Fun fact about me: I am obsessed with glacial ice. So many of my favorite personal (and professional!) adventures have involved glaciers, from paddling through the icefjord that produced the Titanic in Greenland all the way south to exploring the continent of Antarctica. So trust me when I say I know exactly what locations to go to to balance ease of access along with seclusion and the best experiences.
Ilulissat Icefjord in Greenland is my all time favorite way to see ice. Because you’re able to access more than you (safely) can in Antarctica, it’s easily my top rec. Picture paddling with icebergs the size of a city block while all of the ice is lit up by the midnight sun. It’s mesmerizing.
If you’re looking for a more traditional glacier experience though or want to see more from the air than the water, there are more great options for your day! Check out my list below for more of my recommendations for glacier elopements around the world.
(Only looking for glaciers available in a certain season? I made an interactive map that can help you out! Click here to be directly to it and search nearly 600 locations with filters for activity, scenery, and more.)
Ilulissat Icefjord, Ilulissat, Greenland
If you like the idea of hopping on a midnight cruise to go get up close and personal with HUGE icebergs the size of literal buildings, then I’d like to introduce you to the Ilulissat Icefjord. This ice steam in the Arctic Circle is one of the fastest moving and most productive on the PLANET. Sailing through this area is genuinely unreal and like no other place in the world. It’s impossible to fathom how massive some of these chunks of ice are, ranging from 3 feet to 3,000 feet. You can only do this activity in the summer due to its location, so you’ll need to plan accordingly. But when you’re watching the midnight sun paint the snow and ice so many different colors, you’ll know it was worth it.
Best for: Mountains, Glaciers, Coast and Icebergs
Best months to get married here: June to September
My favorite activities to do here: Boating, Kayaking, Helicopter and Hiking
Prince William Sound, Alaska
If more than anything you want to make sure you really have your pick of glaciers, Prince William Sound may be the perfect place. There are 150+ glaciers here alone! And over a dozen of those touch the sea, making this a popular pick for boat tours where you can watch the glaciers calve and fall into the water. Chartered cruises through the sound happen often, but you can also choose other options for getting out on the water to get up close with these massive sheets of ice—like kayaking or jet skiing!
Best for: Mountains, Glaciers and Coast
Best months to get married here: June to September
My favorite activities to do here: Boating, Kayaking
Chugach National Forest, Alaska
The best part of this forest is that it is a great starting point for so many quintessentially Alaskan adventures. Chugach is the connecting force between Prince William Sound towns known for glacier tours like Whittier and bigger cities like Anchorage. There are 20 tidewater glaciers here that touch the ocean, sending icebergs into the sea and putting on spectacular shows. One of the most popular, the Portage Glacier, has a lake of its own that’s great for paddling around in. Helicopter elopements are also great here and give you the choice between any of the glaciers around—you’ll be at the top (with spectacular views along the way) in no time.
Best for: Mountains, Lakes, Glaciers, Forest, Waterfall and Wildflowers
Best months to get married here: June to September
My favorite activities to do here: Helicopters, Jeep/4×4, Hiking, Packrafting, Stargazing
Antarctica
When nothing but the largest glacier in the world will do, there’s always Antarctica. This is the largest glacier complex on the planet and home to five of the biggest you’ll find anywhere. And if you’re thinking, “Wait, you can get married on Antarctica?” the answer is yes! As of 2022, marriage licenses can be issued here. They’re from the UK, but if you’re a US citizen, you can file for them with no additional paperwork. I can help you through that process if this is right for you. All you have to do is be down for the adventure!
Best for: Penguins, Whales, Glaciers, Mountains and Icebergs
Best months to get married here: December & January
My favorite activities to do here: Safari, Helicopter, Boating
Chamonix, France
France may not be the first country you think of when you’re seeking out glaciers, but this far northern ski town in the Alps shouldn’t be skipped! It’s home to the Mer de Glace or sea of ice, which is the biggest glacier in the country and the second longest in the Alps. On your elopement day you can take a train to the top, do some exploring of ice caves and glacier walks, learn about the science of glaciers at their museum, and then cap off your day with a meal at the restaurant, which boasts a panoramic view of the entire area. Not your vibe? Don’t worry—there are still 6 other major glaciers here to choose from.
Best for: Mountains, Glacier, Wildflowers and Forest
Best months to get married here: June to October
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Camping
Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, Alaska
The name isn’t there for irony. You can see over 1,000 glaciers in this national park, each with something unique to offer to your elopement day. While you can kayak here to get a closer and quieter look at some of the ice, it’s recommended that you go on a chartered cruise, which will let you see more of the glaciers at a time and acts as a protective measure against unexpected calving. If you do choose to kayak though, you may get even more than just a good view, as there’s tons of wildlife to be spotted here as well!
Best for: Mountains, Glaciers and Coast
Best months to get married here: July to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Helicopter, Boating
Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina
Los Glaciares is the largest national park in Argentina and is about 30% ice. This park contains hundreds—yes, I said HUNDREDS—of glaciers, making up the largest continental ice extension after Antarctica. If one-of-a-kind landscapes and huge swaths of blue ice are what you have in mind for your elopement day, you’ll be spoiled for choice here. The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the most popular stops here with plenty of excursions being offered to it via boat or helicopter.
Best for: Glaciers, Mountains and Lakes
Best months to get married here: November to February
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking and Boating
Schilthorn/Birg, Switzerland
This is a great pick for folks who want to see glaciers and be immersed in the environment but aren’t necessarily wanting to get out and hike directly on the ice itself. At the top of Schilthorn there is a rotating restaurant that will give you big views—including glaciers!—all while you have a meal, giving you all of the scenery but in an incredibly relaxed and laidback way. Or, if you still want some adrenaline with your glacier outing, there is also a thrill walk that connects Shilthorn and Birg, taking you directly over the top of glaciers settled between the two peaks.
