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Juneau Wildlife Whale Watching & Mendenhall Glacier
Badge of ExcellenceJuneau, USA
- 4 hours 30 minutes
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
The Mendenhall Glacier is one of Juneau’s most impressive natural wonders, stretching over 13 miles (21 kilometers). On this half-day tour, enjoy spectacular views of the glacier from the viewing platforms and walkways, and learn more about the mighty glacier at the Visitor Center. Then, set sail on a thrilling whale-watching cruise along the coast and look out for humpback whales, as well as other wildlife such as bald eagles and blue heron.
- Magnificent views of the Mendenhall Glacier
- See humpback whales in their natural environment
- Hassle-free round-trip transfers from Juneau
- Choice of departure times throughout the day
What's Included
- 100% Guarantee to see Whales
- Roundtrip Transportation from Cruise Terminal
- Snacks
- None
- Shuttle cost to the Gold Belt Tram building ($ 3.00)
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup point
- Goldbelt Tram490 S Franklin St, Juneau, AK 99801, USA
Pickup details
Tour check-in is centrally located at the main cruise ship terminal in downtown Juneau. 490 S Franklin St, Juneau, AK 99801 You will meet the team on the water side of the Gold Belt Tram building underneath the green canopy tent. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled departure time. Your Alaska Tales Tour Representative will be holding a sign that will reads, Alaska Tales. If you have any trouble finding the team, please call us IMPORTANT: If your cruise ship is docking at the AJ dock, a shuttle is available to the Gold Belt Tram building where your tour will depart. Additional Cost is for an all day pass. HOTEL GUESTS: If you are an overnight guest staying outside of downtown Juneau and/or have your own transportation, you may choose to meet us at the harbor in Auke Bay. If you prefer this option, please contact us directly, as there are different meeting times and instructions for this option.
What To Expect
Your Alaska adventure begins at Juneau’s main cruise ship terminal, where you’ll hop on an air-conditioned bus to Mendenhall Glacier. With 45 minutes to explore, you’ll get fantastic photo opportunities up close to the ice, plus time in the visitor center, on the trails, and at the bear-viewing platforms.
From there, you’ll head to the sea, where you’ll board a vessel built for wildlife-viewing—with comfy seats, oversized windows, a warm cabin, and a wrap-around outdoor deck. Your captain will help you spot humpback whales, seals, eagles, and more; in fact, wildlife spotting is guaranteed. A complimentary snack and beverage are provided to keep you cozy.
Returning to the harbor, your driver will escort you back to the main cruise ship terminal, with plenty of time to catch your ship.
From there, you’ll head to the sea, where you’ll board a vessel built for wildlife-viewing—with comfy seats, oversized windows, a warm cabin, and a wrap-around outdoor deck. Your captain will help you spot humpback whales, seals, eagles, and more; in fact, wildlife spotting is guaranteed. A complimentary snack and beverage are provided to keep you cozy.
Returning to the harbor, your driver will escort you back to the main cruise ship terminal, with plenty of time to catch your ship.
Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center
50 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- No Motorized Scooters
- Near public transportation
- No Motorized Wheelchairs
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Traveler Photos
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Featured review
Patti_M
The staff was so knowledgeable and friendly! The bus driver that took us to the boat dock gave us a lot of local, interesting snippets of info about the area. The boat crew were very interactive and provided a multitude of interesting facts about whales in the area, and answered all questions the tour guests had.
Reviews
5.0
3,967 reviews
Lauren_B, May 2024
This was just an average tour experience for me. Mendenhall Glacier is essentially just a full size bus ride to a drop off point for 45 minutes to explore. Some commentary from driver but not a lot of info on Juneau culture. Whale watch is in a large boat that you must be inside for safety until a whale is spotted and then they open up the front deck outdoors for viewing. The same people would rush to the front and it made everyone viewing the whales difficult. This is more a comment on the rude people on my particular tour than the staff as they were very polite and pleasant. I would book a smaller or more personal tour..
William_H, May 2024
We had a great time saw the glacier and a few whales, timing was excellent nice people
thank you so much!
Jennifer_a, Jan 2024
This was a great tour, but very rushed. We only had a couple minutes to see the glacier and take a couple pictures and then there was a waterfall we could hike to and we had to almost run back from the waterfall to get back to the bus on time. We only we're at the waterfall for about 5 to 10 minutes taking pictures. We didn't get to see the museum or gift shop at all.
Brenda_S, Oct 2023
Whales, whales, and more whales! Great way to spend a cool, rainy day with a very knowledgable crew who seem to love what they do!! Makes me smile just thinking about it.
Lauren_M, Oct 2023
As you can see from the photo, we saw whales... as advertised! Many times. The crew is nice, helpful, and funny. I appreciated they offered snacks on the way out, as well as water, and there is a bathroom on board. The seats are very comfortable on the boat, and there's plenty of room for everyone to stand on the decks for the views. We even saw Mendenhall Glacier as we were zipping along from one whale sighting to another. It was really fun. We saw two whales that hang out together, then another that was feeding, so there were plenty of awesome photos of whales.
Sonia_H, Oct 2023
Great trip. The folks were very nice and got up as close as they could to see the whales. We saw several. I would recommend going earlier than October for whale watching. The whales had already started migrating south!
Maria_Y, Oct 2023
Take the tour! You won't regret it. Such a great experience, I'll definitely do it again. Friendly staff, efficient process and most importantly, they found the whales!!! Trip of a lifetime!
Luis_P, Oct 2023
Great sights and passionate guides. Awesome time visiting Mendenhall Glacier. Wish we had a bit more time.
Loved the whale watching. Obviously up to the whales but what fascinating animals they are.
Recommend you tour with this company. Ben our driver and guide was funny and informative. Taylor on the boat was knowledgeable and loves his job
Natalie_C, Sep 2023
An awesome experience for the whole family! Our kids absolutely loved it. We saw multiple whales and the weather couldn’t have been better!
Judith_R, Sep 2023
We did not realize that this was going to be such a large group of people (around 48 people) on this excursion. It definitely took away from being able to see the whales as well with people standing in front of you. I was disappointed in the lack of commentary and the personalization of the excursion. Not the experience we wanted.
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From $249.00
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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