The Mendenhall Glacier is one of Juneau’s most impressive natural wonders, stretching over 13 miles (21 kilometers). On this half-day tour, enjoy spectacular views of the glacier from the viewing platforms and walkways, and learn more about the mighty glacier at the Visitor Center. Then, set sail on a thrilling whale-watching cruise along the coast and look out for humpback whales, as well as other wildlife such as bald eagles and blue heron.

Magnificent views of the Mendenhall Glacier
See humpback whales in their natural environment
Hassle-free round-trip transfers from Juneau
Choice of departure times throughout the day

What's Included

100% Guarantee to see Whales
Roundtrip Transportation from Cruise Terminal
Snacks
Bottled water
Live commentary on board
Driver/guide
Port pickup and drop-off
Round-trip shared transfer

None

Meeting And Pickup

Pickup point

Juneau Cruise Ship Terminal Area
470 S Franklin St, Juneau, AK 99801, USA

Pickup details

Departure Point: Tour check-in is centrally located at the main cruise ship terminal in downtown Juneau. Address: Under the tent on the wooden pier on the water-side of the Mt. Robert's Tramway Building: Behind: 490 S Franklin St, Juneau, AK 99801 Directions: Please meet your tour representative 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time underneath the tent on the wooden dock that is on the water-side of the large red Mt Robert's Tramway building at the main Cruise Ship Terminal (the tramway building houses the gondola that goes up the mountain). The address is 490 S Franklin St, Juneau, AK 99801. Your Alaska Tales Tour Representative will be holding a sign that will read, Alaska Tales. If you have any trouble finding this person, please call. IMPORTANT: If you are on a cruise ship that is docking at the AJ dock a shuttle is available to the Mt. Roberts Tramway building where the tour departs from. Cost is generally $3.00 for an all day pass, which is offered by your cruise line HOTEL GUESTS: If you are an overnight guest staying outside of downtown Juneau and/or have your own transportation, you may prefer to meet us at the harbor in Auke Bay instead of the downtown meeting location. If you prefer to meet directly at the harbor, please email us as there are different meeting times and instructions.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Collapsable Wheelchairs Only
No Motorized Scooters
No Motorized Wheelchairs

Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 49 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

about cancellations.

Frequently Asked Questions

The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.

Q:What is the policy on sanitization during Juneau Wildlife Whale Watching & Mendenhall Glacier?

A:The policies on sanitization are:

Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
Gear/equipment sanitized between use
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized

Q:What measures are being taken to ensure staff health & safety during Juneau Wildlife Whale Watching & Mendenhall Glacier?

A:The policies on staff health & safety are:

Guides required to regularly wash hands
Regular temperature checks for staff

Traveler Photos

Traveler Tips

The walk is easy enough for those who have trouble walking (e.g.

Both activities are well worth it but we was disappointed that their was not enough time to walk out to the glacier.

Easy flat walk on a well maintained path to the falls and glacier viewing area.

Reviews

5.0

2,795 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 2,795 reviews

Unforgettable Experience

codiejoe, Sep 2022

We enjoyed our experience from pick up and drop off. The excursion gave you ample time at the glacier and the same out watching whales. The boat and bus were clean. Saw over a dozen of whales and very close encounters. Will encourage others to take this excursion and will take it again if we return to Juneau.

Awesome adventure.

Carlos_C, Sep 2022

William and Emma were great deck hands. Capt. James found us lots of whales. I hope you get lucky and have them as your crew.

Beautiful glacier and whale watching!

Wendy_C, Sep 2022

Beautiful day! We were able to see 5-7 pods of whales all around our boat. One whale breached the water right in front of us. It was magnificent and gigantic. Would highly recommend the all girl crew. I can remember their names, but they new where to go instantly. No time wasted. Worth every penny!

Amazing and enjoy the...

Edwin_K, Sep 2022

Amazing and enjoy the journey . The crew was amazing . AAA plus service thanks so much lllbbnbbbbbbbbb. Bb. N

Whales and Glaciers!

