Juneau Whale Watching, Mendenhall Glacier & Salmon Bake

4.7

53 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.

Important for 2025

Due to staff reductions at the National Forest Service, the Mendenhall Glacier Visitors Center will be open Sunday - Friday from 10am - 5pm, and closed on Saturdays. This ONLY impacts the visitors center building which contains indoor exhibits and displays. If your tour occurs outside of these hours, you will still have freedom to explore the trails, viewpoints and nature near Mendenhall Glacier, but the visitors center will be closed. (updated 4/29/25)

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: 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.

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! 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

4.7

53 total

Steve S

On Jul 2025

Great excursion

Jennifer H

On Jul 2025

Wonderful excursion! It was so worth the money we paid. The whale watching guide and naturalist were so knowledgeable. The bus driver that took us to each place was funny and knowledgeable. The salmon bake was amazing. We never felt rushed or anything.

Kayla K

On Jul 2025

This was a dream combination of events for our short time in Juneau! We saw several bald eagles while boarding the whale watching tour and caught a juvenile whale breach twice, as well as it's mother out in the distance breach. The naturalists on the boat were incredibly knowledgeable and invested in looking for sights (I can't remember their names but they had both been in Hawaii as naturalists prior to this season and had seen some of the same whales before their migration). The naturalists were able to tell us a lot about the whales we were viewing, and the humpback populations in general. I loved that the one shared audio of the whale songs she had captured in Hawaii. We had such a wonderful time walking down to the falls in front of Mendenhall Glacier and then enjoyed a delightful feast (one of our best meals during our trip) at the salmon bake (which included so much more than the salmon and had a lovely short walk to a waterfall that you could take). The lady who drove the bus was fantastic at giving us information about Juneau and wildlife and spotted two bears across the way.

Danielle M

On Jul 2025

This was a fun excursion for all ages. We had three generations in our group and everyone found something they liked.

Michele M

On Jul 2025

We saw whales! Super friendly and knowledgeable guides.

$279.00

Best Price Guarantee!

$279.00

Duration: 6.25 hours

Best Price Guarantee!

Duration: 6.25 hours

Select Date & Time *

Number of Passengers *

Adult (13+): $279.00

Child (4-12): $199.00

Lap Child (Under 4): $139.00

Juneau Whale Watching, Mendenhall Glacier & Salmon Bake

Excursion Overview

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

Important for 2025