Juneau, the capitol of Alaska, is a bustling town that is only accessible via water and air. Like Skagway, the town is full of history, but it is a little more modernized. The main activities to explore during a quick stop in Juneau include riding Mount Roberts Tramway, visiting Mendenhall Glacier, experiencing the rainforest, and exploring the downtown area.
Mendenhall Glacier is one of the must-do activities is Juneau. It is a short bus ride from town and is one of only a few opportunities to get that close to a glacier and still be on land. I recommend signing up for the first excursion of the day in the hopes of getting photos without other tourists. While there, be sure to go to the viewing area of the glacier, visit the grounds to see wildlife, and check out the museum. While there, we saw three bears and many salmon. The area also has several walking and hiking trails for great photo opportunities. One of the trails is even called “Photo Point Trail.”
Mount Roberts Tramway
One of my favorite activities in Juneau was riding the tram. It is a quick ride to the top, but it has spectacular views and is well worth the cost. Once at the top, there are many photo opportunities and activities. There are some short hiking trails, a nature center, a theatre, and much more.
Panning for Gold
One of my favorite activities in Juneau was panning for gold. It was an excursion that picked us up from our cruise ship and took us into the rainforest. We were very excited because our group only had a total of seven people. Our tour guide explained that it can sometimes be groups of 50-100 people! We loved the experience as part of a small group.
The area was so beautiful, and it was great to pan for gold like the prospectors did over 100 years ago. The water was so clear we could see the rocks in the creek.
The excursion we chose promised “guaranteed gold.” We were handed a pan of dirt that had tiny gold flakes planted in the bottom of the pan. As long as we followed the guide’s instructions and had a good flick of the wrist, we were sure to find gold.
My favorite part though was after we found the guaranteed gold, we were encouraged to use our pan to scoop up some of the dirt from the creek. While no one in our group found any gold, we all enjoyed the experience.
Downtown
The downtown area has many stores to go into and was a little more mainstream than the other ports. There are also several restaurants in town that are worth exploring. We ate at a restaurant called Hangar on the Wharf. The waterfront views provided an up-close view as many seaplanes took off and landed while we ate. It was quite enjoyable and something we don’t see everyday.
Gabi's Getaway Guides 