Juneau Whale Watching, Mendenhall Glacier & Salmon Bake

4.8

88 reviews

Excursion Overview

Experience three of Juneau's most popular attractions with this three-in-one excursion!

This tour includes a narrated transfer to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor's Center, guaranteed whale sightings, and an Alaska style all-you-can-eat buffet to finish your day. Roundtrip transportation from the cruise ship terminal is also included.

Meet your guide on the pier of the cruise ship terminal, and hop on a bus to begin your narrated journey to the Mendenhall Glacier. Your guide will speak about Juneau and point out any wildlife you may catch a glimpse of on your way. Once at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor's Center, you will have plenty of time to indulge in a self-guided tour of the grounds. Explore one of the hiking trails, or listen to one of the US Forest Service Rangers speak about the ecology of the spectacular ice wall that is world-renowned.

After you've spent some time exploring the Mendenhall Glacier, take a drive out to Auke Bay to begin your whale watching expedition. Humpback whales spend their summer in Juneau feeding on thousands of krill a day. Your captain and naturalist will search for just the right spot to see humpback whales, orcas, and maybe even a sea lion or two!

Finish your day with a mouth-watering feast at the Juneau Salmon Bake! This Alaskan-style backyard barbecue was made famous on the Food Network and has been grilling up perfection since 1978. Enjoy the views of the Tongass Rainforest as you feast on Alderwood-grilled wild salmon, BBQ ribs, Chilkoot baked beans, wild rice pilaf, hot clam chowder, a selection of side dishes, salads, and homemade blueberry cake for dessert. Beer and wine are available for purchase.

Visitor Center: Open daily from 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM for the season.

This tour is typically available from April through October. Our excursions were designed for cruise ship passengers but are available to everyone.

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Things You Need to Know

Inclusions:

Roundtrip transportation from the cruise ship terminal
Narrated transfer to Mendenhall Glacier Visitor's Center
Whale watching cruise with onboard naturalist
All-you-can-eat salmon buffet

Requirements:

There are no additional requirements for this excursion.

Duration: Approximately 6.25 hours (roundtrip from cruise ship terminal)

2 hours - whale watching cruise
1 hour - self-guided tour at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor's Center
1 hour - at the Juneau Salmon Bake
1 hour - roundtrip narrated transportation
The sequence of the tour may vary

Meeting Instructions:

This tour meets in front of the Goldbelt Mt. Robert's Tramway building. Fully detailed instructions are included on your finalized ticket vouchers.

ADA Accessibility of Tour:

This tour is limited mobility and wheelchair accessible. Guests must be able to take steps onto the bus and the boat. Limited storage is available for collapsible wheelchairs and motorized scooters. Equipment would need to be broken down and able to fit through the bus door and be light enough to be lifted onto the bus. The large dining area during the salmon bake portion of the tour has plenty of room for wheelchairs to maneuver. Please leave a comment during checkout if accommodations for collapsible or motorized equipment will be required on tour. If the operator is unaware beforehand of necessary accommodations, they may not be able to accommodate guests the day of.
- Fully Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Limited Mobility Accessible: Yes
- Stroller Accessible: Yes
- Collapsible Wheelchair & Stroller Storage Available: Yes

Refund Policy:

You may cancel for any reason up to seven (7) days prior to the date of the tour for a full refund.
Please see our Refund Policy Page for complete details.

Frequently Asked Questions

You will enjoy the view of Mendenhall Glacier from a distance as you stand on the shore of Mendenhall Lake. The face of Mendenhall Glacier is 1.5 miles from the Visitors Center Viewpoint. You can get a slightly closer view from Nugget Falls. You can get to the falls by the .75 miles from Nugett Falls trail. From Nugget Falls you will be 1 mile from the face of Mendenhall Glacier.

If you are interested in an excursion that allows you to get closer to Mendenhall Glacier, please consider one of our other glacier hiking tours.

The whale watching boat holds a maximum capacity of 48 passengers.

