Juneau Whale Watching Tour & Salmon Bake Combo

Photo of humpback whales juneau alaska auke bay

Photo of humpback whale with glimmering mist

Photo of fresh cooked salmon at gold creek

This is the perfect excursion for those wanting to experience an outdoor salmon grill and one of Juneau's most popular sightseeing opportunities - whale watching. Your knowledgeable guide will drive you through the charming waterfront of the town, and entertain you with stories of history, culture, and lifestyle as you see the sights.

Upon arrival at the whale watching harbor, Auke Bay, you will see that this is the perfect place to take off on your wildlife adventure! Pristine marine habitats and incredible glacier views are just some of the sights to behold from your jet boat as you begin your search for humpback and orca whales. Keep your cameras ready, because your captain and naturalist will both point out the famous Mendenhall Glacier and other spectacular landscapes along the way.

The waters surrounding Juneau are extremely nutrient-rich, which attracts a giant whale population to the area. Your tour guides are so confident that you will see whales that you are actually guaranteed to see them or you will get a refund for the whale watching portion! Our captains are experts at finding whales and will point them out to you so you won't miss a thing. The jet boat is also equipped with a hydrophone system for listening to whales as they communicate with each other in the water!

Make sure to grab a pair of binoculars that are on board for your use, because there is abundant wildlife aside from whales all throughout the waters of Southeast Alaska. Keep an eye out for Stellar sea lions, Dall's porpoise, bald eagles, and maybe even bear or blacktail deer! Your naturalist will also point out flora and fauna as you cruise along Steven's Passage. With oversized windows, you can choose to stay inside the heated cabin or venture to the outside deck and take in the fresh Alaskan air.

Once you've concluded your whale-watching cruise, a motorcoach will take you to the famous Alaska Salmon Bake. Featured on Bravo Television's Top Chef the Gold Creek Salmon Bake is more than a meal, it's an event. They've been grilling perfect salmon for over 38 years at this all-you-can-eat adventure, and there is something for everyone with a variety of entrees, sides, and blueberry cake.

The bake is nestled in the lush rainforest environment of Southeast Alaska, and plenty of activities await you. Strolling along a salmon spawning creek, checking out the entrance of Wagner Mine, basking in the beauty of Salmon Creek Falls, and panning for gold are just a few of the options! Live Alaskan folk music will be playing, and for chilly days, gather under heated canopies to enjoy the tunes. Roasting marshmallows over a campfire is a great way to end the day and feel free to return to your ship whenever you would like on any of the convenient shuttles that run every 15 minutes.

Duration: 5 hours (Roundtrip from cruise ship terminal.)

Inclusions:

Roundtrip transportation from the cruise ship terminal
100% guaranteed whale sightings or partial refund for whale watching portion
Binoculars while onboard the jet boat
All-you-can-eat buffet

Duration: 5 hours. Tour time below are approximate:

1 hour - roundtrip transportation
1.75 hours - whale watching
2+ hours - at Gold Creek salmon bake (you can leave at your leisure on one of our shuttles running every 15~20 minutes)

Meeting Instructions:

This tour meets in front of the 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 step up into the whale watching boat. 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 day-of.

How many passengers does the boat hold?

There is a maximum capacity of 48 guests.

What is the seating arrangement in the boat?

Every boat has open seating as well as outside viewing areas when permitted.

Is there an inside seating area on the boat, is it heated?

The interior of the boat is heated when needed due to weather conditions to keep a comfortable environment.

How close will we get to the whales?

Humpback whales and other sea animals are protected species and a safe distance of at least 100 yards must be maintained at all times according to NOAA regulations.

Are whale sightings guaranteed?

Sightings are guaranteed or you'll receive a refund for the whale watching portion of your tour ($100 for adults and $50 for children).

What is the temperature on the water?

Air temperature can drop as much as 20°F with the wind chill factor when viewing whales outside.

Are there any age restrictions for children?

There are no age restrictions for this tour.

Can I bring a backpack?

Backpacks, small bags, and purses are allowed on this tour.

Can I bring my own food or drink?

Non-alcoholic beverages in a closeable containters and snacks are allowed on tour.

Are food and drink included?

Beverages and a light snack are included.

Not seeing answers to your questions?

Check out other frequently asked questions here!

Customer Reviews

Sep 2021 - Ken H.

Saw several whales. The crew was great. Salmon bake was one of the best meals ever. Great food, setting and staff.

