Your fun and adventure-packed guide to the top things to do in Juneau, Alaska’s quirky capital city — packed with whales, totems, glaciers, and yes, duck fart shots!
Welcome to Juneau, Alaska — a place where the cruise port meets the Tongass National Forest, where bald eagles almost outnumber people, and where you’re just as likely to bump into a bear as you are a barista.
Whether you’re arriving via commercial jet or stepping off a ferry or cruise ship, this capital city of Alaska (which is only accessible by boat or plane) has something for everyone.
From glacier strolls to watching humpback whales breach against a backdrop of dramatic fjords, let’s explore the top things to do in Juneau, Alaska.
See the Tracy Arm Fjord
Hands down, one of our favorite things to do in Juneau, Alaska was the Tracy Arm Fjord tour with Allen Marine Tours.
This seven-hour boat ride brings you to the Tracy Arm Fjord to see the Sawyer glacier, but the magic happens in the journey.
At the start of the cruise, we spotted the spouts of humpback whales and slowed down to witness some amazing humpback whale flanks plunging into the water.
A short while later we were in for an incredible treat when the captain spotted multiple orca whales on a hunt.
We stopped the cruise momentarily to stare in wonder as the orca whales leapt through the water.
Seeing orcas was a dream of ours, and even our boat guides said we were super lucky to witness this magical sight.
Once you get closer to the fjord, you notice the water turning a brilliant crystal teal color and you start to see icebergs floating alongside the boat.
The glacier ice glowed a brilliant blue and we even spotted some seals sunbathing on the ice bergs.
Finally, we reached the glacier. To celebrate, the tour crew used a net to pull in some glacier ice for cocktail time!
We ordered some cocktails served with a chunk of hundred (or even maybe thousand) year old ice.
Take a Cooking Class at the Jorgensen House
Calling all foodies! One of the best activities for delicious fun is a hands-on cooking class at the charming Jorgensen House, a historic miner’s cabin turned luxury bed and breakfast.
Even if you are not staying as a guest at the Jorgensen House, you can still visit for a culinary experience. It’s a great time and the fresh food is unbeatable, from breakfast to dinner.
The Alaskan foodie immersion started with some kind greetings and introductions over fresh smoked salmon dip, cheese, pickled Brussels sprouts, and wine.
Chef Amara Enciso‘s culinary demonstration centered around Alaska’s prime resource: salmon.
We cooked with a fresh coho salmon filet, starting first by removing the skin and then fileting the salmon into individual portions.
The fresh fish was seasoned with a housemade blend of salt, pepper, and foraged spruce tips. We learned some additional cooking tips prior to enjoying the salmon with asparagus and orzo.
The Jorgensen house has hosted a number of notable celebrities for activities including Oprah, Emeril, and Gordon Ramsey. It was even featured on the culinary competition, Top Chef.
If you’re looking for a luxury stay in Juneau, the Jorgensen House offers elevated lodging with incredible views, plus an incredible multi-course breakfast.
Featuring homemade scones with foraged salmon berries, a fruit and yogurt plate, plus a french omelet topped with Alaskan crab and caviar, you won’t leave breakfast hungry!
Visit the Mendenhall Glacier
Possibly the most popular thing to do in Juneau is to travel 12 miles north to see an Alaskan glacier.
The Mendenhall Glacier is a giant blue ice wall that feeds Mendenhall Lake.
The entire Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area is absolutely stunning.
Wander around the over 5,800 acres of wooded rainforest through trails, alongside the glacial lake.
The Mendenhall Glacier is an astonishing 13.6 miles in length, which is a stunning display even from afar.
Chase Waterfalls at Nugget Falls
While visiting the Mendenhall Glacier, be sure to allocate time to see an awe-inspiring waterfall.
A short and easy 1 mile hike down a paved trail and through moss-lined rocks and lush treetops brings you to Nugget Falls.
This natural beauty is a roaring 377-foot cascade that crashes into Mendenhall Lake like nature’s version of a mic drop.
It’s only a 15-minute walk from the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center, and it’s hands-down one of the best places to snap photos, skip rocks, or just marvel at how ridiculously gorgeous southeast Alaska can be.
If you’re lucky, you may spot black bears on the Steep Creek Trail near the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center.
Go Whale Watching
No trip to Juneau Alaska is complete without a whale-watching tour.
There are a number of options in town.
Consider booking with Juneau Lighthouse Tours or hop on Whale Quest and Orca Point Lodge excursion for the chance to see humpback whales, sea lions, and maybe even orca whales. It’s one of the best options for wildlife lovers!
