Juneau Wildlife Whale Watching
5
Juneau Wildlife Whale Watching
By Alaska Tales
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About
Hundreds of humpback whales can be spotted along the coast of Juneau during their annual migration. On this tour, set sail around Auke Bay, look out for humpback whales and other wildlife in their natural habitats; and learn more about the magnificent sea creatures from your guide. Best of all, whale sightings are guaranteed so there’s no worry about missing out.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-99, max of 38 per group
Duration: 3h 30m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Live guide: English
More
Highlights
- Magnificent views and wildlife sightings from the water
- Spot humpback whales in their natural environment
- Live on-board commentary from a naturalist guide
- Seasonal tour available from May to September only
Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best
2024
- 100% Guarantee to see Whales
- Roundtrip Transportation from Cruise Terminal
- Complimentary Snack and Bottled Water
- A Great Time!
- Snacks
- Bottled water
What's not included- None
- Start:Traveller pickup offered.
- Mount Roberts Tramway, 490 S Franklin St, Juneau, AK 99801, USAMeet 15 minutes before tour time underneath the tent on the wooden dock on the water-side of the large red Mt Robert's Tramway building (the gondola building) at the main Cruise Terminal. They will hold a sign, "Alaska Tales". If you have any trouble finding this person, please call us.
Pickup details- Please meet your tour representative 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time underneath the tent on the wooden dock that is on the water-side of the large red Mt Robert's Tramway building (building that houses the gondola that goes up the mountain) at the main Cruise Ship Terminal. The address is 490 S Franklin St, Juneau, AK 99801 and the pickup location is on the ocean-side of the building. Your Alaska Tales Tour Representative will be holding a sign that will read, "Alaska Tales". If you have any trouble finding this person, please call us.
Port pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included ports.- Juneau
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Pushchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 74349P1- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Collapsable Wheelchairs Only
- No Motorized Scooters
- No Motorized Wheelchairs
- Most travellers can participate
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 38 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 74349P1
From
AU$287.42
per adult
Select date and travellers
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Similar experiences
Itinerary
- Pass byGoldbelt TramMendenhall Glacier
- 1Transport arrival to the Whale Watching HarborPass byGoldbelt Tram
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- Karen B0 contributionsExperience of a lifetime!Went on this amazing whale watching tour ( and also Glacier). Justin, Ben and Sophie were our awesome guides. They were professional, knowledgeable and lots of FUN!!! Saw SO many whales it was the most incredible experience of a lifetime! We booked it it ourselves on TripAdvisor and had the exact same trip as those who booked it in the cruise line.Written 1 February 2025
- Journey116584488610 contributionsHighly recommendGreat experience. Our ship was late getting to port and Alaska Tales moved the tour time to accommodate us. The trip to the glacier was wonderful with the driver giving us lots of good info on the area. The whale watching tour was so fun and informative. The crew was amazing and we were able to see some beautiful whales with some breaching. As a traveler and a tour advisor, I would highly recommend this tour.Written 31 January 2025
- seema600 contributionsExcellent tour and cheaper than from the cruiseWe enjoyed our tour of the Mendenhall glacier and whale watching on the small boat. The driver dropped us at Mendenhall glacier and then we were on our own for an hour. It was not guided. He was a bit abrupt. However the glacier itself was amazing. Then we went for whale watching on the small boat. The youn girl was very friendly and gave lots of information. Unfortunately we didn’t see too many whales but we did get to see a whale breaching which was fantastic. It was a great trip.Written 19 November 2024
- Freedom684633870090 contributionsWonderful!Justin, Sophie and Nate did a wonderful job! Our tour was so much fun and we saw one whale. I would highly recommend this tour.Written 18 November 2024
- 91sethu0 contributionsMust do excursion!This is a must do excursion! Beautiful sights and scenery. Lots of whales! Awesome staff. No complaints here at all! Such an amazing time.Written 13 November 2024
