Ultimate Juneau Whale Watch
Recommended by 97% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Juneau, USA
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Spend 2 hours out on the Auke Bay Harbor's waters searching for humpback whales during this boat tour from Juneau. Listen to commentary from your guide and keep a lookout for other marine animals such as orca, bald eagles, and sea lions. Cap off the cruise with a 5-minute stop to snap photos of Mendenhall Glacier. Snacks, refreshments, and round-trip transportation from the Mt. Roberts Tramway in Juneau provided.
- A naturalist guide on board for insights into the local flora and fauna
- Spot bald eagles, seals, sea lions, black bear, and more Alaskan wildlife
- Enjoy great photo opportunities of the Mendenhall Glacier
- An express tour, ideal for cruisers pressed for time
What's Included
- Round-trip transportation between port and boat harbor
- 3 hour tour time, 2 hours on the water on a custom 24-passenger jet boat or 49-passenger catamaran
- Heated cabin with wide viewing windows, spacious decks for whale watching, and bathrooms on board
- Naturalist on whale tour
- Informative professional driver guide during transfers
- Filtered water and trail mix bars available aboard the whale boat
- Multiple tour times for flexibility
- A photo stop on the water of the Mendenhall Glacier (weather dependent)
- Gratuities (greatly appreciated)
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 490 S Franklin St, Juneau, AK 99801, USA
JUNEAU TOURS & WHALE WATCH Representatives are standing under the cables of the Goldbelt Tramway wearing bright blue hats and holding signs that say "Juneau Tours and Whale Watch."
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- Tour time is a check-in time; departure is within 10 to 15 minutes.
- The meeting place is under the cables in front of the Mt. Roberts Tramway.
- All ports or docks are within 10 minutes walking distances, except one - the A Dock - which provides a “Downtown” shuttle to the Mt. Roberts Tramway.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult.
- At time of booking, cruise ship passengers must provide the name of their ship.
- Tour operates in all weather conditions, so please dress appropriately in layers and for the likely chance of rain. It is recommended that you wear warm layered clothing, a waterproof jacket and comfortable slip-proof shoes.
- THIS TOUR IS OPERATED BY JUNEAU TOURS & WHALE WATCH
- Whale sightings are guaranteed between May 15th-September 15th.
- We cannot accommodate any kind of electric scooter or electric wheelchair, even very small ones.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 49 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Kathleen_K
Great whale watching trip! Ford and Lauren were both excellent in their crew and captain roles. We saw many humpback whales, including mom and calf pairs, as well as seals, sea lions, and bald eagles. It was definitely worthwhile and highly recommended!!
Reviews
4.9
based on 930 reviews
Shelly_F, May 2026
Mia Calvin and Nick were great tour guides.
Loved finding the whales
They found them and seal lions
Check out this tour
Katharine_C, May 2026
This was an incredible experience that I recommend to everyone and would do again in a heartbeat! Seeing wildlife is never guaranteed, but we had an incredible day in mid-May. Just out of the harbor we stopped for a pod (family) of orcas including a baby that was still yellow from birth! Apparently they only see orcas about 5% of their trips. Not much long after we stopped to see Pizza the humpback whale feeding. It started to rain, so we went back into the comfortable seating of the enclosed cabin until the Captain spotted Nibblet the humpback whale. Nibblet was accompanied by some porpoises feeding too, and later we saw three sea lions who had crammed onto a buoy to take a nap! Finally, the weather cleared and we saw the Mendenhall Glacier from the water. Binoculars can be used, but weren’t needed. The boat was very comfortable and included an onboard bathroom. The captain and two naturalists were helpful and happy to share information. The driver who picked up the group in downtown Juneau shared interesting tidbits on the way to Auke Bay.
Jamie_a, May 2026
The crew was great especially Jimmy!
It was a gorgeous day on the water and we were able to see 4 whale tales!
Jane_B, May 2026
We were lucky to see a few humpback whales, some porpoises and some comedic sea lions.
