Hi there!

I’ve had repeat visits to Alaska cruise ports, and I’ll let you know below the best (most epic!) excursions that I’ve done during an Alaska cruise!

This will include the most common ports of Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway.

I’ve done excursions booked independently, and I’ve also booked through the cruise line.

I’ve mostly been on Princess cruise ships, but for Princess cruise excursions I mention below, you can also look for the same tour if you’re on another cruise line like Holland America, Norwegian (NCL), Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Celebrity, or Disney.

If you book your excursion through the cruise line, there will be shore excursion tickets waiting for you in your cabin when you get on your cruise ship on the first day. This will tell you exactly where to meet. If your excursion starts in the morning, it will likely be somewhere on the cruise ship. If it starts in the afternoon, your meeting spot will likely be somewhere off the cruise ship.

If you book a tour independently, you’ll receive an email with exactly where to meet. Alaska tour operators are very experienced with cruise passengers, so it will be somewhere that is easy to find once you get off the cruise ship.

Alaska is where you go to experience the vast wilderness. The absolute best Alaska excursions are ones where you can get a glimpse into the real Alaskan wilderness, and these are the ones I’ve included on the list below! If available, I’ve also included where you can go to read reviews so be sure to read those!

 

best alaska cruise excursions. epic splurge worthy tours

 

 

1. Mendenhall Glacier canoe tour (Juneau)

The tours you need to consider so you can get closer to the Mendenhall Glacier than most people do! (Most people only see it from across the lake around the visitor center.)

 

The Mendenhall Glacier ice adventure tour that I did has definitely been my favorite Mendenhall Glacier experience I’ve had! Although you don’t go directly up to the glacier, it was still really cool to get a closer look by walking to an overlook. I also particularly liked the part where we were walking over the ruggedness of where the glacier used to extend.

It was a team effort in a group canoe to paddle across the lake to get closer to the glacier. Once we got to shore, the guide secured the canoe to land, and then off we went across that rugged land to get closer to the glacier! To get back, it was a group effort to push the canoe into the water! The wilderness landing made it feel like a special experience too.

It is possible to see Mendenhall Glacier on your own, but tours like this allow you to get a better sense of Alaska’s grandeur!

It was during this tour that I was telling my guide on our walk back to the canoe from the overlook that I really think during an Alaska cruise you need to do an excursion in order to really experience Alaska! My guide was like, “You mean like this one?” And I was like YES! (By this time I had also done a few other excursions – more below! – that I also feel really gives you a sense of Alaskan wilderness.)

 

Mendenhall Glacier ice adventure tour: Read the reviews!

 

 

2. 5-glacier seaplane tour (Juneau)

The tour you need to consider so you can see a part of the massive Juneau Icefield from above!

 

So one of the things you must consider as an Alaska cruise excursion is a way to see the grand scale of Alaska’s glaciers from above! And the way to do this is through a flightseeing tour. Of Alaska’s main cruise ports, the ports to do a glacier flightseeing tour in are Juneau and Skagway.

In Juneau, you cannot go wrong with doing the 5-glacier seaplane tour. You will see one of the largest icefields in North America, and you will love it.

You can also do this 5-glacier seaplane tour as a combo tour that includes a wilderness landing (next!) but even if you do “only” the flightseeing part, it will be worth it.

 

👉 For booking tours independently in Alaska cruise ports:
See my picks for activities to choose to have so-very-Alaska experiences!

best alaska cruise excursions in juneau: alaska seaplane tour

best alaska cruise excursions in juneau: alaska glacier flightseeing tour

 

5-glacier seaplane tour: Read the reviews.

 

If your cruise starts or ends in Anchorage, then there are glacier boat tours you need to do there! See Whittier before a cruise or Whittier after a cruise… or things to do in Seward.

 

3. Taku Lodge excursion

The tour you need to consider to do the most epic salmon bake there is to do during an Alaska cruise!

 

So I do feel like if you are doing a flightseeing tour, you should look for one that includes a wilderness landing! It just feels so cool that you’re in a small plane seemingly making a landing and walking around in the middle of nowhere! It is truly a memorable experience.

So in Juneau, you can make your remote wilderness landing at Taku Lodge! And that’s after flying across the Juneau icefield and seeing the massive glacier landscape from above. Just flying out to it gives you a feeling that you’re in wild and remote Alaska, and landing at this little area in which there’s only the Taku Lodge… well, you really do get a feeling like you’re in the middle of nowhere!