- SaltLife700 contributionsCreation at it's Best!Get closer to a place where you can witness such magnificent creations moving; living and in harmony with their divine purpose.Written 18 October 2024
- iwannabeabeachbum0 contributionsTour May 2023Great experience looking around on water tour. Didn't see any whales, but it did not disappoint! Saw seals, eagles, otters and just beautiful sceneryWritten 2 October 2024
- marvindE5392FZ0 contributionsWhale watchingHad a great time. Got to see some whales and the beautiful glacier. Our driver Tom did a great job showing us around and adding a bit of “color commicating ” to our experience .Written 27 September 2024
- 497krystlew0 contributionsGuarantee indeedThis tour was so great! We got to do both things in our short time here. It was a very brisk walk to make sure we got to the glacier and back before the bus came back for us, but so glad we got to see it! The whale watch was so much fun and did not disappoint as the "guarantee" is appropriate. We saw some whales sleeping and some great fin shots! The views were incredible too and there weren't too many people on the boat, didn't feel crowded at all. The staff were wonderful gave us a snack and a brief lesson about humpbacks!Written 27 September 2024
- chesneesouthcarolina0 contributionsLots of whale knowledgeVery professional staff. We’ve taken this excursion before. We highly recommend. Taylor knew great whale facts. Thanks, Randy, for not pumping up the heat! Your local knowledge made the bus transport interesting.Written 25 September 2024
- ztudioasia0 contributionsHighlight of our Shore stop at JuneauSo many cruises we have gone on, and there is none which comes close in majesty and awe than an Alaskan cruise. Juneau is incredible and a day tour with this outfit was the highlight of our shore visit. They gave us a glimpse of what we would like to come back to and see more of. Great choice!Written 24 September 2024
- Ross G0 contributionsWe were with a Royal caribbean cruise.Great experience, we'll organized. Great value! Saw a lot of whales!! They have beer and snacks on the boat, they know how to make memoriesWritten 23 September 2024
- F3793WAhaleyr0 contributionsWhale watching and glacier tourWe had an amazing time! We saw a ton whales, James, Kristen and Kacie were our crew and I would absolutely recommend their tour!Written 22 September 2024
- lauriehX8143TM0 contributionsLots of whales, lots of eagles, a glacier and a bear. Great day!We really enjoyed our day with Larry, Steph, and Sophie with Alaska Tales. It was easy to find them. The glacier visit was great. We had time to hike to Nugget Falls. We saw SO many whales. All the boats talk to each other so if there are whales anywhere around, you won’t miss them. Our guides were knowledgeable and friendly. On the drive, they showed us where to look for eagles and bears, and we saw both. Highly recommend!Written 22 September 2024
- Ronda S0 contributionsWhales, whales, whales!Absolutely loved this excursion! It was a rainy day but still great. Our tour operators were Ben and Charlie. They were both great. We saw so many whales, humpbacks and orcas. They said this trip had the most whales they had ever seen. It was amazing. I highly recommend!Written 22 September 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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5.0
5,198 reviews
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Justin H
1 contribution
Sept 2024 • Family
10/10 would recommend Alaska Tales. We did the whale watching tour in September 2024 and were lucky to find a young calf playing around - jumping, twirling, and waving. In total, we probably saw 10 whales. Some very close and some pretty far away. Our guides (Nate, Monica, and Jordan) were all incredible. They answered all our questions and told us all their tips and tricks for spotting whales. You can tell they love what they do - they all have a clear passion for whales. We also saw a couple glaciers from the bus and boat. Tom, our bus driver, narrated the whole ride to the harbor and even pulled off the road to give us a cha cow to get some pictures of Mendenhall glacier.
I booked a tour with Alaska tales because they offered a cheaper tour than the cruise excursion desk, and also included a guarantee to see whales. I also think the Alaska Tales takes smaller group sizes than some other tour providers. Our boat could hold 50 people, but there were only 11 on our tour. There was plenty of space to move around and they also provided snacks and drinks.
10/10 would recommend.
I booked a tour with Alaska tales because they offered a cheaper tour than the cruise excursion desk, and also included a guarantee to see whales. I also think the Alaska Tales takes smaller group sizes than some other tour providers. Our boat could hold 50 people, but there were only 11 on our tour. There was plenty of space to move around and they also provided snacks and drinks.