Each member of staff was friendly, helpful and knowledgeable - in particular Hayley. Thank you.
Ankit_A, May 2026
We were picked up from ship and shuttled to a harbor where we got on a boat. Excellent wildlife spotting. We saw orcas, humpbacks, bald eagles, seals, and even mama bear and three cubs. The best part about this tour was how everyone, from
the bus drivers to the boat captain to the naturalists were so knowledgeable and kind and always willing to help
spot more wildlife. Definitely recommended.
Sharon_D, May 2026
One rides inside the boat and with a sighting, they allow the passengers to walk outside to the bow. This can be a bit tricky for someone like me. I’m having to be careful and not moving as quickly as when younger.
The staff, shower er, were watchful and helpful to give a hand when needed! Greatly appreciated!
Saw Dall dolphins, Or as at a distance, and a whale or two at a distance.
Note: put your camera in video…. You’ll catch those swift swimmers better than I was able to!
Great time!
Anna_A, May 2026
A little chaotic and confusing on the check in but the bus drivers are great, very informative and friendly. Our captain (Russel) and his crew Dannie & Gracie were amazing!!! We saw several whales and sea lion. He made sure we hung around for enough time to get a really good view!
Brenda_S, May 2026
No Glacier view! The whale watching was good, saw a few. No Glacier view, was told because it was too foggy. Had to pay extra $45 per person to travel to the Glacier. Was very misleading, that was disappointing for sure. The Glacier and Nugget falls amazing once we got there.
Response from Host, May 2026
Yes, the glacier view from the water is weather dependent, we try to make that very clear when you book via Viator. I will go in and add it to a few more places to make sure people don't miss that point. Going to the park adds 2 hours and $45 more per person indeed, which is why people hope to get a view from the water to save time and money. Alas often the rainforest weather here in Juneau does not cooperate!
Aaron_M, May 2026
Defintely would recommend. Sarah, nate and jack were amazing. Saw whales and otters. It was perfect! They are knowledgeable, friendly and very kind. Skip your over priced cruise ship tour and book with them!
Jessica_M, Apr 2026
Best tour in all of Juneau! We saw so much and the crew was amazing. It’s a must do tour! Snacks are provided!
Kitty_F, Apr 2026
A brilliant tour with super enthusiastic staff who were really really knowledgeable and answered all of our questions! It was an absolutely incredible experience to see whales up close like this, 100% recommend!
Joe_G, Feb 2026
Rainy day and barely a sighting, but tou can't control weather or nature. The crew was good and you can tell that they felt bad and a bit embarrassed about the disasterous trip, esp when we uor to see a huge whale breaching rihht next to our cruise ship the next day!
Jane_H, Dec 2025
Travel to boat was terrific. Captain and Crew were knowledgeable. We got to see Humpback whales and see Sea Lions. The boat was clean. We also enjoyed seeing many many eagles. We had fantastic weather and I’d highly recommend this company and book again through Viator
PetrinIssy_I, Nov 2025
Ford, Nate, and Chriss were absolutely spectacular! I was a solo traveller at the end of the season yet we had such an amazing time. We saw orcas, a whale and her calf. The crew was funny, educative, caring and so informative. I can’t wait to be back on a better season, will definitely be sailing with them
Elizabeth_B, Oct 2025
We went on a whale watch this past week. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any whales. The staff coordinated with other boats to spread out to try to find whales in the area. They did their best and were very friendly and knowledgeable. This just gives us another reason to return to try again a different time of the year. Oh, and booking here saved us about $200 from the cruise sponsored excursions.
HV_N, Oct 2025
Great tour, the captain and mate got the boat in a spot to see 8 different humpback whales and a couple of killer whales. Then on the way back some eagles. They told us all about the whales and how to spot them.
