Once you’ve decided to book a cruise to Alaska, the next step is to start thinking about how you want to spend your time ashore. Every cruise line offers a variety of shore excursions, and they can be a great way to explore a destination, learn more about the places you are visiting, and have peace of mind that the travel logistics are handled for you.
However, shore excursions can be rather expensive, especially on cruises to Alaska. Once I realized that many of the available tours were outside of my budget, I started looking at planning independent days ashore.
From doing research before my sailing to exploring the port towns on my own, I have gathered some helpful tips and tricks for cruise passengers visiting Alaska.
Itinerary Specifics
For my cruise to Alaska, we visited Ketchikan; Alaska’s capital city, Juneau; the gold rush town of Skagway; and Icy Straight Point onboard Norwegian Jewel.
Alaska, renowned as the Last Frontier, is known for the great outdoors. For this reason, many of the top attractions revolve around wildlife. Excursions offered by cruise lines include whale watching, hiking, bear sighting, and more.
For those looking to explore the port towns themselves, I hope this article will help give an idea of some things to do that are affordable yet immersive!
Read: I spent 7 days on an Alaskan cruise for the first time, here are 15 things that surprised me
Vancouver, British Columbia
Our cruise departed from Vancouver, Canada. This trip was my second time visiting this city, and it has quickly become one of my favorite cities to cruise out of.
As a general rule for cruising, it is important to arrive at least one night before your cruise is scheduled to set sail. This helps ensure that if any travel mishaps occur, such as delayed flights, you will still make it to your cruise on time.
Vancouver is a beautiful city and has so much to see and do. I think that it's easy to spend a day or an evening exploring this city before or after your cruise vacation.
Activity Recommendations
If you are someone who enjoys strolling through cute downtown areas and learning more about the culture of a city, I recommend stopping at the Gastown district. This area is filled with local shops and restaurants and has a certain charm that is different from the rest of Vancouver.
Gastown is one of the oldest areas of Vancouver, which means it has a lot of history. Make sure to check out the world-famous Steam Clock. This steam clock is one-of-a-kind and has been operating since 1977. The clock chimes and makes a unique steam song every 15 minutes.
After admiring the local artisan shops in Gastown, such as Shop Makers Gastown, take a 15-minute walk towards Canada Place, the cruise terminal in Vancouver. It is also a great place to people-watch!
Just to the west of Canada Place visitors will find a boardwalk area. I highly recommend checking this out, as it is a great place to watch sea and float planes take off and land on the water.
While in this area, make sure to check out the iconic sights of the 2010 Olympic Cauldron and the Digital Orca statue, both of which are iconic Vancouver landmarks.
After admiring the sights and happenings around the boardwalk, continue your stroll. Visitors will eventually make their way to the Seawall Water Walk, another beautiful path that can be enjoyed at sunset or in the morning during your visit to Vancouver.
For those guests looking to learn more about local culture and for a bit of a more robust walk, I recommend continuing your journey on foot and following the Seawall Water Walk path all the way around. This park area has many sights to see, including Totem Poles to Brockton Point Lighthouse.
Food Recommendations
After your afternoon or evening exploring Vancouver, you will likely be looking for a bite to eat. I recommend trying the Cactus Club Cafe Coal Harbour. This restaurant is located on the boardwalk area, very close to both Canada Place and the water runway where the float planes land. This restaurant has different tasty food options, and everyone is sure to find something they like.
For those visitors looking for a sweet treat after their meal, stop by Soft Peaks Ice Cream. This local ice cream shop creates specialty ice cream with fun toppings and unique flavor combinations. Definitely a must-try for those looking for a local Vancouver food experience!
Ketchikan
Our first port visit of our Alaska cruise was Ketchikan. This southern Alaskan town was bigger than I had anticipated and had a plethora of activities and things to see without booking an excursion through your cruise line.
Activity Recommendations
Once we got off our ship, we headed to straight to Creek Street. This iconic area of Ketchikan is likely the most famous street in the town. Its old buildings perched on the very edge of the creek, with winding pathways in between, make for an atmospheric and picturesque place to visit.
Creek Street has a lot of history and during its heyday was the infamous red light district of Ketchikan. Today, it is a lively district with shops and galleries. There are also a couple museums here that can teach you more about the lives of the people who used to live in this part of Ketchikan. I highly recommend walking through Creek Street, snapping a few photos, and stopping into a local shop or two.
Very close to Creek Street is the Tongass Historical Museum. This museum is a great place to learn more about the city of Ketchikan, from the local native culture to the miners and loggers who built much of the town. It's a great place to start if you want to learn more about this region of Alaska.
For those looking to admire native art and the iconic totem poles of the region, the Totem Heritage Center is a great place to visit. This museum has preserved Tlingit and Haida totem poles, as well as exhibits of contemporary native and local art.
