Juneau Cruise Port Location, Things to do, Excursions

Table Of Content

• RCI-Royal Caribbean opens bookings for 2025 Alaska cruises
• How to Get from the Juneau Cruise Port to Mendenhall Glacier
• Say Goodbye to the Juneau, Alaska Cruise Port
• Mt. Roberts trail
• Dining and Shopping: Local Treats & Treasures
• Getting Back To The Ship
• Mt Robert tram
• Do you have any final tips for visiting Juneau?

Heritage Coffee is a low-key, locally-owned chain of coffee shops. Their downtown location is enormous and offers some of the best WiFi you’ll find near the cruise docks, although they usually limit access by providing a short-term passcode with each purchase. Juneau experiences long daylight hours during the summer months, providing plenty of time for visitors to maximize their time in the port and take part in various activities and excursions. To complete a visit to the Juneau cruise port, indulge in the local dining and shopping scene. Juneau offers a range of dining options that cater to all tastes and preferences. From cozy seafood shacks serving freshly caught crab to upscale restaurants offering modern cuisine, there is something for everyone.

RCI-Royal Caribbean opens bookings for 2025 Alaska cruises

With multiple berths that can accommodate large ships, all connected by a broad boardwalk, you’re perfectly poised for access to most of the visitor-oriented shops and activities in town. There are many popular attractions within walking distance to the Juneau cruise port. Many shops and restaurants are close by for cruise passengers to access quickly. You can get a map of downtown at one of the four welcome centers in town. Right at downtown you will find coffee shops and bistros, Indian, Italian and Mexican cuisine along with pizza and amazing seafood.

How to Get from the Juneau Cruise Port to Mendenhall Glacier

Depending on the length of your cruise is how much time you should set aside for Juneau. However many days you spend here you will find many popular excursion options to fill your time at the Port of Juneau. It is the state capital of Alaska and it is the second largest city in Alaska after Sitka. From the rugged mountains and Mendenhall valley to the local artists and Glacier Bay national park there is something to amaze everyone in Juneau. When visiting Juneau during the summer months, you’ll be treated to incredibly long daylight hours.

Say Goodbye to the Juneau, Alaska Cruise Port

This Juneau cruise port guide wouldn’t be legitimate if we didn’t first talk about the best excursions to book during your cruise’s stop in Juneau. You can opt to book excursions either through your cruise line or with a third-party company right in Juneau. It is common to actually see bears wandering through neighborhoods. Wildlife viewing is very popular in the Juneau Alaska cruise port. We didn’t see any on this trip but we also knew the salmon wasn’t running just yet.

You can also purchase entrance tickets to the most local attractions. When we visited Alaska – on a one week roundtrip from Seattle on Oosterdam with Holland America Lines – we combined it with a long shore-based trip in Canada. We heard a lot of discussion about how expensive they can be, especially in Alaska and we were interested to look for alternatives.

Dining and Shopping: Local Treats & Treasures

Juneau is bracing for its busiest cruise season ever - Alaska Public Media News

Juneau is bracing for its busiest cruise season ever.

Posted: Wed, 03 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

And, guided fly fishing is available on lakes, rivers and streams for some freshwater experience. Speak with the representatives to gather the details of what is included in your preferred activity. Be sure to double-check how long the trips will take and coordinate that with your ship’s departure time.

Getting Back To The Ship

There are no direct road connections to Juneau, so the access is either by sea (Alaska Marine Highway's ferries and cruise ships) or by air (Juneau International Airport). The first thing you likely noticed earlier when you disembarked the cruise ship is a number of kiosks at the boardwalk. These are small booths where you can book a variety of adventure excursions, including whale watching, flightseeing, wildlife tours and several other Alaskan adventures.

You can also choose a combo whale-watching cruise/Mendenhall glacier visit. After your whale-watching expedition, you’ll be bussed to Mendenhall, where you can spend 1.5 hours exploring. You can find several whale watching excursions offered by your cruise line as well. The cost to enter the visitor center is well worth it, with passes priced at $5 per person ages 15 and over. This Alaskan city is 3,255 square miles total, including 704 square miles of water and 928 square miles of ice cap in North America’s fifth largest ice field.

It is an accepted fact of life for those residing here that plans can change quickly. Flights are grounded out of an abundance of caution and the tides will dictate what can and cannot be done along the waterways. Therefore, resist the temptation to pre-book a shore excursion. Hands-on items in the Mining Gallery teach about geology, assaying and the life of miners. Then, watch the “City Built on Gold” documentary film to follow the history of the gold rush days. And, be sure to see the amazing relief map of Juneau created by a high school student.

You need to try the dark chocolate fudge or Klondike pecan fudge. If it’s hot in Juneau, like it was for us, then you can also try their delicious ice cream. Every time we passed by, there was a line, so expect a bit of a wait to get your crab legs.

Nestled between Gastineau Passage and Mount Juneau, the picturesque capital city of Juneau will be a memorable stop on your Alaskan Cruise. 30 minutes from downtown Juneau lies a shrine to the Patron Saint of Alaska, St. Therese of the child Jesus and the Holy Face. You’ll need to get to Mendenhall Visitors Center to take this hike, but you don’t have to pay to park or hike the Nuggets Falls trail. They also provide everything you need for an adventure kayaking in gorgeous Mendenhall Lake. With the backdrop of Mendenhall Glacier, you’ll row past icebergs and check off a major bucket list item.

I'm a budget traveler, and here are 10 ways I saved money on my Alaska cruise - Royal Caribbean Blog

I'm a budget traveler, and here are 10 ways I saved money on my Alaska cruise.

Posted: Wed, 14 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Alway be informed about the weather or anything unusual by the tourist information. Although Juneau is a charming town we strongly feel you should get outside of the city border to get a true feel for Alaska. The town is spread on about 9 blocks and you’ll be threw it before you know it. Think about kayaking, biking, hiking, flight-seeing, gold panning you name it.

A similar exemption exists in Port Ketchikan AK created as an incentive for cruise vessels to dock there longer. Most tour companies provide a shuttle from the cruise ports to their dock. There will likely be an inside (heated) area with good views and outside decks for those photo opportunities. 13 miles from downtown Juneau, tucked into Tongass National Forest, you’ll find the gorgeous Mendenhall Glacier and an excellent visitor center.