Here I have for you a list of tours in Alaska cruise ports that I really think you need to know about to get some so-very-Alaska experiences! 😁
For each cruise port, I’ve given you a theme to focus on so that you can experience a different aspect of Alaska at every single port!
This includes Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Sitka, and Icy Strait Point, as well as Whittier and Seward.
I realize that I use “wilderness” a lot to describe many of these activities below. Well, what can I say, I do like wilderness experiences, and I do think that’s a big part of experiencing Alaska!
Most of these tours have a meeting point near the cruise port. You will be e-mailed detailed instructions.
Be assured, tour companies in Alaska cruise ports are VERY experienced with cruisers, so they have it all figured out how to make it easy for you.
So now, here are tours in Alaska cruise ports that you must consider to get an Alaska experience you will remember forever!
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Explore Alaska cruise ports: Juneau | Skagway | Ketchikan | Sitka | Icy Strait Point | Whittier | Seward
Plus more cruise ports for an Alaska cruise: Seattle | Vancouver | Victoria
Juneau excursions to know about
The Iconic Alaska: Glaciers and whales
The must-do things in Juneau are the Mendenhall Glacier and whale watching.
The Mendenhall Glacier, waterfalls, and whale watching combo is perfect so you don’t need to figure out individual transportation.
If you do want to do it separately, then you can use the glacier express shuttle and do a dedicated whale watching tour.
Or the lighthouse and whale watching combo that does a floating pier arrival at a small island! I did this and it felt like the wilderness!
For the ultimate adventure tour at Mendenhall Glacier, my choice is the Mendenhall Glacier Ice tour! This will have you paddling across the lake as a group to make a shore landing, then doing a short hike across rugged terrain (where the glacier used to flow) to a grand view of the glacier! I did this and loved it. Even though the hike was short, it felt like we were hiking in the wilderness.
I also loved the Taku Lodge excursion. This was the first epic excursion I did during my Alaska cruise. It includes the 5-glacier seaplane tour, where you fly over the Juneau Icefield to see the amazing glaciers as part of a flightseeing tour, and then you do a landing on the water to arrive at a cabin that feels like it’s in the middle of the wilderness! Your purpose for going to the lodge is the salmon bake. While waiting for the salmon to be ready (which is done outside and you can see it!), I went for a walk into the nearby forest to walk the trail with moss-covered trees! Oh, and the lodge is directly across from a glacier view too!
You can also do your bucket list glacier helicopter tour in Juneau, by doing the guided icefield walk on Herbert Glacier for your walk-on-a-glacier experience!
Skagway excursions to know about
The Mountain Frontier: Yukon and sled dogs
Skagway is where you go to relive the gold rush and head over the White Pass summit and into the wild and remote Yukon! (The Yukon is across the border in Canada.)
Aside from the White Pass train excursion (that’s easiest to book directly through the cruise line), the White Pass summit experience and Yukon suspension bridge tour allows you see see the rugged wilderness with views you’ll love.
Skagway is also known for Alaskan puppies where the sled dog adventure and pan for gold in the Yukon combo is fun!
For the ultimate adventure tour in Skagway, do the classic White Pass train and hike-to-a-glacier combo! That’s the Laughton Glacier hike! This is on my bucket list of things I want to do, because it ends with feeling like you’re hiking the remote wilderness on rugged terrain!
Ketchikan excursions to know about
The Coastal Alaska: Totem poles and underwater sea life
Ketchikan is known for the rainforest and totem poles and it’s easy to experience both through the rainforest walk and totem park tour!
It’s also known for the Deadliest Catch boat tour as seen on TV! It is a complete tourist experience, but it’s a fun way for you to also see what’s going on below the water. They pull up crab pots, and you get to see a massive crab!
If you are going to the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show, you MUST do the add-on activity of the axe throwing to make it a lumberjack show and axe throwing combo! SO fun! Now I can forever say my first time trying axe throwing was in Alaska!
