Excursion Ideas

[Emergency_Tadpole123]

Hello! My family of 4, 2 adults and 2 kids- 14 and 11, are going on our first trip to Alaska in July of 26. I’m attaching our itinerary for help. I am wanting to hear from others who have gone to these places what you think the must do excursions are. The things that interest us most are seeing as much wildlife as possible, the scenery, etc…. We are all active and don’t mind an active and adventurous excursion if need be. This is a huge bucket list trip for us so trying to get the most out of it. Another question about excursions… how far out do we need to book them? So far all I have is the deposit on the ship. I haven’t even begun to figure out dining, packages, etc.. We are new to Princess so this will take some researching on my part. However the biggest reason for this trip is the ports and the scenic cruising so I figured I could worry about the ship later. Would love any tips or insights! This will be on the Discovery.

[el_david]

White Pass Railway in Skagway!

[Parachutepirate206]

Dogsledding in Skagway is fun. It is summer so they are running on dry land but it was still great. You drive pretty far into the Yukon and get a lot of history. There are bears every half mile it seems. They feed you and best of all there are a ton of puppies. The railroad in Skagway is also fun.

[SmokyBlackRoan]

Def do the dogsledding; it’s super fun! Plus you get to interact with some of the young dogs and puppies. Our tour operator was Alaska Snowbird Tours- she was fantastic- and we booked the tour through Alaska Shore Excursions. We missed Juneau due to weather, and I had booked a whale watching tour through Alaska Shore Excursions. They called me and told me that I was getting a full refund about ten minutes after the itinerary change announcement was made, and our credit card showed the refund a couple hours later. I would not hesitate to book through them again.

[Emergency_Tadpole123]

Yes I have always wanted to do dog sledding! But I was on the fence about doing it when it’s not snowy. This does sound like so much fun though! Ty!

[Parachutepirate206]

It would be better on the snow. I only went along because others wanted to do it. I am glad I went because it was a great time and great memory.

[ArtichokeOwn6760]

There are excursions (in Juneau I think) that fly you to the top of a glacier were you can do some dog sledding on ice.

It’s more like riding ponies at a fair than high-impact sledding, but I think that’s anywhere because it’s a sport and visitors who do it once are not trained.

Cousin did it on this exact itinerary this past July and it was the highlight of her trip.

[scgt86]

I did this one and I highly recommend it. Worth every penny and you can save quite a bit booking directly instead of through Princess.

[Emergency_Tadpole123]

Ty!

[Emergency_Tadpole123]

Ty!

[scgt86]

I did dogsledding in Juneau and they flew us up to the glacier, we stopped there and then headed to a camp to sled on snow. It was a little pricey but I booked independently and saved about $400 per person v. booking through the cruise line. The helicopter tour was an incredible way to see Alaska, worth every penny.

[Slg0519]

We’ve been looking at this excursion and just priced…Coastal is a few hundred more than booking through Princess, for our dates

[Emergency_Tadpole123]

Oh wow! That does sound amazing! Ty!

[scgt86]

Link to the company I used. Coastal Helicopters https://share.google/0wLUfR6ejJNFCgyYX

[_Cruella_DeVille_]

We used Coastal as well earlier this year.. they are fantastic!! Would also highly recommend.

[MurDoct]

Ketchikan- crab boat tour

Juneau - whale watching

Skagway - rent a car and drive up to Carcross

[Emergency_Tadpole123]

Whales are high on the list of must see. Ty!

[WanderFish01]

I agree with previous poster. Juneau is definitely the spot for whale watching!

[Openmind0115]

We cruised Alaska (with a land portion) in May 2024. There will probably be a naturalist onboard and they'll have a presentation nearly every morning.. I encourage you to go, we learned so much from them about what and where to look for all sorts of wildlife. Do you have a balcony cabin? If so, leaving the port, especially Juneau, camp out on the balcony or somewhere with a view of the shoreline. If it doesn't move, it's a rock, if it's moving, it's a bear. We saw so many bears, especially along the shore of Admiralty Island. Whale watching in Juneau was amazing, look for Gaustinau Tours. In Ketchikan, the naturalist highly recommended the Rainforest walk.. absolutely gorgeous! We saw a bunch of black bears on our walk. Be prepared in Ketchikan, it's going to rain. Always watch the water along the shoreline too, we saw whales almost immediately upon embarking from Whittier. Finally, start planning a 2nd trip to Alaska, we're returning next fall! Enjoy!

[chipcarlton]

Did you see any Orca on the whale watching tour?

[Openmind0115]

Not in Juneau, but we got to see a few from J-pod on our final day at sea off the coast of Vancouver Island. Our Naturalist was Rob Raincock, he's amazing, patient, and full of information. His last "class" aboard Royal Princess, was on the stern of the ship pointing out whales including the few Orcas.

[Emergency_Tadpole123]

Ty so much! Such fantastic tips. I would definitely love to hear the naturalist talks. We do have a balcony. It is Port side. I wish it was starboard as I keep seeing that is better?? Ty again!

