Booking choice: The Nugget Falls and whale watching tour, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Book this Compare the options below
Visitors see the same glacier whichever tour they pick, so the tours compete on something else. Looking at the ice from the trails is free, and you can reach it by city bus or shuttle. What a tour sells is the ride, a clock that sets how long you stay, and an extra: a whale-watching boat, a canoe on Mendenhall Lake, a guided hike on the rocky moraine beside the ice, an e-bike ride or a private road trip.
This guide sets the eight tours on this site side by side, using what each listing states. The glacier is also changing. Since late 2025 it has ended on land rather than in Mendenhall Lake, so the tours that reach the ice edge cross the lake and then walk.
The quick answer
For most first-time visitors the best Mendenhall Glacier tour is the waterfall and whale tour: about 5 hours, a jetboat whale-watching trip with a naturalist, then 2 hours 15 minutes of free time at the glacier, long enough for Nugget Falls. For time on the water, choose the canoe tour. For a shorter glacier-and-whales combo, the 4-hour tour covers the visitor center and Steep Creek, though its listing leaves out the Nugget Falls hike. To reach the edge of the ice, choose a canoe and moraine-hike tour.
What is the best Mendenhall Glacier tour?
The one whose clock and extras match your day. Compare tours by the time you get at the glacier first, then by what comes bundled.
The table lists the eight tours with their length, time at the glacier and extras, per the listings. Tours that pair the glacier with whales spend part of the day on a boat; tours built around the lake spend it in a canoe; the e-bike and private road trip see the glacier from viewpoints on the way. For the timing in more detail, read how much time you need at the glacier.
| Tour | Length | Time at the glacier | Extras | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterfall and Whale Watching Tour | 5 hours | 2 h 15 min free time | Jetboat whale watching with a naturalist | First visit, Nugget Falls fans |
| Glacier and Whale Watching Tour | 4 hours | Self-guided time; Nugget Falls hike not included | Visitor center, Steep Creek, boat from Auke Bay | A shorter combo day |
| Mendenhall Lake Canoe Tour | 4 hours | About two hours paddling on the lake | Big canoe, gear and a hot drink | Active travelers aged 12+ |
| Glacier Ice Adventure Tour | 5 hours | Canoe crossing and guided moraine hike | Helmet, trekking pole, rain gear, permits | Reaching the ice edge |
| Canoe Paddle and Hike | 5.5 hours | Up to 7 miles paddling, hike on rocky ground | 8- or 12-person canoes, waterproof clothing | Fit groups, moderate to strenuous |
| Glacier E-Bike Tour | 3 hours | Glacier views from the ride | E-bike, helmet, live guide | Riders aged 12+, small group |
| Whale Watching and Glacier Day Trip | 4.5 hours | 45 minutes free time | 2-hour whale-watching boat | Short port calls |
| Scenic Road Trip Excursion | 3 hours | Three views of the glacier | Hatchery, eagles, shrine, entry fees | Private groups, families |
Which tour gives you the most time at the glacier?
The waterfall and whale tour. Its listing gives 2 hours 15 minutes of free time in the recreation area, after the whale-watching trip.
That is enough for the walk to Nugget Falls, which the listing describes as a 2-mile round trip on a gravel path taking about 45 minutes, plus the visitor center and the Steep Creek boardwalk. The day starts with a bus to the Mendenhall Valley and a jetboat with indoor seating, binoculars, and hot chocolate, coffee and snacks. The listing promises that you see a whale or get your money back.
It is not suited to wheelchair users or travelers with back problems, and the boat ramp can be steep depending on the tide. Free cancellation runs up to 24 hours before.
Whales first, then 2 h 15 min at the glacier: time for Nugget Falls, the visitor center and Steep Creek.
Book thisIs there a bus tour to Mendenhall Glacier?
Yes, in the sense that the glacier-and-whales tours travel by bus. Check that a bus tour actually stops at the glacier before you book.
The waterfall tour, the 4-hour glacier and whale tour and the day trip each use a bus to reach the recreation area, then let you walk. That is different from a city sightseeing loop. One example on GetYourGuide, a City Highlights Bus Tour, ends at Brotherhood Bridge Park with distant views of the glacier and does not stop at the glacier itself. It is not a glacier visit, and it is not sold on this site.
If walking up to the lakeside viewpoint is the point, look for a tour that lists free time in the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area.
