13 Best Things to Do in Juneau, Alaska (Based on Personal Experience)

Welcome to Juneau, Alaska, the capitol city of the 49th State - and the only state capitol that you can't actually drive to. Known for it's incredible king crab, amazing whale watching tours, and as one of the busiest cruise ports in Alaska, Juneau is home to many unique things to do. From the Mendenhall Glacier to the Tongass National Forest to some of the best whale watching tours in the entire state - there's no shortage of fun things to do for everyone!

My Essential Alaska Travel Resources :
There are a lot of travel companies out there, but some are better than others. These are my favorite websites and resources to help plan an incredible trip to the 49th State.

For flights, I recommend using WayAway or Hopper to compare the cheapest dates to travel to Alaska.

Car rentals, arguably the best way to see Alaska, are best through Discover Cars!

I always use AGODA for hotels. They have an easy-to-use platform where you can compare the best rates.

To keep cell phone service if you're traveling internationally, I always use Airalo’s easy to purchase eSIM’s (no installation required).

For fun things to do, I recommend Viator to find the best tours in the area, otherwise Klook also does the trick.

Just in case, Safetywing is the insurance I always use for travel insurance.

Lastly, my Alaska packing list for your travels to the Last Frontier.

Getting to Juneau and Where to Stay

Even though Juneau is the capitol of Alaska, you can't actually drive to Juneau - making a stay here quite unique! This means the only ways to get there are by boat (cruise, charter, or marine highway) or by flight! For my first trip to Juneau my husband and I took the 1.5 hour flight from Anchorage, but on our most recent visit we were one of many visiting via cruise!

If you want to spend the night in Juneau my top recommendation is the Silverbow Inn - my husband and I stayed here ourselves and not only was it very centrally located, but the staff and accommodations went above and beyond. They had fresh cookies, an included breakfast, and the best part? Their outdoor rooftop hot tub with views overlooking the cruise port & downtown. If they're sold out or you aren't able to get a room, I would recommend looking into The Alaskan Hotel & Bar for something unique or the Best Western Grandma's Feather Bed for something cozy.

My Favorite Tour in Juneau :
- Whale Watching & Mendenhall Glacier Experience

13 Best Things to Do in Juneau

1. Try the Local Restaurants
Eating out is one of my favorite ways to explore a new city, especially if it's my first time there. Among my favorite places to eat in Juneau there's one that stands out for many visitors - Tracy's Crab Shack. Serving up King Crab combos my husband and I always get their Combo #1 - a meal including rolls & butter, 4 crab cakes, crab bisque, 1 pound of Dungeness crab, and one King Crab leg. Just make sure to plan ahead, the line can get pretty long - and if you don't feel like waiting, there's plenty of other places in town I would recommend as well!

2. The Upside Down Forest
This hidden gem in Juneau is a bit underrated in my personal opinion. Just make your way to the Glacier Gardens, a family run nursery and landscape company. For just $26.95 a person you'll get to join one of their shuttle tours through the rainforest, where you can see wildlife (our tour saw a black bear), bits of the Tongass National Forest, and even these upside down trees pictured above. You'll even have the opportunity to stop for a unique overlook of Juneau and Fritz Cove.

​3. Nugget Falls
My personal favorite thing to do in Juneau is to hike out to Nugget Falls - one of the largest waterfalls you can visit in Alaska! Not only can you get up close and personal (make sure to bring a poncho & watershoes) but the hike itself starts at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center and is very easy and flat - making the 2 mile trip accessible to just about anyone! Even though most of it is paved, depending on recent rainfall amounts the rest of the trail might get a little muddy, and you might have to cross a small river to get to the base of the waterfall.

4. Mendenhall Glacier & Visitor Center
Other than hiking out to Nugget Falls, visiting the Mendenhall Glacier & Visitor Center is a fun activity in and of itself! From even just the parking lot you can view the Mendenhall Lake & Glacier for a small fee of $5 per person per day, or $15 for the season (anyone 15 and younger are free). This fee covers use of the trails, and is not required if you're only doing the hike to Nugget Falls. I highly recommend hiking out to the end of Photo Point Trail to get a bit of a closer view of the glacier. Inside the Visitor Center you can watch a movie and learn more about the area through their multiple video exhibits.

