Alaska’s capital city is unique but with only six hours to see the sights, Juneau whale watching was my number one priority. However, the choice isn’t easy for everyone. Juneau, the largest US capital city by area, offers exciting and unique things to do including nature and wildlife viewing (bears, whales, waterfalls), adventure sport (kayaking, rafting, ziplining), dog sledding, glacier walks, panning for gold, and more.
Nearly 1 million visitors arrive in Juneau annually, 900,000 of them via cruise ship. We were no exception. After reviewing the options, our family split up. While we all went on the water, two wanted more adventure (without a camera) while I, along with one of our girls, went a Juneau whale watching and Mendenhall glacier photo safari (see images below).
Why We Recommend Pre-booking Juneau Excursions
We will pass on one of the best recommendations we were given: Prebook a shore excursion in Juneau Alaska. While it is an easy port to do on your own, it is the last port you want to be left at should you be late getting back to the ship. And while people always think it will never happen to them, our ship left 8 people in Juneau.
Juneau is the only US capital city that is not accessible by road (although there is a car ferry). Therefore, getting to the next port to be reconnected with the ship will be very expensive. (You generally need to hire a private plane or boat).
We were thrilled to discover that Viator, TripAdvisor Company, offers a worry-free shore excursion guarantee. They are a company we trust, with small groups, great guides, and generally significantly lower prices than the ship can offer.
Juneau Alaska Excursions
All of the options on this table had Viator’s worry-free shore excursion guarantee at the time of publishing this page. It is prominently displayed in the detailed descriptions. Be sure to verify it before purchase.
| Excursion | Highlights | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mendenhall Glacier, Whale Watching and Salmon Bake | See Mendenhall Glacier Juneau whale watching cruise Alaskan salmon bake See totem carving | 6 hrs | View |
| Bear Viewing, Flight, and Kayak | Visit Pack Creek brown bear viewing area Fly over Tongass National Forest Kayak through Windfall harbor | 7-8 hrs | View |
| Gold Panning and Salmon Bake | Juneau city tour Pan for gold Alaskan salmon-bake See totem carving Salmon Creek waterfall | Flexible | View |
| Douglas Island Zipline | Speed boat to Douglas Island Zipline through Alaskan rainforest Try axe throwing Guided walk | 3.75 hrs | View |
| Helicopter Tour and Dogsledding Experience | Helicopter over Juneau Icefield Dogsled with huskies Hear tales from the Iditarod | 3 hrs | View |
| Juneau Whale Watching Tour | Whale watching on a 48-passenger boat See Mendenhall Glacier on a clear day | 3.5 hrs | View |
| Mendenhall Glacier Trek | Guided trek along Mendenhall Glacier 8-mile trek through Alaskan wilderness Pass glacial formations *Read details of fitness requirements | 7 hrs | View |
| Mendenhall Glacier Rafting | Raft through Class II and III rapids See Mendenhall Glacier from the river | 3.5 hrs | View |
Our Juneau Alaska Whale Watching Experience
The spout of water shot up into the air and my heart skipped a beat. I unconsciously held my breath as I hoped this majestic whale would breach the water, jumping into the air. Instead, she gracefully returned to the sea, her tail appearing as she descends. We don’t get to pick the day or the weather when we cruise.
The first whale tail of our day.
Shutter Speed: 1/800, Aperture: f/10, ISO: 400
Whale spout
Shutter Speed: 1/800, Aperture: f/10, ISO: 400
We also saw seals basking in the day
Shutter Speed: 1/800, Aperture: f/7.1, ISO: 400
Our first glacier viewing of the famous Mendenhall Glacier was from the Juneau whale watching boat
Shutter Speed: 1/800, Aperture: f/8, ISO: 400
Another whale coming up.
Shutter Speed: 1/800, Aperture: f/7.1, ISO: 400
The same whale tail going back down.
Shutter Speed: 1/800, Aperture: f/6.3, ISO: 400
This eagle was waiting above the dock when we returned
Shutter Speed: 1/250, Aperture: f/5.6, ISO: 200
Juneau Wildlife Spotted
We saw Humpback whales, seals, sea lions, and a bald eagle. Orca whales and brown bears are often seen from the Juneau whale watching cruises. We also successfully went whale watching in Hoonah Alaska a few days earlier.
Check out this beautiful DVD on Humpback whales, from National Geographic →
Whale Photography Tip
Capturing this moment in a photo involves preparation. You need to be ready, ideally with a camera set at a fast shutter speed (sports mode on a point-and-shoot). Also, set it in a burst mode so the camera will take a series of shots when you hold down the button. By setting my shutter at 1/800 it was fast enough to stop the action. At the same time, it was not so fast that it froze the water drops as they came off the tail (as stopping the drops leaves the appearance of dots on the photo).
