Welcome to Juneau, Alaska’s breathtaking capital! Located in Southeast Alaska, this capitol city is so beautiful! It has towering mountains, glaciers all around, and the breathtaking Tongass National Forest. Sounds amazing, right?
If you’re arriving at the Juneau cruise port and wondering what to do, don’t worry! Juneau has so much to offer, whether you’re into history, nature, or just looking for some fun. We’ve got some great tips and must-try Juneau cruise excursions lined up for you.
When we explored Juneau, we were blown away by everything there was to see and do. We packed in not one, but a couple of incredible excursions. Each adventure was filled with surprises, making it a day to remember.
Check out our top Juneau cruise excursion recommendations and start planning your Alaskan adventure! Want to get straight to the excursions? View our recommendations here.
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Helpful Tips for Visiting Juneau on a Cruise
Plan Ahead
When you’ve got just one day on a cruise in Juneau, it’s crucial to think about what really matters to you and pick the sights and activities you’re most excited about. Our strong suggestion? Get your Juneau cruise excursions and activities booked ahead of time, especially when it’s busy during the peak season.
Dress in Layers
Weather in Juneau can be all over the place, even in the summer. So, here’s our number one tip: wear a few layers, and you’ll be ready for whatever comes your way. From our own experience, having a waterproof windbreaker and some hiking pants made all the difference on how comfortable we were during our excursions. They weren’t just comfortable for wandering around town; they came in super handy when we were out on the water too.
Comfortable Shoes
You will be doing a fair amount of walking and you never know when it’s going to rain, so make sure you’ve got comfy, waterproof shoes on your feet no matter which of the Juneau shore excursions you pick. Since you are in a temperate rainforest, it can be a little damp at times and not having wet feet makes your day more enjoyable for sure!
If your shoes aren’t already waterproof, you can buy a waterproofing spray to use on them before your trip. We used this one and it worked great throughout our whole trip!
Our Juneau, Alaska Cruise Excursion Recommendations
Mendenhall Glacier
There are a ton of great ways to experience Mendenhall Glacier – the superstar of Juneau! This glacier is the headliner here, stretching an impressive 13 miles and just a quick 12 miles outside the heart of the city. If you’re up for it, there are some seriously cool ways to experience the breathtaking beauty of Mendenhall. The glacier is about a 30 minute ride outside of town, so you will need a plan on how to get there if you don’t take an arranged excursion. I recommend taking the Blue Bus if you want to do things on your own. You can take a taxi but there are very few taxis here ( and really in Alaska in general) and you don’t want to be left without a ride when you are done at the glacier.
Buying a roundtrip bus pass from The Blue Bus is a great option for flexibility & convenience of getting to and from the glacier.
Hiking and Exploring the Glacier
The first and probably easiest way to taking a hike to the glacier or the area surrounding the glacier. There a a few different hikes to do at all levels and distances. If you are not sure which hike is for you, there is a visitor’s center when you arrive and the rangers in there are all very nice and can help you pick out the right hike for you. Or take a guided hike with a group to lead you through some of the cool trails there. The nice thing about a guided hike is that they will take you on some less popular trails with less people. The guides are very knowledgeable about the area too and will share cool facts during the hike. They also bring snacks!
This will be the closest you can get to the glacier, so if that is your goal, this is the excursion for you! Nugget Falls is a great hike that only takes about 45 mins and is 2 miles long. It’s an easy one with a mostly paved path and has spectacular views of the glacier and a waterfall along the trail.
Canoe Tour of the Glacier and Waterfalls
If hiking isn’t your thing, no worries, there are plenty of other ways to explore the glacier! Book a canoe tour and get up close and personal with this icy giant. Imagine paddling along the water, surrounded by the stunning scenery – it’s a whole different perspective and since a canoe is non motorized, you have a great chance of seeing wildlife as well.
This tour gets you really close to the glacier and gives you a great perspective of how really giant and impressive it is since you are down at the water level. This also going to be less strenuous and easier for kids to do than kayaking, so a great family or multigenerational excursion. If you are really interested in seeing a glacier up close and don’t want to hike or kayak, I highly recommend this excursion.
I always want to do all the things, so my top pick would be a canoe AND hike combo excursion! That way you have the greatest chance to see more wildlife and incredible views!
