Alaska’s capital city is a popular cruise port and vacation destination, featuring memorable outdoor activities for families and multigenerational groups
Alaska is a premier destination choice for multigenerational family cruises, and Juneau is a top port of call on these itineraries. Alaska’s capital offers many attractions, including spectacular glaciers and flightseeing trips, fantastic adventure excursions, extraordinary wildlife encounters, and enriching experiences. Plus, the shopping and dining options are outstanding. With so many incredible things to do in Juneau, let Destination Reunions help you narrow down the perfect adventure for your family.
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Mendenhall Glacier and Mendenhall Towers. Photo courtesy of Travel Juneau
FASCINATING THINGS TO DO IN JUNEAU, ALASKA
Groups can choose from a wide variety of Alaska family cruises, including small ship sailings from Juneau. With multiple cruise ships in port, it’s wise to research available options and book tours and activities in advance. Many unforgettable activities in Juneau match every interest and vacation budget, including adventures in Tongass National Forest.
Here are 15 great family-friendly experiences in Juneau on your family’s Alaska vacation.
Explore Mendenhall Glacier
Mendenhall Glacier continues to be one of the most popular things to do in Juneau. Located 13 miles from downtown, this “drive-in” glacier is stunning. Mendenhall Glacier Visitors Center offers excellent interactive exhibits, an informative movie and beautiful views of Mendenhall Glacier and Mendenhall Lake.
The Mendenhall Glacier recreation area features a variety of trails and attractions. Highlights include the nature trail and trek to 377-foot-high Nugget Falls. This trail is often an excellent place to see bears during the salmon spawning season.
Mendenhall Glacier excursions are available through cruise lines and independent tour operators and are often packaged with other Juneau experiences. Several local tour companies operate shuttle buses to the glacier. The center’s visiting hours are more limited this year, and access is currently available Sunday through Friday. Schedules are subject to change, so check online for updated information.
Soar Through the Forest
Groups craving an adrenaline rush can enjoy an exciting zipline adventure for thrilling things to do in Juneau. Set on nearby Douglas Island, the Alpine Zipline Adventure consists of two practice zips, five full-length ziplines and a suspension bridge. Participants fly between the series of treehouse-style platforms set high in the towering old-growth canopy of ancient Western hemlock and Sitka spruce. Opportunities for lumberjack-style axe throwing are also available.
Family members must be comfortable with heights, as the dual-line course reaches elevations up to 135 feet above the ground. Age, height and weight limitations apply. Check the tour provider’s website for more detailed information.
A pod of whales bubble-net feeding near Juneau, Alaska. Photo courtesy of Travel Juneau
Go On a Juneau Whale Watching Tour
Viewing humpback whales is a sought-after experience on Alaska cruises and one of the most incredible things to do in Juneau. The waters around capital region are prime areas for seeing these graceful creatures during Alaska voyages and whale watching excursions. Cruise passengers can often spot humpback whales near Juneau from April through October.
Whale watching tours offer cruising families plentiful opportunities to see whales breaching, bubble-net feeding, and more. Some Juneau-based tours even guarantee whale sightings. Guests on whale watching trips may see a variety of Alaska wildlife, including harbor seals, orca whales, Steller sea lions, Dall’s porpoises, bald eagles, and black bears. These voyages offer magnificent views of Southeast Alaska’s picturesque landscapes as well. Some places to start looking for your perfect group tour are Gastineau Guiding Company and Harv and Marv’s.
Ride the Goldbelt Tram
For groups looking for minimally active yet engaging things to do in Juneau, families can enjoy the region’s scenic landscapes while riding the Goldbelt Mount Roberts Tramway. Set just steps from downtown Juneau’s main cruise ship dock, the Goldbelt Tram offers fascinating nature and cultural exhibits, shopping and dining options, and panoramic vistas. Mountaintop hiking and nature trails are also available. The tram ticket purchase provides unlimited rides throughout the day.
