The City of Whittier is at the head of Passage Canal, a fjord of Western Prince William Sound. Whittier is approximately 47 air miles (62 miles by road) southeast of Anchorage. 

Whittier is a year round ice-free port and is a focal point for marine activity and freight transfer from sea train barge serving Southcentral Alaska. The Whittier townsite lies on a fan-shaped delta on the south shore of Passage Canal. The delta, approximately a mile square, is bordered by Whittier Creek on the west and by a mountain ridge on the east.

If you are visiting Whittier as part of a cruise, one of the most popular shore excursions is the Prince William Sound Glacier Cruise.