Juneau is the capital of Alaska and is the ONLY state capital that is not accessible by road. I love to get there by cruise ship!
My favorite things to do are browse the shops near the dock, go zip lining, take a whale watching excursion, explore Mendenhall Glacier or visit the Alaska Brewing Company.
Mendenhall is about 12 miles from downtown. The glacier and surrounding landscape is protected as part of the 5,815-acre Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area, a federally designated unit of the Tongass National Forest. Cruise lines have many excursions that visit here.
Take the Mount Roberts Tram! The Goldbelt Mount Roberts Tramway takes you 1,800 feet high. After five-minute ride from the cruise ship pier, you will have views of the Chilkat Mountains, the Gastineau Channel, downtown Juneau, Douglas Island and the highest peaks on Admiralty Island. Then you can explore a park with cultural heritage education and dynamic crafts. It’s Juneau’s most panoramic and breathtaking view! https://www.alaska.org/detail/goldbelt-tram
Zip lining is a great activity is you want to do something a tad out of the ordinary. The course I have done is locally owned Alaska Canopy Adventure and Zipline. Guests experience a 4 x 4 mountain climb in a unimog, ziplines over 600ft. long, breathtaking sky bridges, and rappels. Truly amazing!
Whale watching is possibly my favorite excursion. These creatures are incredible. Juneau has several companies. All of them are good. TripAdvisor has great recommendations. Or….if you are on a ship….you can book through them.
Alaska Brewing Company…or ABC if you are a local ;)….has a gear store downtown where you can purchase clothing and other items for souvenirs. However, if you want to taste their beers and take a tour, you need to visit the actual brewery. It is 5 miles from downtown and can be reached by bus, taxi or shuttle. They have a free tasting available of several different beers or for $5, you get a tutored tasting with six total samples and a souvenir to take home. Tastings start on the hour and at our brewery. Last tasting is at 6 pm. They have a rotating tap and features favorites like Alaskan Amber, as well as seasonal, Rough Draft and Pilot Series brews…..here is what was available last time we visited.
I hope you get a chance to explore Juneau on your own and enjoy it as much as I do!
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