EDITED FROM JUNEAU

The Juneau Edit

I live in Juneau, and this edit reflects how I’d spend my time here: what I’d prioritize, what’s worth making time for, and what’s easy to miss.

-Mary

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

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 →

Know Before You Go

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 Wish They Knew

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.

How to Get to Mendenhall Glacier → Plan Your Glacier Day

Choose Your Experience

Same destination. A completely different day, depending on what moves you.

Select what you’re most excited about and we’ll help you find the best ways to experience Juneau.

A scenic landscape featuring snow-capped mountains, a glacier, and a calm body of water in the foreground, with a blue sky and some clouds.

Glaciers

Choose this if big Alaska scenery is the priority.

Start with Mendenhall Glacier and build your day from there.

A humpback whale breaching the water surface, with water spray and a mountainous background.

Wildlife

Choose this if seeing whales is high on your list.

Juneau is one of the best places in Alaska to get out on the water.

Whale Watching in Juneau → Choose a Whale Watching Trip

A person wearing a red jacket and black pants, carrying a gray backpack, standing on a forest trail, looking at snow-capped mountains in the distance with trees and blue sky around.

Trails + Outdoors

Choose this if you want to get out into the landscape.

From forest walks to bigger climbs, Juneau has a trail for almost any kind of day.

Best Hikes in Juneau → Find Your Juneau Hike

A multi-story building with red and white exterior, labeled Tracy's King Crab Shack, located in a scenic area with lush green mountains in the background, and a busy outdoor public space with people, benches, and flower planters in the foreground.

Beyond the Highlights

Choose this for a slower, more local day.

Think good food, independent shops, and places beyond the usual shops.

Secret Places to Visit in Juneau → Explore Local Juneau

Mary Jacquel in a white jacket and black pants walking through a field of tall pink flowers with mountains and cloudy sky in the background.

I’m so glad you’re here.

There’s so much Alaska to share!

Mary

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

Latest From Juneau

The Alaska Edit Journal

Field Notes, Juneau

Field Note: An October Walk at Mendenhall: A Bear, Frost, and Nugget Falls

Field Notes, Juneau

I went to Mendenhall to photograph Nugget Falls, but a bear crossing the road was my first surprise. Frost along the trail, the last yellow leaves, and fresh snow on the mountains kept me stopping. It was a little glimpse of Juneau between fall and winter, and plenty to notice before reaching the waterfall.