Sep 2021 - Roderick W.

Had a great time watching for whales on this trip. Due to covid (we assume),there were only 8 watchers on this 48 passenger boat. Captain Tom placed us as near as safe to whale spouts. On the water for quite a long time and sighted many whales, although none leap out of the water. Saw a lot of humps and some tails. Our tour guide was very informative and knowledgeable for a young woman. It was a lot of fun. The salmon bake was in an open air garden like setting with great grilled salmon and several buffet dishes. Good time.

Aug 2021 - Gary A.

Wonderful excursion. Saw lots of whales and salmon bake was delicious. Bonus was the falls with salmon jumping up the falls.

Jun 2021 - David B.

This was delightful. Our hosts made us feel welcome and did a great job of explaining whale behavior and characteristics of the area. It turned out to be a slow day for whales, but it was a beautiful day out on the water. The salmon bake was fabulous with a beautiful setting and fantastic food. Definitely the most memorable meal of our vacation.

Jun 2021 - Mitch S.

We just did the whale watching portion, not the salmon bake because it did not open. The whale watching was incredible and the boat and crew were excellent. We saw killer whales and humpbacks. The captain kept us up near them so we got a great look. I would highly recommend this trip especially this year with the large volume of whales!

Sep 2019 - Jeanette W.

We had a FABULOUS time! The driver, naturalist and captain were all amazing, funny, friendly and knowledgeable. The food was incredibly delicious and the live music was perfect! We would recommend you and choose your tour again! Thanks for the memories!

Sep 2019 - Gail J.

Whale watching was great. Salmon bake was a tourist buffet

Sep 2019 - LaNita R.

We had a great time. We saw a number of Orca whales and seals. I believe in 1 group of Orca we saw 6. Alex and Sarah were great at pointing out the whales and the seals. I believe they were as excited as we were to see that many at once in each group. Would definitely go with this group and definitely with Alex and Sarah.

Sep 2019 - Elisse H.

Saw orcas and double tail dive! Be aware the jet boat was Loud and I was wishing for ear plugs

Aug 2019 - Ava M T.

The tour guide Tom was very informative. The boat ride and the Salmon Bake was wonderful.

Aug 2019 - Marie D T.

We saw lots of whales and our guide did a great job making textbook facts capture our interest. The salmon bake was good, too.

Aug 2019 - Tracy A.

The guide and shipmate was awesome. They made sure everyone on the boat had the best view possible

Aug 2019 - Larry S.

This was fantastic, saw 9 whales.

Aug 2019 - Nasreen I.

Loved the whale watching. Wonderful experience. The pilot and the guide were both awesome.

Aug 2019 - Michael S.

We had an amazing time. Brendon and Russel were the best guys we could have gotten. Never imagined we would see the whales that we did. We had 8 grandchildren with us and those guys made their experience more than we could have imagined. After Whale Watching the shuttle was at the dock to take us to the Salmon Bake and it was great food, a stream with salmon to view, waterfalls, panning for gold and a firepit. Couldn't have asked for a better excursion.

Jul 2019 - Gary P.

The trip was really good, especially the ride to and from the boat with our driver AL. He went above and beyond in giving us the scoop on Juneau, etc. We saw several whales and other birds and animals.

Jul 2019 - Elise S.

Our group truly enjoyed the whale watch. Some mentioned the boat portion could've been even a bit shorter, but it was GREAT for me! The Salmon Bake was a WONDERFUL surprise to my group. The ambiance of the camp was SO MUCH MORE than we anticipated...the food was FANTASTIC...the cooks & staff were wonderfully accommodating & friendly. The food, the covered canopy, heating stations, campfires, hot apple cider & hiking trail were just a terrific end to an absolutely GREAT excursion!!

Jul 2019 - DEBORAH L A.

Did not disappoint! It's beautiful out on the water, and we saw numerous whales - very exciting and fun for all ages! The Salmon Bake was also delicious! Would definitely recommend to others.

Jul 2019 - Ken K.

Saw several whales and sea lions. That didn't happen on a previous whale watch. Captain(s) were courteous, informative, and eager to find whales for us. The salmon bake was great. Very unique and quite good.

Jun 2019 - John Z.

