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Whales, Glaciers & Sled Dog Puppies: Alaska Cruise Shore Excursions by Port
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items I've done the Alaska cruise, and I'll tell you right now: the glacier day will knock your socks off, but the port days are where the stories come from. Whales, eagles, sled dog puppies, and a crab feast you'll still be talking about at Thanksgiving. ...
Sections
4
Juneau & Icy Strait Point
Ketchikan & Sitka
Skagway
Victoria, B.C. & Before You Sail
Juneau & Icy Strait Point
Whale country. Juneau is Alaska's capital, and you can't drive there from anywhere. It's the stop for whales, Mendenhall Glacier, and sled dogs. Icy Strait Point, next to the Tlingit village of Hoonah, is quieter and one of the best places in Alaska ...
The Juneau two-fer: humpback whales on the water, then Mendenhall Glacier up close. Thousands of five-star reviews, and it covers the two things everybody comes to Juneau to see.
Juneau Wildlife Whale Watching & Mendenhall Glacier
The splurge. A floatplane flies you over five glaciers to a remote lodge for a salmon feast. If there's one big-ticket excursion on your Alaska trip, make it this one.
Taku Lodge Feast & 5-Glacier Seaplane Discovery
Ride a cart pulled by a real sled dog team through the rainforest, then meet the dogs at the musher's camp. Speaking as a dog trainer, watching working dogs this happy to pull is a treat all by itself.
Musher's Camp® & Sled Dog Discovery in Juneau Alaska
Icy Strait is known for humpbacks, so this is a great stop to book your whale watching if you only do it once. Watching them feed with the mountains behind them is a picture you won't forget.
Hoonah Whale-Watching Cruise - Near Icy Strait Point
The laid-back half of an Icy Strait day: a look around the Tlingit village of Hoonah, then fresh Dungeness crab by the water. Pair it with the whale cruise above and you've got a perfect port day.
Icy Strait Village Tour and Crab Feast
For the folks who want to get their boots muddy. You paddle a big canoe across Mendenhall Lake past icebergs, then hike up near the glacier itself. Bring warm layers, because that ice makes its own weather.
Mendenhall Glacier Paddle & Hike Adventure
Ketchikan & Sitka
Ketchikan is the first stop on a lot of northbound sailings, and often a rainy one, so pack a jacket. It's easygoing, with crab, totems, and plenty near the dock. Sitka is small, pretty, and full of Russian and Tlingit history, and it's where you'll ...
Ride the Aleutian Ballad, the boat from Deadliest Catch, and watch the crew pull up crab pots right in front of you. Part boat ride, part show, and people rave about it.
Bering Sea Crab Fisherman's Tour from Ketchikan
Part bus, part boat, all silly fun. You tour the town, then roll right into the water. An easy, family-friendly pick that's close to the pier, with thousands of reviews.
Ketchikan Duck Tour
A small-group photo tour that gets you away from the cruise crowds to totem poles, harbors, and rainforest spots most folks never see. You'll come home with the best pictures on the ship.
Off the Beaten Path Ketchikan Photo Safari - 3 hr.
Sitka packs a lot into a small town, and this hits the big three: rescued eagles and owls up close at the Raptor Center, brown bears at Fortress of the Bears, and the totem trail. A great way to see it all without piecing it together yourself.
Sitka Highlights: Raptor Center, Fortress of the Bears & Totems
If you'd rather be on the water, this one heads out into Sitka Sound looking for humpbacks, sea otters, and eagles. A nice option if you skipped whale watching in Juneau or want a second shot at it.
Sitka Whale Watching & Marine Wildlife Tour
Ketchikan calls itself the Salmon Capital of the World, so if anybody in your group fishes, this is the day. A small boat, a captain who knows the spots, and all the gear provided. Pick a 4- or 6-hour trip to fit your time in port.
Ketchikan Salmon & Halibut Fishing Charter
Skagway
A gold rush town tucked at the top of the Inside Passage. The White Pass road climbs into Canada, so bring your passport if your tour crosses the border.
Sled dog puppies, a suspension bridge over a roaring river, and the mountain summit, all in one trip. It crosses into Canada, so bring your passport. Puppy breath is worth the paperwork.
Bridge, Puppies, and Summit Triple Combo in Skagway
A zippy raft ride past waterfalls and steep fjord walls, keeping an eye out for seals, eagles, and whatever else is out there. They suit you up in a float coat, so all you have to do is hang on.
Ocean Raft Wildlife Adventure from Skagway
The easy-going pick for Skagway: a guided drive through the gold rush town and up toward White Pass, with photo stops along the way. Good for anyone who wants the views without the hiking.
Skagway City and Summit Tour
For the thrill-seekers in the family. You ride out to Dyea in a big off-road truck, then zip through the rainforest over glacier-fed waterfalls, with suspension bridges between the lines. Kids six and up can go too.
Grizzly Falls Zipline Adventure from Skagway
Not your typical bus tour. You ride your own scooter on an 18-mile loop to overlooks and gold rush sites, with a guide leading the way and pointing out eagles and seals. Best if you've ridden a scooter or motorcycle before.
Skagway Scooter Gold Rush Adventure
Victoria, B.C. & Before You Sail
Victoria is usually the last stop on round-trip sailings from Seattle, and it's often a short evening visit, so check your ship's hours before booking anything here. My packing list is at the end of this section.
Butchart Gardens is the one everybody talks about, and this combo adds a drive past Victoria's highlights on the way. Plan to spend most of your time wandering the gardens.
Victoria City Tour & Butchart Gardens Combo
The waters around Victoria are orca territory, so this is your chance at killer whales after all the humpbacks up north. Just make sure a departure time fits your ship's hours.
Victoria Whale Watching Adventure
Alaska calls for layers and a good rain jacket, even in summer. For everything else, this is my packing list: the cabin must-haves and day-bag gear that come with me on every sailing.
Sea Day Ready: Cruise Packing Must-Haves I Bring Every Trip
Eat your way through Victoria: Fan Tan Alley, Chinatown, the Inner Harbour, and enough tastings to count as lunch. This one runs in the morning and afternoon, so it works if your ship arrives early enough. Worth it if it does.
Victoria Guided Food and History Tour
Yes, a floating hot tub. You and up to five friends soak in a wood-fired tub while you putter around Victoria Harbour with your own music playing. Silly? Absolutely. The best story from the whole trip? Probably.
Hot Tub Boat Ride Around Victoria