The Only Glacier-View Dining in Juneau

Sponsored post with Wings Airways; April 2026

Juneau has no shortage of ways to see a glacier. You can hike to one, take a helicopter over one, board a bus and stand at the edge of one…spend some time researching all the options and they start to blur together.

But here’s a truly unique way to do it: the Taku Lodge Feast & 5-Glacier Seaplane Discovery Tour with Wings Airways. Here, spectacular glacier views come during a scenic floatplane ride and while dining on Alaska salmon at a 100-year-old wilderness lodge.

There’s nothing else like it in Juneau.

Glacier Flight From Juneau

Wings Airways operates from a floatplane dock on the downtown waterfront, tucked into the historic blue building at Merchants Wharf and just steps from the cruise ship terminals.

You’ll board a de Havilland Otter, the classic turbine floatplane that has been the workhorse of Alaskan bush aviation for decades. Every passenger gets a guaranteed window seat; plus, the wide cabin and low wing make the plane ideal for checking out the view.

Lift off the Gastineau Channel and Juneau falls away below you. Peer out over the harbor, the hillside houses, and the mountains closing in on all sides. Within minutes, you’ll be looking down on the Alaskan wilderness.

Miles of Ice and Silence

The flight to the lodge takes roughly 35 minutes; along the way, you’ll marvel at five stunning glaciers flowing off the Juneau Icefield: Norris, Taku, East Twin, West Twin, and Hole-in-the-Wall. Meanwhile, over headset, continuous narration will be filling you in the geology and history of the landscape below.

It’s easy to get lost in the majesty of the icefield, which stretches out in every direction over some 1,500 square miles. From above, the crevasses look almost architectural, with long blue fractures creating distinct patterns.

You’ll have time to take it in, shoot photos, and to start to feel the scale of it all before the plane begins its descent.

Landing on the River

You’ll touch down on the broad, gray-green Taku River, with the floats skimming, then catching, as the plane slows down through a spray of water. When you step off the plane, you’ll be 30 air miles from the nearest road.

Before heading up to the lodge, you’ll learn what to do if you encounter a frequent area guest: black bears. This brief orientation is the moment you realize you’re genuinely somewhere wild.

Dining With a Glacier View

Built in 1923, the Taku Glacier Lodge pre-dates Alaskan statehood and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The interior transports you back to that golden age, with wood beams and a stone fireplace, along with mushing equipment and furs on the walls. It smells like woodsmoke and home cooking.

That home cooking is your feast of wild Alaska coho salmon, sourced from the Taku River or nearby waters and grilled over an open alder wood fire. The menu around it is built for the setting: slow-cooked baked beans, fresh coleslaw, fruit compote, Alaskan sourdough bread, savory herb biscuits, and the Taku Lodge’s famous ginger cookies for dessert. End your meal with some Russian tea or coffee, or order up a glass of fresh lemonade chilled with glacier ice. Beer and wine are available for purchase.

But you came here for a glacier view, and that’s exactly what you’ll get. The dining room windows look directly out at the Hole-in-the-Wall Glacier, filling the glass, so you can take in the ancient ice as you enjoy your meal in a century-old lodge that sits on a river reachable only by floatplane.

As if that wasn’t enough, you’ll also hear the story of Mary Joyce, the pioneering Alaskan who put this remote lodge on the national map by completing a 1,000-mile solo dogsled journey in the 1930s. Her story, and the artifacts that go with it, imbue the lodge with a history that goes beyond the scenery.

Explore Taku Lodge

You’ll have two full hours to take in that history. Go for a guided interpretive nature walk through the surrounding forest. Sit on the front porch with a glass of wine and watch the river. Or just stay at your table, order more coffee, and enjoy the magnificent glacier view.

This unhurried stretch is part of what distinguishes the experience from a typical excursion. The lodge is quiet, the pace is yours, and the setting does the work.

The Flight Back

The return flight follows the opposite side of the Taku Inlet. Cast your eyes over the massive icefield before Juneau reappears in your view.

Plan Your Visit

The tour runs three hours. For anyone working around a cruise ship schedule, Wings Airways builds the departures around ship itineraries and operates with a back-on-time guarantee. And the downtown dock location means you’ll be close to your ship when you return.

For flightseeing without the lodge stop, Wings Airways also offers a 40-minute Five Glacier Seaplane tour. But if your schedule allows three hours, the lodge makes this experience extra special. The Taku Lodge Feast & 5-Glacier Seaplane Discovery is available from late April through late September.