After exploring these areas and the attractions of Ketchikan I recommend walking over to the harbor area to admire the local fishing boats and views. The harbor area can be found near the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show at the end of the cruise ship pier.
Food Recommendations
During your exploration of Ketchikan, it is likely that you will need a snack or a pick-me-up. For this, stop by the Mission Street Market. This small and local coffee shop has high-quality coffee and snacks that you can nibble on as you continue your day in Ketchikan.
For those looking for a renowned restaurant, try the Alaska Crepe Co. located near Creek Street. This shop features a variety of both sweet and savory crepes. However, I recommend stopping by this location either in the morning or in the late afternoon, as it can become quite busy!
Juneau
Juneau is a classic and quintessential stop on many Alaskan cruises. As the capital of Alaska, Juneau has much to explore, see, and do during your cruise port visit. Juneau is a bustling city, and visitors are sure to find something that delights them during their day in this iconic Alaskan destination.
Read more: 20 Alaska cruise must-do excursions
Activity Recommendations
Perhaps the most iconic thing to do when visiting Juneau on an Alaskan cruise is to see Mendenhall Glacier.
Getting to Mendenhall Glacier can be a tad complicated, and most cruise passengers will take an excursion to see this renowned sight. However, we discovered that with a bit of research, a lot of money can be saved by taking a local bus to see Mendenhall Glacier. Cruise visitors can stop by the Juneau Visitor Center near the cruise port to talk to local guides and pick up a copy of the local bus schedule.
The bus runs every half hour and picks up visitors at the Transportation Center in town and takes them to the outskirts of the Tongass National Forest Recreation Area. From here, there is a nicely paved path along the road that leads visitors straight to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center.
It is important to know that it is a mile walk in each direction from where the bus drops visitors off, meaning it is about a 2-mile walk round trip. The bus tickets are around $5 per person, which makes taking this route to see Mendenhall Glacier significantly cheaper than a cruise excursion which can cost upwards of $80 per person to do the same thing.
Juneau is a city that caters to visitors and tourists during the summer season. The summertime is the only time of year that visitors can cruise to Alaska, and with the increase in the number of people cruising to Alaska, there are now a large number of shops and restaurants for cruise passengers to peruse when they arrive in Juneau.
For those visitors looking for handmade and locally made souvenirs, visit Caribou Crossing, which is located on the main street close to the cruise port. Keep an eye out for a sign that reads, “a shop made in Alaska.” This cute shop has an excellent assortment of authentic souvenirs to remember your trip to Alaska.
Food Recommendations
Hoping to try a local beer and snack during your afternoon exploring Juneau? Stop by the Alaskan Brewing Company. This restaurant can be found on the main street and is very close to the cruise pier.
Visitors will enjoy classic brewery options here, as well as local specialties. With views of the harbor in the back, visitors can try some local Alaskan crab and other seafood alongside a locally brewed pint of beer.
There are many interesting-looking food locations in Juneau, and visitors are likely to find something that pleases their tastebuds. Other food and dining locations that caught our eye were The Crystal Saloon, Amalga Distillery, Captain's S'mores & Brew, and the Twilight Cafe.
Skagway
Personally, Skagway was one of my favorite stops on our Alaska cruise adventure. This real-life mining town is steeped in gold rush history, and it is a place where the Alaskan spirit and history feel like it comes to life.
Activity Recommendations
For those looking to learn a bit about the history and legacy of this unique gold rush town, I recommend stopping by the Skagway Museum, the Historic Moore Homestead, and the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park Visitor Center. These attractions will give visitors an idea of exactly what it was like for the gold rush miners and Skagway locals in the later years of the 1890s.
Skagway has a charming downtown area, too! Make sure you peek into businesses along the main road. Visitors are sure to find a treasure or two!
Visitors looking for a walk and an interesting sight should head towards the Gold Rush Cemetery. A little over a mile outside of the main town, this cemetery is the final resting place of many of the famous residents of Skagway who lived here during the peak of the gold rush. Here, visitors can read an information plaque with more history, as well as explore the beautiful grounds.
There is so much to see and do in Skagway. I recommend doing a bit of research before your visit, making a list of your must-sees, and getting off your ship first thing in the morning to take advantage of all the time you can during this port visit.
Food Recommendations
There is no shortage of restaurants and food locations in Skagway. Cruise ship passengers are sure to find a local treat of two to enjoy during their visit.
Looking for a morning or afternoon coffee? The Glacial Coffeehouse is a great choice. This coffee shop has many fun and tasty coffees to choose from.
For a local business that has existed in Skagway since its heyday, I recommend the Skagway Brewing Company. This warm brewpub serves traditional American comfort food and microbrews. There are so many locally produced beers to choose from that visitors are sure to find a favorite.
