Mendenhall Glacier Waterfall and Whale Watching Tour
Overview
Available languages
5 hours
Mobile ticket
Although we are the original whale-watching company in Juneau (operating since 1994), we are still small and family-owned and operated! We want you to feel like part of the family, and we pride ourselves on prioritizing local hires in order to give back to our community and give you the best possible tour experience. We want our guides to love Juneau as much as you do!
This tour offers an additional hour at the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area. This gives you an hour and forty-five minutes to two hours to look at salmon, visit the Visitor's Center, and make the hike to Nugget Falls!
Our fleet consists of only mammal-friendly jet boats, and the small size and intimate setting will make you feel right at home with the whales.
We pride ourselves on our quick transfers between vehicles! We don't want you to wait any longer than you absolutely have to!
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Binoculars are provided
English Guide
We include a generous snack bag, along with hot chocolate and coffee.
Audio and written guides are not included. Just in person!
What To Expect
Juneau
Drive through the city of Juneau on a guided bus ride.
Nugget Falls
Take an easy hike out to Nugget Falls to really immerse yourself in our rainforest! It takes most people about 45 minutes round trip, but if you are a slower hiker, or you want to stop and take pictures, this is the tour for you!
Options
Mendenhall Glacier Waterfall and Whale Watching Tour
Reviews
33 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Spectacular Nature Tour
MauiArt,
Sep 10, 2025
- Viator
5.00This is a great small group tour that avoids the cruise ship crowds! The whale watch was expertly guided by Nia with a bonus jet boat ride back to the dock with Captain Jay. Sam took us directly to the Mendenhall Glacier visitor center. I had read how some have to walk some distance. The glacier and Nugget Falls are naturally spectacular. At the end, our guide/driver Sam dropped us right at the ship. That was a big bonus since rain was just beginning to fall. It was a great excursion.
Sam was our guide as well...
Troy L,
Sep 8, 2025
- Viator
5.00Sam was our guide as well as driver. He did a great job letting us know about the area and history and then explaining everything to us while we out whale watching. After leaving there he let us know what to expect at the glacier and we were not disappointed. Great experience seeing whales and porpoises.
Perfect experience
Lawrence,
Sep 6, 2025
- Viator
5.00This activity is perfect for me and my wife. We saw the beautiful Mendenhall glacier and the whale watching team Nia and Jay were professional and fun. I highly recommend this activity.
Very punctual pickup,...
Julie H,
Sep 1, 2025
- Viator
4.00Very punctual pickup, transport was smooth and driver Charlie was very knowledgeable about the area. Had a slight hiccup with our whale watching tour b/c the boat had engine issues, but the company recovered snd we got another boat within 30 minutes. Whale watching was interesting, with a few sightings of humpbacks. Boat captain and naturalist were very friendly and accommodating. Mendenhall glacier is amazing but we missed the visitor center hours. You must take the hike to Nugget Falls - spectacular!
Great whale watching tour but not great for glacier viewing.
Lorraine H,
Aug 30, 2025
- Viator
4.00We enjoyed our whale watching and glacier tour. The boat and guide Nia and Jay were excellent and we saw 3 pods of whales done being very close to our boat. The Mendenhall glacier portion was good also but our bus driver did not have a microphone so we could not hear most of his commentary which would have been great as he was local and had lots to say. The glacier view was very distant with no information given about the glacier, but we enjoyed a great hike to the nearby waterfalls. Perhaps the glacier portion of the itinerary was unclear but the whale watching was great.
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