You can walk around for a little forest hike while you wait for the salmon to be ready! I did a small loop hiking through the forest before the meal.

So this is glacier flightseeing and a salmon bake at a wilderness lodge in one! So you get 2 very Alaska experiences.

 

Taku Lodge salmon feast and 5-glacier seaplane tour: Read the reviews!

Also see my Taku Lodge excursion pictures.

 

4. Misty Fjords seaplane tour (Ketchikan)

The tour you need to consider to see the largest national forest in America from above, and to land in the remote wilderness of Misty Fjords National Monument!

 

The Misty Fjords seaplane tour is another way to see the vast wilderness of Alaska from above. There are no glaciers around Ketchikan, but instead you’ll see the massive Tongass National Forest that is the largest national forest in the United States. There are Misty Fjords seaplane tours with and without wilderness landings, and again, having that wilderness landing makes the experience that much more memorable!

The exact location you land will depend on the pilot, but my seaplane tour landed at a tiny island! After first flying across the vast wilderness and then making this landing on water, it really felt like we were in the middle of nowhere! It was really so amazing. And we watched our pilot tie up the small plane. It just felt like a true Alaskan experience.

 

best alaska cruise excursions in ketchikan: alaska seaplane tour

best alaska cruise excursions in ketchikan: misty fjords seaplane flightseeing tour

best alaska cruise excursions in ketchikan: alaska flightseeing tour

 

Read the Misty Fjords seaplane tour reviews.

 

5. Helicopter tour with glacier walk (Skagway)

The tour you need to consider so you can see the mountains of Alaska from above, and to walk across a remote glacier and maybe see blue ice!

 

Another epic Alaska experience you must consider is to actually walk across a glacier! And doing a glacier walk excursion is also a way to see Alaska’s remote wilderness from above, as you will fly to the glacier! Once again, Skagway and Juneau are the cruise ports with glaciers, and you can do a glacier walk in both ports.

I did my glacier walk helicopter tour in Skagway. The helicopter port is quite near the cruise port, so as you’re flying away you can see the cruise ships below as you’re leaving. Then you fly across the amazing mountains and do a remote wilderness landing on a glacier! It was pretty amazing to have the helicopter land in what again felt like the middle of nowhere on a massive glacier.

I know, I keep saying everything’s in the middle of nowhere, but really, I feel like that is what makes these excursions so great!! You really get a sense that you’re in the middle of the vast remote Alaskan wilderness! So the best excursions really are the ones that takes you to the middle of that wilderness! Alaska has so much remote wilderness, you must experience it!

 

🤓 Skagway or Juneau for the helicopter tour?

Along with Skagway, Juneau is another one of the best cruise ports for a helicopter tour during your Alaska cruise, as Juneau has the Mendenhall Glacier helicopter tour and guided walk.

But there is so much more to do in Juneau, and I think you’ll find something else very worthy to spend your time in Juneau (like one of the best whale watching tours!), which makes it better to save the helicopter tour for Skagway!

Not only that, but in terms of the weather risk factor (helicopter tours can get canceled at the last minute due to weather – this is something to be mentally prepared for!), it seems like Skagway can be the better choice.

Last September, I was in Skagway and Juneau 3 times each. It rained every time I went to Juneau (I had some very rainy days), and during those same cruises (so just days apart), I don’t think it rained at all in Skagway!

Of course, weather can vary. But personally, if I was looking at weather risk as a factor, I would choose Skagway!

Well, I chose Skagway anyway because there were other things I wanted to do in Juneau and you can have an epic helicopter flightseeing tour in Skagway!

It was a bit overcast on the day I did the helicopter tour, but the flightseeing views and glacier walk were still amazing.

 

 

6. Glacier dog sled camp and helicopter flightseeing tour (Skagway or Juneau)

The tour you need to consider to visit a sled dog camp on a remote glacier in Alaska!

 

A sled dog camp on snow in the summer means that it’s an excursion on a glacier! And that means you need to get to higher elevation… and the way to do that is by helicopter!

