There are lots of excursions on offer when visiting Juneau on a cruise ship. We detail some of the top rated excursions in the area below. As well as share our experience on a Juneau whale watching and Mendenhall Glacier tour. It was a perfect combo tour for us, and we couldn’t have had a better day for it.
Alaska Shore Excursions Must-Dos
When it comes to Alaska excursions you can bet they are all outdoors. Wildlife, glaciers and fishing will always top almost any list. There are so many variations and combinations of each of these to choose from. My recommendation when visiting Alaska? Get outdoors and explore!
Juneau Whale Watching and Mendenhall Glacier Tour
Years ago, during a visit to Alaska, I hiked Mendenhall Glacier. As beautiful as the experience was, it was time consuming. Since we were visiting by cruise ship this trip, time was more of a concern. Many of our friends traveling with us were interested in whale watching as well which is very popular in Juneau. We decided, for this trip, to opt for the whale watching and Mendenhall Glacier tour combo.
Mendenhall Glacier Tour
The Mendenhall Glacier tour begins with a pick up at the Juneau cruise ship terminal. From the cruise ship it is just a short drive to the glacier. Our driver was great at giving us background information of the area along the way. Upon drop off we were given a time for pick up. Until then we were free to explore on our own.
There were many viewpoints and walkways providing magnificent views of the glacier. There was also a visitors center providing information on the mighty glacier.
Whale watching tour from Juneau, Alaska
After leaving the glacier we were taken to the bay where we boarded a boat to begin the whale watching portion of the day. The staff onboard were fantastic. They were all very knowledgeable of the area and the wildlife.
Even though there is never a guarantee to see whales we saw many during our trip! We even saw a very young calf playing in the water with his mother. It was absolutely amazing!
The total tour lasted 4.5 hours. There is an option to add on a crab bake lunch but our group chose not to as we wanted time to explore Juneau before returning to the ship. This combo tour is a great way to see two of the top sites in Juneau in a limited amount of time.
Other shore excursions around Juneau
Chartered Fishing Trips
Chartered fishing trips are very popular excursions in Juneau. My husband and his friends chose to do this while we were whale watching. They were fishing for halibut and salmon but unfortunately didn’t have any luck that day.
If this is something you want to add to your trip I would recommend booking way in advance. We waited until 2 months before our trip and all of the top charters were fully booked.
Dog Sledding
Dog sledding is another popular but more expensive excursion from Juneau. Many of these excursions also include a helicopter transfer to the glacier where the tour begins. This is a very hands on interactive tour. Not only will you help prepare your dog-sled team, but you will also have the chance to lead your dog sled across the glacier in a thrilling adventure.
On average the dog sled excursions last 3-5 hours.
City and food tours
Juneau city tours and food tours (such as crab bakes) are very popular with cruise visitors. These can be done alone or in combination with other excursions. Juneau is a very easy city to explore on your own as the cruise ships dock in the city. Everything is compact and close by. After our whale watching and glacier tour we spent time walking the streets and exploring.
One must-see is the Red Dog Saloon. It has been recognized as the oldest man made tourist attraction in Juneau as it has been around since the beginning of the gold rush days.
Choosing the best Juneau whale watching tour and shore excursions
When choosing an excursion in Juneau the most important things to consider are how much time you have, the amount of money you want to spend, and how adventurous you want to be. There is a wide variety of excursions to choose from that you are sure to find something for everyone.
A casual stroll in the city and trying local foods, or hiking and dog sledding across glaciers. Either way you are sure to enjoy being outdoors and enjoying the sights in Alaska.
We loved our Juneau whale watching and Mendenhall Glacier tour – it was a great length and showed us the very best of Juneau in a short time.
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