Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Alaska Shore Excursions Local Picks for Each Port

alaska cruise shore excursions

In Wrangell, sign up for Anan Creek Bear Viewing and Photography, joining the expedition team bear expert and a photography specialist for this rousing small-group bear-viewing experience. Expect an electrifying view of salmon jumping and black and brown bears snatching their next meal. Juneau shore excursions span a wide range on the wow-factor scale, but this combo glacier helicopter tour is undeniably a once-in-a-lifetime experience. As if the ride in a helicopter over glaciers and landing on an actual glacier weren't exhilarating enough, you can also pretend you're in the Iditarod by getting on a real dogsled.

Bering Sea Crab Fishermen's Tour (The "Deadliest Catch" Tour)

Marvel at bald eagles in their natural habitats while in Ketchikan. Or keep a lookout for Denali National Park’s Big Five — including moose, caribou, grizzly bears, wolves and Dall sheep — while on a bus tour in the park. There’s a reason it’s called the Great Land — including its great outdoors. Get up close to renowned glaciers on a flightseeing tour, zipline through Tongass National Forest and hike along the mountainside of Ketchikan’s Deer Mountain Trail which takes you 3,000 feet above sea level. Whether you prefer to traverse by land, sea or air, our cruise excursions in Alaska will bring you on a wild ride. This excursion combines a scenic cruise through Kenai Fjords National Park with a visit to the Alaska SeaLife Center.

The 11 Best Alaska Cruise Excursions in 2024

There are two great stops in Sitka to discover Alaska's wildlife up close. Visit the Alaska Raptor Center, where injured bald eagles and other birds are rehabilitated for eventual release into the wild. The Sitka Sound Science Center features a salmon hatchery, aquarium, and touch tank. Dri­ve your­self on this guid­ed off-road ATV tour in Haines and expe­ri­ence pris­tine wilder­ness, unfor­get­table views, and a deli­cious meal! And at the top, 1,500 feet above sea lev­el, you’ll take in the sweep­ing vista of shim­mer­ing Chilkoot Lake, set in the stun­ning Chilkoot Valley. Take a spin through Juneau on a fun bike tour with Cycle Alaska.

alaska cruise shore excursions

Whale Watching & Mendenhall Glacier Tour

Expe­ri­ence kayak­ing in Alas­ka the way it should be — away from the crowds — with these unique Ketchikan pad­dling tours that make you feel like a true explor­er. Your small group (usu­al­ly just 4 peo­ple) will board the company’s com­fort­able boat and set off from the Ketchikan cruise-ship dock, leav­ing the big ships and the crowds behind. Lots of com­pa­nies offer sight­see­ing tours in Ketchikan, but Emer­ald For­est Tours runs only pri­vate, cus­tom tours to ensure you get the inside scoop on this fas­ci­nat­ing Alaskan city.

Discover Alaska with Princess in 2024-2025

You’ll be sur­round­ed in one of the largest sum­mer pop­u­la­tions of hump­back whales found in Alas­ka with Glac­i­er Wind Char­ter’s small group tours. Keep an eye out for oth­er wildlife, like eagles, sea lions, seals, sea otters. You may even see coastal brown bears, eat­ing plants along the shore. Fifteen miles south of Ketchikan is Metlakatla, the only Native American reservation in Alaska. It's located on Annette Island, 86,000 acres of dense rainforest and tranquil salmon streams that can be accessed via a 45-minute ferry ride from Ketchikan. Here, visitors get the opportunity to learn all about the Tsimshian culture and history by touring the local totem poles, embarking on a wildlife safari, or learning intertidal harvesting techniques from the natives.

Juneau? No, I’m Asking You

Another important element of the town is the logging industry, which was one of the mainstays of the Ketchikan economy through the 1990’s. Accordingly, passengers can opt in for a version of the excursion that includes a post-tour motor coach transfer to Anchorage hotels and its airport. For the listings below, I've used the tour names and pricing listed in the current tour sheets at Princess, which along with sister line Holland America, is the biggest cruise operator in Alaska.

Photos show why taking an Alaska cruise is worth it - Royal Caribbean Blog

Photos show why taking an Alaska cruise is worth it.

Posted: Sat, 24 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

The Dog Sledding and Glacier Adventure by Helicopter, created by an Iditarod musher (they lead huskies on annual 1,000-mile races over Alaska’s roughest terrain), combines two top-notch thrills. Don glacier overboots, board a helicopter, and fly over the Alaskan ice field as the pilot points out icefalls and rock formations. After landing on Norris Glacier, meet top Iditarod race veteran mushers and their dogs.

alaska cruise shore excursions

The tour is not only narrated; it's also set to inspirational music. You're not likely to see any scenery prettier than this, and you'll stand a good chance of spotting wildlife like eagles, bears, mountain goats, deer and wolves. For those seeking a more active way to see the White Pass, we highly recommend you book the White Pass Train & Bike Tour. You take the train up the Pass and then get off at Fraser (which is in British Columbia, Canada -- so bring your passports) for an additional 15-minute van ride to the White Pass summit. You'll then bike 15 miles down the Klondike Highway on a guided summit-to-sea tour back to Skagway.

Free and Cheap Things to Do in Juneau

It’s also interactive; get close for photos and learn how the refuge protects these animals. Home to the highest mountain in North America, Denali National Park is brimming with magnificence. Search for the Big Five — grizzly bears, Dall sheep, wolves, caribou and moose — while on a bus tour in the park. Most Princess Alaska cruisetours include a tour into Denali National Park. Sailing past them is a sensory experience that inspires both the mind and heart. Watch as Hubbard Glacier calves into the water and listen for the rumble of “white thunder” that it leaves in its path.

At Sitka’s unique Sci­ence Cen­ter, you’ll find a salmon hatch­ery and aquar­i­um. Wildlife fans get an up-close look at the marine crea­tures that make this part of Alas­ka so special. Whale watching, bear viewing, zip lining, and Tlingit cultural tours. Small boat whale watch­ing tours (49 pas­sen­gers max), with option­al vis­it to Menden­hall Glac­i­er.

Check out the best cruise excursions and safaris in Alaska below. Dri­ve your­self on this guid­ed off-road ATV tour in Haines and expe­ri­ence pris­tine wilder­ness, unfor­get­table views, and a deli­cious meal! And at the top, 1,500 feet above sea lev­el, you’ll take in the sweep­ing vista of shim­mer­ing Chilkoot Lake, set in the stun­ning Chilkoot Valley. Pad­dle all around a shim­mer­ing lake, look­ing for wildlife on the shore and rev­el­ing in the spec­tac­u­lar moun­tain views that sur­round you. Then stop off at a shore­line camp to enjoy a snack over an open fire. When you’re fin­ished, you’ll go on a short walk through a dra­mat­ic old-growth forest.

As a result, many of the best Alaska shore excursions for cruisers are found outside of the towns where ships stop. If you just stay in the towns and explore on your own, you'll miss a big part of what Alaska is all about. If your cruise ship stops over in Skagway, you'll find an old gold rush boomtown community complete with shops, bars, restaurants, and historical buildings.

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