Juneau Tours

Appreciate the beautiful panoramic views of the Inside Passage, the Chilkat Mountain Range, and Alaska’s capital city when you take a steep ride above tree line via tramway. This memorable adventure lifts off directly from the cruise ship dock in downtown Juneau; you can’t miss the colorful tramcar decked out in Tlingit designs. Soaring 2,000 feet above sea level, the tram takes you past entrances to old gold mines; you may even spot a bald eagle or other wildlife. The tram can get crowded, but it only takes 6 minutes to reach the top. Once there, drink in the breathtaking scenery and choose from a variety of activities and sights.

Don’t miss the award-winning film “Seeing Daylight,” a story of Tlingit Indian culture and history that shows every half hour. The theater is part of a huge complex nestled among tall Sitka Spruce trees and home to the Raven Eagle gift shop, which sells authentic Alaska Native arts and crafts. Here you get to watch Native artisans work on their masterpieces and learn more about the Tlingit culture by asking them questions. Then fuel up with a snack at the bar and grill and stop by the Nature Center, where the friendly staff can give you trail maps and recommend walking routes of differing intensities (all the trails are well marked and have interpretive signs). Finish your adventure at the Juneau Raptor Center Bald Eagle Display, where you can meet eye-to-eye with an American bald eagle and listen to presentations by expert naturalists.

Tickets include all-day unlimited rides and viewing of "Seeing Daylight," as well as the Juneau Raptor Center’s live bald eagle exhibit. Allow a minimum of one hour for a complete tramway experience.

This trip proves that whitewater rafting can be thrilling without being rough—even for beginners. After all, you wouldn’t want anything to compete with the great views of Mendenhall Glacier, which stands at 1 ½ miles wide and 150 feet high and is the most famous part of the massive Juneau Icefield (even John Muir once raved about it).

You'll glide along an iceberg-studded lake where you can scope out the glacier, getting up-close views of hanging glaciers and towering peaks. There are also many opportunities to see wildlife such as birds nesting in the rocky cliffs, as well as otters, seals, black bears or even bald eagles.

During the roughly 1 ½-hour Historic Gold Mining & Panning Adventure tour, you’ll be escorted by a costumed, prospector guide from either your downtown hotel or Juneau’s dock, and driven to Gold Creek by way of the State Capitol and Governor’s Mansion.

Once you reach the creek in Last Chance Basin, you’ll get a good view of the Alaska-Juneau Mine, once one of world’s largest hard-rock mines. You’ll learn about the many prospectors who came here in search of gold, and get some hands-on pointers on how to shake and maneuver your pan in the creek to get the best glittering harvest

Even if you’ve never paddled a kayak before, you’ll be confidently navigating the water in the scenery-soaked Glacier View Sea Kayaking trip, with a front-row view of the legendary Mendenhall Glacier..

The kayaks are both stable and easily maneuverable, to help you better concentrate on the scenery around you: the massive Mendenhall Glacier, the state game refuge Mendenhall Wetlands, and spots such as Smuggler’s Cove, where illegal booze was traded during the Prohibition years. Watch for animals, too — porpoises, sea lions, seals, or perhaps even bald eagles or a whale.

An Alaskan feast for all of your senses! Experience Alaska’s outdoor salmon bake—a tradition for more than 30 years. The salmon bake is much more than a meal; it’s a fun outing with live entertainment and Alaskan-themed activities.

This two-hour experience is much more than a meal, combining a tasty meal with tons of local flavor. You’re dispatched from your hotel and brought to this corner of the Southeast Alaska rain forest, where you can take a nature walk to Salmon Creek Waterfall, where you can see the namesake salmon spawning and the old shaft from the historic Wagner Mine (you can even pan for some leftover gold).

Tour the world’s most-visited glacier. The Mendenhall Glacier is part of the Juneau Icefield, a massive accumulation of ice and snow that stretches 85 miles north to south and 45 miles east to west, an area larger than the state of Rhode Island. Described by John Muir as “one of the most beautiful coastal glaciers,” it’s a sight no traveler wants to miss.

Meet your guide and drive 13 miles to the Glacier Visitor Center, which offers glaciology exhibits, slide shows, interpretive talks, a panoramic view of the glacier, and several hiking trails. Meander on an easy, half-hour walk to one of the many waterfalls flowing off of the glacier, fill your water bottle, and enjoy what some call the most pure and refreshing water in the world.

