Top 5 Juneau Cruises: Tours, Prices & Expert Tips

Thinking of a trip to Juneau and wanting to see it from the water? A cruise or sailing tour could just be the best way to experience all the natural beauty this part of Alaska has to offer. From gigantic, icy glaciers to maybe even whales breaching the surface, being on a boat gets you front-row seats. So, very, much get ready to uncover the top five Juneau cruises, packed with cool experiences and handy advice to plan that trip. Now, isn’t that a cool way to travel?

1. Mendenhall Glacier Whale Watching Tour

Yep, if you’re looking to combine a visit to the absolutely amazing Mendenhall Glacier with some whale spotting, this is more or less the adventure to consider. Very, very many tours hook you up with transport to and from the glacier, so it’s like your starting point for aquatic sightseeing. You might hop on a comfortable boat geared toward getting you awesome views of both the glacier and, you guessed it, the wildlife that calls these waters home. So, much of this cruise often involves a trained naturalist onboard, they’re really like wildlife experts to clue you in on the environment and the behavior of all those amazing whales and other sea critters you might spot. Is that, cool or what?

Typically, tours head out into the waters around Stephens Passage, quite a common hangout for humpback whales, especially during their feeding season. Of course, you might get to see them bubble-net feeding, breaching, or just lazily swimming by. Plus, you get really incredible glacier views—often, too it’s a pretty great photo opportunity with icebergs floating near the stunning Mendenhall Glacier backdrop. So, now doesn’t that sound like the ideal trip?

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2. Juneau Whale Watching and Wildlife Cruise

This cruise is that one for anyone who is that keen to really maximize their chances of whale sightings and encounter other Alaskan critters, is that right? Usually, these trips last around three hours, so they’re quite good for squeezing into a day of exploring Juneau. Too, that boat trip usually cruises places where the whales tend to congregate, that could just be like the waters of Stephens Passage or around Favorite Channel. Right?

During this journey, is that common to spot humpback whales, yet sometimes you’ll see orcas, sea lions, harbor seals, and bald eagles. Quite some tours provide binoculars, or you can just use yours, so you get quite a closer view, and many even have onboard naturalists who give very great insights on all the local marine life and ecosystem. As I was saying, what’s really amazing for people about such experiences is just getting educated during the activity.

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3. Tracy Arm Fjord Cruise

Tracy Arm Fjord is just such a beauty. It is actually about 45 miles south of Juneau and it’s famous for its super-tall glacier walls, lots of waterfalls, and all sorts of wildlife. What that tour is about takes you down to see this absolutely stunning fjord. You know?

The highlight usually, is getting a really close peek at the South Sawyer and North Sawyer glaciers, they both actively calve. I mean, witnessing icebergs break off and crash into that water is so awesome! Apart from the glaciers, very much look for wildlife—seals are often chilling on ice floes and you might see bears or deer along those shoreline. Too, the cruise is all about soaking in those sights and learning loads about glacial activity, local ecology, and so on, as such tours often include a knowledgeable guide who gives interesting tidbits along the way. Actually, I did read that people seem to very love all the natural grandeur of Tracy Arm, it just is, more or less the full-package nature experience.

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4. Small Group Whale Watching Tour

Looking for something quite more personal and away from the super large tourist crowds? So, then a small group tour can be just the right ticket. Arguably, smaller boats only have about six to fifteen people, that lets your group get really personalized attention from the crew, plus that makes those wildlife sightings even more amazing, like one-on-one amazing. I think the boats can move around more easily and that it can bring people to secret spots. Isn’t it though, really good for keen photographers?

These types of tours have that guide explaining stuff up close—stuff like the environment, animal behavior, and that glacier history—all just there and easily available to answer those questions. Whale watching gets that bit, a bit better. In some respects, there’s less disturbance, it’s quieter, and it usually tends to make those marine animals come around. Basically, it makes the event great to have something memorable, it’s kind of quieter with friends. Am I right?

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5. Glacier Helicopter Tour with Boat Landing

This really is taking in the Juneau scenery to new heights, literally. Could be it will combine the fun and amazing view from above in a helicopter to the up-close scenery you might have from getting out and seeing it. Right, is that worth thinking about? Anyway, you’re probably zooming around in that helicopter, so the view just shows these stunning glaciers from high up – think Mendenhall, or the even better Norris Glacier; they also often land right there on top! Could be it’s safe too it’s exciting for people.

A typical glacier helicopter tour could have you flying out across some vast ice fields and that unreal blue ice, right before they drop you off on a boat. So, that boat part gets really closer so the sea critters swim right up by the shores of things. While cruising around, you are typically treated very closely for wildlife coming to glaciers, ice and stuff. Too, sometimes trips end in exciting locations—like secluded beaches; makes the whole event even more magical. Anyway, lots of visitors comment just about getting to touch some ice and seeing wildlife from boat level adds something like a capstone on this wonderful trip, I heard.

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