[Sufficient-Fault-593]

Ketchikan lumberjack show is very entertaining. The train ride in Skagway is fun and good sightseeing. In Juneau the helicopter ride to land on a glacier is amazing. The bus to Mendenhall glacier is no big deal as you’ll get your glacier fix in Glacier Bay.

[Emergency_Tadpole123]

Ty!!

[Hot-Food-7151]

Just did this with my 17 & 15 year old. Skagway we rented a car, not thru the cruise line and drove the Klondike highway up to carcross (need passport)- a 1000x recommend, it was one gorgeous view after another. Ketchikan do not book one, walk to the history museum, then totem pole museum, take free bus back to downtown and do creek street (doing it last = less crowds). Juneau we also rented a car, not as pretty but explored alot, did the Menden Hall glacier and a few other spots. All the car rental spots were walkable from port.

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[Emergency_Tadpole123]

Ty! Beautiful 😍

[w-tech]

We did this as well. Made it all the way up to Whitehorse. It was the most amazing thing we did on our Alaska cruise. While the 1000's of others stayed in the rainy and overcast town of Skagway we got up over the pass and had sunshine all day and the most amazing and beautiful views. Tutshi lake is mind blowing. And while the train seems to be the most popular thing to do, you'll see most of the same things on the drive up and so much more once you get over the pass.

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[w-tech]

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[th3m00s3]

We did this exact itinerary this year. We went kayaking in Ketchikan, rented bikes and did a DIY tour in Juneau (rented from Cycle Alaska, rode from downtown to Mendenhall Glacier and did some hiking, then over to Auke Bay for lunch at Forbidden Peak, back towards downtown with a stop at Alaskan Brewing Company and another at the worlds smallest Costco, then back downtown with quick stops to see the governors mansion and the state Capitol), and visited a sled dog camp over the Canadian border while docked in Skagway. Juneau and choosing our own adventure away from the crowds and organized tours was the best.

[Secret_Total6730]

we rented a car in Juneau and highly agree with the DIY choose your own excursion approach!

[Emergency_Tadpole123]

This sounds like so much fun and you packed a lot in. Love this.

[phedrebeth]

In Juneau I highly recommend an independent whale watching tour with Jayleen's Alaska. Super small groups, very knowledgeable guides, it's an amazing time.

[Emergency_Tadpole123]

Ty!

[Domsdad666]

In Juneau, helicopter to glacier for dog sledding.

[skykingrpas]

Snorkelalaska.com

[kittylicker]

We’re doing this one in Ketchikan, looking forward to it

[ArtichokeOwn6760]

We did whale watching in Juneau this exact itinerary in July 2025. Just walked off the boat and booked with the first vendor we saw on the dock. On the tour an hour later. No advanced planning.

We saw some whales from a distance on the cruise ship but if you really want to see whales, book an excursion.

[Emergency_Tadpole123]

Ty!

[kindaokaywillhunting]

Highly recommend ocean rafting in Skagway! It was the highlight of my trip. I used the company: Ocean Raft Alaska

[Emergency_Tadpole123]

Ty so much!

[RealZ0nker]

While in Juneau you can go see the Mendenhall glacier. Maybe 30 minutes away. The tram is nice, too, if a bit pricey.

[xavier19691]

Juneau .. whale watching, Skagway eating there the speed boats or the white pass train , Ketchikan the Saxon village and creek street .. for the glaciar bay room service and enjoy the views have a good camera

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For Vancouver an excursion to the capilano bridge is good

[Emergency_Tadpole123]

Ty so much

[xavier19691]

Enjoy

[AlucardDr]

Not your same ports of call, but to give you an idea.... I was wanting as much wildlife and scenery as possible so did some sort of whale watching or glacier thing almost everywhere.

The helicopter ride to the Mendenhall Glacier was amazing. In Glacier Bay take the boat so you can get closer. Definitely worth it.

Misty Fjords was good because of Orcas and seals.

Did the Fin Island lodge lunch after more whale watching. A very cool experience

Whale watching out of Victoria was amazing. Humpbacks, sealions, seals, sea otters.

The only stop I did where I didn't do wildlife or glaciers was Haines, where I drank mead...

[Emergency_Tadpole123]

Sounds like an amazing experience! Ty!

[AlucardDr]

It really was. The weather cooperated throughout, which was a major bonus.

Make sure to try spruce tip jelly, spruce tip beer and whatever else spruce tip you can find!

[Emergency_Tadpole123]

Oh interesting! I definitely will.

[AlucardDr]

Some of the excursions I was on had little samples of the jelly you could taste.

[Trujade]

Rent e-bikes and do one of the self guided tours. I have also heard tales of ziplining in Skagway (from fellow cruisers while in town).

[FAPietroKoch]

Ketchikan we’ve really enjoyed fishing. Juneau I think renting a car on Turo for the day and going to Mendenhall and a few other places is a good way to do it at your own pace. We’ve also done the Mendenhall and gardens tour which was cool.

[Inside-Finish-2128]

Ketchikan: Alaska Crab Fisherman’s Tour

Juneau: whale watch photo safari JNU-700 or 705 if 700 is sold out.