Which tours combine the glacier with whale watching?
Three: the waterfall tour, the 4-hour glacier and whale tour, and the whale watching day trip. They differ mainly in how long you stay at the glacier.
The glacier and whale watching tour runs about 4 hours: bus, the visitor center and Steep Creek boardwalk, where the listing mentions salmon and bears, then a boat from Auke Bay Harbor. Its listing says time to hike to Nugget Falls is not included. The day trip gives you 45 minutes of free time, then a 2-hour whale-watching boat with a naturalist and snacks. The waterfall tour gives the longest stay.
For the boat, the 4-hour tour's listing asks you to bring a jacket, rain gear and thermal layers.
What is the best way to get onto Mendenhall Lake?
The canoe tour. You spend about two hours paddling on the lake in a big canoe, with gear, snacks and a hot drink included.
The Mendenhall Lake canoe tour meets at the Mount Roberts Tram building, takes a minivan into the Tongass National Forest and paddles past icebergs and waterfalls, per the listing. Rain jacket, rain pants, boots, gloves and a dry bag are provided. Groups are capped at 10.
The limits matter: ages 12 and up, a weight range of 90 to 240 lb, and you must be able to paddle for up to two hours. Strong winds coming down off the ice, which the listing calls katabatic winds, can cancel a trip.
Two hours on the lake among icebergs, with rain gear and a hot drink provided and ten paddlers at most.
Book thisWhich tour gets you closest to the ice?
The ice adventure tour and the canoe paddle and hike. Both cross the lake by canoe, land near the glacier and walk on rocky ground beside the ice.
The Ice Adventure Tour lasts about 5 hours and includes a helmet, trekking pole, rain gear, boots, a life jacket and the Forest Service permits. The canoe paddle and hike lasts about 5.5 hours with up to 7 miles of paddling and is described in its listing as moderate to strenuous. Its free cancellation ends 15 days before the tour, not 24 hours.
Both are covered in can you walk on Mendenhall Glacier.
Is there a gentler or shorter option?
Yes. The e-bike tour takes about 3 hours with pedal assist, and the private road trip shows your group the glacier from three viewpoints without long walks.
The e-bike tour rides through rainforest with glacier views, rain or shine, for groups of up to 8 riders aged 12 and over. It meets in the Mendenhall Valley; check your voucher, because transport from the docks is not listed. The private road trip includes pickup, the Macaulay salmon hatchery, eagle viewing, Brotherhood Bridge with its fireweed, the Shrine of St. Therese and stops on North Douglas, with guiding in English or Spanish.
Your own car and guide in English or Spanish: hatchery, eagles and three glacier views in three hours.
Book thisHow do you choose between them?
Start with your hours ashore, then your energy level, then the extra you care about most.
- Short port call: the day trip or the private road trip.
- Nugget Falls on your list: the waterfall tour, with 2 hours 15 minutes at the glacier.
- Whales matter most: any of the three combination tours.
- Time on the water: the canoe tour.
- The edge of the ice: the ice adventure or the paddle and hike.
- Limited mobility: the private road trip, with pickup and road stops; the waterfall and 4-hour whale tours list steep boat ramps.
The price is shown at checkout and moves with the date; what changes it is length, the boat or canoe and group size. See the tours on the homepage to book.
The glacier visitor center, Steep Creek and a whale-watching boat from Auke Bay in about four hours.
Book thisFrequently asked questions
Which tour is best for a first visit?
The waterfall and whale tour: about 5 hours with 2 hours 15 minutes of free time at the glacier and a whale-watching jetboat.
Do any tours walk on the glacier itself?
No. The closest are the canoe and moraine-hike tours, which land near the glacier and hike rocky ground at the edge of the ice.
Are the tours suitable for children?
The canoe, ice, paddle-and-hike and e-bike tours set a minimum age of 12. The listings for the other tours do not set one.
Is the bus sightseeing tour a glacier visit?
The City Highlights Bus Tour ends at Brotherhood Bridge Park with distant views and does not stop at the glacier.
Ready to book
Choose your glacier tour
Free cancellation on every option, per each listing. Booked on GetYourGuide.
Nugget Falls Time & Whale Watching
- 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
Mendenhall Lake Canoe Tour
- 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
Mendenhall Glacier & Whale Watching
- 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
