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Our Favorite Alaska Excursions - ParoDeeJay
Our Favorite Alaska Excursions
Juneau
Juneau can be found on nearly every Alaskan cruise itinerary, and it's a fantastic spot for glaciers, whales, eagles, and more. Here are a few of our favorite experiences from the capital city of Alaska!
Mendenhall Glacier & Nugget Falls
Often found in a combo tour, a visit to the glacier and falls is the number one must-do on our list. The park features miles of trails, a visitor center with interpretive exhibits, and the chance to get up close and personal with a waterfall. There is a nominal cost to enter the park, but most tours or shuttles that you book will include that in the cost of your tour! We visited in 2019 with an independent combo tour through Juneau Whale Watch (Vlog Part 1 | Vlog Part 2) and again in 2022 through an independent tour that we bought on the spot in the port (Vlog Part 1 | Vlog Part 2).
Juneau Whale Watch & Mendenhall Glacier Combo Tour
M&M Tours: "Blue Bus" Glacier Express
Harv & Marv's Whale Watching
Juneau is one of two places that we've experienced great whale watching in Alaska, including getting to see Flame and her babies over the years, and our independent small boat tour with Harv & Marv's in 2021 was one of the best we've found! Here's our 2021 adventure with them: (Vlog Link)
Harv & Marv's Juneau Whale Watching
Express Whale Watch
While we're on the subject of whale watching, if you're into a larger boat experience, the Allen Marine Tours whale watch that we booked through Carnival was a great option. We chose this by sorting the ship excursions by price from low to high and selecting the lowest priced whale watch just to see what it was like, and we were pleasantly surprised! Here's that video from 2022: (Vlog Link)
Carnival Cruise Line: Express Whale Watching
Mount Roberts Tram / Gold Creek Salmon Bake
The Goldbelt Tram up Mount Roberts is an amazing way to get a eagles-eye view of the Juneau area, and there's more than you'd expect up top... restaurants, hiking trails, exhibits, and all sorts of things! We combined a ride up the tram with an excursion to the Gold Creek Salmon Bake, both booked independently. Salmon is king in Alaska, and a salmon bake is a great way to taste why! Here's our 2021 episode featuring both experiences: (Vlog Link)
Goldbelt Tram / Mount Roberts Tramway
Alaska Travel Adventures: Gold Creek Salmon Bake
Glacier Gardens Rainforest Adventure
If you're seeking some natural beauty, upside-down trees, and a ride through part of the Tongass National Forest, a stop at Glacier Gardens may be in order. Conveniently located just off the city bus route, it's a relaxing way to spend part of your day! Here's our 2022 visit to the gardens for their rainforest adventure tour: (Vlog Link)
Glacier Gardens Rainforest Adventure
Other Random Highlights
You can't talk about Juneau without mentioning certain hotspots like Tracy's King Crab Shack located just a few steps from where most ships dock... the Red Dog Saloon and its famous Duck Fart shot at the edge of downtown... the giant whale statue in Overstreet Park about a mile from the dock... what else have you found fun in Juneau? Let us know!!
Skagway
Skagway invites you to take a step into the past, back to the days of the Klondike gold rush and the famous White Pass & Yukon Route railroad system. This small walkable town has a lot to offer in terms of history and scenery!
White Pass Railroad Summit
Our number one excursion pick if you've never visited Skagway before is a ride on the White Pass train. We've done the scenic summit excursions twice now, and the views along the way never fail to take your breath away. Be sure to step out on the platforms between the cars if you can for the best views, before coming back inside the heated cars to warm up again! We booked our summit excursion through Carnival in 2019 (Vlog Link) and through Royal Caribbean in 2021 (Vlog Link) because cruise guests get to board the train before independently-booked guests, and tend to get a better selection of seats.
Yakutania Point Hike
One of our favorite things to do in Skagway is connect with nature via a walk in the woods, and Skagway offers quite a few options for hiking that are close to the port! Our favorite so far is Yakutania Point, which can also be extended into Smugglers Cove. Here's our 2021 adventure in the woods: (Vlog Link)
AllTrails: Yakutania Point & Smugglers Cove
Gold Rush Cemetery & Reid Falls Hike
Just on the north side of town through the rail yard, you'll find the Gold Rush Cemetery as well as Upper and Lower Reid Falls. We learned that you can catch a shuttle from the port to the rail yard for a nominal fee, or you can stroll the whole way as we did here in 2021: (Vlog Link)
Days Of '98 Show
Another fun way to stroll through history while seated comfortably is through the Days Of '98 Show, presented inside the Eagles building at Broadway and 6th Avenue. Relive the story of a real life villain from the town's history through song and dance! Here's a taste of our experience from 2019: (Vlog Link)
Other Random Highlights
For us, no visit to Skagway would be complete without a stop at Klondike Doughboy for a massive cinnamon-sugar-topped fried bread, as well as a quick sip at Glacial Coffeehouse. The two are conveniently located next to each other on 3rd Avenue, just off Broadway.
Ketchikan
Ketchikan is both Alaska's first city and the salmon capital of the world, according to the large social-media-worthy sign on Mission Street, and if you hit Creek Street at the right time of year, all your salmon dreams could come true!
