
Dreaming of seeing glaciers up close? Experiencing dogsledding or hiking on ice? Viewing beautiful fjords from above? An Alaska cruise can offer all of these things and more, but these once-in-a-lifetime excursions can really add up to much more than you budgeted! So what experiences are worth the splurge, and how can you offset those splurge-worthy experiences with low-cost, or even free alternatives? Read on!
Glacier Viewing
Almost every Alaska cruise offers opportunities to view glaciers from the ship. Knowing how important glacier viewing is to you matters because you can choose an itinerary likely to get you up close, and you can often purchase an excursion that will get you closer to the glacier than the ship can.
I highly recommend itineraries for my clients that enter Glacier Bay National Park, because there are many more opportunities for viewing and it’s highly likely that you’ll see at least one glacier. However, there are only a few ships that are allowed to enter Glacier Bay each day, so most itineraries do not include this park, but instead call at one of the glaciers surrounding Juneau. These are beautiful areas, as well, with fjords filled with icebergs. The water is perfectly still and almost glassy in these areas, but if there is too much ice in the water, the ship can not get close enough for a good view (and sometimes no view at all). This happened to us on our cruise this June, and it was a big disappointment for us.

However, you can book an excursion through the ship where a small boat takes you closer to the glacier, since small boats can navigate all that ice when a big ship can’t. We took advantage of this excursion on our first cruise to Alaska and we’re still glad we did! You’ll either get on the boat directly from the ship and return to Juneau while this ship is in port, or you’ll board in Juneau and catch up with the ship while in the fjord. Either way, you’ll see the stunning scenery of the fjord from the smaller boat, then get up close enough to hear and feel the calving of the glacier! It’s an unforgettable experience and totally worth the extra cost.
On-glacier activities
If you absolutely must don crampons and walk on the ice of a glacier, you’ll likely have to take an excursion via plane or helicopter. As you might imagine, these excursions are quite expensive. However, there are many activities to do once there. A guide will help you hike or climb safely, or you can try your hand at dog-sledding. Choose from activities through your cruise line or third-party options.
If you’re more excited by seeing the dogs than the actual sledding, there are several opportunities for this in various ports in Alaska. Some ships even bring husky puppies on board!

And if you’re looking for amazing hiking near a glacier, I would highly recommend taking a public bus or other transportation to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center, and from there enjoying the beautiful Trail Through Time, which will allow you to enjoy the forests, some unique artifacts from various uses of the land throughout the last two centuries, and incredible views of the glacier. From there, keep walking to the lake and the waterfall. It’s an amazing day and costs a fraction of those helicopter tours!
Wildlife Viewing
Alaska is known for its wildlife, and seeing bears, whales, and bald eagles is sure to be on your bucket list. So, do you need to book specific wildlife tours while in Alaska? That will depend on how important seeing the animals is to you! We have never booked a specific wildlife tour, but have seen different kinds of whales from the ship or on another boat tour, and have seen bears in the wild both from a boat and a bus tour. Bald eagles are quite plentiful during the height of the cruise season, so you are likely to see them without any extra work. However, if you absolutely must see whales on your trip, book a whale watching tour; there are good opportunities to see bear hunting salmon out of Ketchikan, as well.

Native Peoples and Totems
One of my favorite sights to see in Alaska and British Columbia is all the Native art. The totems are beautiful and it’s fun to learn about the meanings of various animals and try to spot raven or eagle! If you are interested in learning about it, I would highly suggest taking a tour run by Native Americans or Canadian First People. Not only will you get the most educational tour possible from someone who knows and deeply cares about the traditions of the people, but you will be investing in maintaining the knowledge for future generations! If you prefer to just visit the sites, public transportation or your feet can get you to most of the totem sites, including museums.

So there you have it! There are certainly a lot of ways to spend a lot of money on excursions for your Alaska cruise, but there are also worthwhile activities you can enjoy for a fraction of the cost, or even free! Ready to plan your cruise to Alaska? Schedule a 15-minute call so we can find that perfect itinerary for you!