the ferry terminal, a 5 to 10 minute walk from the harbor boardwalk and the museums, and the day is spent either on the water with the icebergs and sea otters or up the Richardson Highway past the waterfalls of Keystone Canyon to Worthington Glacier. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls at Valdez from every line, priced with taxes and fees included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.

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DockedKelsey Dock downtown, walk-off; some larger ships shuttle in from the container dock
Town5 to 10 minutes on foot; US dollars, Alaska time
Late Jun to Julsalmon, sea lions and bears at the hatchery, highs around 60
All inevery price includes taxes and fees
Start here

Three ways to do Valdez

Spend the day on the Sound at Columbia Glacier, ride the highway to the canyon waterfalls and Worthington Glacier, or walk the harbor and hatchery on your own; the buttons filter the list of sailings below.

Big excursion

Columbia Glacier day cruise

  • About 6 hours on a Stan Stephens catamaran from the small boat harbor to the iceberg field in front of Columbia Glacier, one of the largest tidewater glaciers in Alaska
  • Sea otters, Steller sea lions, puffins, humpbacks and the Bligh Reef shoreline on the way out
  • About $175 per adult booked direct as of 2026, more through the ship; light lunch included

Best for: first-timers, wildlife photographers, anyone who wants a glacier up close

Scenic drive

Keystone Canyon and Worthington Glacier

  • About 3.5 hours by motorcoach up the Richardson Highway through Keystone Canyon past Bridal Veil and Horsetail Falls
  • Thompson Pass, the snowiest place in Alaska, and a walk to the face of Worthington Glacier
  • About $155 to $165 through the ship as of 2026; shorter trolley tours of town run about $60

Best for: families, grandparents, anyone who gets seasick

On your own

Harbor, hatchery and Old Town

  • The harbor boardwalk and two craft breweries on Galena Drive, 5 minutes from the dock
  • Solomon Gulch Hatchery across the bay, free, where sea lions and bears feed on the salmon run from late June
  • Valdez Museum and the Old Town exhibit on the 1964 earthquake, about $15

Best for: walkers, repeat Alaska cruisers, anyone on a budget

Live from the cruise lines

Valdez cruises: SmartCruiser picks first

Every cruise that calls at Valdez from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.

SmartCruiser picks

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Every cruise that calls at Valdez

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Prices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.

In port

Things to do in Valdez

Town, the harbor and the trails are all on foot from the dock; the glacier cruises and the highway tours leave from the small boat harbor and the dock.

Columbia Glacier cruiseThe signature trip: 6 hours on a stable catamaran to the iceberg-packed bay in front of Columbia Glacier, with sea otters, sea lions, puffins and often whales. About $175 adult direct with Stan Stephens as of 2026, more through the ship; the 8 hour Meares Glacier version reaches a glacier you can get right up to.
Keystone Canyon and Worthington GlacierA 3.5 hour motorcoach ride up the Richardson Highway through the canyon past Bridal Veil and Horsetail Falls, over Thompson Pass to a short walk at Worthington Glacier; about $155 to $165 through the ship. The waterfalls are also a 15 minute taxi ride if you just want the photo.
Solomon Gulch HatcheryA 15 minute drive down Dayville Road across the bay, where millions of pink salmon return from late June to September and sea lions, bears, eagles and otters line up to eat them; free, with the pipeline terminal tanks on the hill above. Go at low tide for the bears.
Valdez Glacier Lake kayakingPaddle a stable inflatable kayak among icebergs on the lake below Valdez Glacier, about 4 hours and about $270 through the ship; no experience needed, and the lake is frozen until late May.
Valdez Museum and Old TownThe town’s museum on Egan Drive covers the 1964 earthquake and tsunami that destroyed the original town 4 miles east, the 1989 oil spill and the pipeline; about $15 adult, free under 18, with a 1:20 scale model of Old Town at the Hazelet Avenue annex by the dock.
Harbor boardwalk and breweriesNorth Harbor Drive is a 5 to 10 minute walk from the dock: fishing boats, sea otters and eagles in the small boat harbor, seafood lunch, and two craft breweries with outdoor seating on Galena Drive. Watch for the feral rabbits that live downtown.
Dock Point and Overlook trailsDock Point loop is a 1 mile boardwalk and forest trail starting a few minutes from the dock with harbor views; the Overlook Trail stairs on Hazelet Avenue climb to a view of the whole fjord in 20 minutes. Both free.
Bike path to Old TownRent a bike or e-bike in town and ride the paved path east past the Crooked Creek salmon viewing platform and the duck flats to the Old Town site and the glacier road; about 2 hours round trip.
Timing

When to go

Valdez is the wettest and snowiest town in the Sound, with May the driest month and September the wettest; the salmon run from late June sets the wildlife calendar.

MayHighs around 50 to 55, the driest month of the year with only about 3 inches of rain, snow still on Thompson Pass and the glacier lake frozen; the first Viking and Holland America calls
June to JulyHighs around 60, long days, the salmon returning to Solomon Gulch from late June and the sea lions and bears with them; the best weeks and the busiest
AugustHighs easing from 62 to 58 with rain building, the hatchery still full and Columbia Glacier calving hard; a good month for whales in the Sound
SeptemberHighs falling to about 50, the wettest month at nearly 10 inches, fresh snow on the peaks and the lowest fares as the one-way season winds down
Good to know

Valdez questions we answer every day

Where do cruise ships dock in Valdez and how far is town?

Most ships tie up at the Kelsey Dock downtown, right beside the Alaska Marine Highway ferry terminal, and you walk off: the harbor boardwalk on North Harbor Drive is 5 to 10 minutes along Fidalgo Avenue and the visitor center about 10 minutes. Some larger ships use the container terminal across the bay instead, in which case the line runs a shuttle to downtown; your ship’s daily program will say which.

How do I get around Valdez?

On foot for town, the harbor and the trails. The glacier cruises leave from the small boat harbor a few minutes away, the highway and hatchery tours load at the dock, and the hatchery is a 15 minute taxi ride down Dayville Road. There are only a few taxis and no rideshare, so book the Keystone Canyon trip ahead; bikes and e-bikes rent in town.

What currency, language and time zone?

US dollars and English. Valdez is on Alaska Time, an hour behind Seattle and Vancouver, so check whether your ship keeps ship time. Cell coverage is good in town and patchy on the Sound; cards are taken everywhere and there is no sales tax on most downtown shopping.

Is Valdez safe?

Yes, it is a town of about 4,000 people. The real cautions are wildlife and weather: bears feed at the hatchery and along the bike path in salmon season, so keep your distance, and the Sound can be choppy and cold even in July, so dress in layers for the glacier cruise.

What is the best excursion, and should I book it through the ship?

The Columbia Glacier cruise is the reason to come. It is 6 hours, so on a short call it only works through the ship or on a sailing with a full day in port; the ship versions use the same Stan Stephens boats. The Keystone Canyon and Worthington Glacier drive is the best choice for a half day or if you do not want a boat.

Do I need a passport for an Alaska cruise?

Nearly every cruise that calls at Valdez is a one-way sailing between Vancouver and Seward or Whittier, and one-way cruises that touch Canada require a valid passport for US citizens. Closed-loop round trips from a US port can sail with a government photo ID plus an original birth certificate, but we recommend a passport either way.

Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?

Yes. Every price on this page includes the cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, shore excursions and gratuities are extra.

Talk to a Valdez cruise specialist

Valdez is on only a few dozen sailings a year, so tell us your dates and we will find the Gulf of Alaska voyage that includes it and carries SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.

1-800-444-1560