3.5 Hour Crowd-Skipping Whale Tour in Juneau, Alaska
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Juneau, USA
- 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
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Overview
Get away from the crowds and experience Alaska’s grandest marine life from an intimate, 20-person vessel. Less disruptive to wildlife, you’ll get a front-row seat to the 49th State’s most beloved creatures—including whales, sea lions, eagles, and more. You’ll also get to scope out ice-blue glaciers, rocky shorelines, and hidden inlets from the comfort of the heated cabin or right from the catamaran's bow.
- View Alaska's best wildlife from a 40' catamaran with wrap-around deck
- Follow a local naturalist's narration to deepen your Alaska education
- Hassle-free pickup from the Juneau Cruise Ship Terminal Area
- Limited to 20 travelers, you'll get a more intimate whale-watching experience
What's Included
- Restroom on board
- Bottled waterBring your own water and snacks. Complimentary water available upon request.
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup point
- Goldbelt Tram490 S Franklin St, Juneau, AK 99801, USA
Pickup details
Downtown Juneau-Mount Roberts Goldbelt Tramway - Instructions: We do not have a doc rep. Our bus driver will check you in on the sidewalk 15 minutes before the start time of your tour. We will meet you on the southern side of the Mount Roberts Goldbelt Tram. Arrive no later than your tour start time. Please stay clear of the large crowd under the trees as that is an unaffiliated company's meeting area. We drive a 28 passenger white Thomas bus that says Juneau Whale Tours/JWT on the side in dark blue lettering with our whale logo behind the rear tire. Our driver will be wearing a BRIGHT YELLOW HI-VIS VEST and holding a white sign with our whale logo and name on it. We will return you to the same location at the end of your time with us. READ ME IF YOU ARE IN PORT AT AJ DOCK!!!! AJ dock is 1 MILE AWAY from the Mount Roberts Goldbelt Tram. The city of Juneau provides frequent buses that will transport you to & from the Mt Roberts Goldbelt Tram (downtown) for a small fee. PLEASE PLAN FOR THIS ADDITIONAL STEP!!! ***WE DO NOT PICK UP FROM AJ.*** Auke Bay/Statter Harbor - Instructions: 11497 Auke Bay Harbor Road Juneau, AK 99801. The meeting time on this end of town is 20 mins after your tour's start time. Watch for the JWT bus pulling into Statter Harbor at approximately the same time. We arrive and exit on the side of the marina with the grey building that has a "V" shaped roof. (Not the Harbor Office building.) *If you are planning on meeting at Statter Harbor please text your name, date and tour time; otherwise there might be a search party looking for you at the downtown pick up location.
Itinerary
1
Auke Bay
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- Children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Most travelers can participate.
- This tour will have a maximum of 20 travelers.
- We operate in all weather conditions. Please consider warm layers of clothing with an outer layer that is waterproof. Comfortable, non-slip shoes are recommended.
- Your safety is our top priority. If we should need to cancel you will be offered a different date or a full refund.
- TripAdvisor/Viator communications are limited please contact us prior to your cruise for clear meeting instructions. Thank you.
- We here at JWT are always aiming to reduce our impact on the environment. It's important for all of us to keep our beloved whales and water safe and happy. Therefore, if any of our tours have 5 or less participants on it, we will unfortunately be canceling. We will do our best to reschedule your party or, if that is not feasible, we will issue a full refund.
- WARNING!!!! If you choose "book now/pay later" Viator WILL NOT SEND YOU YOUR CONFIRMATION UNTIL YOU ARE ON YOUR CRUISE SHIP WITH LITTLE TO NO INTERNET. Call us before you leave home so we may manually send your instructions.
- Arrive at the Goldbelt Tram NO LATER THAN YOUR TOURS START TIME.
- JWT is not responsible for lost or damaged personal items.
- We Reserve the Right to Refuse Service to Anyone.
- "BOOK NOW/PAY LATER" WARNING!!! If, for ANY reason, your card is rejected you (and JWT) will not know until it is too late to be corrected. Your seat will become available for others to book without warning. PROCEED WITH CAUTION IF YOU CHOOSE THIS OPTION!! We have seen this in action and it is heartbreaking. We DO NOT recommend this option!
