Tours in Juneau

[kathyemma]

We will be in Juneau from 10am to 10pm. Most important tour to me is whale watching. I am planning on booking with Jayleen's Alaska she has an open tour at noon and 4pm. Both are four hours - that includes travel time to and from ship. I would also like to go to Tracy Arm Fjord and possibly Nugget Falls. Can i do all three of these things from 10 to 10? Or is there one really long tour that would incorporate all three? And lastly, where are the best places to go on a zipline tour in Alaska? We are sailing the inside passage and hanging in Denali and Anchorage for a few days after the cruise.

 

Thanks

 

Kathy

[Budget Queen]

Nope, you can easily do a whale watch and Mendenhall Glacier. I'd suggest you consider a car rental. Then you can go direct- whale watch/glacier. Plus enjoy numerous other possibilities.

[Coral]

Did you mean Tracy Arm or Mendenhall glacier?

[kathyemma]

Nope, you can easily do a whale watch and Mendenhall Glacier. I'd suggest you consider a car rental. Then you can go direct- whale watch/glacier. Plus enjoy numerous other possibilities.

 

Are there any tour companies you recommend for the glacier or can we do it on our own? If we do the later whale watching tour (4pm) will be able to get from the cruise terminal (10am) to the glacier and back to the terminal for the 4pm pick up? Should we rent a car or cab it to the glacier? Seeing a whale is my dream - but the all day tours of Tracy Arm Fjord sound pretty cool. Do you think I will have other chances to see a whale if I give up the whale tour for the Fjord tour?

 

Thank you so much.

[kathyemma]

Did you mean Tracy Arm or Mendenhall glacier?

 

I was talking about Tracy Arm - saw some photos and it loos beautiful.

[martincath]

Your only possibility of doing Tracy Arm would be to take the ship's small boat excursion (I believe you're on HAL, and they seem to offer it consistently). You arrive too late for the alternative Adventure Bound version.

 

Given that you'll pass through whale-infested waters on the TA trip, a whalewatching trip on top would almost certainly be unnecessary unless you are REALLY keen to maximise your whale spotting chances. Check what time HALs TA excursion hits Juneau, IIRC it's before mid afternoon, so you should have time for a 4pm whalewatch/quick trip to Mendenhall, or to spend a lot of time at the glacier if you do decide against a whalewatch.

[Coral]

Your only possibility of doing Tracy Arm would be to take the ship's small boat excursion (I believe you're on HAL, and they seem to offer it consistently). You arrive too late for the alternative Adventure Bound version.

 

Tracy Arm is not on her itinerary or a service stop.

[Coral]

I was talking about Tracy Arm - saw some photos and it loos beautiful.

 

You need to be in town by 8 am to do Tracy Arm through AdventureBound.

 

You may need to save this for your next time in Alaska.

[martincath]

Tracy Arm is not on her itinerary or a service stop.

Bummer! I thought ALL the one-ways with HAL would offer at least a TA service stop.

 

 

Too late to edit my erroneous post unfortunately; I'm afraid you're totally hooped for visiting Tracy Arm KathyEmma:(

[kathyemma]

Yes, I am sailing on HAL. I pulled up the excursions offered for that day and they are offering a trip to Tracy Arm. Here is a little of the write up. Whale sightings are not promised.

Top 3 Reasons To Book

 

• The Tracy Arm Wilderness Area and Twin Sawyer Glaciers
  
• In-depth exploration of amazing Tracy Arm fjord
  
• Cobalt icebergs, sheer cliffs, waterfalls, rich wildlife
  

About the Excursion

 

 

Travel by deluxe jetboat to explore the very best of the Tracy Arm Wilderness Area, including exciting close-up views of the majestic Sawyer Glaciers.

Relax in the warm, spacious cabin as your experienced captain guides you through scenic passages and into the heart of a wild place that has, until recently, been buried by glacial ice. Here, the extraordinary maneuverability of the Katlian Express will allow you to glide quietly past curious seals and bobbing icebergs to get as close as possible to the ever-changing face of South Sawyer Glacier.