The excursion is up to our expectations. You are guaranteed to see whales during the trip. The narrator and captain are top notch. The salmon bake lunch is great, yet formal, but you have the freshest salmon as you can get. They are delicious. I highly recommend this excursion to anyone.The only improvement is to see if the company can catch the salmon alive and make the lunch on the spot, that will be awesome and I am willing to pay extra for it.

Jun 2019 - Vicki V.

Great excursion.

Jun 2019 - Patrick B.

Excellent experience! Our ride with Sterling was educational and informational in a fun way. Captain Terry and Bridget were great during the whale watching. The salmon bake was fantastic and in a beautiful setting.

Jun 2019 - Linda G.

I was very skeptical about booking an excursion off of the cruise ship, but no worries! This excursion was great! All of the workers from the driver of the bus to the gal's excitement of spotting a whale and making sure we all knew where to look and telling us all about the whales to the driver of the boat who raced us within a good site to see the whale and the tail. We even seen a mother and baby whale. The salmon bake was AMAZING! It was a wonderful experience not to be missed!!!!

Sep 2018 - Deborah S.

Saw plenty of whales. Small groups which makes it much more personal. Salmon bake wonderful and very tasty .

Sep 2018 - Brian W.

This was money well spent! We saw a ton Orcas and they came right up to the boat. We were able to take unbelievable photos. Thank you Tom and Katie for such an amazing time.

Aug 2018 - Kelly K.

Saw many whales and they definitely try to chase the whales. Also saw many sea lions and a couple bald eagles. The salmon cake is a great way to end the excursion as you would be to full and would fall asleep whale watching after. Great food and nice atmosphere. Waterfalls, spawning area and beautiful trails.

Aug 2018 - Kathy M.

Tom and Katie took us whale watching - they were so professional! Saw bubble netting to make our trip even more wonderful! Loved every minute!!!!

Jul 2018 - Earl U.

My grand kids spend several hours panning for gold and playing near the falls. Nice area for Salmon bake. Great food. Naturalist great with info & finding whales.

Jul 2018 - Robert K.

I was disappointed that we did not see too many whales. We took this same excursion five years ago and saw so many whales that I was so excited to share this with my daughter but was very sad when we only saw a couple. The captain of the boat and our tour guide were great.

Jun 2018 - Ira K.

This was a great tour on a small boat. Our guides, naturist Katie and Captain Tom, were very knowledgeable. And we saw whales! One even breached near our boat. It was amazing!

Jun 2018 - Joan E.

The above picture does not represent the actual whale sightings. We only saw one whale at a time and never were they jumping out of water like the picture shows. That being said, it was a nice excursion. We did see whales and the Salmon bake was very good.

Sep 2017 - Tom S.

We were lucky to see a few whales and an orca and the salmon bake was great.

Jul 2017 - Melissa P.

This trip far exceeded my expectations! I've only seen whales at great distances in the past and that is all I expected on this trip. We got within about 100 yards of a pod of 6 Humbacks "bubble net" feeding and it was incredible. I will never forget this trip! The boat is comfortable and safe and the crew was great (Amanda and Jordan). Well worth whatever it was that we paid.

Jun 2017 - Gina M.

We loved this excursion! The guides were friendly and fun. We got to see Humpbacked Whales and Orcas as well as lots of beautiful scenery. The salmon bake was also very good! The salmon was some of the best we have ever had as well as all of the other sides. Our kids loved roasting marshmallows. There is also a beautiful scenic waterfall to see.

Jun 2017 - Mark R.

Very fun day

Sep 2016 - Dorothy P.

Ben & Jerry were the best host. We saw Orcas, humpback whales and playful sea lions. The salmon bake was delishious. Al spoke to me about all the different salmon and what to make soup with. The only issue was not being able to leave at a proper time. There was a blonde woman driving a yellow bus. She dropped off people and stated she had to go pick people up. I asked her to take us back and she laughed at us and told us she wasn't going to take us. So, another little white bus came to drop off his load of people and took us to town and on the way back the blonde on the bus was laughing and waving at us and her bus was still empty. This left a sour taste in our mouths. Plus Brandi who works for the Juneau travels said it wasn't her problem that we did not have a ride back. By the time we got back to town we had NO time to shop!!! Very great dil for Ben & Jerry who made the trip awesome!!!

Aug 2016 - John R.

We had a wonderful time! Your crew was awesome and friendly and knowledgeable.....and we saw tons of whales including a number of breaches. I'd highly recommend you to anyone interested in a fantastic whales watching excursion!