I did my glacier sled dog camp tour in Skagway but the tour that I did has since changed. It used to be that you got the actual dog sledding experience, being pulled by the sled dogs. Now it seems like it is a visit to a sled dog camp without the sled ride. So be sure you understand what you’re getting with any sled dog tour you book.

So with Skagway’s glacier sled dog camp excursion, you get the amazing mountains views and wilderness landing on a glacier, and then you get a glimpse into what it’s like for the dogs to train for their dog sledding races. Again, this sled dog camp is… in the middle of nowhere!! On what feels like a random glacier in Alaska’s vast wilderness! You get a sense of this as you are flying across the mountains to the glacier sled dog camp. I did this in May, and the snow-covered mountains were so amazing.

So in Skagway, it’s a visit to a glacier sled dog camp, You can do actual dog sledding on a glacier in Juneau through the Mendenhall Glacier dog sledding excursion.

 

There are also cheaper sled dog camps in Skagway.

They are cheaper because you drive to them instead of flying to them, and that means the dogs won’t pulling you across a glacier. Lots of people like the Summer Sled Dog Remote Yukon Camp tour.

 

7. Mountain Point snorkeling tour (Ketchikan)

The tour you need to consider to go snorkeling in Alaska!!! 🤣

 

When I first read someone say they went snorkeling in Alaska, I thought it was the craziest thing! I literally laughed! Now, it’s not so crazy! 🤣

Where else will you have the chance to go cold water swimming?!?! The water is cold, but you’ll be dressed well for it, so you won’t actually be cold when you’re in the water!

You won’t see colorful tropical fish in Alaska, but you do have a chance to see other marine life like starfish and jellyfish! As it goes with all marine life and wildlife viewing, there’s no guarantee of what you’ll see, but it’s fun! This is a truly unique experience you can do in Alaska!

 

Mount Point snorkeling tour: Read the reviews

 

There is also snorkeling in Sitka:

 

Can you find an excursion offered through your cruise line cheaper by booking independently?

Maybe!

TIP! What I did to try to find the tour company that the cruise line’s excursion was through was a bit of copy and pasting! Sometimes I could find the tour operator by doing a search for the title of the excursion. Other times I would copy and paste bits of the excursion description to figure out the tour company the cruise line was using.

Then you can see if there’s availability for the tour when you will be in port and how much it costs.

Once I found the tour company, I would also do a search to look for reviews on google maps.

I would say the reviews of ALL of the most expensive excursions were nearly all 5 stars! The most expensive excursions are the most memorable ones, and a lot of times ended up being the highlight of one’s Alaska cruise!

I truly believe if you choose any of the above excursions I have listed, you will find it to be one of the most memorable parts of your cruise… if not THE highlight!

 

Is it “safe” to book an excursion independently?

Of course it’s up to you to do your due diligence with planning, but generally speaking, tour companies in Alaska cruise ports are very experienced with cruise passengers. They have well-run operations.

If you book independently, many tour companies even ask about what cruise ship you’re on as part of the booking process. That is just how much they work with cruisers!

Personally, I find the risk to be quite low in booking independently in Alaska cruise ports. I’ve booked a number of tours in Alaska not through the cruise line. Because the tour operators deal with cruise ship passengers on a daily basis, the meet-up instructions are simple enough.

Tour companies offer a pick-up from the cruise port.

The exception to this is if your cruise ship is docking at Ward Cove in Ketchikan. Tour companies generally don’t offer pick-up from Ward Cove. This applies to you if you are on an NCL cruise.

All other major cruise lines dock in downtown Ketchikan, where you can meet your tour guide.

You can read the tour description to confirm!

 

Can you book 2 excursions in one day?

Once again, you’ll need to do your due diligence with planning. But if you have all day in port, then YES, it’s quite reasonable to do 2 excursions in one day! I’ve done an excursion in the morning, went back to the cruise ship for lunch, and then did another excursion in the afternoon!

 

Should you do an excursion or make it budget-friendly in any particular port?!

See things to do in each port to help you decide!

 


👉 Read: Alaska cruise excursions you need to know about
I've picked out a theme for each port so you can experience different aspects of Alaska!

👉 Or go straight to my picks for booking tours independently in Alaska cruise ports!

Explore Alaska cruise ports:
Juneau | Ketchikan | Skagway | Icy Strait Point | Sitka | Victoria
Seattle | Vancouver
Whittier | Seward


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 cruises


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