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Another way to go is to book directly with a tour operator in one of the ports. Many of the tour operators you'll find in Alaskan ports are the same tour operators that operate the ship-sponsored excursions. Often, the tours that the local tour operators will sell you are the same tours that the cruise lines are selling you, at the same price. My first time driving through the area was gorgeous, but I wanted to get out there and explore the hidden gems that the area had to offer.
Free and Cheap Things to Do in Juneau
Read one traveler’s intimate account of her Alaska by small-ship cruise experience. Glaciers are ubiquitous and the variety of glacier-centric tour options runs from genial walks to full-on glacial climbs. If you only have the budget for one Alaska cruise excursion, let it be this one. This is the BEST Alaska cruise excursion and absolutely worth every penny. The city of Victoria was named after Queen Victoria, and it is deeply rooted in its British colonial history.
A Seward Glacier Cruise: Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise and Alaska SeaLife Center
You check a box on an online form before sailing or while on board, and — poof! They send a ticket to your room, and when you walk off the ship, a tour guide will be waiting for you. Unfortunately, as you can see from the above, many of the most spectacular excursions in Alaskan ports are expensive. Alaska is a place where you may want to budget almost as much per person for your shore excursions as you do for your cabin. If you missed this chance to get up close and personal with the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, the Glacier Point Wilderness Safari will be your redemption! These cruise lines, especially on their newer ships, offer something for everyone — as well as a higher caliber of onboard dining than on the cheapest cruises.
Best Of Sitka: Otters, Raptors & Bears
Another way to see the Preserve is by jetboat tour, which goes up the Chilkat River into a wetland environment that’s an excellent place to see moose and bald eagles. The combination of plentiful marine plankton and favorable currents makes the waters near Juneau a popular feeding area for humpback whales. And Juneau has a reliable number of humpback whales feeding in the nearby channels. Through this UnCruise excursion, passengers can explore one of the most remote national parks in the US.
Sitka Raptor Center and Indigenous Tales
This is also the trip for a camera with good telephoto lenses and binoculars. For more on what to bring on an Alaska cruise, check out our Alaska cruise packing list. Top scenic cruising destinations in Alaska include Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Hubbard Glacier, Tracy Arm (Twin Sawyer Glaciers), Dawes Glacier at Endicott Arm and College Fjord. Book a fishing trip to try your hand at catching salmon or halibut, or go out crab fishing for a glimpse into that type of work. Look to UnCruise Adventures, Alaskan Dream Cruises, Hurtigruten and Lindblad Expeditions for the best adventure cruises. Ships in all price ranges sail a variety of itineraries, so don't let budget stop you from visiting.
Best cruise lines for extended trips to Alaska
The tour concludes with a historic train ride through Bridal Veil Falls, Inspiration Point, and Dead Horse Gulch. This is a great tour for everyone in the family and requires only mild exertion. Some cruise lines even offer exclusive tours directly through their tour line that you won’t find anywhere else. For example, I know Princess Cruise line offers Discovery and Animal Planet exclusive shore excursions. Make sure to check with your cruise line to see if they offer any exclusive tours you can take advantage of.
With stunning granite faces and cascading waterfalls, add the Misty Fjords to your “must-do” list. If you’ve done any preliminary research on the Skagway area, I am sure you have seen at least 50 recommendations for the Yukon. Well, this is easily one of my favorites for seeing everything the Yukon has to offer you! Experience the beauty of the Klondike highway, with the opportunity to stretch your legs and see what locals really cherish about this area. If you are looking for a helicopter tour in Alaska, this is a hidden gem that definitely needs to be on your “must-do” list. In general, waiting until the last minute is not the best idea, unless you live in Seattle or Vancouver and don't need to book flights.
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Many people trek to Alaska to commune with nature, but there's also history here that you shouldn't overlook. Most sail along the Inside Passage, a maritime route along the state's southern coast (and into British Columbia and Washington state) that weaves around the area's thousand islands. Some venture farther north into the Gulf of Alaska; these are often one-way cruises that begin and end at the ports near Anchorage. My Alaska Cruise Guide ebook will help you plan the basics of your cruise and wade through all the excursions in each port to make the best choice for each stop on your Alaska cruise itinerary.
