What are the best ports and excursions in Alaska? And how do I see them all?
“I want to see everything I can since I won’t ever get back to Alaska again,” I anxiously thought while planning our first Alaskan cruise. I felt overwhelmed with trying to figure out which excursions in Alaska to choose in each port:
- Where should I go whale watching?
- What are the best excursions for our budget?
- What’s my “splurge” going to be?
- Do I book excursions through the cruise line or independently?
- Do I really need to go on an excursion in every port?
- If not, what are the free activities in Alaskan ports?
We’ve since figured out how to “do” an Alaskan cruise in a way that works for us.
(And little did I know while planning our first one — it became our favorite cruise destination! We’re now anticipating a future fourth cruise to Alaska.)
Read on for our favorite port excursions in Alaska.
Ketchikan
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My hubby goes fishing in Ketchikan while I enjoy some low-key solo time. This might include a pedicure in the ship’s spa (using free On Board Credit – my favorite way to pay!), seeing the lumberjack show (more charming/handsome and less cheesy than I anticipated), or just walking around the shops on historic Creek Street.
First-time visitors with an interest in the area’s Native culture will enjoy an excursion to Totem Bight State Park. My favorite part is the narrated visit to the clan house, nestled among tall trees and colorful totem poles, to see where the tribe members slept.
Many families shared the clan house, and their accommodations were much more spacious than the four of us sharing a verandah stateroom!
Since it is a state park, visitors can freely enter the park and walk around without a guide. But a guide puts what you’re seeing into a cultural context.
(Since the park is about 10 miles from the port, it’s not within walking distance. While you could take a bus or taxi there, the tour not only gets you to/from the ship/park but also provides the value-added feature of narration.)
Most recently we took advantage of Ketchikan’s location in the Tongass National Forest and went on a group hike guided by a local. It was a great way to stretch our legs, learn about the special environment, and best of all, do so without worrying about getting lost.
Our hike through the leafy Tongass National Forest was our first time visiting a rain forest.
Transportation to/from the dock/forest was included, so we had no logistics to worry about other than meeting the van on time. We just laced up our hikers, layered up in our fleece and waterproof rain jackets, and off we went!
(We purchased our lovely day with Wild Wolf Tours, who also includes an option of visiting the Totem Park.)
Juneau
Every time our ship pulls into Juneau, whether the morning is gray and misty or clear and sunny, we’re eager to disembark since we know that’s where we do our whale watching.
(Read more here about our whale watch and here about hiking and our favorite seafood dinner.)
Our small-boat experience is our “splurge”, and we love every minute of it!
This humpback whale swam right near our boat.
Skagway
Riding the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway up and/or down the mountain is a relaxing way to enjoy the scenery and get a sense of the area’s Gold Rush history.
The White Pass & Yukon Railway winds through forests and past rushing streams. We caught this great view of it while on our van tour into the Yukon.
We round out our day with shopping and a stop in the Skagway Brewing Company pub.
If you’re reaching Skagway later in your journey (such as a northbound or roundtrip itinerary), be sure to set aside some of your shopping funds for this port. We enjoy the variety and offerings by Alaskan artisans.
On our most recent port day, we booked a fantastic day trip into the Yukon. Our guided van trip was a great way to see a far-flung area while also including a stretch of the White Pass Railroad to get back into Skagway. I recommend this option if your family members or travel buddies are a little too antsy to sit on the train round-trip.
Plus, we saw bears!
Our van trip into the Yukon gave us better bear sightings than any other excursion, even after two trips inside Denali National Park.
Which Excursions in Alaska to Book First for your Alaskan Cruise
Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway are included in most Alaskan cruise itineraries. You’ll find that it is not unusual for a few ships to be docked in port on the same day.
Therefore, focus your time on choosing and booking your excursions in these three most popular Alaskan ports.
Across our time in these Inside Passage ports, we enjoy our favorite Alaskan excursion features: whales, sled dogs, wildlife, hiking, and a local beer for my hubby.
Secondly, investigate the remainder of your itinerary and consider whether you’d like to book excursions in any of the smaller ports (Haines, Sitka, etc.).
And if your cruise is roundtrip from Seattle, an 1800’s maritime regulation works in your favor. It dictates that all foreign-owned ships sailing roundtrip from America must dock in a foreign port. Luckily, your ship usually spends a half-day in beautiful Victoria, Canada.
We’ve found that in the smaller ports, we give our budgets a break and don’t book excursions. Instead, we walk to local attractions. And we save money by eating lunch on the ship rather than in town.
Book Excursions in Alaska through the Cruise Ship or Independently?
We’ve done both. And I’ve found that in all of my cruise planning, the Cruise Critic message boards have never steered me wrong. They are a great resource for recommendations, especially for independent excursions (that is, those not booked via the cruise line). For example, for whale watching, we had a much better experience independently booking a small boat.
Excursions in Alaska I’m Not Mentioning
Delving into your cruiseline’s website reveals a lot of excursions that I’m not mentioning. Most of these involve heights, speed, or both — none of which are for me. You won’t find this surefooted traveler riding in a helicopter or float plane. No way.
But we do have a new-found love of kayaking and haven’t done so in Alaska yet. So we’ll be investigating that excursion option for our fourth Alaskan cruise. That’s about as adventurous as I get.
Excursions in Alaska: Balancing your Itinerary
We pack a full day of activities into Juneau and for this reason, it’s probably my favorite port. Knowing we’ll have such a fun Juneau visit helps me balance out my more laid-back day in Ketchikan. And prioritizing the White Pass Railroad into Skagway makes planning that day easy.
We’ve found that booking busy days in each port doesn’t match our activity level or our budget. We don’t want to come home from our vacation feeling like we need a vacation.
Let’s make the most of our vacation days!
What are your favorite excursions in Alaska?
