8 Whale Watching Trips in Alaska, Compared

1.Juneau Wildlife Whale Watching

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7,379 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $177Our pick

Review of Juneau Wildlife Whale Watching, with guaranteed humpback sightings, cruise pickup, heated cabins, guides, timing, and value tips.

“I was nervous to take this tour during our stop over in Juneau on a cruise. I was afraid maybe they wouldn't get us back on time. They did pick us up on time and get us back in plenty of time to make our boarding. We saw lots of whales and everyone was super friendly and taught us a lot of interesting information. We went in August. I'm not sure if that has an impact on how many whales we saw, but it was a very good experience.”

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2.Juneau Wildlife Whale Watching & Mendenhall Glacier

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6,236 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $249

Review of Juneau’s Mendenhall Glacier and whale-watching tour, with timing, value, wildlife odds, transport tips, and practical advice.

“Loved Alaska Tours with Kacie, Justin, and Nate aboard the George Mason. Very informative and we saw 2 whales that breeched! So exciting to see Sasha and her baby Chacha! Kacie knows her stuff and you can tell she loves her work! Great time! Highly recommend!”

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3.3.5 Hour Crowd-Skipping Whale Tour in Juneau, Alaska

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,164 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $189

Review of Juneau Whale Tours’ small-group whale trip, with a 20-person catamaran, wildlife sightings, pickup tips, pricing, and what to expect.

“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!…”

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4.Ultimate Juneau Whale Watch and Mendenhall Glacier View

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 915 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $156Best value

Review of Juneau’s 3-hour whale watch with Mendenhall Glacier views, wildlife, heated boats, pricing, timing, and practical booking advice.

“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.”

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5.Wildlife Viewing, Sightseeing and Whale Watching Quest

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 812 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $178

Review of Ketchikan’s Eagle One whale quest, with practical details on wildlife, boat comfort, price, timing, meeting point, and what to expect.

“We had a great experience on this whale watching tour. We saw several whales, seals and a bald eagle. The staff was very informative and constantly checking the water for signs of whales. Even though it was rainy, they had plenty of inside seats and offered coffee, hot chocolate and water. They had binoculars at the tables for all to use.”

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6.Alaska Whale Watching Cruise w/ 3 HOURS on the water

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 801 reviews · 4 hours 5 minutes (approx.) · from $159

Review of Juneau’s 4-hour whale watching cruise, with 3 hours on the water, glacier views, shuttle service, and practical booking tips.

“Dalton the captain, Tess the naturalist and Nick were all great. We saw so many whales the day we went out. They also provided us with pictures that they took. Weather cooperated too.”

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7.Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center and Ultimate Whale Watch Combo

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 771 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $199

Review of Juneau’s whale watching and Mendenhall Glacier combo, with itinerary details, value advice, timing tips, and honest drawbacks.

“Mary (bus 51), Chelsie, Gracie,Noah, and Captain Chris were all so friendly, knowledgeable, and funny. They helped make the experience fun and memorable. Whale watching was so cool! And the Mendenhall Glacier and nugget falls was a must see!”

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8.Ultimate Whale Watch and Tracy’s Crab Shack Combo

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 614 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $274

Pair Juneau whale watching with Tracy’s king crab in one 4.5-hour outing, with port transport, a combo meal, and guaranteed sightings in summer.

“Awesome experience. Tracys is amazing. Whale watch was awesome. Staff is knowledgeable. saw a breach”

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