Juneau Wildlife Whale Watching & Mendenhall Glacier Adventure
4.9
3,984 Ratings
Juneau
Embark on an unforgettable Alaskan adventure with our Juneau Wildlife Whale Watching & Mendenhall Glacier tour. Explore the stunning Mendenhall Glacier before setting off on a thrilling whale watching excursion. Guaranteed sightings of majestic Humpback Whales and other water wildlife await!
Duration: 4 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Alaska Tales - Our tour representatives will meet you at the main cruise ship terminal and check you in for the excursion. You will board a transport bus with a guide that will bring you to the Mendenhall Glacier for 45 minute stop. Here you will be able to explore the area on your own. The parking lot is a very short walking distance to magnificent photo opportunities, hiking trails, visitor’s center, and bear viewing platforms raised above the salmon spawning streams. Once the glacier exploration is complete, we will transport you to the local boat harbor. Where you will be met by our captain and crew who will walk you past the fishing fleet to board one of our state-of-the-art boats built for wildlife viewing. The boats are equipped with restrooms, heated cabins, large windows, comfortable seats, and outdoor decks for viewing. We will then begin a 2 hour journey in search of Humpback Whales and other water wildlife native to the area. You can sit back and relax while taking in the beautiful scenery on the boat ride or assist us in searching for signs of whales including water spouts, tail dives, and whales jumping out of the water. No trip is the same as mother nature decides what to provide for each tour. Your naturalist and crew will interpret what you are seeing and explain the behaviors of the massive and beautiful creatures. At the end of the trip the captain will make an announcement and we will return back to the harbor. Feel free to enjoy a complimentary snack and beverage as you soak up your remaining time on the water. Your driver will meet you at the harbor and bring you back through town to the main cruise ship terminal in downtown Juneau where the excursion started.
What's Included
  • Guaranteed whale sightings
  • Roundtrip transportation from cruise terminal
  • Port pickup and drop-off included
  • Live on-board commentary
  • Complimentary bottled water and snacks
  • Experienced driver/guide
What's Not Included
  • None
  • Shuttle cost to the Gold Belt Tram building ($ 3.00)
Additional Information

Embark on a wildlife spotting adventure that highlights two of Southeast Alaska’s major attractions. Our itinerary includes a self-guided 45-minute tour of the Mendenhall Glacier, followed by an exciting whale watching expedition. After your independent exploration of the glacier park, we’ll transport you to the whale watching harbor. Here, you will board one of our cutting-edge vessels to seek out magnificent Humpback Whales and other marine animals we might encounter en route. With our seasoned captains and nature guides who are familiar with these fascinating creatures, we confidently promise a safe viewing distance witnessing of whales in their natural environment. Our vessels boast on-board restrooms and heated cabins for added comfort during your journey. They are also fitted with spacious outdoor decks, allowing you the freedom to take in the wildlife either alfresco or from the cozy cabin. Don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime Alaskan escapade!

  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • Collapsable Wheelchairs Only
  • No Motorized Scooters
  • No Motorized Wheelchairs
Location
490 S Franklin St
South Franklin Street
You will find the team on the water side of the building underneath the green canopy tent.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(3984 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
P2466hzah
Jan 12, 2024
Whales!! Everywhere! - This excursion was awesome! Whales came right under our boat! Staff and photographer Lily Davis were phenomenal! Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roam53591242860
Nov 18, 2023
Fantastic Experience. First time to Alaska. - It was a cloudy, rainy day, but that didn't put a damper on our day. Our Tour was fabulous. Captain Mike is very knowledgeable as to where to go to be sure to see Whale's. The crew, Rayne and Olive were very friendly and knowledgeable out the whales, their habitat and were great all around. I would totally recommend this tour to future travelers.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jonbwe
Oct 28, 2023
Wonderful Views, Enthusiastic Staff - Wonderful experience. We saw more whales than we could keep up with. The boat had an unusual design so the people inside could have an unobstructed view, even if other people were outside. Some people took pictures they were helped to match with a book of pictures that identified individual whales. Very dedicated staff. It was dark and raining when we returned and instead of dropping us at a central location, our bus driver took us each to our ship's gangways.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brenda_s
Oct 19, 2023
You will be so glad you booked their tour!!! - 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.
Review provided by Viator
Ericb4prezident
Oct 16, 2023
Relaxing whale watching - We saw so much whale activity, seals and bald eagles. Terrific tour totally worth your time. This time of year typically doesn’t have this much activity but we lucked out with some active wildlife and a great tour guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dream12361077406
Oct 13, 2023
A perfect day in Juneau - What a beautiful day, we couldn't have asked for anything more ! We very much enjoyed our time at Mendenhall Glacier, then a spectacular time on the water with Captain Mark , Steph and Kacie. The ship was super comfortable with staduim seating and the crew was so knowledgeable and kind with their time and information. We learned so much and saw several whales breaching. The ride was very comfrtable and we would 100 percent do it again with this great crew !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
A2720hejimb
Oct 13, 2023
A Tale of Whale watchers - We took this trip as an excursion from a cruise. It was the best decision! We hopped on the green bus in Juneau and had an enjoyable ride to the glacier, the driver was very engaged with the riders. We saw the Mendenhall Glacier and had time to walk around the area without rushing, we grabbed a lot of photos and were able to see some Salmon in the stream nearby. We got back on the bus and got a ride to the dock to jump on the boat. The crew, James, Steph and Will, were welcoming and really made us feel good about what we were embarking on. We ventured out and it wasn't long before the boat slowed and we got the first glimpse of a humpback going for a dive. Moving around a bit we were able (well, it was all the crew) to find a hotspot with quite a few whales feeding in the area. The activity was awesome and we watched a mother and calf just playing, fin slapping and swimming around. There were a couple times we saw the whole whale, breaching and letting us see just how big they are. The entire time we were watching, the crew kept us updated on what we were seeing in the water as well as some of the land around where we were. Just beautiful scenery! There were a couple Orcas that we saw on the way back to the dock that were swimming by. The crew was awesome, (we had also went whale watching in New England) these folks were on their game, ensuring everyone was having a good time. They even shared the pictures they had taken during the trip. This was truly a trip we'll remember.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lauren_m
Oct 13, 2023
A whale of a good time - 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.
Review provided by Viator
Jennifer_a
Jan 6, 2024
Awesome, but a bit rushed - 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.
Review provided by Viator
Levithelevi
Feb 10, 2024
Could Have Been Better - The boat crew were fantastic and made the best with our late arrival. However, we were late because the bus driver was clearly experiencing "difficulties" with his perception of time, among other things. There was a gatorade bottle in his possession when dropped off at Mendenhall Glacier, and by the time he showed up 45 min late to pick us up, that bottle was mostly gone, and he had a noticeable slur in his speech. He drove erratically and exceeded the speed limit all the way to the dock. It was such an issue that I, and a few others, mentioned it to the boat captain, who dismissed it as just his quirkiness. We went out on the boat, and we managed to see a couple whales, though we were at the tail end of it due to being late, so I definitely felt like we missed out. When we arrived back at the dock, we had to again wait on the bus driver who was passed out sleeping in the bus...again, just quirkiness perhaps. I will not make any accusations, and perhaps all was above board. However, we were late being picked up, late to the boat, missed out on some time whale-watching, and certainly felt that the bus driver was engaged in some unnecessarily risky driving. I would not recommend this excursion if this bus driver is still employed. At minimum, I would expect this company to begin performing random testing to ensure the integrity of their staff.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Select Date and Tickets
up to 15 guests
1 Adult
May 2024
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Today