Jonas_J, Oct 2025
The crew was very funny and professional. Unfortunately we have not seen any whales, which causes a little frustration. This is not the fault of the operator or the crew.
neil_r, Oct 2025
very knowledable people..we went looking and found our whales in different parts of the bay. it was a really good experience
Teri_J, Oct 2025
Noah and Sarah were amazing!! If you are looking for an amazing trip with very knowledgeable and personable hosts, go through them! I can’t say enough good things about our trip!
Stephanie_a, Oct 2025
Excellent from start to finish.. very well organised the bus driver “Randy” was informative and funny.. Chris and Ben on the boat were great we got to see 4 whales
Ellen_H, Oct 2025
The team is fully committed to making sure everyone is safe and they see whales. We had to drive further because migration had begun, but that was fine with the crew.
Elizabeth_S, Oct 2025
Wonderful time on the boat, with the crew, and seeing beautiful humpback whales! Such a fun experience.
Jimmy_D, Oct 2025
Noah, Sara and Chris were a very knowledgeable crew! We didn't have great weather, which was no fault of the crew. We did see some orcas way far away and were disappointed we didn't try to get closer to allow us to get good photos. We were so far away that even zoomed in we couldn’t see them in our photos. We understand that the law does not allow the whale boats to get closer than 100 yards to the whales but we were more like 500+ yards away and other boats were much closer but still the 100 yards away. We just felt like there wasn't much effort in trying to get us good views. We were also very disappointed that we did not get the Mendenhall Glacier photo stop (didn’t even go by it) as described in the name of the excursion – “Ultimate Juneau Whale Watch Plus Mendenhall Glacier Photo Stop“. When asked about it after we got back to the marina, we were told it was never part of the tour! We felt like the tour was pretty much a waste of time and money.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
We are very sorry you didn't get close sightings! It is well passed peak season and our whale sighting guarantee ends September 15th. When the weather is poor, the photo stop cannot happen as there is no way to see the glacier from the water when the clouds sock it in. We do state that in the tour description. The only way to guarantee to see the glacier is to book the Combo tour which is 5 hours instead of 3. That way we drive you to the Mendenhall glacier park. We want every guest too have a great time, if you end up lucky enough to come back to Juneau, please call us directly and we will set you up with a free tour because we want you to go away with great memories!
TRACEY_J, Oct 2025
Chris, Nate, and Gracie were FANTASTIC, and boy, did they deliver on the whales. I mean, we had a convo before we departed with Magma, and he was a little cagey on whether or not he'd be able to get his whale friends to perform because they've eaten well this season and they're fat an happy, but perform they did! We weren't even there ten minutes before we heard, "BREACH! BREACH! BREACH!" Trip of a lifetime, and we didn't care that we were soaked through and freezing.
Sandy_M, Oct 2025
The boat is small but holds about 50 people. The viewing area is efficient. Crew of 3 were great. The weather was perfect and were able to see several whales.
Whitney_S, Sep 2025
Great experience! Highly recommend Came in on a cruise ship and this experience was amazing. We saw lots of whales and the guides were extremely knowledgeable.
steve_w, Sep 2025
This type of tour is dependent on time of year. Late septmebr had vey little activity in the water for whales.
Found it expensive for what you got. Had to try it though.
Barbara_C, Sep 2025
We had a great trip! Saw multiple whales. The whole crew were so knowledgeable and motivated in making sure we had the full experience. Great job Mack, Ford and Jayden!!
Erin_M, Sep 2025
Noah, Sarah and Chris were great! We saw several whales during our tour and the views were breathtaking.
lindsay_m, Sep 2025
We did this tour 5th September and were fortunate enough to see many whales and sea lions. Unfortunately we didn’t witness any breaches but got plenty of fin tails and a fin wave. We decided to sit on open deck for the entire tour because it was a bucket list dream of mine to witness whales in their natural habitat so didn’t want to miss anything. It was a bit chilly but was fine with scarf, hat & winter coat. The tour guides were lovely, very knowledgeable and answered all our questions. Would definitely recommend this tour and we’ll be doing it again when we return to Juneau in the future.
From $156.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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