EDITED FROM JUNEAU

The Juneau Edit

An independent guide to Juneau. What’s worth your time, what to skip, and how to experience it well.

Juneau is easy to overplay. Most visitors try to fit in too much, spend half the day in transit, and miss the quieter moments that make the place memorable. I built this edit around the choices I would make for someone I cared about visiting for the first time.

- Mary

Juneau Local

I live here. This is how I’d use the day.

Mary Jacquel holding a white coffee mug with a hot beverage, sitting outdoors near a window with a view of Auke Bay's marina, trees, and mountains in the background in Alaska

If You Only Do 3 Things:

A glacier flows between dark mountains with snow on their peaks, overlooking a body of water and a forest in the foreground.

BEST USE OF YOUR MONEY

See a glacier

Mendenhall Glacier is easiest; a tidewater glacier can be more memorable. Choose the experience that matches what you want to feel:

Plan your glacier experience →

A whale breaches the surface of the water with its tail fluke visible as water drips from it, against a backdrop of a cloudy sky and calm water.

BEST USE OF YOUR TIME

Whale Watching

Worth prioritizing but only if you give the departure time room to shape the rest of your day AND go with a responsible operator.

Learn More →

Person wearing a red jacket standing on a sandy patch at the base of a tall, cascading waterfall flowing over rocks in a forested area.

BEST FREE EXPERIENCE

Take one slower local walk

The waterfront is easy. Perseverance Trail feels more like the Juneau locals know:

Find the best local walks →

Juneau at a glance

May through September. Early season is quieter. Peak Summer is livelier with longer days.
Cruise visitors have about half a day to a full day in port.
Rain and mist are a part of life here. Dress for it and pack layers!
Downtown is walkable. The best experience surrounding Juneau requires planning.

What Visitors Often Get Wrong

1) They try to do two major excursions. One done is almost always better. Remember, we’re on ‘Alaska time’ here.

2) They treat rain as a problem. Rain and mist are a part of our landscape here (Tongass National Forest)

3) They spend too much of the day downtown. From my point of view, Juneau’s real strength lies in what surrounds the town.

I live in Juneau. I often see how visitors’ days unfold, what visitors tend to miss, and which experiences are worth the time. This is not a compilation of everything. It is my firsthand take on what is genuinely worth your time.

The Alaska Edit Difference

Two orcas swimming near the surface of the water at sunset, with spray and mist rising around them.

Planning Juneau Right Now:

A Day in Juneau

Mendenhall Glacier, Nugget Falls and the Wild Encounters that stay with you

How to Travel around Juneau, Alaska

Visiting us? We’re a landlocked community so making sure you have transportation plans is key!

A scenic landscape featuring mountains with patches of snow, lush green forests, a glacier, a river, and wildflowers in the foreground.

How to get to Mendenhall Glacier

6 ways to get to Mendenhall Glacier - experience the glacier, nugget falls and our visitor center!

A large white cruise ship with blue wave designs on the front, docked at a port with a mountainous, forested background and cloudy sky.

Perfect 1-Day in Juneau

If you only have a limited amount of hours in Juneau, discover what are ‘must dos’.

Mary’s Recommended Experiences in Juneau

If you’re deciding what to do in Juneau, start here. I live in Juneau, and these are some of the tours and excursions I’d recommend first for a memorable day of wildlife, glaciers, and classic Alaska scenery.

Whale Watching (my personal favorite!)

Mendenhall Glacier

A woman smiling in a helicopter cockpit wearing headphones and a red jacket.

Helicopter & Dog Sledding Experience

A crab underwater on a rocky ocean floor.

Salmon Hatchery

A black bear standing in shallow water near a rocky shoreline with seagulls nearby.

Bear Viewing (Pack Creek!)

A person with a backpack looking out a large window at snow-capped mountains and a ski lift gondola in Alaska.

Mt. Roberts Tramway

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