This adventure-lovers tour begins with pickup at the ship docks and takes you on a scenic drive to historic Dyea. From there, you’ll hop in the monster Unimog for a ride up to the zipline course. At the mountaintop, suit up in the provided safety gear and enjoy one of the most scenic and fun zipline courses offered along the Inside Passage.
You'll have up to two days of scenic cruising, in addition to sailing the Inside Passage. Because Gulf of Alaska cruises sail farther north, scenic destinations might include College Fjord, in addition to Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier. Additionally, you'll have one day spent cruising the Inside Passage and one focused on "scenic cruising," where you can enjoy the landscapes but won't go ashore. This is not nearly as boring as you might think since you'll see incredible sights like Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve or Hubbard Glacier. Popular Inside Passage ports of call include Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Haines and Skagway. Weeklong itineraries generally embark in either Seattle or Vancouver, British Columbia — though some itineraries originate in Juneau.
This low-impact activity is perfect for families and those looking for a peaceful retreat into nature. It boasts the shortest rod-hour to catch ratio for King salmon in the entire state of Alaska. So, if you dream of catching an Alaska salmon, this is a great place. (Your tour operator will process, freeze, and ship the fish back home for you.) Sitka sits directly on the open ocean, so you can go after all five species of Pacific salmon in an easy outing from Sitka. The halibut fishing grounds are farther from shore, requiring a longer tour.
That all changed when helicopters became readily available to travelers. On this wildly popular tour with TEMSCO Helicopters, you travel to the Juneau Ice Field by helicopter and get a chance to travel by dog sled on a stretch of gorgeous glacier. You'll find magnificent mountains (often snowcapped, even in the summertime), lush forests, waterfalls, fjords and calving glaciers. If it's marine life you've come to see, you'll find it in abundance, from whales and dolphins to sea lions and harbor seals.
Well, we've done the legwork for you, and you find the answers to that question here. Since our film crews have shot more than 150 Alaska cruise excursions in the past few years, we know them intimately. But, also get ready for lovely views of glacier-carved fjords, cliffs and rock walls jutting thousands of feet out of the ocean. The whole thing is covered with temperate rainforests and features huge waterfalls (thanks to all that rain). With this popular tour, I loved the chance to see all the major highlights of Juneau in one great excursion!
One nice thing about the Inside Passage is how calm the water is because you're sailing between land masses. If you worry about seasickness, an Inside Passage trip is the best Alaska cruise itinerary versus a sailing where your ship transits rougher, open waters. Glacial ice carved this passageway long ago, and today, cruise ships and fishing vessels thread their way through the islets and channels to see some of the most spectacular natural sights in the world. One of the key reasons to cruise Alaska versus taking a land tour is to visit destinations along the Inside Passage that you cannot reach by road. Plus, many of the state's famous glaciers are best viewed from the sea.
Should you book a ship-sponsored or independent shore excursion on a cruise? - The Points Guy
Should you book a ship-sponsored or independent shore excursion on a cruise?.
Posted: Wed, 20 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The humpback whales lose 30% of their body weight in Hawaii, so once they arrive in Juneau they spend hours a day looking for food and eating. We even had the rare opportunity of spotting a whale calf breaching out of the water twice! We booked the Whale Watching & Alaska Salmon Bake Excursion where we were able to see humpback whales feeding in the pristine waters of Auke Bay. Don’t miss the opportunity to explore the Alaska State Museum as well to learn about the region’s rich history and indigenous cultures.
Whales because, with the inside passage being so narrow, we can literally guarantee whale sitings on this tour! Glaciers, because who has ever spent more than 5 minutes googling Juneau, and not seen mention of the famed Mendenhall Glacier. As the Capital of Alaska, this city has a lot to offer, and this tour offered the perfect opportunity to let my inner history buff shine during the drive to Auke Bay and Mendenhall Glacier. So get it all, as I already mention over and again in this post, with this combination tour that hits on Juneau’s biggest attractions.
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