Juneau

Hundreds of thousands of travelers make their way to Juneau every summer, and for good reason; this gorgeous city is a centerpiece of an Inside Passage cruise and a great jumping-off point for independent travel within Southeast Alaska.

But, Alaska's state capital is pretty remote! Hemmed in by water and soaring mountains, this town of 30,000 residents doesn’t even have a road linking it with the outside world—airplanes and boats are the only ways to get here and away.

Favorite Activities

Juneau makes for a great jumping-off point for outdoor activities all over the northern Panhandle, as well as an excellent home base to explore Southeast Alaska.

• Visiting on an Alaska Cruise? See our full list of recommended shore excursions in Juneau, Alaska
• Mount Juneau and Mount Roberts: They attest to the untamed wilderness that lies just beyond the souvenir shops. Climb the six-mile, 3,819-foot ascent of Mount Roberts on foot, or do it the easy way by taking the Goldbelt Tram, leaving right from town and ending with a fantastic view at 1,760 feet.
• Bear Viewing: Juneau is one of the best places in Southeast Alaska to embark on a bear viewing trip to view brown bears in their natural habitat. A quick 30-minute floatplane flight leads to Pack Creek on Admiralty Island "Fortress of the Bear" or nearby Waterfall Creek on Chichagof Island.
• Flightsee or Trek on the Juneau Icefield: This 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. You can explore it though a trekking trips or flightseeing.
  

• Visit the Mendenhall Glacier: The Mendenhall is one of Alaska’s most easily accessible glaciers, and it is so close—and so impressive—it would be a shame to miss. You can see it by rafting, kayaking, trekking, or flightseeing.
• Pan for Gold: You can learn more about the capital's history through fun tours that often include costumed characters and often dinner.
• Local History at the Museum: The Juneau-Douglas City Museum sits on the site where Alas­ka offi­cial­ly became a state. View the exhibits and watch an award-win­ning doc­u­men­tary about the city. Plus, the City Muse­um doesn’t end at the building’s walls. From May to Sep­tem­ber, you can take walk­ing tours of his­toric down­town Juneau and the Alas­ka State Capitol. The Alaska State Museum has more than 23,000 artifacts, works of fine art, and natural history exhibits.
• Winter Skiing: Head to Eaglecrest Ski Area, just a short drive from Downtown Juneau and hit the ski slopes (or, nordic ski on the groomed trails). Juneau is just a short flight from Seattle or Anchorage, making it an easy winter getaway.

History

Like many Alaskan towns, Juneau was born because of gold. When Joe Juneau and Richard Harris found a treasure trove of gold here in 1880 (helped by the Tlingit chief Kowee, who told them where to look), it caused a predictable rush.

The ensuing town became the state capital in 1900, though not everyone was—or is—happy with that decision; more than once there's been legislation to move the capital closer to Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage.

Getting There

Juneau is a common destination for almost all Inside Passage cruises. However, it can also be reached by the Alaska Marine Highway State Ferry system, or by various airlines. Flight time is about 2 hours from Anchorage, and just over 2.5 hours from Seattle, Washington -- Alaska is closer than you think!