Best for: Mountains and Glaciers
Best months to get married here: May to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking
Denali National Park & Preserve, Alaska
This National Park is home to the tallest mountain in North America—Denali, clocking in at over 20,000 feet—so you know that it’s also home to some truly amazing glaciers. Ice covers over 1 million acres of this park, with many of the glaciers forming directly off of Denali! While they vary in accessibility, many of them are best reached via small planes (like ski planes!) or helicopters, which take you directly onto higher altitude glaciers without days of hiking involved. Plus, on the way up, you’ll get a great view of all of the snow & ice in the area.
Best for: Mountains, Lakes, Glaciers, and Wildflowers.
Best months to get married here: July to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Skiplane, Camping, Stargazing
Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland
The park’s namesake glacier takes up a whopping 8% of Iceland’s land, making it the biggest glacier on the continent. Made up of bright blue ice full of crags and producing over a dozen rivers, it’s visually super interesting to look at. Because it’s so large, this is one that you can drive yourself to and use varying trailheads to get started on your own glacier hike! If you don’t want to DIY, though, there are also plenty of options for guided tours and hikes of the area that make it easy to see the sights without worrying about the logistics.
Best for: Mountains, Lakes, Mountains, Glaciers, Waterfalls and Icebergs
Best months to get married here: June to August
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Kayaking, Boating
Interlaken, Switzerland
Besides being a beautiful and idyllic Swiss Alps town, Interlaken is also the starting point for one of the coolest ways to get to a glacier. The Jungfrau Railway starts here and transports you directly up to the highest railway station in Europe, where you can get out and have a great view of the glaciers around, like the Aletsch Glacier. If you want to get even closer, you can also pay for a local guide who can take you hiking out on the ice so that you can connect directly to this enormous, powerful river of ice.
Best for: Lakes, Forest, Wildflowers and Mountains
Best months to get married here: June to September
My favorite activities to do here: Helicopter, Hiking, Boating, Kayaking, Paddleboarding
Jasper National Park, Canada
For seriously stand-out glacial scenery, you have to head to Jasper National Park. The Athabasca Glacier and Columbia Icefield let you get up close and personal with a massive glacier during your elopement. One of the best parts about this glacier is how easily accessible it is—you can drive right up to the trailhead and cut the hike down to just about 30 minutes. Don’t feel like making the trek? Specially equipped terrain vehicles offer tours right out onto the ice. Or you can get an eye of it from a distance from the glass-bottomed skywalk nearby!
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Best months to get married here:
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Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Iceland
This is Iceland’s deepest lake! The icebergs here are massive, with some of them being easily the size of an entire building. The lake is fed by the Vatnajökull glacier (read on for more on that!) and connects to Diamond Beach (again, more details below!), so you are truly immersed in an exceptionally beautiful corner of the Earth. Chartered day cruises are one of the most popular ways to explore this area and experience the lagoon, but there are also ice caves around that you can get out and explore! It’ll feel like an adventure no matter what you choose.
Best for: Mountains, Lakes, Glaciers and Icebergs
Best months to get married here: June to August
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Kayaking, Boating
Diamond Beach, Iceland
If you love the idea of ice but not necessarily standing on top of it, Diamond Beach could be the perfect elopement destination for you. I’m not sure any spot on the island quite captures the “Land of Fire and Ice” vibe quite like here. You have volcanically produced black sands with crystal clear chunks of ice that have washed up. With a glacier lagoon at your back and the open sea in front of you, this beach gives you great views of icebergs, glaciers, and unique landscape formations that feel so perfectly Icelandic.
Best for: Glacier, Mountains, Lake, Beach and Coast
Best months to get married here: July to September
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Boating, Kayaking
Nuuk Icefjord, Nuuk, Greenland
The Nuuk Icefjord is super rewarding and relatively accessible given its proximity to Greenland’s capital of the same name. A boat tour followed by a hike is the most common way to get here, but you can also easily access the area via helicopter! When the sun is out, you can see these chunks of ice light up bright blue from the light and the reflection of the water around them. Because you’ll start your trip out of Nuuk, there are options for any length of trip you’re imagining, which makes it super easy to find one that fits right into your elopement day!
Best for: Glaciers, Coast and Mountains
Best months to get married here: June to September
My favorite activities to do here: Boating, Hiking and Helicopter
Svalbard, Norway
If your dream is to elope at the North Pole, Svalbard is likely as close as you’re going to get. The sun doesn’t set between late April and late August, giving you a seemingly unlimited time to explore the Arctic Circle landscape. Auroras, dog sleds, reindeer, and snowmobiling are all super commonplace here. Spend a full day exploring and then get married at midnight when the sun is still up for an arctic wedding you will never forget.
Best for: Coast, Glaciers and Mountains
Best months to get married here: July and August
My favorite activities to do here: Hiking, Safari
Want to only see glacier locations you can get to by helicopter in the summer? Use my searchable map! Filter through nearly 600 locations all around the world using tags for scenery, season, and activity—so that you only see exactly what you need.
You don’t have to make these decisions on your own! I’m here to help and bring my experience from traveling to all seven continents across more than 10 years of photography to you to help you find the perfect spot for your elopement. I can help you find meltwater pools to kayak in, great helicopter companies to work with, and ultimately find a location that hits everything on your wishlist.
Ready to get planning? Click here to be taken to get in touch with me!