The Whale Quest tour started with a cruise to Orca Point Lodge, a relaxing estate offering quite the spread for foodies: seafood chowder, tomato soup, local coho salmon, bone in ribeye steak, pasta, and sweet potato puree.
The chowder was the best we had in Alaska, and we soaked it up with local Alaskan sourdough.
For dessert, roast some smores at their waterfront bonfire or enjoy the homemade beignets made with local spruce tips.
After a filling meal, hop back on the boat to search for wildlife.
It was only a matter of minutes until we were spotting humpback whales, seals, bald eagles and sea lions. It was an unforgettable experience.
Sip a Cold One at Alaskan Brewery
If you like your sightseeing with a hoppy or malty finish, head over to Alaskan Brewing Company, a beloved local brewery serving up iconic pints since 1986.
Their Alaskan Amber is basically a Juneau celebrity, and the tasting room is a great place to meet fellow beer nerds or just enjoy a frosty break from your organized tour.
You can find Alaskan beer in bars across Juneau, but visiting the brewery gives you the chance to try limited release beers, like the Malt and Manner or Smoked Porter.
Alaskan is even distilling spirits (Alaskan Distilling Company) if a cocktail is more your style.
Cheers to Local Spirits at a Distillery
Tucked in the downtown area, Amalga Distillery is another spot for local, small-batch gin, whiskey, and cozy vibes.
They offer a number of cocktails as well as some non-alcoholic options.
Our favorite cocktail was the Strawberry Spruce Collins which features wild Alaskan foraged spruce tips, which provides a citrus note to the drink.
If you love a gin and tonic, be sure to grab a cocktail featuring their housemade tonic.
It’s not just a gift shop or tasting room—it’s where you’ll find handcrafted cocktails, seasonal syrups, and friendly Juneauites.
Sip something botanical, grab a bottle, and toast to travel plans well made.
Feast like a King with Fresh Alaskan Crab
If you hear loud cracking noises downtown, don’t worry—it’s just hungry travelers annihilating crab legs at Tracy’s Crab Shack.
This popular stop serves up giant legs of Alaskan king crab, mini crab cakes, and their famous creamy bisque that could win awards.
It’s messy, it’s buttery, it’s delicious. Just follow the picnic tables and the waft of drawn butter.
Once you’re there, choose from red king crab, golden king crab, Dungeness crab, or snow crab and pick how many pounds you want to devour.
We opted for the 3-pound bucket of red king crab legs, the same type that they trap on the iconic television show Deadliest Catch. Red king crab is the most famous variety and the local favorite.
Once our order was placed, the cashier rang a giant brass bell to signify to the boiler boys to toss three pounds of massive crab legs in the gigantic pots of boiling water.
The crab was the meatiest, sweetest, most delicious crab that has ever graced our lips!
Travel Tip: There are actually two Tracy’s Crab Shack locations. Walk 15 minutes further past the location next to the cruise ships to find the second location which boasts better views and local patrons.
See the Alaskan Wildlife via Jet Ski
Head out to Auke Bay and wander the docks at Statter Harbor prior to checking into the Dangerous Waters Adventures for an adrenaline-packed adventure on the water.
Shimmy into some dry suits and climb aboard jet skis to search for whales and bears from the water.
The high-octane journey will have you crashing into waves as you head towards Admiralty Island, which has the highest density of brown bears in the world.
Even if you don’t spot wildlife, you’ll have an action-packed tour exploring a “shipwreck” of an abandoned cargo ship and taking in the breathtaking views of Alaskan mountains and glaciers from the water.
Gavin said this adventure was even more extreme than skydiving, and so much fun.
Go on a Fart Crawl
Now that we have your undivided attention, it’s important to know about all the “fart shots” across Juneau downtown.
Typically made in a layered fashion and combining Kahula, Irish Cream, and another liquor, these shots take on variations across numerous bars.
You can even pick up a “Fart Crawl” passport and get stamps at each of the participating locations.
- Duck Fart – Crown Royal Whiskey, Kahula, and Baileys Irish Cream
- Crab Fart – Sailor Jerry’s Rum, Kahula, and Baileys Irish Cream
- Eagle Fart – Vodka, Kahula, and Baileys Irish Cream
- Orca Fart – Baileys Irish Cream, Creme de Cacao, and Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey
- Bear Fart – Blueberry Vodka, Coffee Whiskey, Irish Cream
Eat Your Way Through Town with Juneau Food Tours
If your idea of sightseeing involves eating (same), the Juneau Food Tour is for you!