Yes. We offer a 100% guarantee that you will spot a whale during our whale watching tours. If you do not see whales during your tour, you will receive a full refund for the whale watching portion of your tour.

Yes! There is a restroom onboard the whale watching vessel.

Yes, the indoor restrooms will be open Sunday - Friday from 10am - 5pm, and will be closed on Saturdays. Portable restrooms will be available at all times.

-Full Menu-
Clam Chowder (served upon arrival)
Coleslaw
Salmon Caesar Salad
Beet Salad
Pickles and Olives
Baked Beans with Reindeer Sausage
Au Gratin Potatoes
Pasta Salad
Corn Bread
Blueberry Cake
Alder Smoked Sockeye Salmon
BBQ Ribs
Roasted Marshmallows
Water, Lemonade, Coffee, Tea, Apple Cider
Beer, Wine, & Soda (for purchase)

Gluten Free Items:
Clam Chowder
Cole Slaw
Salmon Caesar Salad
Beet Salad
Pickles and Olives
Baked Beans with Reindeer Sausage
Steamed White Rice*
Au Gratin Potatoes
Alder Smoked Salmon
Roasted Marshmallows

Vegetarian Items:
Cole Slaw
Caesar Salad*
Beet Salad
Pickles and Olives
Baked Beans*
Steamed White Rice*
Corn Bread
Blueberry Cake

Please note that anything with an asterisk needs to be requested at least 72 hours in advance in order to ensure it's available. If you would like to request any of these items, please leave us a comment at checkout.

Definitely, arrangements of tours for groups or large families are possible. Please contact us with your group requirements.

If your ship is late, please call your tour operator so that your tour time can be adjusted. If an alternate tour time is not compatible with your schedule, your ticket will be fully refunded with no fees or penalties.

This tour operates rain or shine. However, all tours that cancel because of weather will be fully refunded with no fees or penalties.

Guest Reviews

4.8

88 total

Cindi P

On Sep 2026

This excursion was amazing! Our boat captain was super cautious and was able to get us out to wear the whales were active. There were several in a pod and were setting up the bubble circles to broach the ocean surface through. Autumn was our whale expert and she gave us an incredible amount of information throughout the cruise. Our tour to Mendenhall Glacier was very informative as well. Mary was our driver and she made us feel like we were on a private tour. My only complaint would be that an hour is not enough time at the glacier. An extra 45 minutes would be nice. We finished the day at the salmon bake. That was the first time I actually enjoyed salmon. Cooked over a wood fire was incredible. The rest of the items were good as well. And the waterfall walk was beautiful. All in all I highly recommend this excursion.

Cathy H

On Sep 2026

Great time! Saw a pod of orcas (7-9) and several humpbacks on the whale watch. Mendenhall Glacier was great. Did the short hike, visitor's center was closed. Salmon bake was delicious with nice live music. Bus driver was a hoot! A little difficult to find the trip leader at meeting point, and we departed 20 minutes late, but other than that was a great excursion.

Roslyn S

On Sep 2026

The whale watching was amazing!! We saw a pod of whales several times. The trip to Mendenhall Glacier was also worth the time. The salmon bake was the least exciting of the three. We didn't get there until mid-afternoon and were starving. The food was okay. Then we had to wait quite awhile before a bus came to pick us up. If you haven't had much salmon on your trip, it was probably worthwhile, but in our experience, salmon was served everywhere.

Roberta W

On Sep 2026

Very informative.

Mike D

On Sep 2026

Excellent tour. Very educational. We saw several whales.

$279.00

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$279.00

Duration: 6.25 hours

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Duration: 6.25 hours

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Adult (13+): $279.00

Child (4-12): $199.00

Lap Child (Under 4): $139.00

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Juneau Whale Watching, Mendenhall Glacier & Salmon Bake

Excursion Overview

Experience three of Juneau's most popular attractions with this three-in-one excursion!

Visitor Center: Open daily from 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM for the season.

Cruising to Alaska in 2027? Be the first to know when excursions open.