10/10 would recommend.
Written 1 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nick
Cairns Region, Australia421 contributions
We arrived in Juneau off the Princess cruise boat at 1pm, we had looked at this tour and been keen to book it. The tours on board the ship were very expensive and this tour sounded like a great one and it was at a much more reasonable price! We booked on the 5pm tour and only had 12 people on the boat.
Randy was our bus driver - such a legend of a bloke. Made for a great drive to the boat harbour.
Sophie greeted us in the car park and then we headed down where we met James and Ben.
The crew were all fantastic, especially Ben the naturalist who was out on the front deck with us all getting in on the whale action. We were sooo lucky we spotted Orcas 10mins into the cruise! There were a few other boats in the area all taking in the magical moment of watching killer whales feed in the wild. Absolutely incredible- this is a rare sighting and not often do you get to see this kind of activity! Truly lucky!
We stayed for 30 mins and then headed away so the whales don’t get used to vessels and so we don’t interfere with their natural habits. We spotted plenty of humpbacks and saw lots of tale slaps all while the sun was starting to set.
Great views of the famous mendahal glacier from the water.
Do yourself a favour and book on this trip - you won’t be disappointed at all! Whales aside, the scenery and atmosphere on board was great just remember animals are wild and they’ll come out if they want to. That’s half the fun not knowing if you will see something or not.
Randy was our bus driver - such a legend of a bloke. Made for a great drive to the boat harbour.
Sophie greeted us in the car park and then we headed down where we met James and Ben.
The crew were all fantastic, especially Ben the naturalist who was out on the front deck with us all getting in on the whale action. We were sooo lucky we spotted Orcas 10mins into the cruise! There were a few other boats in the area all taking in the magical moment of watching killer whales feed in the wild. Absolutely incredible- this is a rare sighting and not often do you get to see this kind of activity! Truly lucky!
We stayed for 30 mins and then headed away so the whales don’t get used to vessels and so we don’t interfere with their natural habits. We spotted plenty of humpbacks and saw lots of tale slaps all while the sun was starting to set.
Great views of the famous mendahal glacier from the water.
Do yourself a favour and book on this trip - you won’t be disappointed at all! Whales aside, the scenery and atmosphere on board was great just remember animals are wild and they’ll come out if they want to. That’s half the fun not knowing if you will see something or not.
Written 22 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christian C
2 contributions
Sept 2024 • Family
What an amazing experience. We came to Juneau via a cruise ship and decided to book a shore excursion outside of the cruise line. Thats how we found Alaska Tales. We saved tons of money and it wasn’t crowded at all like the cruise line would be. There were about 11 people on our boat. They had two nature guides (Nate, and Monica) who were outstanding. Greeted us right away and made us feel like friends. They were very helpful in spotting the whales. The captain Jordan was also great and very friendly, easy to talk to and ask questions. This crew was nothing short of amazing! On the way out to the first spot Nate was telling us how seeing a breaching whale was rare but before you knew it we were seeing a calf breach multiple times about 50 yards from the boat. How awesome! We saw around five to six different whales. Our bus driver was also awesome and took the time to show us the Mendenhall glacier from a viewing spot to snap some quick photos. I’m recommending this tour and company to everyone!
Written 1 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Blaise
1 contribution
Purchased tickets when we arrived at Juneau port rather than purchasing any in advance - ended up being MUCH cheaper than booking through cruise. Took a half an hour bus ride to the location where the driver Jay was great - pointing out points of interest/facts on the drive up about Juneau and also saw so many bald eagles! Really smooth transition onto the boat where we were out for a couple of hours. We saw Orcas, humpbacks and sea lions - was absolutely incredible. All members of the crew were extremely welcoming and very knowledgeable so thanks to Nate, Charlie and James!