On your way back to Juneau, you’ll make a stop at a salmon hatchery and take a tour with a fisheries specialist; you may even see adult spawning salmon (late June through September). Learn about the reproductive cycles of Pacific salmon, view exhibits on the hatchery’s annual production of more than 150 million salmon, and enjoy aquariums showcasing local marine wildlife. On the way back, you’ll also pass by the capital building and drive through the main streets of Juneau while your guide provides an informative narration into the history of Alaska’s capital city.

Mendenhall Glacier Tour departs at 8am and 2pm daily and is approximately 3 hours; $40. Children ages 2 to 12 are half price.

Explore the Juneau Icefield, Alaska’s largest consortium of glaciers, where you’ll discover the diversity of Southeast Alaska’s landscape and join professional mountaineering guides on a glacier trek by helicopter. Until recently, Alaska’s glaciers were largely inaccessible to all but hard-core mountain climbers. But today, NorthStar Trekking is providing a new way for active travelers to spend more time enjoying the glaciers surrounding Alaska’s capital city. Choose from one of three options that have been designed to accommodate a broad range of interests and abilities—no experience is needed for any of them.

One way to go is the Glacier Walkabout Tour, which begins with a breathtaking, 30-minute ride on a 6-passenger helicopter. Within seconds after liftoff, you’ll witness the landscape of bright green ridges and forested islands turn to the granite peaks that define the 1,500-square-mile Juneau Icefield. Land, put on your crampons, and begin an easy 1-hour interpretive walk through a beauty that’s uniquely Alaskan. Experience the thrill of walking on a glacier, stare into the vivid blue ice, drink a refreshing glass of glacier water, and learn about glacier environments. If you’re the athletic type and want to spend more time exploring, choose the Glacier Trek. On this 2-hour hike—with extensive walking on uneven and sometimes steep terrain—you’ll learn more about mountaineering gear and glacial features and hazards so you can access more remote areas of the glacier. The physical activity is interspersed with detailed explanations of the glacier environment and surrounding area. And if you’re looking to learn some basic climbing and rope techniques, sign up for the X-Trek, a difficult 4-hour hike on steep terrain that requires some technical climbing. The reward of exploring the glacier’s most pristine and remote areas is worth it.

Normal group sizes are only 12, plus your experienced guides. All outerwear and mountaineering gear is included, and guides will teach their proper use and give a safety briefing. Dress comfortably and bring an extra layer of warmth (and of course your camera). Your guide will provide explanations of glacier environments and allow time for photo opportunities.

Helicopter Glacier Walkabout, $309. Helicopter Glacier Trek, $359. Extended Trek – The “X-Trek,” $459. All tours have several departures each day and depart from Juneau.

Climb aboard a catamaran and cruise the Inside Passage in search of humpback whales, killer whales, Stellar sea lions, Dall’s porpoise, bald eagles and other Alaskan creatures. Juneau is the best place in Southeast Alaska for whale watching; the area is known for an abundance of humpback whales. In fact, there’s so much wildlife activity that you’ll get a refund of $100 per adult and $50 per child if you don’t see a whale. But don’t expect that to happen; in the past 10 years, whales have been spotted on every tour! And although you may have seen these great creatures from the deck of a cruise ship, this is an entirely different experience: these 150-passenger catamarans have been specially designed for wildlife viewing and can motor up close to the wildlife for a far more thrilling experience.

Following a short motorcoach ride to scenic Auk Bay, hop on board the enclosed and heated catamaran, then take a seat and relax in front of one of the oversized windows as you leave the harbor en route to the island-studded waters of Stephen’s Passage. Against a majestic backdrop of snow-capped peaks and glaciers, the onboard naturalist will explain the behavior and habitat of wildlife you may encounter. To fully enjoy the sights and sounds, bring a warm, rainproof jacket to wear on the observation deck. And don’t forget your camera—you’ll want to photograph the breathtaking scenery of mountain peaks emerging from the pristine waters. Throughout the cruise your crew will offer complimentary snacks and beverages, and binoculars, maps and wildlife guidebooks are also available for use at no extra cost.

