Best Shore Excursions on Alaska Cruises

Choosing Tours in Juneau Alaska and other Popular Alaskan Ports

© Renee Ruggero

Mar 29, 2009

The trend in cruise tours is gravitating towards the once-in-a-lifetime experience. John Primeau, the Public Relations Manager for Holland America Line explains, “Culinary and distinctive is the first thought that comes to mind as recent trends, but we also continue to experience demand for active tours.” Here are some choices of adventurous and culinary tours in Alaska in the ports of Juneau, Ketchikan, and Skagway.

Best Active Tours in Alaska

• Juneau, Alaska - The Extended Glacier Trek combines a 30-minute helicopter ride with 3 hours of hiking on a glacier. Participants are outfitted in technical climbing gear such as crampons, helmet, and ice axe. Then they are taught how to safely climb and descend ice walls.

• Ketchikan, Alaska - On the Mountain Point Snorkeling Adventure, participants don a wetsuit, and snorkel in Southeast Alaska’s shallow underwater world. See multi-colored sea stars and giant sunflower stars. And, surprisingly, the water temperature reaches 65 degrees in the summer.

• Skagway, Alaska - Both beginners and advanced rock climbers will enjoy the Klondike Rock Climbing and Rappelling Adventure. There are more than a dozen routes to choose from with varying degrees of difficulty and the tour guides help everyone to have a couple of successful climbs.

Best Adventure Tours in Alaska

• Juneau, Alaska - The Dogsled and Glacier by Helicopter Adventure combines 40 minutes of helicopter sightseeing with a dog sled ride across a glacier. The helicopter lands at the home of a dog-mushing camp and participants learn to command a dog sled team.

• Ketchikan, Alaska - The Rain Forest Canopy and Zipline Expedition features a flight over eight ziplines, including one that is 850 feet long. Participants glide up to 135 feet above the forest floor and have the opportunity to see eagles and bears. Teenagers as young as 12 years old can participate.

• Skagway, Alaska - The Glacier Lake Kayak and White Pass Rail Experience begins with a ride on the historic White Pass Rail. Passengers get off the train at Lake Bernard and paddle two-person kayaks around the lake. Enjoy snow-capped mountain views and the occasional sightings of bears, eagles, and mountain goats.

Top Culinary Tours in Alaska

• Juneau, Alaska - The Alaska Salmon Bake in Juneau takes place beside a creek in the rainforest. Wild salmon is grilled over an open fire and served with rice pilaf and salads. And, after dinner guests can toast marshmallows. An alternate culinary experience in Juneau is the Glacier View Bike and Brew where a 9-mile bike ride over flat terrain ends with a brewery tour at the Alaska Brewery (samples included).

• Ketchikan, Alaska - An Alaskan Chef’s Table is a culinary tour that features a five-course tasting menu with a personal chef that shares his recipes. Alternatively, the Wilderness Exploration and Crab Feast starts with a boat ride to a crab estuary where volunteers can pull up crab pots. The tour concludes with a Dungeness crab meal at the George Inlet Lodge.

• Skagway, Alaska - Culinary travelers can enjoy a cooking demonstration on the tour, A Taste of Skagway at Jewel Gardens. A chef demonstrates the use of fresh, organic ingredients from the garden while guests enjoy wine tasting. Taste garden-fresh herb scones, a rhubarb treat and seasonal soup.

Apart from the already offered cruise tours in Juneau and Ketchikan, Holland America Line also offers their Signature Collection of Private Touring. For passengers that want to make an exclusive request, arrangements can be made to book a private Hummer, floatplane, or boat.

Snorkeling in Ketchikan, Alaska

Rock Climbing in Skagway, Alaska

Extended Trek, Juneau

Golden Princess, Alaska

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