Juneau, Alaska · About 12 miles from the cruise docks
Mendenhall Glacier, your way
The glacier is open to everyone and a short drive from the ships. A tour adds the ride, the
minutes on the trails, a canoe towards the ice or whales on the way back.
Minutes at the glacierHow long each tour gives you on the ground, from its listing
Honest about the iceThe glacier left its lake in 2025; we say what you will see
Free cancellation24 hours before on most listings here, 15 days on one
Secure checkoutBook on GetYourGuide, with a mobile voucher
Glacier tours
Choose your Mendenhall glacier tour
In the centre, the tour with the most time at the glacier: Nugget Falls, the visitor center and a
jetboat for whales. On the left, the shorter glacier and whales combo. On the right, a canoe on the lake itself.
The visitor center and the Steep Creek salmon boardwalk first, then a boat out of Auke Bay to look for humpbacks. Shorter on land: the listing leaves out the Nugget Falls hike.
What's included
Bus from downtown Juneau through the Mendenhall Valley and back
A self-guided stop at the visitor center and the Steep Creek boardwalk, where salmon spawn
A boat from Auke Bay with a captain and a naturalist guide, binoculars and hot drinks
Not included, per the listing: time to hike to Nugget Falls, and gratuities
Bring a jacket, rain gear and warm layers; free cancellation up to 24 hours before
A jetboat search for humpbacks with a naturalist, then two hours and fifteen minutes at the glacier: time for Nugget Falls, the visitor center and the salmon boardwalk.
What's included
Bus to the Mendenhall Valley and back from the meeting point by the Mount Roberts Tramway
A jetboat with indoor seating, a naturalist guide, binoculars, hot chocolate, coffee and snacks
Two hours and fifteen minutes of free time at the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area
Per the listing: see a whale or get your money back
Not suitable for wheelchair users or people with back problems; free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Length5 hoursBus, jetboat and free timeBook this →
A minivan to the lake, then about two hours in a big canoe past icebergs and waterfalls towards the ice. Rain gear is included; you need to be able to paddle.
What's included
Minivan transfers from the Mount Roberts Tramway building near the cruise pier
About two hours of paddling on Mendenhall Lake with an expert wilderness guide
Rain jacket, rain pants, rain boots, paddling gloves and a dry bag
Water, snacks and a hot drink
Ages 12 and up, 90 to 240 lb; strong katabatic winds can cancel a departure; free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Mendenhall tours differ less in the view than in the clock: how many minutes you have on the ground,
whether a boat or a canoe takes part of the day and where you meet. Lengths, inclusions and limits are taken from
each listing.
Option
Meets at
At the glacier
Length
Notes
Nugget Falls Time & Whale Watching
Mt. Roberts Tramway, cruise docks
Two hours and fifteen minutes of free time: Nugget Falls, the visitor center and Steep Creek
Most listings here cancel free up to 24 hours before on GetYourGuide; the canoe paddle and
hike needs 15 days. The canoe tours take ages 12 and up with weight limits, per their listings.
What you actually book
A ride and a clock, not the ice.
Mendenhall Glacier is a river of ice about 13.6 miles long, flowing out of the Juneau Icefield into the
Tongass National Forest, about 12 miles from downtown Juneau. The trails and viewpoints around it are open to
everyone. You can reach it on your own: the city bus takes about an hour, plus a walk of about 1.5 miles; a private
shuttle takes about 30 minutes.
So a tour sells three things: the ride, a clock, and an extra. The clock matters most. One listing gives you
two hours and fifteen minutes at the glacier, another forty-five minutes, and the 4-hour combo leaves out the
Nugget Falls hike. The extra is whales from a boat, a canoe on the lake, or a guided walk on the rocky moraine at
the ice edge.
2025
The year scientists said Mendenhall Glacier had separated from its
lake. It now ends on land beyond the far shore, and is expected to pass out of sight of the visitor center around 2050.