*********************************

We would leave at 10 15 and be back at 5 15. Does anyone know of any tours that would leave that late for whale watching?

We will also be making stops in Ketchikan, Skagway and Glacier Bay - are there any good whale watching trips in any of those locations? Is Tracy Arm as beautiful as it sounds? It is worth 7 hours?

Thanks!

 

[Budget Queen]

A whale watch is significantly superior to any chance whale watching, so I disagree with Martin that it's not "necessary" for your priorities. I see whales multiple times during the cruise but you will also always see me on whale watches. The 10 second distant brief look I get after hour of "looking" doesn't cut it for me. :) (from the cruise ship)

 

Tough choices, but your Tracy Arm add on tour, is a shorter choice compared to Adventure Bound. TIME is significant with these types of boat tours. Longer means more opportunities for sightings. This tour doesn't get back in time for any whale watch tours.

[kathyemma]

A whale watch is significantly superior to any chance whale watching, so I disagree with Martin that it's not "necessary" for your priorities. I see whales multiple times during the cruise but you will also always see me on whale watches. The 10 second distant brief look I get after hour of "looking" doesn't cut it for me. :) (from the cruise ship)

 

Tough choices, but your Tracy Arm add on tour, is a shorter choice compared to Adventure Bound. TIME is significant with these types of boat tours. Longer means more opportunities for sightings. This tour doesn't get back in time for any whale watch tours.

 

Have you done Tracy Arm? Is it worth 7 hours? If so, are their other ports that do whale watching? if so, I can go on a whale watching tour on another stop. We are also hitting Skagway, Glacier Bay and Ketchikan

[kawagama]

There are public buses that go to Mendenthal Glacier from the city. It takes about 15-20 minutes to get there. We did that and spent as much time as we wanted there. It was an easy walk to the Falls and the Glacier. I think the buses run every 20-30 minutes as well to return.

 

We saw lots of whales from the ship--some views were better than others. Our best was when we were kayaking out of Ketchikan. A humpback came up behind us, and then a few minutes later we saw its tail very close to the kayaks. For me, this was better than chasing them in motor boats. There is something truly spectacular about seeing them when they want to be seen.

[Coral]

Bummer! I thought ALL the one-ways with HAL would offer at least a TA service stop.

 

 

Too late to edit my erroneous post unfortunately; I'm afraid you're totally hooped for visiting Tracy Arm KathyEmma:(

 

I apologize - I brought up the itinerary and didn't see it listed. I looked up Allen Marine and her ship wasn't listed either on their website.

[Budget Queen]

Have you done Tracy Arm? Is it worth 7 hours? If so, are their other ports that do whale watching? if so, I can go on a whale watching tour on another stop. We are also hitting Skagway, Glacier Bay and Ketchikan

 

Yes, I've sailed Tracy Arm at least 20 times. You don't have any other option for whale watching- humpbacks. IF you are in Victoria- orca watching- which doesn't have the 100% sightings that Juneau and Hoonah do.

[Dancing Shoes]

Will you have kids with you? Young kids could get bored with the Tracy Arm excursion. For me, I can see whales here in Hawaii. The Tracy Arm decision was an easy one for me. I know we won't have much time after. We leave from the beginning of Tracy Arm and our tour takes 6 hours. I am surprised how much more the whale watch trips are in Alaska compared to Hawaii. We have the humpback whale that comes here from Alaska to give birth and then mate.

[Dancing Shoes]

There are public buses that go to Mendenthal Glacier from the city. It takes about 15-20 minutes to get there. We did that and spent as much time as we wanted there. It was an easy walk to the Falls and the Glacier. I think the buses run every 20-30 minutes as well to return.

 

We saw lots of whales from the ship--some views were better than others. Our best was when we were kayaking out of Ketchikan. A humpback came up behind us, and then a few minutes later we saw its tail very close to the kayaks. For me, this was better than chasing them in motor boats. There is something truly spectacular about seeing them when they want to be seen.