The vertical ride on the Goldbelt Tram transports guests 1,800 feet up Mount Roberts to the Mountain House. Vacationers can easily spend much of their day hiking and enjoying the Goldbelt Tram’s activities. Families can enjoy shopping at Goldbelt Gifts and the local artist gallery. Nature, history and cultural tours are also available. The Timberline Bar and Grill offers dining with a view, serving locally brewed craft beers, Alaskan seafood and other delights.
Black bear cleaning the salmon pit at Taku Glacier Lodge. Photo courtesy of Travel Juneau
Feast And Enjoy Nature at Taku Glacier Lodge
Historic Taku Glacier Lodge is set opposite an enormous glacier in a remote region of the Tongass National Forest. The scenic Taku Lodge Feast & 5 Glacier Tour to this Alaska lodge is one of Juneau’s most memorable experiences. The tour includes a flightseeing trip, a bountiful lunch, and opportunities for nature walks and wildlife viewing.
En route to the Alaska glacier lodge, guests fly over five massive glaciers flowing from the Juneau Icefield. After landing, families have time to explore Taku Glacier Lodge’s beautiful grounds before enjoying an incredible all-you-can-eat wild Alaskan salmon feast complete with homemade side dishes. Black bears can often be seen on the Taku Glacier Lodge grounds. After lunch and opportunities for guided interpretive nature walks, a scenic 15-minute return floatplane trip brings guests back to Juneau.
Explore Juneau’s Glacier Gardens
Glacier Gardens Rainforest Adventure Tours are a relaxing option for outdoor adventures and nature-focused things to do in Juneau. Located in the Tongass National Forest’s rainforest habitat, Glacier Gardens is a botanical attraction comprised of well-manicured gardens and views of Thunder Mountain’s old-growth rainforest.
Guests can spot bald eagles, marvel at the beautiful flowers and panoramic views of Juneau. Vacationers on Glacier Gardens’ accessible tours can enjoy coffee, pastries and other food and drinks at the attraction’s Rainforest Cafe.
Dog sledding at the Juneau Ice Field. Photo courtesy of Travel Juneau
Go Dog Sledding
Some of Juneau’s most thrilling tours feature dog sledding, either at a dog sledding camp atop a remote glacier or on dry land. The unforgettable glacier dog sledding tours take guests on a scenic helicopter ride, providing spectacular views of the 1,500-square-mile Juneau Icefield. It’s an experience of a lifetime. After landing at a glacier-based dog sledding camp, families can spend time with the mushers and huskies before taking an exhilarating dog sled ride across the snow.
Other exciting dog sledding adventures take place on trails in the nearby wilderness. The Juneau Dog Sled Summer Camp and the Sled Dog Discovery & Musher’s Camp from Alaska Shore Excursions enable guests to race through the Tongass National Forest on a wheeled sled behind a team of strong Alaskan huskies. Families have plenty of time to tour the camp, interact with experienced mushers and their dogs, and cuddle the cute puppies.
Learn at the Alaska State Museum
At the Alaska State Museum, families will be immersed in Alaska’s rich history, traditions and cultural heritage. Located within easy walking distance of Juneau’s downtown cruise area, the Alaska State Museum houses a historical collection of interactive exhibits and fine art.
Highlights include an extensive collection of Alaskan native objects and materials, a natural history collection, and collections focused on Russian-American history, arts and mining heritage.
Deckhand Dave’s serves delicious Alaskan fish tacos. Photo courtesy of Travel Juneau
Sample Alaskan Seafood
Culinary things to do in Juneau provides excellent places to try some of Alaska’s famous seafood. Favorite seafood spots include Tracy’s King Crab Shack, Deckhand Dave’s Wild Alaskan Fish Tacos, and The Hanger on the Wharf. Juneau Food Tours also offers a variety of culinary food experiences, including A Tour with Taste. The multi-hour walking excursion provides up to eight tastings, including authentic Alaskan seafood and more.