Kawanti Adventures Black Bear Tour
By far, our favorite experience in Ketchikan was the independent Black Bear & Wildlife Exploration tour from Kawanti Adventures. It only runs during the late season when the salmon are running, thus drawing the bears over toward the protected viewing boardwalk. The bears are in the wild and not contained in any way, so this is a great way to see them in their natural habitat! Here's our rainy bear adventure from 2021: (Vlog Link)
Kawanti Adventures: Black Bear & Wildlife Exploration
Wild Wolf Tours Rainforest Walk
Another way to sneak some nature in is an independent rainforest walk with Wild Wolf Tours. They offer a moderate three-hour tour or an east two-hour tour depending on your comfort level, and both tours stop at a totem park for a dose of history! We did the three-hour version in 2022 here: (Vlog Link)
Wild Wolf Tours Rainforest Walk
Wandering Around Town
Honestly, one of our favorite things to do in Ketchikan is a free wander around town. Creek Street is a fascinating zone of shopping and snacking, as well as an opportunity to view the salmon ladder. We've come across a few totem poles, gardens, parks, and restaurants in our wandering, and you can also tour Dolly's House in the old red-light district! Here's a wander from 2021 (Vlog Link) and a wander from 2022 (Vlog Link).
Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show
Something fun for the whole family is watching a day of lumberjack games at the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show! Just a few steps from where most ships dock, you can book it through the ship or independently, and cheer on your favorite team as we did in 2019: (Vlog Link). They also offer combo tours that feature their famous Crab Feast!
Ketchikan Duck Boat
If you're looking for some fun outside just the downtown area, a ride on land and sea aboard the Ketchikan Duck Boat with Alaska Amphibious Tours is a unique way to sneak in some sightseeing. We booked ours through Royal Caribbean, but I believe it can also be done independently, and here's our 2022 ride: (Vlog Link)
Alaska Amphibious Adventures: Ketchikan Duck Boat
Southeast Alaska Discovery Center
Ketchikan gets a LOT of rain each year, and one of our favorite recent finds for rainy day fun is a visit to the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center. Located about two blocks from the main cruise ship docking area, this small building is packed with multiple floors of exhibits all about Alaskan nature, culture, history, and more. Here's a peek at our 2022 visit: (Vlog Link)
Southeast Alaska Discovery Center
Other Random Highlights
A few other snack stops that have been fantastic finds in Ketchikan include Burger Queen and Jellyfish Donuts on the "other" side of the tunnel, and Annabelle's Chowder House on the main downtown side.
Icy Strait Point
Icy Strait Point is a port complex of restaurants and shopping that was specifically built to cater to cruise ships, located just outside the small town of Hoonah. Its proximity to both Port Frederick and Auke Bay make it our absolute favorite spot for whale watching... and in fact, that's the ONLY thing we've really done while there! The port area also had a gondola system up the mountain where you can do a paid excursion and ride the ZipRider back down!
Glacier Wind Charters
We love small boat whale watching adventures, and we fell in love with both the family and fleet at Glacier Wind Charters. You'll meet up with Teresa for pickup right at the port, and whether you head out with Captain Shawn on the 6-passenger Catabatic or Captain Casey on the 13-passenger Apogee, you're in great hands! We've had so many amazing moments during our independently-booked adventures, and here they are from our first time in May 2019 (Vlog Link), to September 2021 (Vlog Link), to May 2022 (Vlog Link) and once again in July 2022 for good measure (Vlog Link)!
Glacier Wind Charters Whale Watching
Other Random Highlights
Hoonah is located on Chichagof Island, which is famous for having the highest population of bears per square mile of any place on Earth. That makes it an ideal spot for bear adventures, and there are loads of opportunities both through the cruise line and independently for those types of tours, though we don't have any personal experience with them.
Sitka
Sitka is a spot for guaranteed wildlife sightings at some of its most famous attractions, blended with loads of Russian heritage, totem poles, and more! The port itself is located outside of town, usually requiring a complimentary bus ride to reach Centennial Hall where most independent tour vendors meet. We've heard that some ships tender into that area, but so far we've always been at the Sitka Sound cruise terminal outside of town.
Sitka Wildlife Tours - Bears & Eagles
Two of Sitka's most notable attractions are the Fortress Of The Bear which is a sanctuary for bears that are unable to be released into the wild, and the Raptor Center which is a rehabilitation center for all sorts of birds, including bald eagles. Our favorite Sitka adventure thus far was an independent tour with Sitka Wildlife Tours called the "Premium Sitka Scenic Tour" from 2021 here: (Vlog Link)
Sitka Wildlife Tours - Whale Watching
Whale watching is another option from Sitka, and although our independent "Sitka Marine Adventure" with Sitka Wildlife Tours wasn't at the correct time of year to see the most nature, we enjoyed a few encounters and some views of the volcano in 2022: (Vlog Link)
Wandering Around Town
Sitka is another one of those amazingly walkable towns, and one of our favorite things to do is just wander. If you turn left down Lincoln Street, you'll find things like St. Michael's Orthodox Cathedral, Totem Square, Baranof Castle State Historic Site, and more. Here's our wander in that direction in 2021: (Vlog Link)
Sitka National Historic Park
If you instead turn right down Lincoln Street, you'll pass the Russian Bishop's House, Sitka Sound Science Center, Sitka National Historic Park, and have the option to continue on foot to the Raptor Center. Here's our day of strolling from 2022: (Vlog Link)
NPS: Sitka National Historic Park
Other Random Highlights
We always feel compelled to point out snacky spots along the way, and our finds in Sitka so far have been Sitka Pel'Meni located beside the cathedral, Sizzling Chow Cuisine for Filipino food also beside the cathedral, Backdoor Cafe for a quick sip, and Ludvig's Chowder Cart inside the gift shop of the Sitka Sound Science Center!
And there you have it... our personal favorite adventures in the main Alaskan ports we've visited! We are truly blessed to have experienced seven Alaska cruises on two different cruise lines, and we hope to have many more amazing adventures yet to come!
Until next time... rock on!! ~Dee & Jay, ParoDeeJay
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