Icy Straight Point
Icy Straight Point is a relatively new location for Alaskan cruising. This destination features adventure activities such as zip lining and more. Some cruise ships will dock at the port called Wilderness Landing, which opened in 2020, while others will dock directly in Icy Straight Point.
There is a very modern and complimentary gondola system that links Wilderness Landing and Icy Straight Point, as well as a wilderness forest trail that guests can use to walk between the two port locations should they wish to.
Apart from booking an excursion from Icy Straight Point, visitors will find that they can see most of the area in a couple hours.
Activity Recommendations
Icy Straight Point is a small port location that was once home to the historic Hoonah Packing Company. In the 1990s, the historic cannery was converted into a visitor center that now exists today. In recent years, this area has been extensively renovated.
I recommend perusing the local shops that can be found inside the old cannery. This historic building creates an atmospheric experience. My favorite shop was Dei L’eaan which featured local art and items made by native Alaskans.
There is also a small area of the historic cannery building that now functions as a free museum. This area has lots of interesting information for visitors to learn more about the history of Alaska in general, as well as the area of Hoonah and Icy Straight Point. I recommend perusing this free area of the building complex to learn more about the unique port!
After exploring the area around the historic cannery, take a short walk on the pebble beach and admire the surrounding views. This area of Alaska is quite pretty. Keep your eye out for a bald eagle!
There is a local bus system that takes visitors into the small town of Hoonah. There is not too much to see in Hoonah, but if you are looking for a local experience, this can be an affordable activity.
Food Recommendations
There are several restaurants and even a small coffee shop located inside and near the historic cannery building. Visitors looking to try some local salmon or other Alaskan specialties are sure to find it here. One of the popular eateries at Icy Straight Point was The Crab House.
If you plan on visiting the town of Honnah, I recommend getting a bite to eat at Icy Straight Brewing. This local brewpub creates microbrews and serves some light snacks. We tried a couple of their different beers and sampled their pretzel with beer cheese.
Booking Independent Tours And Activities
When browsing cruise line shore excursions for your upcoming Alaska sailing, you will likely see that many tours are quite expensive. However, it's easy to explore more of Alaska through independent tours!
One of the most iconic things visitors to Alaska can do is take a seaplane ride to fly over snow-capped mountains, icy glaciers, and beautiful forests; however, this can be a rather expensive activity. Visitors can save money by booking a seaplane ride and tour through a local tour operator, rather than directly with the cruise line.
One of the most professional seaplane tours we witnessed was the Wings Airways in Juneau. While we were unable to fly during our visit due to weather, if given the chance, this is one of the independent operators I would book with for a floatplane ride.
Perhaps my favorite thing we did during our Alaska cruise was take a gold rush train into the mountains of the Yukon and Klondike while we were in Skagway. This truly authentic Alaskan experience is something I will always remember!
The White Pass & Yukon Route Railway has been operating since the late 1800s, taking miners and travelers into the Yukon from the town of Skagway. This train ride takes visitors from Skagway into the mountains and back, making a roundtrip journey. While passengers are not permitted to get off the train, the views they will witness are unsurpassed.
It was incredible to see the waterfalls, rickety wood bridges we traversed, and the beautiful forests and mountains pass us by. I truly felt like I could imagine what it was like for those who came to Alaska during the gold rush, and the perilous journey they took while seeking their fortune in the last frontier. The journey is enhanced by a narrator who shares insight about the history of the area.
Visitors can book tickets for the train from their cruise ship or online at the White Pass Railway’s website. I recommend booking as soon as possible, as tickets usually sell out, and the railway does block out quite a bit of space for guests who book their tickets through the cruise line.
Why book tickets for this experience on your own? Tickets purchased through the railway’s website were around $50 cheaper than through the cruise line.
You should consider a tour with a local operator during your port visits to Alaska. There are plenty to choose from. Many independent tours do not require visitors to book before their arrival. For example, in Ketchikan, many official tour operators could easily be found just steps away from the cruise port. This was the same in Juneau as well. Booking an independent tour can be a great way to save some money and budget for your Alaska cruise.
Many guests may feel inclined to book several shore excursions when on an Alaskan cruise. While this can be a great way to create lasting memories, there are also ways to explore the Last Frontier without breaking the budget
Many cruise shore excursions to Alaska are quite expensive. For this reason, I recommend checking out some of the local tours and attractions if you are someone who is looking to save a bit of money while on vacation.
Cruising to Alaska is one of the best ways to see this beautiful destination, especially if you are looking for simple travel logistics, ease of getting to various locations within Alaska, and the novelty of cruising in general. I hope that some of these recommendations help cruise travelers plan excellent days during their journey to Alaska!
Read more: Pack with me for an Alaskan cruise
Hayley Phillips
Hayley Phillips is a military spouse currently living in Florida and loves all things travel and travel planning.
