Welcome to Juneau, Alaska’s breathtaking capital! Located in Southeast Alaska, this capital city has beautiful, 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! Whether you’re into history, nature, or just looking for fun, Juneau has so much to offer.
When we explored Juneau, we were blown away by everything there was to see and do. We packed in multiple 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 things you’re most excited about. Our strong suggestion? Get your Juneau cruise excursions and activities booked ahead of time, especially when it’s 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 so you’ll be ready for whatever comes your way. From our own experience, having a waterproof windbreaker and some hiking pants were not only comfortable for wandering town, but also 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 for your Juneau excursions. Since you are in a temperate rainforest, it can be a little damp at times, and not having wet feet definitely makes your day more enjoyable!
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. 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 in getting to and from the glacier.
Hiking and Exploring the Glacier
The first (and probably easiest) way to enjoy the area is by taking a hike to the glacier or the area surrounding the glacier. There are 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 where nice rangers can help you pick out the right hike for you. You can also take a guided hike with a group to lead you through some of the cool trails there, and they’ll take you on some less popular trails with less people. The guides are very knowledgeable about the area and will share interesting facts along the way. 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, as it only takes about 45 minutes and is 2 miles long. It’s an easy one with a mostly paved path, including spectacular views of the glacier and a waterfall along the trail.
Canoe Tour of the Glacier and Waterfalls
If hiking isn’t your thing, 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 and wildlife.
This tour gets you really close to the glacier, giving you a great perspective of the impressive glacier. This is also going to be less strenuous and easier for kids to do than kayaking, so it’s a great family or multigenerational excursion. If you’re 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 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. The guides are good at leading a group with inexperienced kayakers, 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 recommend bringing some gloves and layering up! You might spot a sea otter or seal in the water, and you’ll get to see the falls and the awe-inspiring glacier from the water!
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.
If you haven’t kayaked in cold water before or haven’t 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 also get in on some dog sledding action with the fluffiest sled team you’ve ever seen!
Helicopter excursions are weather dependent, so it may get canceled last minute if the weather is bad. I recommend having a backup excursion in mind in case this happens.
This excursion is quite pricey, but it is a once in a lifetime activity and 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.
Whether you’re a hiking enthusiast, a relaxing canoe passenger, an adventurous kayaker, or want the ultimate helicopter experience, Mendenhall Glacier’s got something for everyone. Whichever Juneau shore excursion to Mendenhall Glacier you pick will allow you to experience wonders and make memories to last a lifetime!
Take a Ride on the Goldbelt Tram to the Top of the City
You 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 to the peak of Mount Roberts, where you get to see jaw-dropping views of Juneau and the surrounding mountains and glaciers. If there is a line, don’t worry– it goes by pretty fast!
And once you’re up there, you can treat yourself to a delicious meal at the Timberline Bar & Grill, find treasures in the gift & nature shop, or take in the stunning surrounding views with a hike or walk.
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 spent a while 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 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, making it easy to build it into your plan or be spontaneous day-of.
If you’re wanting to explore more of the surrounding area, there are these awesome hiking trails to let you explore the mountaintop. 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. The 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. If the morning’s a bit gloomy, 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 excursion combines a city tour with admission to the Juneau-Douglas City 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 start by meeting your local guide at the steps of the Juneau-Douglas City Museum, then walking about 10 blocks of the historic downtown Juneau area. During the walk, you will learn about Juneau’s indigenous people, 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 back 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 meal with a view of the marina. The menu is pretty basic, but the food tastes delicious. My advice is to 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 capital city.
The Alaska State Museum is an easy 10-minute walk from lunch. Here, you can dive into the uniqueness of the area with exhibits that 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 give you an idea of what helped shape Alaska into what it is today. There are some incredible showcases featuring items from the gold rush era, as well as some incredible art.
Whale Watching
One of the most popular excursions here the whale watching tour. Juneau is one of the top ports I recommend for taking a tour 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. 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 one whale, including 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 orcas 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, which gives you some time to explore the glacier before heading out to look for whales.
I can’t recommend this excursion 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 with plenty of room to see the whales. 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 of the whole trip!
A highlight during our outing was a baby humpback putting on a show because he was angry his mom went to go find some food. We watched him for around half an hour, watching him tail-slapping and rolling in the water. It was just so awesome to get to stay there so long to watch him and get some great pictures. I loved that we were such a small group so 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 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 you 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 easily pop over to the Goldbelt Tram and take a ride up the mountain for some amazing views! If you are looking for a more spontaneous day, going downtown would be a good place to start.
While shopping here, 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 and 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. 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 on a cruise and have some extra time, there’s lots 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. Go ahead and create those unforgettable moments!
Let us know in the comments if we missed the best Juneau cruise excursions and contact me for help planning your own Alaskan adventures!
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