Best Alaska Excursions

Whether you’re looking for relaxing vistas or a thrilling adventure, Alaska is full of stunning experiences. You’ll find everything from casual walking and train tours to exhilarating dog sledding rides and helicopter tours during your visit to Alaska.

Read on to find our picks for the best excursions in Alaska:

1. Juneau Dog Sledding & Glacier Helicopter Tour

Port: Juneau

Tour Type: Dog Sledding Tour, Helicopter Tour, Glacier Tour

Points of Interest: Mendenhall Valley, Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau Icefield

This dog sledding and helicopter tour is the experience of a lifetime. You'll start your adventures on a helicopter ride to the Herbert Glacier over the breathtaking landscape of Juneau. After landing in the Mendenhall Valley, you'll get to meet the dogs that will take you on a thrilling dog sled ride across a snow-covered valley between the majestic mountains on the Juneau Icefield.

2. Skagway White Pass Railroad Summit Excursion

Port: Skagway

Tour Type: Train Tour

Points of Interest: White Pass Railroad, White Pass summit, Bridal Veil Falls, Inspiration Point, Dead Horse Gulch, Klondike Trail

This White Pass Railroad excursion is one of the most popular tours in Skagway. You'll enjoy a fully narrated journey along the "Scenic Railway of the World" and up to the White Pass summit, which is 2,865-feet in elevation. Along the trip, you'll be able to enjoy views of canyons, mountains, glaciers, and waterfalls.

3. Skagway Glacier Helicopter Tour

Port: Skagway

Tour Type: Dog Sledding Tour, Helicopter Tour, Glacier Tour

Points of Interest: Denver Glacier

On this helicopter tour, you can explore the beauty of million-year-old glacial icefields. During the flight, you'll get the chance to see wildlife, mountains, rainforest, icefalls, ice spires, and vibrant-blue crevasses. After landing on a glacier, you'll go on a guided walking tour across the surface of the glacier while snapping photos of this magnificent piece of history

4. Juneau Whale Watching & Mendenhall Glacier Tour

Port: Juneau

Tour Type: Whale Watching Tour, Glacier Tour, Boat Tour, Land Tour

Points of Interest: Stephens Passage, Lynn Canal, Saginaw Channel, Auke Bay, Mendenhall Glacier, Mendenhall Glacier Visitor's Center

This combo whale watching and glacier tour is the best way to make the most of your day in Juneau. From specially-designed boats with large windows, heated cabins, and outdoor decks, this whale watching journey will take you through Favorite Channel, Stephens Passage, Lynn Canal or Saginaw Channel. These are all excellent opportunities to spot wildlife and take a few snaps. You'll have plenty of time on the water, so you're sure to see tails, breaches, and an array of spouts from these magnificent whales!

5. Deluxe Misty Fjords National Monument Tour

Port: Ketchikan

Tour Type: Seaplane Tour

Points of Interest: Misty Fjords National Monument, Big Goat Lake

This floatplane tour is the best way to fully appreciate the dramatic beauty of the Misty Fjords National Monument. During this narrated flight, you'll get to see Ketchikan's lush forests, snowcapped mountains, and abundant wildlife from the window seat of a floatplane. After experiencing majestic fjords, cascading waterfalls, jewel-like lakes, and abundant wildlife from the air, your journey will end with an exhilarating landing on an alpine lake or remote fjord.

6. Yukon Suspension Bridge & Summit Tour

Port: Skagway

Tour Type: Small Group, Van Tour

Points of Interest: White Pass, Yukon Suspension Bridge, Chilkoot Mountains, Gold Rush Cemetery

In this small group tour, you'll depart from Skagway in a 10 passengar van and begin your trip on the Klondike Highway, up the White Pass and into the Yukon. Along the way you'll enjoy photo stops including at Reid Falls and the White Pass Summit. You'll spend 30 minutes at the Yukon Suspension Bridge where you can get stunning views of the Tutshi River roaring below. Enjoy the outdoor museum, gift shop and maybe grab a bowl or raindeer chili at the cafe. This tour parelles the route of the White Pass Railroad, and provides a different way to take in the beauty of White Pass. 

7. Icy Strait Whale Watching Tour

Port: Icy Strait

Tour Type: Whale Watching Tour, Boat Tour

Points of Interest: Icy Strait Point, Shaman Point

On this whale-watching tour, you'll get to watch the Humpback whales that come to Hoonah in huge numbers each summer. These whales are amazingly active, and sightings will include diving, blows, and flues (tails). Lucky whale-watchers may get the thrilling experience of watching the whales breach or bubble-net feeding.

8. Seward Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise Tour

Port: Seward

Tour Type: Boat Tour, Glacier Tour, Wildlife 

Points of Interest: Kenai Fjords, Resurrection Bay, Holgate Glacier, Aialik Bay, Alaska Maratime National Wildlife Refuge, Cape Resurrection

Join this breathtaking wildlife and glacier cruise to view the Holgate Glacier, an activally calving tidewater glacier. Enjoy a complementary deli lunch as you cruise through the protected waters of Aialik bay. The tour concludes with a cruise to either the Chiswell Islands or Cape Resurrection in search of whales, otters, Steller sea lions, bald eagles, shore birds and more. 

9. Kethcikan Alaska Fishing & Wilderness Dining

Port: Ketchikan

Tour Type: Fishing, Food Tour

The best fish you'll ever eat in Alaska is the fish you catch yourself. Keep an eye out for bald eagles, seals, whales or spawning salmon, as you fish for rockfish, cod and seasonal salmon.  What you catch will be the center piece of your gourmet meal of saffron infused bouillabaisse-inspired stew, followed by warm blueberry crisp. You'll enjoy the meal at a beach side camp, with a crackeling fire. 

10. Juneau Mendenhall Glacier Express Bus

Port: Juneau

Tour Type: Glacier Tour, Land Tour

Points of Interest: Mendenhall Glacier, Mendenhall Glacier Visitor's Center

The perfect way to explore Juneau's most visited site, the majestic Mendenhall Glacier. Board a luxury bus for a narrated roundtrip ride to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitors Center. Once there, enjoy two hours to explore the Visitors Center, trails and glacier views. This tour provides ample time to walk to Nugget Falls.