Photo PointNugget FallsSteep CreekMendenhall LakeAuke BayJuneau IcefieldTongass National Forest
From Photo Point the ice lies across the lake, about 12 miles from downtown Juneau.
01
Count the minutes
Two hours on the ground fits Photo Point, Nugget Falls and the salmon boardwalk. Forty-five minutes fits the visitor center or a short walk, not both.
02
Decide on whales
Most combos add a boat out of Auke Bay. The flagship listing promises a whale or your money back; the others simply go looking.
03
Land or water
The canoe tours take ages 12 and up within weight limits, ask for a couple of hours of paddling, and can be cancelled when strong winds blow off the ice.
04
Who can skip a tour?
Anyone with a long port day, patience for a city bus and good shoes. If you want to stand at the ice edge or see whales, a tour is the way.
The day
A glacier morning in four moves
Whether it takes three hours or five and a half, a Mendenhall tour follows the same shape. Here is
what happens between the gangway and the last look at the ice.
01
Meet at the docks
Most tours on this page meet beside the Mount Roberts Tramway building or on South Franklin Street, a short walk from the ships. Look for the operator's sign.
Arrive 15 minutes early
02
Into the valley
A bus, minivan or van drives the road out to the Mendenhall Valley, about 12 miles. The e-bike tour meets in the valley itself.
About 30 minutes by road
03
Your time at the ice
Photo Point for the classic view, the 0.8-mile trail to Nugget Falls, the visitor center and its film, the Steep Creek boardwalk for salmon and black bears. Or a canoe across the lake.
From 45 minutes to over two hours
04
Whales, or the water
On the combos, a boat from Auke Bay with a naturalist looks for humpbacks. On the canoe tours, a hot drink on the shore before the ride back.
Getting there, who can come, a sample port day and what to bring.
With a tour: transport is included; most tours meet at the cruise docks by the Mount Roberts Tramway.
City bus: Capital Transit routes 3, 4 and 8 run from the Downtown Transit Center to Dredge Lake Road, about an hour, then a walk of about 1.5 miles. Cash only, exact fare; tell the driver you are going to the glacier.
Shuttle or taxi: private shuttles from the docks take about 30 minutes. Agree the ride back before you go.
Ride-hailing: limited in Juneau, with few cars on busy ship days.
Canoe tours: ages 12 and up, with weight limits of roughly 90 to 240 lb; not for pregnant guests, per the listings.
The paddle and hike: moderate to strenuous, up to seven miles of paddling, not for low fitness or heart, back or breathing problems.
The boat combos: not suitable for wheelchair users or people with back problems; the dock ramp can be steep at low tide.
The visitor center: reached by stairs, elevators and an easy ramp, per the Forest Service.
Early: off the ship and to the meeting point by the tram building.
Mid-morning: into the valley; Photo Point, then the walk to Nugget Falls.
Late morning: the Steep Creek boardwalk, or the boat from Auke Bay on a combo tour.
Afternoon: back downtown with time to spare before all aboard.
A rain jacket and warm layers; the boat listings add thermal clothing.
Comfortable shoes for gravel paths; canoe tours lend rain boots.
A hat, gloves and sunglasses for the canoe and moraine tours.
A camera, and cash in exact amounts if you plan to ride the city bus.
12 miFrom the docksDowntown Juneau to the glacier.
0.8 miTo Nugget FallsEach way, on a low-gradient trail.
2 h 15The flagship's free timeAt the recreation area, per the listing.
45 minThe day trip's stopBefore two hours of whale watching.
1962The visitor centerThe first the Forest Service built.
13.6 miThe glacierFrom the Juneau Icefield to its end.
The start
Meet at the cruise docks
The Mount Roberts Tramway building
490 South Franklin Street, Juneau, Alaska
Most tours on this page start beside the tram building at the cruise docks, each with its own sign: the jetboat
team with a blue sign, the canoe guides holding the tour title, the day trip under a green canopy tent. Your voucher
names the exact spot; arrive about 15 minutes early.