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Cindy_D
This tour company was on top of this experience from picking us up near the cruise ship and getting us out to see the whales. The naturalist, Daisy, was informative and answered all our questions. The boat driver was fun and added to the charm of the trip. We got very fortunate to see a group of humpback whales working together to eat. It was a fantastic adventure. I would highly recommend this tour and this tour company.
Reviews
4.9
based on 1,165 reviews
Meggen_T, Dec 2025
This was a great excursion! The tour guide and boat captain were friendly and knowledgeable. We saw a lot of whales. The guide offered to take pictures for us in several beautiful stopping places. The boat felt new and the seats were very comfortable. It was a cloudy day, so we couldn't spot the Mendenhall Glacier, but on a clear day you can see it well. I would recommend this tour!
Lisa_H, Oct 2025
Loved it - would do it again. The captain and crew was very knowledgeable and funny. We saw a lot of whales! Thanks for the experience of a lifetime.
Lynn_L, Sep 2025
This experience was superb! The Capitan and his first mate were wonderful and knowledgeable and we got to see whales! I am very happy with the privateness of this whale watching. So personable. Everyone was able to be on the outside of the boat and get great pics. The Capitan made several stops looking for whales, we saw one at every spot. Nothing was left out! ALL 14 OF US LOVED IT.
SCOTT_A, Sep 2025
This is the whale watching tour you want. The crew is great, the boat was over the top with 360 walk around. We got mugged on this tour (whale mugged - meaning we were surrounded by whales)
The captain is very friendly and went out of his way to make sure our whale watching experience was over the top. We had a naturalist on board while was very informative and helpful.
MARTIN_S, Sep 2025
We got mugged and were in whale jail. Best part of entire cruise!! Highly recommend this excursion..
Sandra_H, Sep 2025
We had a great experience on this trip. We saw Whales (Mum & Calf), sea lions, harbour seals & bald eagles.
Cedar, who drove us to and from the boat was really informative with local information and Daisy and Alan on the boat gave us loads of information on the marine life. All in all a brilliant time. The boat itself was so cool too.
Brian_C, Sep 2025
Tj & naturalist (apologies I can not remember his name!) were great & made the trip fun. We saw dozens of whales & they were great about pointing them out to everyone on board. Absolutely the right choice & amount of people on board!
james_t, Sep 2025
Another excellent excursion with JWT. The crew was amazing and could not be more helpful and accommodating. We saw several whales and some incredible flying squirrels!!!
Randy_B, Sep 2025
We never got on the boat. The tour company cancellrd both trips that day due to high winds & seas. However, other people on our boat who went with other tours AND did see whales, etc. Don't know what to say.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Randy, September is a month the weather becomes unpredictable and Juneau is on day three of predicted wind and craft advisories. We spoke several times leading up to our company decision. During one of the calls you shared that your ship was not able to dock in Ketichican the day before and I know Princess made the decision to stay in Juneau overnight. Ships rarely do this. I understand this must be disappointing. In addition, we issued you a full refund early in the day so you could choose another tour while you were here. The other companies,you mentioned, who decided to operate in light of our declining weather were present and selling outside your ship. I am sorry your trip to Alaska has coincided with a September storm front.
Lawrence_L, Sep 2025
Nice small boat adventure. Stay warm inside if it's wet and cold outside. Has all around outside walkway. Excellent and personable captain and guide.
Jessenia_M, Sep 2025
This tour included a round trip from the cruise port to the pier where the boat launches from.
The weather was amazing when we went out (2nd week of Sept). We saw over 10 humpback whales.
Compared to the other boats we saw out on the water I appreciated the layout of this tours boat. Everyone had a seat inside and then when a whale was spotted you can stand outside next to each other instead of having people stand behind/in front of you.
Everyone had the opportunity to see the whales and take pictures without having their view blocked.
Crew was great and informative and helped in taking group pictures with amazing background.