Kayaking Adventure to Get Up Close to the Glacier
A a little more adventurous way to see the glacier would be to take a kayak excursion and paddle your way around the pristine lake near the glacier. Be prepared to paddle around 6 to 8 miles for this excursion. The guides are pretty good at leading a group with inexperienced kayakers as well, so if it’s on your bucket list to kayak by a glacier, Juneau is a great place to do it! Since you are paddling in the icy waters, I do recommend bringing some gloves and layering up! If your lucky you might spot a sea otter or a seal in the water and seeing the falls and the massive glacier from water level will be awe inspiring!
If you want to combine a great workout, beautiful scenery and an amazing Alaskan meal, I recommend choosing the kayaking and salmon bake excursion, which includes a delicious meal after your time on the water.
A moment of honesty – If you haven’t kayaked in cold water before or kayaked at all, I would recommend the canoe excursion over this one. You are layered up in a small space and while we had fun kayaking in Alaska, it was definitely a lot of work!
Helicopter and Dog Sledding Excitement
For the ultimate Alaskan adventure, explore Mendenhall Glacier in a helicopter and then go dog sledding. Not only do you soar over the stunning glacier but then get in on some dog sledding action with the fluffiest sled team you’ve ever seen.
Helicopter excursions are weather dependent, so if weather conditions are not safe, it will get cancelled – sometimes at the last minute. My recommendation is have a back up plan of what you want to do if that happens!
This excursion is quite pricey but it is a once in a lifetime activity and it is the only way you would get to experience dog sledding on the actual ice and snow. You will get to learn about and interact with the dogs and get to choose whether you ride the runners or sit back and enjoy the ride. This is the ultimate Alaskan experience!
So, whether you’re the hiking enthusiast, a relaxing canoe passenger, or the adventurous kayaker, or want the ultimate helicopter experience, Mendenhall Glacier’s got something for everyone. Whatever one of the Juneau shore excursions to Mendenhall Glacier that you pick, you will be experiencing the wonders of Alaska – and trust me, you’ll be talking about this experience for ages!
Take a Ride on the Goldbelt Tram to the Top of the City
You absolutely can’t miss out on the Goldbelt Tram – it’s an 8 minute ride to the top of the world! This cable car takes you up to the peak of Mount Roberts, where you get to see jaw-dropping views of Juneau and the surrounding mountains and glaciers. It’s really incredible! If there is a line, don’t worry, it goes by pretty fast!
And once you’re up there, they have some great activities you can do. You can treat yourself to a delicious meal at the restaurant, the Timberline Bar & Grill, or find treasures in the gift & nature shop or take in the stunning surrounding views with a hike or just walking around the top.
If you have a pretty open day, this is one of the best Juneau cruise excursions because you can take a ride whenever you want during the day. We spend awhile up there but if you just want to walk the little area by the tram, you could make it a short 30 minute trip up and back, just to take in the views.
Grabbing a ticket for the tram is easy – you can prebuy it or buy it on the same day you’re in port. That way you can build it into your plan or be spontaneous the day of you are in port.
If you’re wanting to explore more of the surrounding area, there are these awesome hiking trails marked out, letting you explore the mountain top. And something for the adventurous – you can ride the tram up and hike back down to the city, or for those who want the ultimate hiking adventure in Juneau, why not tackle the hike both ways?
For us it was an unexpected morning adventure. We didn’t really know what to expect but were so glad we went ahead a bought a ticket for it. Goldbelt Tram has it all – stunning views, good eats, and a bit of a leg workout if you’re up for it!
What’s really cool about this Juneau shore excursion is that once you’re in, you’ve got all-day access to the tram. So, if the morning’s a bit gloomy, no worries! You can give it another shot later when the clouds go away. I love that it’s flexible and gives you plenty of time to experience those jaw-dropping views.
Historic Downtown Juneau Walking Tour & Alaska State Museum
This is one of those Juneau shore excursions you can do on your own. It combines a city tour and admission to the Juneau – Douglas Museum plus a visit to the Alaska State Museum. If you want to get a great look at the history and story of Juneau as well as Alaska’s journey into statehood, this is the day for you!
You will start by meeting your local guide at the steps of the Juneau – Douglas City Museum and then will walk about 10 blocks of the historic downtown Juneau area. During the walk you will learn about Juneau’s indigenous people, get to see totem poles, hear the stories from the early days of the city, and see how the gold rush changed the landscape of downtown Juneau. You will end at the museum where you can explore on your own.
After you are done, I recommend stopping for a tasty lunch at the Alaska Fish & Chips Company for a Halibut Fish & Chips meal with a view of the marina. The menu is pretty basic but the food tastes delicious. My advice – spring for the Halibut over the Cod here!
Taking a city tour and museum tour will give you a great scope of the history and culture of this capitol city.