It’s a delicious way to sample fresh food and to learn some local history.
From locally packaged products to some of the most famous food stops in Juneau, this tour will immerse you in southeastern Alaskan cuisine.
What’s great about this tour is that if you’re on a cruise with a limited time in Juneau you can do both this food tour as well as a whale watching tour in your limited time.
They have partnerships with other tour companies to match the timeline of the cruise port, so you can leave Juneau with a taste of Juneau and still see lots of sights.
Read more about the tour in our guide to the best places to eat in Juneau.
Feast at the Taku Glacier Lodge
For a half-day adventure, take a floatplane out to the Taku Glacier Lodge.
You’ll enjoy a feast and get insane views of Tongass National Forest and the surrounding icefields.
It’s one of the top Juneau attractions for good reason, and one that we would do again when we come back to Juneau.
The plane ride is a perfect birds-eye tour of Alaska as you soar over waterways, mountains, whales, bears, and glaciers.
The ten-passenger plane comes equipped with a headset providing a tour of the area and history of the geology of Juneau.
Another bonus?! Each seat is a window seat!
Once you arrive, fresh coho salmon is cooked for guests over a wood-fired grill.
The meal is served with sweet and spicy baked beans, crunchy slaw, baked apples, biscuits and homemade bread.
We couldn’t stop going back for more of their baked beans, they reminded us of what grandma would make.
For a true Alaskan touch, the beverages are served over 1,000-year-old glacier ice, with the option to purchase local beers or wine.
The lodge boasts an impressive history that is over a century old, and it overlooks the glacier through the picture window.
Enjoy free time to stroll the trails or simply relax and take in the view of the glacier at the only glacier-facing dining experience in southeast Alaska.
Keep your eyes peeled for bears, a local black bear likes to stroll through when the scent of the grilled salmon reaches their nose!
Ride the Mount Roberts Tramway
Wrap up your trip with a ride on the Goldbelt Tram, aka the Mount Roberts Tramway.
This minute walk from the cruise ship terminal is an unforgettable way to see Juneau from a birds-eye view.
Soak in views of the snow-capped mountains, downtown area, and Douglas Island from 1,800 feet above.
Once you’re at the top of the mountain, there is a lot to see.
If you’re looking for an active excursion, stroll along the hiking trails which leads you to a cross on an overlook or hike further to reach the top of the mountain for a view of the icefield.
To learn about the history of the Alaska Native tribes in the area, catch an educational film at the mountaintop theater.
Don’t miss a stop at the Timberline restaurant. The views are outstanding in both the indoor building with picture windows or the open air patio facing the mountaintops.
Be sure to order the fresh-to-order reindeer corndog for a special treat. It was such a delicious corn dog we even ordered a second!
Stroll the Seawalk & Check out the Art
Take a scenic walk down Juneau’s seawalk, where totem poles, the Yaadachóon canoe sculpture, and Tahku, the larger-than-life breaching humpback whale statue, await.
This route is perfect during the summer months and makes a great self-guided tour along the waterfront.
Head to Heritage Square, across from the Sealaska Heritage Institute, and look up — waaay up — at the massive, 360-degree totem pole.
This area is part of an Indigenous art renaissance and a great place for photos, culture, and to admire Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian craftsmanship.
Explore Museums in Juneau
Get your culture fix at the Alaska State Museum in the city center. This beautifully curated spot dives into the natural history of southeast Alaska, including Indigenous culture, the gold rush, and Juneau’s own journey from boomtown to state capital.
Across from the state capitol building, the Juneau-Douglas City Museum is a small but mighty museum that tells the tale of Joe Juneau, Richard Harris, and the city’s mining days. It’s a short walk from most downtown Juneau hotels and is a gem for history buffs.
Right by the Walter Soboleff Building, the Free Little Art Gallery (FLAG) is basically a mini gallery that operates like a “leave-one, take-one” for pocket-sized masterpieces. It’s perfect if you’re into local art, open mic nights, or just adorable surprises.
Whether your travel plans include a stop on an Alaskan cruise or an extended Juneau vacation wandering around in awe of the natural beauty, Juneau Alaska delivers big adventures in its 3,255 square miles of magic.
So grab a raincoat (you’ll need it) and get ready to have a whale of a time!
Next stop? Maybe the northern lights. But for now—Juneau’s more than got you covered.
For more resources in planning your trip, visit the Travel Juneau website or request a planning guide!
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