FOLLOW YOUR CURIOSITY
What does your Alaska look like?
One day can take you in a completely different direction. Start with what excites you.
Out on the water
Compare boats, trip lengths and the journey to the marina.
Closer to the ice
Explore ways to experience Mendenhall, from the shore to the lake.
Alaska, in the wild
Sea otters, raptors and bears: find the right kind of wildlife day.
Take the scenic route
Slow down with waterfront walks, local history and forest trails.
Less searching. More exploring.
Three from each port, picked from the pages that compare them. Prices and availability update live.
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Most reviewed 3 h 30 min - 2 h 30 min
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3 hours - 3 h 48 min
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2 h 30 min -
3 hours Wonderful Whales and Wildlife Tour
From $320
- 4 hours
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2 hours -
2 hours
Prices and availability update live from Viator. Free cancellation and duration come from each listing.
BIG EXPERIENCES. A LITTLE PLANNING.
Your port day.
Make every hour count.
You don’t need to fit everything in. You need the right adventure, with enough room to enjoy it.
- 01
Start with your time ashore
Check your ship’s arrival and all-aboard times before choosing a departure.
- 02
Look beyond the tour length
Allow time for getting off the ship, transfers, check-in and the journey back.
- 03
Keep the details close
Save the meeting point, operator’s contact details and your booking confirmation.
What happens when you book
- Pick a tour here. Use the port comparisons to narrow your choice. Tour cards currently open the listing on Viator.
- Book on Viator. The button takes you to Viator, which takes the payment and sends the confirmation. The price is the same as booking there directly.
- Read the confirmation. It names the operator, the meeting point and the check-in time, and carries the operator’s phone number for the day.
- Meet the operator. Be at the meeting point by the check-in time. Each tour page states its cancellation terms, and the card flags free cancellation where the tour offers it.
If weather cancels a boat, the operator cancels, not you, and the refund runs through Viator. Our booking help page covers refunds, missed departures and who to call about what.
A LITTLE LOCAL CONTEXT
Good days start before you dock.
Practical reading for your next stop, whether you book a tour or explore on your own.
Make the most of Juneau
Compare a booked excursion with a day exploring independently.
Read the port guideFind your own way in Sitka
Start with the sights, walks and practical details in our port guide.
Read the port guideGet your bearings before you go
Understand the port, Hoonah and where your day begins.
Read the port guideClear comparisons. Your decision.
We compare independently operated tours. Viator handles the booking, and the local operator runs the experience.
Booking FAQ
Is it cheaper to book shore excursions yourself than through the cruise line?
Often, yes, though not always. The tours here are sold by the local operators through Viator, and one Juneau couple we watched said booking independently saved them a good share of the ship's price. What you give up is the cruise line's promise to hold the ship if its own tour runs late, so leave more margin on independent bookings.
What if my tour gets canceled?
The operator cancels for weather or a mechanical problem, and you get a full refund through Viator. It does happen: one Juneau whale trip in our research was canceled when the boat broke down, and the travelers found a walk-up seat on another boat the same morning.
Do I need to book before the cruise?
For peak summer, book ahead. One traveler found many of Sitka's day-of booths sold out on arrival, and another found every ship excursion full. Walking sights need no booking at all.
Where do tours meet?
It varies by port and by operator. Juneau whale tours mostly meet near the cruise docks and bus you to Auke Bay. Sitka tours often meet at Harrigan Centennial Hall, where the free shuttle stops. At Icy Strait Point, some meet at the port and some at Hoonah marina. Your confirmation names the exact spot.
Will I be back to the ship in time?
The tours listed here run two to five hours, short enough for a normal port day. Check the end time against your all-aboard and leave at least an hour of margin, more in Sitka, where the shuttle from town is the last step.
Do you run these tours?
No. Alaska Port Tours compares tours run by local operators and sold on Viator. We explain the way we pick tours on its own page.
Which port for which excursion
If your cruise calls at all three, don’t book the same trip three times. The ports suit different things.
Juneau is the whale port. Humpbacks turned up in every one of the seven Juneau whale trips we watched on video, and the boats run often enough that one traveler found a walk-up seat the same morning. Combos with Mendenhall Glacier give you about an hour at the ice, which is tight. Our Juneau whale watching comparison sets out the boats and the combos.
Sitka is the walking port. The totem trail, the Russian Bishop’s House and the Raptor Center are all on foot from the shuttle stop. Pay for the water, or for the ride out to Fortress of the Bear. Boats under two and a half hours rarely get far enough out, one traveler warned.
Icy Strait Point is the small-boat port. Both traveler videos of whale trips there were on boats of about 25 to 30 guests, and one family picked theirs over cruise-line boats they said can carry 100. Check whether yours meets at the port or at Hoonah marina, about 1.5 miles away.
One rule for all three: build slack into the trip back to the ship. In Sitka the last shuttle leaves 30 minutes before all aboard, and lines grow when several ships are in.
THE SHIP IS JUST THE BEGINNING
Find the Alaska you came for.
Pick your port. Explore the possibilities. Make the day yours.
Explore your port