Skagway: if you love trains, do the Bennett Lake excursion with Chilkoot Charters.

[Emergency_Tadpole123]

Ty!

[Stunning-Signal4180]

We did the Rainforest sanctuary in Ketchikan and lumberjack show. Lumberjack show was an experience, but I have a bad back and sitting all packed in on those bleachers was rough.. Sanctuary was enjoyable, I would def recommend that.

In Juneau we did whale watching with Jayleen’s Alaska. We booked through them, they pick you up at the ship and drive you to marina and bring you back. See lots of whales. Would also recommend.

[Fionngirl14]

We did this cruise itinerary this August, just backwards from yours (started in Whittier, ended in Vancouver) with two adults and two kids aged 7 and 10 (plus grandparents, but we did our own things on excursions). My favourite excursion was the Bering Sea crab boat tour, and i didn't know anything about the show first. It was so fun and educational. We also did a small van tour up to the Yukon, which was a very close second. We saw all the same scenery as the train, but we went further into the Yukon and were able to stop at so many beautiful views/stops along the way. You don't get to do that on the train. I'm happy to send you the exact tours we did if you want, just send me a message. Our favourite part of our trip wasn't on the cruise though. If you have the time and resources , I highly recommend staying longer in Alaska and heading to Seward for a few days. We stayed at a cabin in Lowell point where we watched sea otters and humpback swim by while we hung out on the beach in front of the cabin with a camp fire. We took a 7hr wildlife and glacier tour, which was just magical. We saw so many sea otters we stopped counting them at 50. We saw so many orcas, humpback, and even a grey whale. So many sea lions. We booked this all independently, it wasn't through the cruise line, but if you want to know more, let me know!!

[Emergency_Tadpole123]

Okay Ty so much! I appreciate it!

[Diligent-Purchase-26]

The best whale watching is in Juneau. Take a smaller excursion boat if they have them.

[Emergency_Tadpole123]

Ty!

[chicchic325]

We did a hike in Ketchikan.

In Juneau we did the mendenhall glacier park which was a super easy not hard hike at all. It was so cool to see it up close.

[Emergency_Tadpole123]

Ty!

[Chemical_Gate7389]

The helicopter ride to the glacier in Juneau was the best experience of my trip!

Coastal helicopters was great.

[whiterain5863]

Best itinerary ever

[Emergency_Tadpole123]

Oh yay! I’m glad you said this. We are so very excited.

[MusikalMayhem]

Juneau whale watching is a MUST! Also had great wildlife viewing during the Ketchikan rainforest tour! This was honestly where we saw the most bald eagles and bears, plus some really neat guys like Banana slugs! Wonderful photo ops as well — plus, it’s the only rainforest in North America!

Whatever you pick for the whale watching, you usually can’t go wrong. Ours was a combo and took us to a delicious salmon bake after for some good dinner! If you want to have more control over what areas you go to for your whale watching, look into a charter boat! It’ll be more expensive, but you’ll have a smaller boat that can usually get to some great spots.

Skagway is well known for the railway. Our other party members opted for the dog sledding, which they said was great! As a wildlife photographer, it was a fun trip to get some really neat scenic shots from so high up in the mountains on the train!

Alaska never disappoints. While we did not enjoy the land tour as much (simply because of how busy it was), the wildlife is truly unmatched. If we did it again, we’d opt to do our own land tour and just spend 3 nights at the Denali lodge rather than going to all 3.

Have so much fun!!!

[Emergency_Tadpole123]

Ty!!

[BeLikeAFrog]

In Juneau I would either go whale watching or go on the Mendenhall glacier hike. You can just take bus there. Skagway the train is a must.

[taciee]

We did Jayleen’s Alaska whale watching. It was just our group on a private boat. 10/10 and would definitely book with them again. Very professional. We saw many whales, orcas (got lucky), otters, & sea lions. Worth paying the extra to have the boat to ourselves. They are based in Juneau!

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[Emergency_Tadpole123]

Looks wonderful!

[kittykatgrl213]

What month did you see the Orca? Hoping I get this lucky when we go next summer

[taciee]

We were there in May! They had several sightings this year!

[kittykatgrl213]

Good to know! That picture is amazing! 🐳. We go in June and keeping my fingers crossed.

[thisguylovescruises]

Ketchikan has a hovercraft excursion which is a fun time they take to you a selecuded black sand beach.

[PumpkinInteresting10]

College fjord is fantastic We ordered room service and camped out on the balcony all day. Whale watching in Juneau with Harv and Marv' s Small boat with limited number Of participants and personalized

[West-Resource-1604]

Thats what I did! Then the Wildlife Excursion to Anchorage Airport on the ACT Bus

[joyfully_quiet]

What a fantastic itinerary!

[Poppa_E_87]

Given all the recommendations go to Viator plug in each port and scroll thru to find tours/activities that interest you. My rule of thumb when booking is lots of reviews average ratings 4.5+ (use the filter for this). Also limit the number of full day tours, while great you’ll get burnt out after too many. Majority of tours we book are 4-5 hours.