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Alaska · USA
Alaska's capital, with a glacier, whales and rainforest a short ride from the docks.
See Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls, watch humpback whales from a boat, ride through Glacier Gardens in the Tongass rainforest or take the free summer shuttle to Alaskan Brewing's tasting room.
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See Glacier
Mendenhall Valley, nearly 13 miles from downtown
Around 700,000 people a year visit the glacier, and Nugget Falls pours down beside it. Summer shuttles from downtown cost $45 plus tax a person, round trip.
How to Visit Mendenhall Glacier (opens a new tab)Unwind Garden
7600 Glacier Highway
Ride a guided golf-cart tour along a two-mile path through 50 acres of the Tongass rainforest, past waterfalls and the Flower Towers. A taxi from downtown costs $25 one way.
Visit Glacier Gardens (opens a new tab)Taste Local Beer
5364 Commercial Boulevard, about 5 miles from downtown
The tasting room opens daily at 11 a.m. and pours Alaskan's beers, seltzers and cocktails, with food trucks outside. A free summer shuttle runs from the Alaskan Brewing Depot at 406 South Franklin Street, about 10 minutes each way.
Plan a Brewery Visit (opens a new tab)Explore Museum
395 Whittier Street, downtown
It is about 0.6 miles from the waterfront and opens Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Adults pay $9, seniors $8, and visitors 18 and under go free.
See Museum Details (opens a new tab)Skip the excursion desk
The Goldbelt Tram is temporarily closed, with no reopening date given on its site.
Juneau has six major docks on the downtown waterfront, from 0.2 miles to 1.5 miles (AJ Dock) from downtown. Some ships anchor off the Cruise Ship Terminal and tender passengers ashore.
| Cruise line | Ships | Pier | Distance to town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Princess | Royal, Discovery, Coral, Island and Grand mostly South Franklin; Star always Alaska Steamship; Emerald splits Franklin and Cruise Terminal | South Franklin Street Dock, Alaska Steamship Dock, Cruise Ship Terminal, anchored | In town; tender from anchor |
| Holland America | Eurodam, Noordam and Westerdam use the Cruise Ship Terminal; Koningsdam, Alaska Steamship; Nieuw Amsterdam and Zaandam split Franklin and Cruise Terminal | Cruise Ship Terminal, Alaska Steamship Dock, South Franklin Street Dock | In town |
| Norwegian | Jade and Joy mostly AJ Dock; Bliss and Encore split AJ Dock and Alaska Steamship | AJ Dock, Alaska Steamship Dock | AJ Dock 1.5 miles; In town from Alaska Steamship |
| Royal Caribbean | Anthem and Ovation always Alaska Steamship; Serenade always AJ Dock; Voyager splits | Alaska Steamship Dock, AJ Dock, Cruise Ship Terminal | In town from Alaska Steamship; AJ Dock 1.5 miles |
| Celebrity | Edge always AJ Dock; Solstice always Alaska Steamship; Summit varies, often anchored | AJ Dock, Alaska Steamship Dock, anchored, Cruise Ship Terminal | AJ Dock 1.5 miles; In town from Alaska Steamship; tender from anchor |
| Carnival | Spirit at Alaska Steamship; Miracle and Luminosa mostly anchored | Anchored, Alaska Steamship Dock | Tender from anchor; In town from Alaska Steamship |
| Disney | All ships | AJ Dock | 1.5 miles |
| MSC | All ships | Anchored, South Franklin Street Dock | Tender from anchor; In town from Franklin |
| Regent Seven Seas | All ships | Cruise Ship Terminal | In town |
| Silversea | All ships | Cruise Ship Terminal, AJ Dock, anchored | In town from Cruise Ship Terminal; AJ Dock 1.5 miles; tender from anchor |
| Cunard | All ships | Anchored, South Franklin Street Dock, Cruise Ship Terminal | Tender from anchor; In town from the piers |
| Oceania | All ships | Anchored, Cruise Ship Terminal | Tender from anchor; In town from Cruise Ship Terminal |
| Viking | All ships | Anchored, Cruise Ship Terminal | Tender from anchor; In town from Cruise Ship Terminal |
| Seabourn | All ships | Cruise Ship Terminal | In town |
| Lindblad National Geographic | Small expedition ships | Inside Cruise Terminal, Gitkov Dock, Intermediate Vessel Float | In town from the terminal and float; Gitkov Dock distance not published |
Piers can change; your cruise line's app or daily planner shows yours. This table shows the 2026 schedule. Source: Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska: Juneau 2026 calendar.
Where you dock decides how you reach town.
The airport is about 7.7 miles in a straight line from the downtown waterfront.
If you do one thing here
Travel Juneau says humpback whales are in the waters of the northern Inside Passage from April to November, so the cruise season is whale season.
Juneau's wildlife tours can also bring you close to bears, seals, eagles and mountain goats.
Juneau's recorded violent crime sits between the US and Alaska averages, and most piers are a short walk from town.
Crime figures: Alaska Department of Public Safety, Crime in Alaska 2025; Juneau rate uses the 2025 borough population of 31,182; US rate is preliminary. Weather: NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Juneau airport.
Make it part of your voyage
Alaska cruises call here all summer, and a few sailings start in Juneau.
At six major docks along the downtown waterfront: AJ Dock, South Franklin Street Dock, Intermediate Vessel Float, Cruise Ship Terminal, Alaska Steamship Dock and Seadrome Dock. Some ships anchor and tender passengers in.
Yes from the downtown piers: 0.2 miles from Alaska Steamship Dock, 0.4 from Cruise Ship Terminal and 0.7 from South Franklin Street Dock. AJ Dock is 1.5 miles away, about 30 minutes on foot.
The city and the cruise lines agreed on no more than five large ships in port per day.
The glacier is nearly 13 miles north of downtown. Summer shuttles from Juneau Tours and M&M Tours cost $45 plus tax a person, round trip. A taxi costs $37 plus $17 a person one way; rideshare cannot serve the glacier.
Yes, but with limited availability. Uber, Lyft and other rideshare services are not allowed at Mendenhall Glacier.
A taxi costs $25 to $28. The airport is about 7.7 miles in a straight line from the downtown waterfront.
The meter starts at $4.00, then adds $2.50 a mile and $0.75 for each extra passenger. Charter rates are $70 an hour.
Juneau police recorded about 484 violent offenses per 100,000 residents in 2025 (our calculation): about 48% above the US rate and about a third below Alaska's.
At the airport, August averages a high of 63°F, a low of 49°F and 6.4 inches of rain. Downtown is wetter, with over 90 inches a year.
Travel Juneau says the best time is April to November.
Not now. The Goldbelt Tram site says it is temporarily closed as assessments continue, and gives no reopening date.
Alaskan Brewing runs a free round-trip shuttle from its depot near the cruise docks to its tasting room, about 10 minutes each way, in summer.