Written 23 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarah J
Wakefield, RI119 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
Wonderful trip! The bus driver told good stories on the ride out, and the boat crew was funny and helpful. We saw multiple whales, multiple times, even one that was feeding so we could get photos of it with its mouth open. We also saw Mendenhall Glacier while cruising from one whale sighting location to another. I had originally booked the whale watching + glacier tour. About a month before my trip, the tour office called and told me they didn't think they could actually take my money for that in good conscience because, in October, it would be dark by the time we finished whale watching and wouldn't really be able to see the glacier. I know other people on our cruise were taken to do both, and I can only imagine their disappointment. But not with Alaska Tales. They are nice *and* ethical. I truly appreciated their honesty in what we could and could not do in a short visit in the later afternoon in October (cruise docked at 2:30 pm).
Written 13 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Laura C
8 contributions
July 2024 • Family
I was hopeful as we headed out on our tour and Nate did a great job of explaining how the expedition works and what will help us to find the whales. I had been on other tours looking for whales that never showed up but this was my first trip to Alaska. This trip more than exceeded my expectations! Our captain, Mark, was on a mission to get us to a location where "something spectacular" must be happening --- and it was! We were able to watch a pod of around 30 orca whales for more than 20 minutes. It was surreal and beautiful and almost left us speechless except for the excited, "Wow", "Look at that!" and "There they are again" that could be heard across our boat. Nate had just explained to us how unpredictable the orcas could be and that finding them was not very common but today they really made us feel welcome. It was also fun to see the excitement of Nate and Charlie on this outing. Then we headed to find the humpback whales and it didn't take long. Nate and Charlie were so good at identifying flukes of the whales meandering around us that they could call them by name --- Sizzle and her calf, Flame. What a great show they provided us! My greatest regret of this excursion was that I didn't bring a better camera or update my phone before this trip. Even with that I was able to capture a few memorable shots! What a great day. I would definitely recommend this tour for anyone with a longing to experience the whales from this perspective!
Written 28 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Storrs2000
Connecticut211 contributions
June 2023
We booked this tour on our own as opposed to the one offered through our cruise ship because it had a smaller setting, hoping for a great experience to get good shots of humpbacks. We did not do the Mendenhall Glacier, but after our pick up in downtown Juneau, the bus drove there and picked up people at the glacier to join us on the ship. The ship is safe and solid, and has comfy seats that sit up nice and high inside the warm cabin. We went on a gray, wet, chilly Alaska day in early June. The ship was quite full (pretty much every seat taken) which made for tons of jostling on the upper deck for a space to get a good photo when the whales were sighted. This was exactly what we had hoped to avoid. Olive was very nice to talk to and tell us more about the whales. James and Ben were also friendly. We spent most of the time watching orcas, which they told us was unusual to see at this time (first week of June). The crew seemed very excited about these whales. This is what we spent the bulk of our time doing. Following that humpbacks were viewed only from a far distance. Frankly, I was disappointed with the ability to get good photos with all the jostling for positions. Unfortunately the best display of a humpback calf breeching and playing was only seen as we sped by at the end, because apparently we needed to get back to the dock. Which was weird because when we did get off the ship we stood around for quite a while waiting for the bus. Wished we could have gotten to see the humpbacks more and from a closer setting instead of the "drive by" experience we had. (The captain even used the term "drive by whale watching" as we sped by.) The bus ride back was interesting as half the people on it were running very close to their timeline to get on their NCL ship. The bus driver was a bit of a character but he got them there safely. This is definitely a tour that I would recommend is better enjoyed if the ship is not full, as it was tough to get good photos with everyone crowded. Luck of the draw I guess. Orcas were cool to see and we did see them up close as we struggled for positions at the railing, but not really seeing humpbacks and not able to get great photos left me feeling a bit disappointed. Honestly, I rate the company a 5=Excellent in terms of the ship and the planning and friendly crew, but our experience itself with the actual viewing more of a 3.5, especially after reading all the other reviews on here about bubble feeding. Humpbacks were the draw for us to book this. Sigh.