For a truly fun and unique excursion in Ketchikan… you can go snorkeling in Alaska! 🤣 I did this, and it was FUN! Despite reading ALL the reviews that said cold water is NOT an issue (you’ll be wearing a wetsuit!), as someone who gets cold easily, I was worried! But it really did turn out to not be an issue! It’s a fun way to see colorful starfish and jellyfish underwater!
If you’re a group, one of the tours I’ve seen booked often is the private custom excursion for up to 14 people.
Sitka excursions to know about
The Secluded Alaska: Sea otters and wilderness trails
Sitka is the best port for being able to see rafts of cute sea otters, and for that, you’ll want to do the sea otter quest!
The Sitka small group scenic tour takes you to less-visited spots so you can experience a bit of the wilderness of Alaska, with the chance to see some wildlife.
The Alaskan wilderness trail adventure hike takes you deeper so you can experience more of the rugged wilderness.
If you’re in Sitka on a Wednesday, don’t miss the Russian and Ukranian folk show! (Sitka used to be the capital of Russian America so you’ll see Russian influence around town.)
Icy Strait Point excursions to know about
The Local Alaska: Small boats and fishing
Along with Juneau, Icy Strait Point is another one of the best ports to see humpback whales, and it’s a perfect place to do a 6-passenger whale and wildlife endeavor! (Getting out on the water in a small boat is a very-Alaska experience! I did my small boat experience in Sitka!)
You can also do your Alaskan seafood excursion here by doing the Icy Strait Point crab feast.
And the wilderness is not far away, so it’s also a spot to give river fishing a try… and maybe a chance to see some bears! (Where there are fish, there may be bears!)
There is a dedicated bear watching tour that you can do… BUT: While the area has one of the highest concentrations of bears in the world, there’s not a guarantee you’ll see any, so it’s best to think of it as a tour to see Alaska’s rugged wilderness and the largest national forest in the US!
Anchorage before/after a cruise: Whittier and Seward
Up-close and personal glacier experience
If you’re on a one-way cruise to/from Alaska, then your must-do tour in Whittier or Seward are to get closer to a tidewater glacier by boat! (A tidewater glacier is a glacier that touches the water.)
Even if you’re doing a glacier scenic cruising day (which are amazing) during your cruise like to Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier, it is a completely different experience to do a boat tour to see a glacier. Since the boat is much smaller than a cruise ship, it can get a lot closer.
In most cases, you can plan it out to do your glacier tour on the same day you get on/off the cruise ship.
Whittier glacier tour
In Whittier, your must-do up-close glacier tour is the 26-glacier boat tour. (The tour says “self-drive” but this just means you don’t need transportation to get there.)
Most of the “26 glaciers” you’ll see are far away. What makes it worth it is the 2 glaciers that the boat does get close to. Part of this tour does go on the same path that you take by cruise ship, especially if College Fjord is a part of your cruise itinerary, but it really is a completely different experience. I felt like I wasn’t even looking at the same glacier!
The meeting spot is literally right next to the cruise ship. The tour company will hold your luggage, which I’ve had done and there was no problem. (Or if you’re doing this before a cruise, you can drop off your luggage at the cruise port first.)
The 26-glacier tour matches the Alaska Railroad Glacier Discovery train both ways. I’ve taken the train both ways between Anchorage and Whittier, and I’ve done the 26-glacier tour each time. All was well!
Seward glacier tour
In Seward, your must-do is the 6-hour Kenai Fjords National Park glacier and wildlife boat tour.
There are many Kenai Fjords tours, and this is the shortest one that you can do that will allow you to get a close-up of a glacier.
The one note of warning is that seasickness is possible during a small portion of the boat ride. I don’t consider myself prone to seasickness but I got sick. I still think it’s worth it!
The 6-hour tour matches up with the Alaska Railroad Coastal Classic train.
Explore Alaska cruise ports:
Juneau | Ketchikan | Skagway | Icy Strait Point | Sitka | Victoria
Things to know: Mendenhall Glacier on your own vs shuttle
👉 PACKING LIST: waterproof shoes | rain jacket or poncho | puffer jacket
👉 Before you book: First-timer’s guide to Alaska cruise ports