Making the most of Juneau AK
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Juneau’s three cruise terminals are Marine Park, Ferry Terminal and S. Franklin Dock. If more than three ships are alongside, ships can anchor and tender passengers into town. All are within easy walking distance of the centre, and a shuttle bus offers a ramp for fully confined guests or cruise passengers with mobility difficulties.
The AJ dock is farther out. A $3 per person day pass covers the AJ dock shuttle, which runs every 15 minutes to the Mount Robert Tram station, where many street booths sell tours.
A $54 million project creating two floating cruise-ship berths on Juneau’s downtown waterfront has now been completed.
Royal Caribbean is constructing a new cruise port on Douglas island, across the Gastineau Channel and linked by the Juneau-Douglas bridge. It will have two floating berths with views of the Chilkat Range and a recreated 1800’s Tlingit village.
The structure will ease downtown traffic and is due for completion in spring 2027.
The Airport is 10 miles from downtown. Travelers can reach town by airport-stationed taxi or a local hotel-transfer shuttle, while some hotels offer free airport pick-up. Capital Transit, the city’s public transport system, runs buses from the airport.
Bring a printable map.
Sightseeing options:
Juneau, Alaska’s Peak Experience, sits beneath grand mountain peaks on the pristine Gastineau Channel waterfront. Alaska’s capital is in the Southeast, where Tongass Rain forest climate produces lush terrain and vibrant wildflowers. Early settlers included USA gold-rush miners and Russian fur traders; the Tlingit and Haida Indians were the area’s first settlers, and Native USA influence remains prominent in Juneau. Glacier views include Tracy Arm Fjord, Mendenhall Glacier, the Juneau Ice field and Glacier Bay National Park. Outdoor enthusiasts will love…
Nearby Admiralty Island National Monument has one of the world’s largest brown-bear concentrations, while Icy Strait offers exceptional whale watching. For Mendenhall Glacier, take a shuttle from town centre near the docked boats to the park; fees are about $65 to $80. Two glacier tickets can be bought from one of the dock kiosks. You cannot reach the glacier itself, but there is a strong view and an informative visitors’ center. Tour buses are also good value, with engaging commentary and several stops. Yes, you load in the…
Getting around
Juneau is easy to get around on foot.
Juneau taxis are very costly.
Juneau receives a great deal of rain because it lies in a rain forest. Wait to book excursions until you are there.
Major sights beyond downtown, including Mendenhall Glacier, are fairly easy to reach without hiring a car. Shuttle services sell inexpensive round trips for $65-80 USD; ask at the tourist kiosks along the cruise docks. The City sets Juneau taxi rates. There is a local bus, but its nearest glacier stop is almost 2 miles away.
The Mount Roberts Tramway rises from 27 to 2000 feet in six minutes, taking you into a pristine alpine setting. At the top are trails, an observatory, nature center, restaurant, bar, theater and two gift shops. It stands right at the pier, visible after leaving the ship. An all-day pass costs $50.
Among cruise-ship tours, an air tour is often the most memorable, particularly in clear weather. The Juneau Ice field lies behind town, with helicopter and floatplane trips available. Wings Airways to Taku Lodge is the best-known floatplane trip, and most helicopter tours land on the glacier. Another option is to form a group and charter a small airplane: these are usually cheaper, paid by the hour, and let you tailor the experience.
Whale Watch Tours provide an exhilarating close encounter with Humpback whales, sea lions, orcas and bald eagles, some of Alaska’s most distinctive animals. Many boats have heated cabins and photography viewing decks.
Nearby places
Glacier Bay National Park & Gustavus: Gustavus is the homestead community 37 miles west of Juneau and the gateway to Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve. With no road access, it can be reached year round by scheduled commuter air service, by a scenic three-hour summer ferry, or in a 14-minute flight on a USA Airline 737 jet. Known for country inns and lodges, most offering personal service and outstanding gourmet meals, the area lets visitors stay in Gustavaus, population 386, or within the Park. During the day there are opportunities to take…
Skagway lies northeast of Juneau and is home to Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park and the start of the world-renowned Chilkoot Trail. Visitors can follow the Klondike Gold Rush miners by hiking the Chilkoot Trail or riding the White Pass and Yukon Railroad along the Dead Horse trail. This is one of the few remaining narrow gauge railroads worldwide. Much of downtown Skagway has regained its turn of the century splendour. One of only three Southeast USA communities accessible by road, it receives daily summer ferry service from the USA Marine Highway…
Haines, USA, is northwest of Juneau and ten miles west of Skagway. It was home to Ft. Seward, USA’s first army post, built 1903 to guard northern Lynn Canal’s deep-water ports. Haines also contains the 48,000-acre Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, home to 250 pairs of resident eagles; from November to March, bald eagle numbers rise sharply to 4,000. It is on the road system and served by the USA Marine Highway System (4 _ hours), commercial fast ferry in summer (2 hours), and scheduled commuter air service.
Food and shopping
Specialty shops sell limited-edition designer jewelry and beautiful Native USA design jewelry. Popular regional items include carved silver bracelets with totemic designs, often showing the wearer’s moiety and clan house animal. Sculpture and carved totem poles appeal to discriminating collectors of usan artwork. Totems told stories of USA’s Native people, and their designs also decorate bent wood boxes, ceremonial paddles and Tlingit halibut hooks.
Money
ATM’s are everywhere, while the United States dollar, symbol $, is the official U.S. currency.
Visa, MasterCard and other major cards are commonly accepted, including for purchases worth only a few dollars, and sometimes they are the only way to complete a transaction. Overseas visitors should remember that goods and service prices appear lower than they are because taxes and gratuities are rarely included.
Most states charge sales tax from 2.9% to nearly 10% of the retail price, with 4-6% typical. Except for gasoline and, in most states, alcoholic beverages consumed on-premises, posted prices almost never include it; it is calculated and added at payment.
Staying connected
The U.S. has no federal official language, but English is overwhelmingly the everyday standard. Several states name English as their state language. Spanish is also official and widely spoken in New Mexico; French is official in Louisiana and Hawaiian in Hawaii, but neither is used at anything like English’s level and both are official chiefly for historical reasons.
The wi-fi at the port is limited, while cafes with WIFI are in town.
Juneau Public Library at 292 Marine Way, beside the Cruise Ship Docks, provides free internet. It opens 11:00 am to 8:00 pm Monday through Thursday, and noon to 5:00 pm Friday through Sunday.
Emergency services: 911.
Opening Hours and
In major metropolitan areas such as New York and Los Angeles, many drugstores and supermarkets operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Department stores, shopping centers and most other large retailers usually open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with shorter Sunday hours, generally 11 a.m. or noon to 5 or 6 p.m. Stores tend to remain open on holidays except the most important, including Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, when they are generally shut.