 

I'm pretty sure they are NOT chasing the humpback, huge fine. By law, all boats must not go closer than 100 yards. Many times they will surface close to you. Also, it is not uncommon for the whale to be curious and come close to a vessel. I have friends who got stuck on a whale watch waiting for mamma and baby to leave.

[kathyemma]

I think I would have throw up and peed in my pants. Amazing and terrifying all at the same time. In July we went to Hawaii. We were in a small boat sailing the Napali Coast and we were surrounded by dolphins. That was just amazing and beautiful - not terrifying.

 

There are public buses that go to Mendenthal Glacier from the city. It takes about 15-20 minutes to get there. We did that and spent as much time as we wanted there. It was an easy walk to the Falls and the Glacier. I think the buses run every 20-30 minutes as well to return.

 

We saw lots of whales from the ship--some views were better than others. Our best was when we were kayaking out of Ketchikan. A humpback came up behind us, and then a few minutes later we saw its tail very close to the kayaks. For me, this was better than chasing them in motor boats. There is something truly spectacular about seeing them when they want to be seen.

[kathyemma]

Okay - so I am going to pass on Tracy Arm - too long of a trip. I am going to book a whale watching trip - my options are noon and 4pm. Which one? Before or after I want to go see Mendenthal Glacier. My daughter wants to hit a local restaurant for crabs that night for dinner. Our ship is there until 10pm. What should my timing be????

 

 

Thanks

Kathy

[Dancing Shoes]

Go to the glacier first like you were thinking before. You don't want to rush to get back for the whale watch. If you did the whale watch first, make sure you have enough time to catch the last shuttle bus back @ 6:30 or cab it. Depending on how many people, a cab could be cheaper. The shuttle bus R/T is $40-45, and includes the entrance fee. The city bus drops you off 1 mile away, and takes forever to get there. Let us know how long your whale watch is. Yes, you can book this on your own.

[kathyemma]

Go to the glacier first like you were thinking before. You don't want to rush to get back for the whale watch. If you did the whale watch first, make sure you have enough time to catch the last shuttle bus back @ 6:30 or cab it. Depending on how many people, a cab could be cheaper. The shuttle bus R/T is $40-45, and includes the entrance fee. The city bus drops you off 1 mile away, and takes forever to get there. Let us know how long your whale watch is. Yes, you can book this on your own.

 

The whale watch is 4 hours total - including transportation to and from the pier. Sounds like the shuttle bus is the way to go (i don't want to walk a mile - i think I will walking enough as it is). There will be 3, possibly 5 of us. I am booking the tour thru Jayleen. A few reviews have mentioned she will drop us off at the glacier. I will have to verify. Maybe she can pick us up there too? Is the sun still up at 7pm? Will I be able to see whales? If so, I might do the glacier first (we dock at 10am), then hit the whale watching tour from 4 to 8 and then grab some food close to the ship and hop back on board at 930 and pass out.

 

Thank you so much for all this wonderful info!

 

Kathy

[Dancing Shoes]

I will be there mid August and the sunset is 8:33.

[Budget Queen]

First find out if you can get a Mendenhall pick up/drop off. IF you look at a map, you will see, that it makes no sense to do these separately, going back and forth downtown.

 

I'd suggest your early whale watch, which is fixed time. Then go to Mendenhall where you can go when you choose.. IF the whale watch can't transport- then call a cab when the whale watch is heading back, and have a direct short transfer. You may have to pay your admission to the cab driver as there could be contracts in place. (last season, mistaken claims of rip offs etc)

 

Then either get another cab back to downtown Juneau, orshuttle buses may offer one ways, verify this in advance- direct. MGT is one vendor to check with. If using the cab, call them about 1/2 hour prior to needing it.

 

Then do your dinner, downtown, Tracy's Crab Shack is very popular.