Board a modern turbine-powered helicopter for an unforgettable flight to the world-famous Mendenhall Glacier for an easy glacier trek. If you want to see spectacular peaks and dramatic rock formations, jagged glacier spires, lush forest, and land on a glacier, then a helicopter flightseeing tour will surpass your expectations. As TEMSCO Helicopters has been offering glacier helicopter tours in Alaska since 1983, they know the Juneau Icefield well, and the pilots have been specially trained to give informative, in-depth, and entertaining tours.

Moments after departing Juneau, you’ll enjoy breathtaking vistas that few people ever see. Thriving rain forests, alpine ridges, and mountain peaks create a dramatic setting for the awe-inspiring Mendenhall Glacier. Your flight takes you over the glacier itself, the helicopter’s perspective giving you an eagle’s-eye view of ice spires, aqua-colored crevasses, and azure pools of water. The helicopter will touch down gingerly on the icy terrain, and your pilot will escort you onto the ice for a 20-minute glacier walk. You’ll get an in-depth tour along with time to revel in the serene splendor of the surroundings.

For an even more amazing Alaskan experience, take TEMSCO’s dog-sled tour, which combines helicopter flightseeing with a landing at a dog-sled camp on Mendenhall Glacier. Here, professional mushers and Alaskan sled dogs will have you driving the team or relaxing in the sled as you soak in the awe-inspiring scenery. Mushers will tell stories about the famous Iditarod race, give instruction on dog sledding, and then hop on the sled behind you as you drive the Alaskan huskies all over the glacier. You’ll have plenty of time to talk with the mushers and take pictures with the dogs.

Mendenhall Glacier by Helicopter and Guided Walk departs several times daily and includes approximately 30 minutes of flight time and 20 – 25 minutes on the glacier. Allow up to 45 minutes for transportation from dock departure to dock return and safety briefing; $249
The Dog Sled Tour departs several times daily and is approximately 1.5 hours in length, including about 30 minutes of flight time and 55-60 minutes at the dog camp. Allow an additional 45 minutes for transportation to and from the dock and a safety briefing; $469.

Home to more than 23,000 artifacts, works of fine art, and natural history exhibits, the Alaska State Museum has housed Alaska’s history since 1900. Among its most popular exhibits are clothing, weapons, tools and ceremonial objects from the distinct Alaska Native populations, as well as icons and other memorabilia from Russian-American days. Volunteers offer tours to share their knowledge of Juneau’s history during the summer. The Museum is located in downtown Juneau within walking distance of the cruise ship terminal at 395 Whittier Street. Hours are 8:30am to 5:30pm, seven days a week. General admission is $5.

The city museum is home to 6,000 works of art and items that chronicle the history of the Juneau area. While the state museum focuses on culture, this museum emphasis gold-panning history in Juneau and the rest of the state, and visitors can watch a free half-hour video that tells the story of the city’s gold-mining days. Other permanent exhibits highlight Tlingit native culture and Juneau’s pioneer days. The Juneau-Douglas City Museum is centrally located downtown, at the corner of 4th and Main, across from the State Capitol. General admission is $4 and free to ages 18 & under.

The hatchery incubates some 150 million chum, pink coho, and king salmon annually and is designed to allow visitors to watch the process of harvesting and fertilizing salmon eggs. You’ll learn not just about salmon hatching, but also the commercial fishing industry and marine environments though aquariums with salmon and other sea life native to the area. And from mid-June to October, you can watch salmon swim up a 450-foot fish ladder into a sorting mechanism to be “unzipped” by workers who remove the eggs. General admission: $3.25 for adults, $1.75 for children, $12 for groups (5 adults).

Take a walking tour through the historic district in Marine Park. Pick up a free map at the kiosk and just go! South Franklin Street is the main tourism district and one of the best shopping areas to find everything Alaskan, from cute and furry faux creatures (like iceworms) to handmade native crafts and expensive fine art. To ensure authenticity, look for the polar bear symbol for goods made in Alaska and the Silver Hand label for genuine native crafts. Along the tour you’ll see renovated buildings dating from the early 1900s, the Davis Log Cabin (complete with historical photos), the Alaska Steam Laundry (now the Emporium Mall), the Senate Building, and the Alaskan Hotel and Bar.