Jeffery_K, Sep 2022

The tour began with a bus ride to Mendenhall Glacier. The bus driver pointed out interesting sites along the way and a bit of Juneau history. We were given about an hour to walk around the area in front of the glacier, including a visitors center and walking trails. Then we were bused to the marina for a two hour boat ride. We did see a few whales but don't expect them to be jumping high in the water. You will see their spouts spewing water, the top part of the whale and the tail when diving back down for food. We also saw some seals resting on the buoy. Also saw a few bald eagles. The boat crew were very nice and funny - an all female crew - Maryna, Steph, and Kristen. After the boat ride we were bused back to the pier where the cruise ships are located. I highly recommend the trip.

Definitely a good trip!

Rebecca_E, Sep 2022

Fantastic trip! Greg was incredible and I highly recommend this group to take you and see the whales. Enjoy!

Whales everywhere!

Vera_G, Sep 2022

Seeing the whales up close was exciting. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable. I will definitely do thus excursion again.

1 traveler found this review helpful

We saw lot of whales!

Carin_T, Sep 2022

Excellent crew, they knew exactly where the whales were and we saw a lot! The ship had a lot of spaces where you can go to see, so nobody was crowded and everybody could see from first line. Even the bus driver was super friendly and funny, AJ or CJ was his name, very funny guy made the trip in bus very entertaining and he gave a lot of info about the town too. I wish the time given in Mendehall glacier park was longer, to be able to do the long hike that is around 1h round trip. We did this tour in one of our stops of a cruise, so at the end the timing was good to have more time later to eat at the town and go around. The snacks are small treats, granola bar and gummies lol, but for us was fine since we had a good breakfast before. I def recommend this tour specially if you're on a cruise and have limited time.

Whales, Whales, and more!

Chris_S, Sep 2022

My wife and I had a wonderful experience on this excursion and saw lots of whales swimming close to the boat! Shout out to Captain Mike,William, and Emma for their awesome guidance and interpretation! Also our bus driver EJ was fun! Highly recommend Alaska Tales!!!

Awesome

Jessica_H, Sep 2022

We were able to see a number of whales including a mother and her calf frolicking in the waters. The sheer number of whales was amazing. Disappointed that I wasn’t able to capture more than tails.

Those wonderful tales as...

Cheryl_C, Sep 2022

Those wonderful tales as they dive Just the ride out was great olive was very informative and you could tell she loves to talk about whales and wildlife

Whales, whales, whales!

Kathy_W, Sep 2022

It was fantastic! Saw large groups of humpback whales. The crew was great too! Highly recommend ! If you’re in the area look these guys up. You’ll be glad you did!

Whale watching

Kimberly_J, Sep 2022

It was mine and my husbands 40th wedding anniversary and this was such a bucket list trip! My phone died before I got a good whale picture but thankfully I had my camera!

...

Amy_S, Sep 2022

Monica, Brendon, and Greg were awesome, very knowledgeable on Whales! Very informative. We saw lots of them!

Juneau whale watching

Suellen_F, Sep 2022

We spotted several whales. Our crew, Mike, Steph and Kristin were great. This me boat ride itself was beautiful.

Excellent and exciting

hope_s, Sep 2022

This was my favorite excursion. (We are on a cruise and booked this excursion through Viator. ) The team is well versed and passionate about the whales. We saw two different pods with 3 whales and 6 in another. Additionally we passed by two additional glaciers: Eagle and Herbert(?). For the Mendenhall glacier, we had about an hour to self explore. We did two small hikes but did not attempt to get to the waterfall. However you could see it from the picture look out point. Thanks for a great day and for the knowledge you all shared. (Monica, Gregg and James!) I’d highly recommend this trip!

Once in a lifetime

JackieScheel, Sep 2022

Danny, Mike and Olive were very professional. Balanced safety with the once in a lifetime experience of seeing the whales.

Great tour for all ages!

Kelly_P, Aug 2022

Guides were friendly and knowledgeable. I was a bit skeptical of the guarantee to see whales, but this crew knows what they are doing. Couldn't miss them! Such a cool experience. Glacier was beautiful with easy walking to get to great viewpoints and an elevator to get to the upper viewing area. Highly recommend!

Awesome

Jodie_L, Aug 2022

Had a great time while watching. We saw probably 10-20 whales. They were on all sides of the boat. The crew was great

2 travelers found this review helpful

Professional and Organized

Nellie_M, Aug 2022

Had a great experience from the guys at the dock, Jim the driver. Best yet was Sarah, Kristin and Steph on the boat. Organized from beginning to end! Thank you for the check off the bucket list seeing so many whales!

...

Questions?

Product code: 74349P2

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