We loved it!
darryl_b, Sep 2025
Awesome adventure, TJ and Andrew were funny and engaging, boat had comfortable seating, we saw 5 whales and a group of seals
Denyce_D, Sep 2025
There is a feeding area that the whales like and that’s where they take you. We saw no less than 20 whales but you have to be quick! The crew is a blast. They are excellent at communications. Worth every penny!
candi, Sep 2025
This tour was great! We saw plenty of whales! TJ and Andrew were wonderful, helpful to my older parents. They made sure we saw these beautiful creatures and were educated about them in the process. It was a 20 minute drive to marina, Cedar was quick and helpful as well! I would definitely recommend this tour, guides and Captain.
Janet_S, Sep 2025
This was a great trip. The 2 crew were super friendly, knowledgeable and found the whales! Highly recommend.
Jacob_O, Sep 2025
You don’t actually spend 3.5 hours on the water, but that’s ok. It’s worth every penny anyway. This tour is the only one with the wrap around deck and you won’t fight for space. The captain and naturalist were excellent. I highly recommend these guys.
Margaret_B, Sep 2025
What a wonderful excursion! TJ and Andrew were awesome and we saw so many whales! Would definitely do this one again and highly recommend!
Cam_N, Sep 2025
This was an outstanding small group whale tour. We saw tons of whales and had a wonderful experience! I would do this again without hesitation. Support local/small business and go with these guys, it was awesome!
Rhonda_D, Sep 2025
This is singularly great tour! Love Cedar’s chat on the bus. Loved TJ and Andrew show was great but the mic needs to go up. I could only hear every second word. We saw so many whales it was rediculous! It was amazing to be out on the sea! Note, they need to mention that tips are encouraged for the staff because I had none and I hate not having a tip.
Tony_T, Sep 2025
Great family owned business, great crew, well designed boat, and we had the best whale show! Everything we had hoped for.
Emily_D, Sep 2025
We had a wonderful experience on this tour. The guides were knowledgeable and funny. We saw so many whales that we lost count. Other members of the group thought the number was around 15. At one point, there was a humpback whale in every direction around the boat. Highly recommend!
Cynthia_R, Sep 2025
Do not hesitate to book this tour! We had the most wonderful experience. Staff were all excellent and worked hard to be sure we had a great time. We saw multiple humpbacks and got some great pics of Mendenhall glacier! Highly recommend!
David_G, Sep 2025
My wife and I booked this tour through Viator and could not have been happier with our decision. From the pick-up to the drop off, we were treated professionally and had a great time and saw plenty of whales. The crew was knowledgeable, engaging, and at times hilarious. The boat was well designed, stable and comfortable. Great trip and experience.
Sandra_D, Sep 2025
A great boat with walk around deck. Wonderful seating inside with huge windows. Knowledgeable crew. Super nice guys.
STACEY_D, Sep 2025
It was cold and rainy and seas were rough but TJ and Andrew were amazing . Saw whales. Would recommend .
Merrill_S, Sep 2025
This was an amazing & spectacular excursion!!! First , we had a very friendly & super entertaining bus driver , Alan. He was awesome!!!
Our captain , TJ , & the naturalist/guide , Andrew , are both sooooooo good at what they do!!! They were great at giving us an education on the humpbacks & they answered questions & entertained us!
We could not have been more thrilled with the Mom & baby humpback show that we were given yesterday!!!!!!! Both were breaching & continued to do so many times!!!!!!
I would absolutely go in this excursion again! It was a small boat…not crowded!
We would highly recommend this excursion!
If we were in Juneau today , I would have booked it again!!!!!!!
Susan_K, Sep 2025
We loved that it was a small boat. The crew was seated in the same space at guests. It was very easy to hear them and ask questions. It was a great experience, would highly recommend this company.
Regina_C, Sep 2025
Andrew and AJ provided an amazing experience. The day was raining and cool but our cruise was a major success!
Thanks to the crew and our driver too!
Must do in Juneau!
Edward_D, Sep 2025
C.J. And Andrew were fantastic. Very knowledgeable and made it a fun time. Saw many whales and the experience on a smaller boat was just what we were looking for.
dan_g, Sep 2025
We were very well taken care of. The boat captain and naturalist did a great job in educating us about the whales and helping us spot them in the water. It was a small group boat so everyone got the same opportunity to see the whales. There was plenty of room to explore all around the boat to see whales on all sides.
From $189.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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3.5 Hour Crowd-Skipping Whale Tour in Juneau, Alaska
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