The Alaska State Museum – an easy 10 minute walk from lunch. Here you can dive into the uniqueness of the area, with exhibits that will teach you all about Alaska’s history. The museum has artifacts of Alaska’s Native peoples, from the time of the Russian Colonial period as well as American artifacts that tell rich stories of the region and gives you an idea of what helped shape Alaska into what it is today. It also has some incredible showcases featuring items from the gold rush era and well as some incredible art. This museum is well put together and is a great way to spend a couple of hours.
Whale Watching
One of the most popular excursions here is taking a whale watching tour. Juneau is one of the top ports I recommend taking a tour, only second to Icy Strait Point and there are quite a few companies available to book with. On these tours, you usually have a choice of a booking a bigger group tour, which is a little more cost effective or you can go with smaller tours that are more personalized or you can sometimes do a combo, like a Mendenhall Glacier stop with a whale watching tour.
All of them guarantee that you will see at least 1 whale and the some of the types you might see are humpback whales, orcas (killer whales), and minke whales. When we went out, we only saw humpbacks, which was still pretty amazing. We ended up seeing Orca whales in Glacier Bay and Seward, which was cool too!
If you want to experience both of Juneau’s famous excursions, I recommend the Mendenhall Glacier and Whale watching excursion combo. It gives you some time to explore the glacier before heading out to look for whales.
I can’t recommend do this as one of your Juneau cruise excursions enough – it was hands down the highlight of our trip. We went with Jayleen’s Alaska for a smaller, more intimate tour. Let me tell you, it was worth the extra cost for a more private excursion for us. Choosing a smaller boat meant we didn’t have to elbow our way to a good view – everyone on board had a clear shot of all the whale sightings. We also had a great time learning about the resident whales, the area and other cool things from our captain. This was the best excursion we took of the whole trip!
A highlight during our outing was that a baby humpback was putting on a show because he was angry that his mom went to go find some food. We watched him for around half an hour, just an amazing tail slapping and rolling in the water. It was just so awesome to be able to stay there so long to watch him and get some great pictures. I loved that we were such a small group so that we could all watch and enjoy without having a crowd around us. Unforgettable doesn’t even begin to cover it!
Go Shopping in Town
Downtown Juneau is a shopping haven waiting to be explored! Wander through the lively streets, and you’ll find a mix of shops, from spots selling quirky Alaska souvenirs to places with fancy high-end clothing. And hey, if you’re into art or books, you’re in luck – there are galleries and bookstores scattered all around downtown.
If forgot to pack waterproof shoes or just want to bring home a pair of Xtratufs, the iconic boots of Alaska as a souvenir, downtown is the place to find them.
The great thing about spending the day in town wandering the shops is that you can pop over to the Goldbelt Tram, which is walkable from the downtown area, and take a ride up the mountain for some amazing views too! If you are looking for a more spontaneous day, going downtown would be a good place to start
When we were in shopping in downtown Juneau, I had to try Tracy’s Crab Shack – a total tourist place but I had to see if it lived up to the hype. The vibes here were fun and it was easy to find but if I went back again, I wouldn’t order the Crab Shack Combo, I would just go all-in for the crab legs. They were really good, but the same can’t be said for the crab cakes. They were overcooked and loaded with filler, not leaving much room for the good stuff – the crab.
There are tons of great restaurants to choose from in Juneau! If you are looking for fish and chips I recommend the Alaska Fish & Chips Company at the Flight Deck. Amazing food and a beautiful overlook of the wharf!
And let’s talk the chowder – the celery was overpowering and it had a weird grainy texture. Maybe it was an off day but it was pretty expensive for just okay food. So, if you go get the crab legs and give the other stuff a pass. Your taste buds will thank you!
What to do if Visiting Beyond a Cruise
Juneau’s got it all – from captivating attractions to a mix of experiences that’ll make your visit unforgettable. There’s something here for everyone, guaranteeing a good time no matter what kind of Juneau experiences you’re after!
If you’re not rolling in on a cruise and find yourself with some extra time, there’s a whole bunch more to check out in Juneau. You’ve got Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, the scenic Tracy Arm Fjord, and the massive Juneau Icefield – all ready to explore. And hey, if you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, why not hop on a day trip to one of the nearby towns like Sitka or Skagway?
No matter what you choose to do in Juneau, you’re bound to make memories that stick. This city’s got a ton of chances for you to soak in its natural beauty and charm. Go ahead and create those unforgettable moments!
Let us know in the comments if we missed the best Juneau cruise excursions. Do you want help planning your own Alaskan adventures? Contact me and I can help!
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