The Gold Creek Salmon Bake is another popular Juneau attraction, often packaged with trips to Mendenhall Glacier. The experience includes an all-you-can-eat buffet meal of freshly grilled wild Alaskan salmon, chicken, baked beans, and various sides, salads and desserts.
Pan For Gold in Juneau
Families can seek their fortune and learn about Juneau’s rich gold rush history while enjoying a gold panning tour near the famed Alaska-Juneau gold mine. Led by costumed prospector guides, the tours follow the historic route Joe Juneau and Richard Harris took on their quest for gold over a century ago.
Adults and children can experience the thrill of searching for gold and take home their treasures. Best of all, finding a little gold is usually guaranteed.
Paddle Through Juneau’s Waters
Cruise lines and independent tour operators offer a variety of adventurous options for exploring the waters around Mendenhall Glacier. These include memorable rafting float trips, sea kayaking and canoeing adventures. Some rafting excursions traverse sections of Class II and III whitewater rapids.
Aquatic tours often offer close-up views of Mendenhall Glacier as well as opportunities to see icebergs, waterfalls, bald eagles and other wildlife.
Seaplane picking up tour passengers near Juneau, Alaska. Photo courtesy of Travel Juneau
Take Incredible Flightseeing Tours
Juneau is surrounded by massive ice fields, alpine lakes and glacial moraines. It’s an ideal place for families to take an unforgettable flightseeing tour to view the breathtaking scenery. Helicopter excursions and floatplane tours are offered, providing some of the most thrilling things to do in Juneau. Some flightseeing tours also offer glacier landings and hikes for active groups.
Cruise guests and vacationers can also take memorable bear viewing flightseeing tours from the port of Juneau. Admiralty Island National Monument has one of the world’s most significant densities of brown bears. The famed “Fortress of the Bears” is located just a short floatplane ride away from Juneau. Tours to Admiralty Island’s Pack Creek Bear Sanctuary are available from May to September.
Stroll and Shop for Souvenirs
It’s easy for families to explore downtown Juneau on foot, and the city offers attractions for all interests. Juneau has a thriving local arts scene, and it’s a great place to shop for authentic Alaska crafts and other unique treasures.
Galleries and stores offer a wide variety of paintings, jewelry, carvings, clothing and gifts. Other items, including wild Alaskan salmon, birch syrup and local honey, are also popular purchases.
View of Sawyer Glacier in Alaska’s Tracy Arm Fjord. Photo courtesy of Travel Juneau
Marvel at Glaciers in Tracy Arm Fjord
Glacier viewing is one of the highlights of Alaska cruises. Many cruise lines offer small ship voyages through Alaska’s Tracy Arm Wilderness Area as a Juneau shore excursion option.
Sailing through Tracy Arm Fjord to view its breathtaking Sawyer Glaciers is an incredible experience. Families can enjoy spectacular views of majestic glaciers, towering waterfalls, abundant wildlife, icebergs, and high fjord cliffs. This tour is highly recommended, especially when the weather is clear.
View Alaskan Salmon – Or Catch a Few
DIPAC’s Macaulay Salmon Hatchery is a great place for families to learn about Alaska’s salmon industry. The hatchery contains a massive saltwater aquarium, various exhibits and displays, and a store selling local salmon produce. From late June through September, families can view adult wild salmon climbing the hatchery’s outdoor ladder during the salmon spawning season.
If your family would prefer fishing for salmon and halibut, arrange an excursion on one of Juneau’s many Coast Guard-licensed charter fishing boats. An Alaska fishing license is required. One of Juneau’s fish processors can ship your catch to your home. Alternatively, you can enjoy your seafood on board through special culinary offerings, such as Holland America Line’s Savor My Catch program.
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By Nancy Schretter, Contributing Editor
Header Photo Courtesy of Travel Juneau
