8 Whale Watching in Juneau, Ranked by What You Get

1.Juneau Wildlife Whale Watching

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7,379 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $177Our pick

Cruise from Juneau to Auke Bay for about two hours of whale watching aboard a boat with heated cabins, outdoor decks, snacks, and bottled water. Naturalists such as Kacie, Genevieve, Ashley, and Nate explain whale behavior and local wildlife. Round-trip pickup from the cruise terminal keeps this shore excursion simple.

“What’s a whale watching adventure after the whales migrate out of the area? It’s a little boat ride out. It’s a little boat ride back. Fortunately for us, it was a beautiful day. And the crew was delightful.”

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2.Juneau Wildlife Whale Watching & Mendenhall Glacier

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6,236 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $249

Travel from Juneau’s cruise terminal to Mendenhall Glacier for about 45 minutes, then board a warm, wildlife-viewing boat with large windows and an outdoor deck. Guides such as Captain Michelle, Nate, Taylor, and Leon add local insight. A whale sighting is guaranteed, but close views depend on nature and sea conditions.

“Worth it! Greg took us to the glacier first where we had about 45 minutes to explore. Not enough time to get to Nugget falls but you could view it from the areas we were at. Seeing the glacier in person, it was easy to forget this was only part of the tour. Up next, the whale watch. The boat was very nice, clean, comfortable and easy to maneuver on. And they gave us snacks! We were taken out into the ocean to look for whales. Ashley was very informative and knew a lot about what we were seeing with a lot of stories about each of them individually. We…”

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3.3.5 Hour Crowd-Skipping Whale Tour in Juneau, Alaska

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,164 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $189

Join Juneau Whale Tours for a 3.5-hour wildlife trip with about 2.25 hours on the water. A 20-person catamaran, wraparound deck, heated cabin, and naturalist-led narration make whale viewing easy. Pickup is offered downtown, but AJ Dock passengers must arrange transport to the Goldbelt Tram.

“What a wonderful excursion! TJ and Andrew were awesome and we saw so many whales! Would definitely do this one again and highly recommend!”

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4.Ultimate Juneau Whale Watch and Mendenhall Glacier View

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 915 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $156

Ride from downtown Juneau to Auke Bay, then spend about two hours looking for humpback whales, orcas, eagles, seals, and sea lions with a naturalist guide. The heated boat has wide windows, outdoor decks, restrooms, water, and trail mix. A five-minute Mendenhall Glacier photo stop is included when weather allows, but this is not a visit to the glacier park.

“Ford, Nate, and Chriss were absolutely spectacular! I was a solo traveller at the end of the season yet we had such an amazing time. We saw orcas, a whale and her calf. The crew was funny, educative, caring and so informative. I can’t wait to be back on a better season, will definitely be sailing with them”

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5.Alaska Whale Watching Cruise w/ 3 HOURS on the water

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 801 reviews · 4 hours 5 minutes (approx.) · from $159

Ride from your Juneau cruise-ship dock to Auke Bay, then spend three hours on the water aboard Harv and Marv’s 49-passenger double-decker boat. The crew searches for humpbacks and orcas, shares wildlife photos, and pauses for a weather-dependent view of Mendenhall Glacier. Guides such as Dalton, Tess, Sam, and Chloe are known for lively narration.

“This was awesome! Jake and Leanne were great. They knew where the whales were and told us what to watch for to see them. I figured we would see them far away like pictures I had seen from other people’s whale watching, but they were so close it was amazing!! Thank you for an unforgettable experience!!”

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6.Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center and Ultimate Whale Watch Combo

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 771 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $199

Meet beneath the Goldbelt Tram cables, then ride to Auke Bay for a two-hour whale watch on a heated 24-passenger jet boat or 49-passenger catamaran. A naturalist helps spot humpbacks, orcas, seals, and more. Finish at Mendenhall Glacier, where you can walk to Nugget Falls before returning to Juneau.

“The naturalist and the captain were amazing on our trip! We saw two different pods of whales. They worked hard to find the perfect spot for us to view whales.”

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7.Ultimate Whale Watch and Tracy’s Crab Shack Combo

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 614 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $274

Spend about three hours on the water with Juneau Tours, watching humpback whales and possibly sea lions and eagles, then use your prepaid Tracy’s Combo Meal at the crab shack. Guides such as Captain Jayden and Captain Ben have been praised for clear explanations and sharp spotting. Round-trip port transport is included.

“Fantastic excursion, highly recommend. Crew was knowledgeable and took time with all the passengers. Bonus was seeing the eagles, still in awe.”

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8.From Juneau: Whale Watching Cruise with Snacks

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 427 reviews · 3 hours · from $154Best value

Travel from downtown Juneau to Auke Bay, then spend two hours aboard a small, enclosed jet boat searching for humpback whales, orcas, sea lions, porpoises, eagles, and more. Naturalists such as Nia, Derek, Rio, and Perry explain the wildlife and coastline, while binoculars, hot drinks, water, and snacks are provided.

“Captain Perry and Rio were awesome! The boat ride was very smooth and informative! We saw quite a few whales and sea lions!”

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