This is the tour I recommend to really get up close and personal to Mendenhall Glacier.

5. Steep Creek Trail (and other hikes)
​​Right across the parking lot of the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center is the Steep Creek Trail, a 1/4 mile elevated boardwalk loop with great bear & salmon viewing chances. Depending on where you're planning to stop on your visit to Alaska, this might be your best bet to see bears up close, so I highly recommend a stop here if you're already in the area! Most commonly, black bears are seen in this area.

If you're looking for some other hikes in the area, I recommend the Gold Creek Flume Trail or the Treadwell Mine Ruins for something a bit easier and the Mount Juneau Trail or the Mount Roberts Trail for something a bit more challenging.

6. Whale Watching
Juneau is the city where I've had my best whale watching experience ever, and I've gone whale watching in Hawaii, Iceland & Ireland, in addition to other places in Alaska as well. Going out on a whale watching tour while in Juneau actually is one of the top tours I recommend to anyone visiting Alaska, mainly because of the huge amounts of krill and the fact that many whales migrate here during the summer months. During my one tour in Juneau, our group saw nearly 20 humpback whales - the most I've ever seen at once - and they just happened to be the closest I'd ever seen them to. If you do one tour while in Juneau, this has to be the one.

7. Alaska Brewing Tour
​If you're visiting Juneau for your first time, then chances are you might want to try some local brews! Lucky for you the famous "Alaskan Brewing Co." (which you can find in almost all of 50 states) is brewed right here in Juneau! If you stop by their downtown merch store, you can catch a free shuttle ride to their tasting room to try brews that aren't available anywhere else. ​

8. Visit the Alaska State Capitol
​Like we mentioned above, Juneau is actually the capitol of Alaska - and the only capitol you can't actually drive to. If you happen to visit on a summer week day they even offer free guided tours, otherwise you can always take a self-guided tour during regular business hours. The state capitol building (pictured above) is located right downtown and was built in 1931.

9. Tahku the Whale Sculpture
If you're looking to see a whale up close but don't have time to take the whale watching tour I recommend, then the next best thing would be Taku the Whale Sculpture. If you get the timing right with the water fountains and squint just a little, it might even pass as a real whale. ;) You can find Taku at Juneau's downtown waterfront.

10. Find the Rainbow Crosswalks
If you happen to be exploring on foot, then dotted throughout Juneau you might find some rainbow painted crosswalks. These started to pop up as far back as 2017, and although last time I visited I could only find this one (at the intersection of Main St. & Front St.) chances are this will be one of the best ways to explore downtown and find some of their awesome food trucks and stands.

11. Mount Roberts Tramway
​​If you're looking to enjoy the best views of Juneau, then there's no doubt you'll find some of them at the top of the Mount Roberts Tramway. The $55 tickets includes admission for the entire day - meaning if you really want you could ride the tram as many times as you want! Lines can get long during the summer cruises - so I recommend going early if you want to avoid being super crowded. Once you get to the top you can watch a video to learn more about the Tlingit people, try some Alaskan cuisine, or even head out on a hike!

12. Explore the Tongass National Forest
​As the USA's largest national forest, it spans over 16.7 million acres. The best ways to experience the forest are via hikes, overnight visits to public use cabins, and spelunking in the limestone caves. You can see bits of the forest at Glacier Gardens, the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center, and at the Juneau Icefield. If you've rented a car, you can also head out to the Auck Recreation Area (known for camping, it's beach areas, and public use shelters) or the North Douglass Area (known for the incredibly beautiful coastal views).

​13. Helicopter to a Glacier
​One of the most bucket list worthy experiences in Juneau (if not all of Alaska) is to take a helicopter ride out to a glacier! Although tours can be a bit spendy, I highly recommend adding this experience to your itinerary if you're able to. You'll view the most beautiful views of the Juneau area and nearby Icefields from the helicopter during your roundtrip flight to Herbert Glacier - where you'll be able to get out for a guided glacier walk!

Watch my Juneau Adventures here!

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Other Alaska blog posts you might be interested in : 
-> 7 Best Things to Do in Ketchikan
-> 7 Reasons to Visit Sitka, Alaska
-> 7 Best Tours in Alaska

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