Alaska is a bucket-list destination for many cruisers looking to experience the history, culture and wildlife of “the last frontier.” To really experience its fullness, you’ll want to book some shore excursions — but they can come with hefty price tags.
How hefty? You can expect to shell out at least $300 or more per person for most of these excursions. Even though shore excursions in Alaska are rarely cheap, many of these excursions are once-in-a-lifetime experiences that will create memories and showcase Alaska’s natural beauty like nothing else.
Here are six picks for the ultimate Alaska shore excursions worth the splurge.
Dog sledding and glacier adventure by helicopter — Juneau
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Coming in at a cool $750 per person, this dog sledding tour is one of those unique experiences where the memories will far outweigh the hit to your credit card.
Starting in Juneau, passengers fly via helicopter to a dog-mushing camp situated atop Norris Glacier, part of the vast Juneau Icefield. The camp is accessible only by air, and the scenic flight alone is worth the admission price.
Once you land on the glacier and set foot on the pristine snow and ice, the dogs will take center stage. Along with a veteran dog sled musher, you’ll be pulled across the ice by your team of dogs who love to run. Alone in the wilderness of ice and snow, you might feel like you’re at the edge of the Arctic Circle. The ride is exhilarating, fun and absolutely bucket list in every way. Snap some pics to make those at home jealous with your Instagram posts.
Related: These 3 amazing Princess tours of Alaska will get you deep into the wilderness
Tracy Arm Fjord and Glacier Explorer — Tracy Arm
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You might notice Tracy Arm Fjord listed as a scenic cruising destination on your cruise itinerary. Home to the North and South Sawyer glaciers, the awe-inspiring fjord is filled with narrow channels, towering cliffs and pristine waters.
What the cruise line doesn’t tell you is that your ship is unlikely to make it to the Sawyer glaciers, particularly at the start of the season when ice still chokes much of the fjord’s narrowest passage.
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Several cruise lines offer the Tracy Arm Fjord and Glacier Explorer tour, and it’s well worth the $300 splurge if you’re keen to get up close to the glacier. You will disembark your ship right in the fjord and hop aboard one of Allen Marine’s small expedition ships for a cruise right up to the North Sawyer Glacier. You’ll be treated to wildlife, waterfalls and incredible sights of the calving glaciers before rejoining your ship in the fjord. (Note: Some cruise lines offer this tour from Juneau instead.)
We’ve done this tour numerous times, and it’s never disappointed. The expedition ship also happens to sell some of the best seafood chowder we’ve tasted (but let’s keep that secret between us, shall we?).
Denali peak flightseeing — Denali National Park
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This excursion is only available for those taking part in pre- or postcruise overland tours that visit Denali National Park, but it represents one of the most spectacular flightseeing experiences we’ve ever had in Alaska. You’ll have to cough up more than $400 per person, but the experience is priceless.
Setting out from Denali, passengers are bundled into a small airplane and taken for an amazing flightseeing adventure over Denali National Park, which somehow manages to look even more majestic from the sky. The flight time is approximately one hour.
If you want an even more memorable adventure, look for flightseeing excursions that include a landing (a worthwhile upcharge). If conditions allow, your pilot will set the plane down on the mountain, on the snow, and give you time to walk around outside. Then, your plane — equipped with special skis or floats — will race back along the snow and take off over the majesty of Denali National Park. It’s a stunning journey, unlike anything else available in Alaska.
Related: 6 amazing excursions you’ll only find on an Alaska cruisetour
Luxury White Pass and Yukon Route Railway experience — Skagway
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A journey up the formidable White Pass and Yukon Route Railway is one of Alaska’s signature experiences. Departing from the gold rush frontier town of Skagway, the railway whisks you up stunning heights into the mountains beyond Skagway, following the original Trail of ’98. While the train route crosses into the Canadian Yukon Territory to Carcross, this tour will take you as far as the White Pass Summit.
Recently, the railway has offered an upgraded experience: a luxury rail car for a select few passengers, complete with plush leather seating, complimentary beverages and canapes — all elevated to match the scenery alongside the train.
No kids are allowed, and the car comes with a private guide who will share the scenic viewpoints and gold rush history with you as you wine and dine your way up the White Pass to the summit. The nearly three-hour tour costs about $450 per person, but with the luxury service, you’ll feel like a million bucks — and definitely not like a rugged prospector.
Wilderness exploration cruise and crab feast — Ketchikan
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If you love crab, you’ll love this gloriously indulgent excursion available in Ketchikan. At over $ 200 per person, the tour offers outsize value.
It all starts with a scenic cruise along nearby George Inlet, where wildlife is abundant and waters are pristine. Guides will demonstrate how to pull crab pots from the water, and they will even pass around a crab and explain their entomology and relevance to the region.
Then, it’s off to the George Inlet Lodge, where you can eat as much crab as you please and wash it down with a crisp Alaskan beer. (Nonalcoholic alternatives are also available.) Pace yourself, though, so that you can devour the decadent cheesecake dessert topped with fresh blueberries.
How much is too much crab? This informative, scenic and scrumptious tour is the way to test your limits. Just be warned: You won’t feel hungry for quite some time afterward.
Related: 15 Alaska cruise mistakes you never want to make
Whale watching — Various ports
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From Juneau to Icy Strait Point to Wrangell and beyond, whale watching excursions are a must. They’re expensive, though reasonably priced when compared to some of the flightseeing excursions on this list. But if you want to be guaranteed a whale sighting, it’s best to book passage on one of these smaller boats.
Tours run between $200 and $400 a person, depending on the excursion you choose. The small whale-watching ships include both indoor and outdoor seating areas, but even if it’s raining, you’ll want to brave the upper decks and the elements. The thrill of seeing a whale breach close by is like nothing else, and you’ll get a better view if you’re outdoors.
While you might see whales from your cruise ship, they will likely be far off and in the distance. Officers on ships are trained to avoid whales and will typically steer away from any pods they see. Small ships, on the other hand, can get far closer than a big ship ever could.
We’ve done whale watching tours in nearly every port of call in Alaska, and while we’ve had good sightings in various ports, two stand out. Icy Strait Point has offered some of the most consistently excellent whale watching experiences (sightings are guaranteed or your money back). Excursions from Juneau’s nearby Auke Bay have been well worth the price of admission, too.
Either way, if you’re set on seeing whales, a whale watching excursion is a no-brainer. Bring a poncho, some waterproof clothing and your camera, and prepare yourself: You never know how Mother Nature will surprise you.
Related: Best Alaska cruise tips to help you make the most of your time aboard and ashore