The glacier and whales combo meets at 419 or 490 South Franklin Street
The canoe paddle and hike can also collect from Mendenhall Valley hotels
The e-bike tour meets in the Mendenhall Valley; transport from the docks is not listed
Excellent tour! Saw humpback whales. The guides were knowledgeable and personable.
★★★★★
To find ourselves at the base of the Mendenhall Glacier by our own steam made it all the more memorable.
★★★★★
Best part of the trip. Cortland and Brady were awesome guides.
★★★★★
Despite rainy weather the tour was absolutely fantastic! Our guide was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic!
★★★★★
Great guides and a good and safe training how to use the bikes. Amazing and unexpected views.
★★★★★
Amazing experience! We saw so many whales and enjoyed learning many facts from our experienced guides.
★★★★★
Best outdoor experience so far in Alaska! Loved our guides Twain and Chris.
★★★★★
Knowledgeable guide and beautiful scenery. Loved having a personal experience.
★★★★★
Great guide, lots of orcas, humpbacks and sea lions on a sunny day.
Your own pace
The private road trip
Every tour above runs to a shared clock. This one does not: a private vehicle for your group and a
driver-guide, with three different views of the glacier and the stops between them.
Private Scenic Road Trip with Glacier Views
Pickup included · 3 hours · GetYourGuide
No shared bus and no clock set by a boat: a private vehicle and a driver-guide for three hours. The listing stops at the salmon hatchery, looks for eagles, takes in Brotherhood Bridge with its glacier view over the fireweed and the Shrine of St. Therese, and gives you three different views of Mendenhall Glacier.
Private groupEntry fees includedEnglish or Spanish
Search for a Mendenhall Glacier tour and the pictures look alike: a wall of blue ice, a waterfall, a
whale's tail. The pictures are fair. What the results rarely say is that the glacier is open to anyone who gets
there, that the tours differ mostly in how long they leave you at it, and that the glacier itself is changing
fast. Here is how to read the options.
A glacier you can reach by city bus
Mendenhall Glacier flows about 13.6 miles out of the Juneau Icefield, an expanse of about 1,500 square miles that
the Forest Service calls a remnant of the last ice age. Its visitor center, dedicated in 1962, was the first the Forest
Service built anywhere in the country, and the recreation area around it now draws about 700,000 visitors a year.
From the docks it is about 12 miles. The Capital Transit bus stops at Dredge Lake Road, about 1.5 miles from the visitor
center, and the whole trip takes about an hour and a half each way; a private shuttle does it in about 30 minutes. On
a long port day, going on your own works. On a short one, the ride is the hard part, and that is what a tour solves.
Photo Point: the classic view, a short walk from the visitor center.
Minutes on the ground
Two hours at the glacier is enough for the three things most people want: Photo Point, the 0.8-mile walk to Nugget
Falls and back, and the Steep Creek boardwalk, where sockeye spawn and black bears come to fish in season. The
Nugget Falls and whales tour lists two hours and fifteen minutes of free time. The 4-hour glacier and whales combo
stops at the visitor center and the boardwalk, and its listing says plainly that time to hike to Nugget Falls is not
included. The whale day trip lists forty-five minutes: a look from the visitor center, or a quick walk, but not both.
The honest small print: in November 2025 scientists said Mendenhall Glacier had separated from
its lake. It now ends on land beyond the far shore, and it is expected to pass out of sight of the visitor center
around 2050. The view is still grand; it is simply further away than older photographs suggest, which is why the
canoe tours, which cross the lake and land near the ice, have become the closest look on offer.
