Ultimate Juneau Whale Watch
- 3 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
Your 3 hour whale watching adventure begins when you board a coach bus that departs downtown Juneau from the Mt. Roberts Tram parking lot. A 25 minute journey through the picturesque landscape of Southeast Alaska will take you to Auke Bay Harbor. “All aboard!” and you’re off for Alaska waters and the ultimate whale watching experience. The star of the tour is the humpback whale, but we are always looking out for sea lions, bald eagles, or the playful orca. The whales are here to feed in our abundant Alaskan waters. Our naturalist guides you on a 2 hour whale watching tour. With our experienced captains and Juneau being one of the best ports for whale watching in Alaska, this tour will be an unforgettable experience. A light snack and refreshments will be provided.
Inclusions
What's included
- A photo stop on the water of the Mendenhall Glacier (weather dependent)
- Informative professional driver guide during transfers
- Heated cabin with wide viewing windows, spacious decks for whale watching, and bathrooms on board
- Multiple tour times for flexibility
- Filtered water and trail mix bars available aboard the whale boat
- Round-trip transportation between port and boat harbor
- Naturalist on whale tour
- 3 hour tour time, 2 hours on the water on a custom 24-passenger jet boat or 49-passenger catamaran
What's not
- Gratuities (greatly appreciated)
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
4.9
- 51,112
- 454
- 324
- 27
- 18
Ratings come from 1,205 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Showing reviews written in English.
3A memorable experience, but not quite for the reasons I had hoped
I had been incredibly excited about this whale-watching trip and had high expectations, particularly for the opportunity to see these magnificent animals in their natural environment. We were lucky with the weather, our guide was excellent, and we did get to see whales, which was undoubtedly a fantastic experience. However, I came away feeling quite conflicted about what I had witnessed. The biggest disappointment for me was the sheer number of boats gathered around the whales. At times, there seemed to be boats coming from several directions, following the same animals and repositioning as they moved. Watching it unfold, I couldn’t help feeling that the whales were being stalked rather than simply observed. I completely understand that whale watching is a popular excursion and that operators have regulations and guidelines they are expected to follow. But standing there watching multiple boats tracking the whales left me questioning whether the experience was really as respectful of the wildlife as I had imagined. Perhaps I had built it up too much in my mind, but I had envisaged something much more peaceful — quietly encountering whales in the wild and giving them space. Instead, at times it felt more like a queue of boats chasing a sighting. So, while I’m grateful that we were fortunate enough to see whales and I have no criticism of our guide, the overall experience left me with mixed emotions. Seeing the whales was special; seeing so many boats pursuing them was not. It certainly made me think differently about whale-watching tourism and whether the experience we provide for ourselves is worth the potential disturbance to the animals we have gone there to admire.
5Great Excursion!
This really was the ultimate whale-watching excursion! We saw lots of whales and had such informative guides! It was an incredible day of seeing orcas and humpbacks! I absolutely recommend this excursion!!!!!
5Amazing whale watching
Let me just begin with the fact that we had the perfect weather, our tour guide was wonderful. We saw orcas and humpback whales. Not one or two, but a few of them. However, the most amazing part was the whale breaching. Loved it every minute of it. Marine life at its best!
5Best whale tour!!
This tour was amazing, seen many whales, and sea life, Our tour guides were amazing. Jade is so knowledgeable and our captain of our tour had the best personality. Highly recommend this tour. You won’t regret it!!!
5Easy to find, friendly...
Easy to find, friendly crew, knowledgeable. Know that there is no guarantee that you will see whales. We did because the ship captains were speaking to one another and we were in the right position on the boat, but some did not based on their boat location.
5Humpbacks!!
All the women were great and went out of their way to make sure we all were able to see whales!! XOXO
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- JUNEAU TOURS & WHALE WATCH Representatives are standing under the cables of the Goldbelt Tramway wearing bright blue hats and holding signs that say "Juneau Tours and Whale Watch."
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 49 travellers
- Operated by
- Juneau Tours
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Tour time is a check-in time; departure is within 10 to 15 minutes.
- The meeting place is under the cables in front of the Mt. Roberts Tramway.
- All ports or docks are within 10 minutes walking distances, except one - the A Dock - which provides a “Downtown” shuttle to the Mt. Roberts Tramway.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult.
How it compares in Juneau
- Its from-price is 29% below the median of the 95 experiences we list in Juneau.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- By number of reviews it ranks 7 of 95.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Juneau
Juneau is Alaska's capital, a small harbour city beneath steep forested mountains, reachable only by air or sea and close to glaciers.
Juneau sits on the Gastineau Channel in the Alaska Panhandle, squeezed between the water and the steep slopes of Mount Juneau and Mount Roberts, with the Juneau Icefield behind. No road connects it to the rest of North America. The city grew after gold was found in 1880, and the Alaska State Capitol, a columned building of the 1930s, the octagonal Russian Orthodox church of St Nicholas and the old downtown streets recall that past.
Top-ranked sights in Juneau: Mt. Roberts Tramway (Goldbelt Tram), Mendenhall Glacier, Nugget Falls.