Written 28 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Danny W
Three Way, TN2 contributions
Sept 2023 • Couples
We booked the whale trip independently due to it being less expensive than the cruise ship excursion. Plus they offered a 100% refund if whales were not sighted. William, Kyle, Isabel and Kyle were great, knowledgeable and very friendly. Bus driver Brandon was great and had some funny tales as we made our trek to the dock. We saw probably six or seven sightings that spouted and surface multiple times. Even saw 2 or 3 moms with calves playing. We saw a couple of seals on a buoy and the captain stirred the boat 360 degrees around it so everyone got good views of both. Since this is the only whale trip I’ve been on, I can’t say they are better than the others but i can vouch that we got our money’s worth with a lower price and the added guarantee to see whales.
Written 20 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kathleenw534
Franz Josef, New Zealand36 contributions
Made a last minute decision to see the whales and were very glad we chose Alaska Tales to do our tour with. We purchased tickets on the pier after getting off the ship at prices cheaper than those offered by the shore excursions.
Our captain Mark, and guides Taylor and Racie were great. Taylor was very knowledgeable and as keen as we were when there were sightings. The bus driver Benjamin was also a wealth of knowledge and gave us a great narration and pointed out the many bald eagles along the way.
They allowed us time to view and take pictures during our 3hr tour. Fabulous, highly recommend.
Our captain Mark, and guides Taylor and Racie were great. Taylor was very knowledgeable and as keen as we were when there were sightings. The bus driver Benjamin was also a wealth of knowledge and gave us a great narration and pointed out the many bald eagles along the way.
They allowed us time to view and take pictures during our 3hr tour. Fabulous, highly recommend.
Written 9 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peter T
3 contributions
Sept 2023 • Solo
When I bought my ticket the guy told me to come back at 2.45pm near two white tents. He did not clearly mention where they were and it turned out that there were white tents in several places causing me to go back in the pouring rain to the sales booth and arrive late at the assembly location. I did see some whales from the boat. One got quite close and I got some good pictures including a tail but the whales disappear under the water every few seconds so you have to be looking all the time. Mark, Kristen and Taylor did a good job in the rainy weather. The boat had comfortable seats and you could walk on deck at times. The worst part of the trip for me was the bus ride which lasted about 20 minutes each way. The bus resembled an old school bus with smallish seats meant to accommodate two normal size people with short legs. However, I had to contend with a number of large size passengers, some of whom thought they should fit in the two seats by themselves. My legs were in the bus corridor as I squeezed onto the edge of a seat occupied by a large man with a large coat. There were seat belts but I did not notice any being used. For $150 plus $7.50 tax, I think Alaska Tales should provide a comfortable modern coach with legroom and the ability to buckle the seat belts. The bus rides and the vague directions for where to assemble substantially reduced my rating for this trip.
Written 26 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, we are in Juneau port on 22 July 2024. We are doing a ‘Tracey Arm Inlet’ 6 hr tour commencing at 9am. Would pick-up at the ship be possible to make the 4pm tour?
Written 29 April 2024
I believe it is 3.5 hours total from the cruise dock and back. That includes 30 minutes one way from your cruise to the dock for the whale watching boat, and 2.5 hours of time on the water.
Written 8 July 2022
While not a medical professional (recommend you check with your doctor), I see no reason why you could not make this very interesting trip. You do get to see whales in the wild, a first for me at 71 years.
Written 7 July 2022
Our cruise ship is scheduled to dock at 3:00 PM, will we be able to get onboard the 3:00 PM excursion?
Written 28 June 2022
Doubt it, as it can take a minimum of 30-40 minutes to dock! You’re best bet is to contact whoever is organising the trip and ask them what time is reasonable, as the journey from the dock to the marina is bout 30 mins or so.
I hope you will get to do this trip as I would do it again in a heartbeat!!
It is breathtaking
Written 29 June 2022
Is it easy to step onto the boat from the dock or do you have to be agile to do it. i have a bad knee but I can use the leg as long as its not a high step.
Written 28 February 2022
We will be coming via Holland America Cruise Line May 28th. Do you meet us at port and do you offer military or senior citizens discount?
Written 1 February 2020
Met at the pier and bussed to the docks. Not sure about discounts. This was scheduled through Holland America.
Written 12 March 2020
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