One of the ports we stopped at on our Alaskan Cruise was Juneau, Alaska. This city is the capital of Alaska! This city is unlike any you’ve been to before. Erase everything you think of when you think of capital cities because Juneau is nothing like those and we can assure you… you won’t be disappointed,
We stepped off the ship to see massive mountains overlooking an adorable town. I felt myself lean my head back to absorb the amazing views of the mountains surrounded by morning fog. These mountains towered over small colorful buildings.
Juneau began around 1880 when the first settlement was started by prospectors Joe Juneau and Richard Harris who discovered gold. While Juneau was originally a place of mining, it is now a charming and bustling city. The town has changed names twice. It started off as Harrisburg then went to Rockwell and now it is Juneau. This was finally established in 1881!
We visited Juneau during our Alaskan cruise in August of 2022. The weather was rainy… I mean come on it’s Alaska! But that didn’t stop us from having an amazing time.
There are so many things to do. Considering the fact that there are over 130 miles of hiking trails in Juneau… you’ll be hard-pressed to not find some way to enjoy nature.
We will share with you what we elected to do… and we would do it again! It’s been an excursion that we have talked about regularly since taking this trip. The one thing we really wanted to see when we came to Alaska was the wildlife. At the top of our list? Whales… so this excursion should be on the top of your list if you want to view whales.
We booked an excursion on the cruise we were traveling on. This really varies for us if we decide to book through the cruise line or if we decide to create our own excursion or book through someone else. This time, we really wanted to go out on the water to go whale watching plus we wanted to see a glacier… so the cheapest way to do that would be by booking an excursion ticket.
To Book or Not to Book
Sometimes having an excursion booked through the cruise is the best way to experience the area. It truly depends on what you want to do! We have booked several excursions through the cruise line, and we have planned several excursions on our own. The deciding factors are experience, money, and time.
Let me explain. If it is an experience that we truly want but is hard to get that experience on our own, whether that’s through traveling to the area or needing a boat, we book through the cruise line. If we believe the experience is worth the money, we will book through the cruise line. If we think we can create that experience on our own without needing to book through the cruise line… then we save money! Lastly, time is a major factor. Unfortunately, you only get so many hours in port. If we are in port for a short amount of time, we play it safe and have the transportation taken care of for us by booking through the cruise line. If we have plenty of time, then we will typically create our experience on our own.
Whale Watching
The first stop on our day in Juneau was to whale watch… and honestly, this was what we were most excited for! The only thing that made this trip better was the fact that my dad was able to join us on our Alaskan cruise. We love traveling, but getting to share that experience with your family is something special. This was even more special because Alaska was on my dad’s bucket list too!
To start your day, you will be loaded into a smaller boat from the cruise ship to be taken ashore. The line can be long and the ride to the shore can take some time. It’s important to plan for this and try to leave the ship as early as you can.
After leaving the smaller boat, we headed up the ramp to find our bus to take us on our whale-watching tour, the first stop of the day. If you look on your ticket, you will find where you will meet your party to be taken on an excursion. This is the case for all cruise excursions! Locating the bus is fairly simple as there are cruise workers directing you to the correct buses. You will turn right after exiting the ramp and begin looking for the sign that matches the exact wording on your cruise ticket. Simply load the bus, sit back, and allow the travel to be taken care of for you.
Our whale-watching tour was through Allen Marine Tours. They were excellent! They provided donuts and hot chocolate as we began our trip out into the water. The hot chocolate warmed our hands as the weather was rainy. We grabbed a seat on the second deck next to a window that provided great views. We highly recommend heading to the second deck to get a seat next to the window! You can see so much from the window seats. There was an observation deck toward the back and top of the boat to observe the wildlife. We saw so many whales! The crew did an excellent job helping you spot the whales. We even saw a mother and baby whale together! In addition to whales, we saw a sea lion which was a unique experience we weren’t expecting.
The crew also provided facts about the wildlife we were seeing. One of the most interesting facts they shared was the size of a baby whale which is about 10 feet on the day they are born!
Check out these great shots my dad was able to capture on this excursion! If you look closely at the whale’s tail, you can see small barnacles!
Mendenhall Glacier
The second stop on our excursion was Mendenhall Glacier. It was raining during our trip so make sure to pack those rain jackets, ponchos, and umbrellas! We were grateful for the waterproof clothing we were wearing.
Mendenhall Glacier is massive as it is approximately 13 miles long! Mendenhall Glacier is a part of the Tongass National Forest and the views are amazing. When viewing the Mendenhall Glacier, you can also see a beautiful waterfall called Nugget Falls. Be sure to get your picture next to the welcome sign! You can begin to see the glacier as soon as you see the sign. We viewed the glacier from several different places before taking a short stroll to get a closer view.
The Photo-Point trail is only .33 miles and will take you to an amazing overlook of not only the Mendenhall Glacier but Nugget Falls as well! Also be sure to check out the Nugget Falls Trail, at only 2 miles, will get you very close to the glacier and the waterfall. Each of these trails are considered easy and shouldn’t take longer than one hour combined. We stopped at the visitor center to get another overlook view of the glacier.
We also learned some pretty interesting things in the visitor center. One of the interesting facts we learned was that the glacier has steadily been retreating since the mid 1700’s. The annual rate of melt exceeds its annual total accumulation. Since 1999, the glacier has retreated nearly 4,600 feet! Check out the comparison photos in the visitor center of the length of the glacier over the years!
Where to Eat
There are some great options for food in Juneau. We elected to try the Red Dog Saloon after we were dropped off from our excursion. With live music and great food, we enjoyed our meal before getting back on the ship. My favorite part of the meal was the salmon chowder with fresh pieces of salmon. This was perfect for the chilly and rainy weather outside!
Bonus Tip: Getting Back on the Cruise Ship
It’s important to make sure that you have your cruise key and a form of ID when getting back on the ship. Each and every time you board the ship, you will need to have your cruise key scanned. At this port, we also needed a form of ID. This is not always the case, and we have experienced this at different ports from time to time. We always make sure to keep our passports on us at all ports, especially those in a different country. You may never know when you may be separated from accessing the ship and you don’t want to be stranded in another country without your passport!
We hope this can help you plan your trip to Juneau, Alaska! Please, reach out to us if you have any lingering questions by either dropping a comment below or sending a direct message on Instagram. Let us know about your trips and if you utilize our guides. We would love to hear from you. Safe travels y’all- Justin & Caitlin