Home Tour Ideas Itineraries Itinerary: Juneau, Alaska

Itinerary: Juneau, Alaska

July 29, 2026

273

SET SAIL

The Alaska capital’s beautiful, rugged terrain makes road construction to the rest of North America difficult—so it’s no wonder that water-based transportation has been the name of the game here from the very beginning. Even the groups that arrive via cruise ship are eager to step on board a smaller vessel to see the sights or view wildlife from an up-close perspective. Allen Marine Tours custom-builds its own vessels and has been offering tours in southeastern Alaska for more than 50 years. Choose from glacier tours, dinner cruises, and amazing adventures along the Tracy Arm Fjord. Juneau Whale Watching Tours and Excursions offers jet boat and catamaran cruises to take your group as close as is safe to the giants of the sea. Group rates are offered for groups of 20 or more, and with Juneau’s nutrient-rich waters making an ideal feeding ground, it’s almost a guarantee you’ll see some whales.

TAKE A HIKE

For those who prefer to stay on land, Juneau offers ample opportunities for a hike. Just 13 miles from downtown, your group can experience the spectacular and accessible Mendenhall Glacier. At 1/2 mile wide and with 1,800 feet of ice, this awe-inspiring glacier is among the most popular attractions in Juneau. Stop in the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center to learn more about this natural wonder, and then choose from one of several hiking trails to explore further. Closer to downtown, Perseverance Trail is a popular and easily accessible 3-mile trail with a trailhead at the end of Basin Road. More adventurous hikers can branch off to other trails, including one that will lead to the 3,576-foot summit of Mount Juneau.

EXPLORE DOWNTOWN

Though a town of just about 30,000, Juneau boasts big flavors with award-winning chefs, craft breweries and distilleries, gourmet coffee roasters, and all the fresh seafood you can handle. Stop by Heritage Coffee Roasting Co. for a pick-me-up or to take home a pound of their finely crafted beans. For another kind of brew, Alaskan Brewing Co. is known not only in Alaska but also nationwide as a leading craft beer maker for decades. It’s hard to pick just one of Juneau’s seafood restaurants along the waterfront, but consider Tracy’s King Crab Shack, which has grown from a food cart into an icon of fresh Alaskan fare.