On the water, or at the ice edge
The canoe tours swap the trails for Mendenhall Lake. The 4-hour canoe tour lists about two hours of paddling past
icebergs and waterfalls. The ice adventure crosses the lake and adds a guided hike on the rocky moraine at the
glacier's edge, with helmets and trekking poles. The paddle and hike goes furthest, up to seven miles in the canoe and
a hike by the glacier, and it is the one listing here that needs 15 days' notice to cancel free. All three ask for
ages 12 and up, set weight limits and can be cancelled when strong winds blow off the ice.
The canoe tours cross the lake towards the ice.
Which option, and when
If you want the most time at the glacier with whales on top, take the Nugget Falls and whales tour. If whales
matter more and your port call is short, the 4-hour combo or the day trip. If you want to get close to the ice, a
canoe tour, with the moraine trek for the full experience. If you would rather ride, the e-bike tour, which meets in
the valley. And for your own pace with a guide, the private road trip. Planning it yourself? Start with
getting there without a tour.
Humpbacks near Auke Bay: the other half of most combo tours.
Straight answers to what people ask most about visiting Mendenhall Glacier.
Can you visit Mendenhall Glacier without a tour?
Yes. The glacier is about 12 miles from the cruise docks, and the city bus, private shuttles and taxis all go there. The trails and viewpoints are open to everyone; a small seasonal fee applies inside the visitor center. Getting there on your own compares the ways.
What is the best Mendenhall Glacier tour?
The one that gives you the time you want. The Nugget Falls and whales tour lists two hours and fifteen minutes at the glacier; the shorter combos list less, and the canoe tours put you on the lake instead. Our tour guide sets them side by side.
How much time do you need at the Mendenhall Glacier?
About two hours on the ground covers Photo Point, the walk to Nugget Falls and the Steep Creek boardwalk. Add about 30 minutes each way by road, or about an hour and a half each way by city bus. How much time you need plans it around a ship.
How much does it cost to visit Mendenhall Glacier?
Walking the trails costs nothing, and a small seasonal fee applies at the visitor center for visitors aged 16 and over. The real cost is the ride: the city bus is the cheapest, and tour prices are shown at checkout and move with the date, the boat or canoe and the group size.
Can you walk from the cruise ship to Mendenhall Glacier?
Not realistically. The glacier is about 12 miles from downtown Juneau and the docks. Take the city bus, a shuttle, a taxi or a tour; most tours on this page meet beside the Mount Roberts Tramway at the docks.
Is there a free shuttle to Mendenhall Glacier?
Do not count on one. The cheapest way is the Capital Transit city bus to Dredge Lake Road, then a walk of about 1.5 miles; fares are cash only and drivers cannot make change. Private shuttles from the docks take about 30 minutes.
How far is the walk from Mendenhall Glacier to Nugget Falls?
The Nugget Falls Trail is 0.8 miles each way on a low-gradient path that branches off Photo Point Trail near the visitor center. One tour listing puts the round trip at about 45 minutes. The Nugget Falls guide has the details.
Can I Uber to Mendenhall Glacier?
Ride-hailing in Juneau is limited, and cars are few on busy ship days. Check the app before you rely on it, and plan your ride back to the ship before you leave the glacier.
Can you walk on Mendenhall Glacier from the visitor center?
No. From the visitor center the ice lies across the lake, and since 2025 the glacier ends on land beyond the far shore. The canoe and moraine tours land you on the rocky ground at its edge with a guide. Walking near the ice explains how.
How should you dress for Mendenhall Glacier?
In layers, with a rain jacket and warm hat and gloves: Juneau sits in a temperate rainforest, and the listings put rain gear and warm clothing on every bring list. On the water it is cooler still.
What can you do in Juneau off a cruise ship?
The glacier is the classic half day, often paired with whale watching from Auke Bay. Our Juneau port-day guide shows how to fit it in.
Ready to book
The ice, the falls and the whales.
The Nugget Falls and whales tour, the glacier combo and the canoe on the lake, with free cancellation.
The quick combo
4 hoursBus and boat, EnglishFree cancellation
