Tips on Alaska excursions?

[babyruth]

Getting my Disney fix by planning wayyy ahead for June 2021. Anyone have good experiences with Alaska excursions? DCL or other tours?

 

[KashasMom]

In Ketchikan we've done seaplanes with Island Wings 3x (twice to - successfully - see bears at Anan Creek and Traitor's Cove - and once Misty Fjord Sightseeing).

In Juneau we went whale-watching twice and did a Pilot's Choice double glacier landing with Temsco Helicopters. We've also gone up the Tramway which provides great views over the town and beyond.

In Skagway we did the dog-sledding/glacier excursion with Temsco Helicopters and twice we rented a car and using Murray's Guide to the South Klondike Highway drove to Emerald Lake. (Google for the guide which lists things to see/do by mile marker. Some of the places we stopped at along the way - Tutshi to see the Sled Dogs(puppies), Yukon Suspension Bridge, and the Welcome to Alaska highway sign.)

We always had an amazing time and had time to walk through the town (Ketchikan has totem poles and Creek Street, Juneau has the tram for great views, etc.) - and there's plenty of shopping although most stores in each port and from port to port are very similar.

We booked everything on our own - nothing through the cruise line. BTW, if you choose the dog sledding with Temsco check with them which is better. I've heard that the one out of Juneau gets canceled more frequently due to weather. Whatever you do, you'll have a blast!

 

[TikiThunderPirates]

Yes!

Dawes Glacier Day: We did the Disney PA where you get on the small boat to get closer to the glacier. It was fantastic. We could hear and almost feel the ice calving. Not to mention the baby seal and eagle we saw. Even with a little rain at the end (you can always dry off!) we stayed on the outside deck the entire time. There are inside covered areas with food, drink, places to sit and rest rooms.

Skagway: We did the Disney's PA Helicopter tour to a glacier. We LOVED this. We had about an hour to walk around the glacier. Glacier blue is a real thing! They even explained why.

Juneau: We did Disney's PA Flight Plane to Taku Glacier Lodge. This was also awesome. TGL is a remote lodge only accessible by sea plane. You fly in, have a great lunch, time to walk around the area on some trail, take pictures of the glacier just across the water, and then fly back to Juneau. They often see bears here, and we were not disappointed! Two bears made an appearance.

Ketchikan: We went off on our own and hiked through the rainforest. We did go to the visitors center and get the locator beacons (they are free). This was a great hike, but not for the in experienced. It was straight up hill, on a "trail" which was just a muddy area without plants growing, and a ton of rocks. Very rustic. We did not make it as far as we planned because it was exhausting to hike up. The views were awesome and we were in a rain forest in Alaska so..... all was good.

You can check out pictures from our PA's in Alaska here. http://frequentlyaskeddisneyblog.com/disney-cruise-alaska-part-23/

 

[tvguy]

Whale watching is a must do in Alaska.

 

[gotomu212]

I’d always second Taku Glacier Lodge with the seaplane. It was fantastic. Skagway rail with Chilokot Tours was fantastic too.

Private tours in Alaska are usually 50% cheaper than DCL and have the same get you to the ship guarantees (they all survive off the cruise travel business and a missed ship would ruin them). Funny enough with Skagway and Taku will we’re on the same train and lodge experience as the DCL tours.

 

[kickash]

We kayaked in Ketchikan with Southeast Sea Kayaks (booked on our own). We loved it! We also did Disney’s glacier explorer and that was incredible. I recommend both!

 

[Julia M]

I assume you are looking for private tours?
Juneau: We did a combo whale watching and Mendenhall Glacier tour. Called Mendenhall Glacier & Juneau Whale Watching Combo Tour, it was through Juneau Whale Watch. We first did the whale watching, and then they had shuttle buses which took you to Mendenhall Glaicer. The nice thing was they run the big shuttle buses, and they run every 30 minutes, so you could stay as long as you wanted and just take a shutltle back when you were done. We hiked around a little bit, but as it began to rain, we ended a little earlier than planned.
Ketchikan: No tour here. We walked around town and ended up buying tickets to the Lumberjack show. We really enjoyed it. Again, it rained a lot, but we didn't care.
Skagway: So many people take the train. We did not, because I knew I wouldn't enjoy being on the track so near the edge and my girlfriend has back problems, and we didn't think she would like the train benches. We booked Dyea Dave and took the van both ways. 100% recommended. Wait, no, 150% recommended. Our guide was outstanding.Our guide wasn't local, but works winter in CO (ski slopes) and summers in Alaska, so quite experienced. She could spot a bear on the side of the road when we totally missed it and would turn that van around or back it up, so we'd get a great look.