For more travel photo tips, sign up for our newsletter and we will send you a free copy of my e-book: Travel Photo Tips by Rhonda Albom↓
Juneau Glacier Viewing
Next, we took a drive to a forest about 12 miles out of town. Here we hiked along Nugget Creek Falls trail to the Mendenhall Glacier viewing point. Often referred to as the Juneau glacier, it is 13.6 miles long.
Mendenhall Glacier seen from the trail with Nugget Falls barely appearing to the right.
Shutter Speed: 1/30, Aperture: f/16, ISO: 200
Mendenhall Glacier
Shutter Speed: 1/100, Aperture: f/18, ISO: 400
Moss covered this part of the forest.
Shutter Speed: 1/30, Aperture: f/16, ISO: 200
Small waterfall on our trail.
Shutter Speed: 1/15, Aperture: f/13 ISO: 200 handheld (See more tips for photographing waterfalls)
Glacier Photography Tips
Like with most landscape shots, the goal is to have the maximum in focus. Therefore you will want to set your aperture to a higher number. If you are using a point and shoot, use the landscape (mountain) setting. I shoot in Raw and adjust for white balance in Lightroom. However, if you don’t use post processing software, you can adjust the camera’s white balance before taking the shot. For glaciers, set the white balance to “sun”, which adds a cooling filter that will intensify the blue of the glacier. I know the day we had was overcast but had I set the white balance to “cloudy” the camera would add warmth (less blues) to the photo.
Other Alaska Cruise Ports We Reviewed
We sailed from Anchorage (Whittier) to Vancouver. Here are our top recommendations for each port:
Read Next: 25 Tips for Cruising Everyone Should Know
Whale watching, glaciers, adventure, or another of the Juneau tours, what will you do with a half day in Alaska’s capital?
7 Simple tips that WILL improve your photos
Whether you shoot with a phone or a DSLR, let me share my secrets.
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Great photos, as always. I hope I’ll see a whale someday. Maybe next winter.
Thanks Barbara. Where are you looking for whales.
Great photography tips! I have actually never been whale watching, but managed to spot some humpbacks when hiking along the coast line in Sydney. Amazing sight! The glacier looks unreal too! Would love to see it up close one day!
How exciting to just look out and see a whale.
Lovely photos
Thanks.
Alaska is a breathtaking and remarkable travel destination, Rhonda! When’s the best time of the year to go there?
For me, the best time of year is summer, as I am not a fan of snow. However, this means I will never see the Northern Lights.
In keeping with our tradition of being where the wildlife is not, a successful whale watch is not something we’ve experienced. 😉 However, we will keep trying! Thanks for the photo tips – we are really hoping they’ll come in handy next time! This is definitely close to the top or our with list for Alaska – we have not been to Denali, so that ranks #1 at the moment. Then it’s off to (hopefully) see some whales! Thanks also for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard.
Bugger. I have only had one whale watch that we didn’t spot anything, but that was because the weather turned and they had to bring the boat back. We love Alaska, and especially Denali.
Incredible photos Rhonda! Weve been on so many whale watching trips, and know how hard it is to get a shot – they’re so fast! Definitely need the camera set at a fast shutter speed – I think I took 100 photos on high burst the last time, and only just got a tiny bit of him! We loved Alaska, so much wildlife! Epic photo of the eagle as well – such a majestic creature – you managed to fit a lot into a short trip!
We loved Alaska too. It is somewhere I would love to spend a lot more time, but only in the summer. I don’t think the Alaska winter would be my thing. As for the photos, thanks. I don’t think I have ever done a burst of more than seven.
These are some of the fantastic photos and the description you have mentioned with each is really helpful. I too need to try my hands on the camera following these tips. Whale watching is really on my list and will love to click pictures as you have mentioned. Thanks for sharing the info.
Yes, grab your camera and get out and start shooting.
I have never seen a whale so I imagine it must be a very impressive experience. In my opinion, the most difficult part to master when taking glacier pictures is the contrast of colors white-glacier vs surrounding landscape . .
Whales are so interesting and so big, but I do agree, taking a photo that blends into the background is a bit challenging.
Stunning photos! I couldn’t stop browsing through them. Whale tales are so perfectly shaped, the eagle – wow, what a majestic bird, the moss and ferns are so luxuriously green. It is a beautifully presented visual story. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Elena. Glad you enjoyed them.