Mendenhall Glacier: Our most recommended tours and activities

Juneau: Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Watching Tour

1. Juneau: Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Watching Tour

On this half-day excursion from Juneau, visit the scenic Mendenhall Glacier and a nearby salmon run. Later, sail through Auke Bay Harbor and nearby waterways to watch for magnificent humpback whales. During your tour, benefit from the knowledge of a local naturalist guide. To begin your tour, depart from downtown Juneau by bus. Enjoy the scenic route from Juneau to the Mendenhall Valley, where you'll pause to admire the glacier. Visit the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center and learn about the area as you take in the stunning views. Continue with a stroll along the boardwalk. Feel the brisk air on your cheeks as you peer over the railing at a creek where salmon spawn. As you watch nature at work, you may spot a bear waiting patiently for a fresh catch. Next, head to Auke Bay Harbor and board a boat captained by a naturalist guide. With binoculars in hand, scan the waves for whales in Favorite Channel, Stephens Passage, Lynn Canal, and Saginaw Channel. The towering mountains provide a perfect backdrop for wildlife watching. After cruising through Alaska's waterways, head back to shore and warm up with coffee, hot chocolate, water, and a small snack. Return to downtown Juneau to complete your tour.

Juneau: Mendenhall Glacier & Whale Watching Boat & Bus Tour

2. Juneau: Mendenhall Glacier & Whale Watching Boat & Bus Tour

Enjoy onboard refreshments including bottled water, coffee, hot chocolate, and a small snack. Be picked up at a central meeting point in Juneau and hop aboard a comfortable and spacious bus. Relax and take in stunning views on the way to the Mendenhall Valley. Hop aboard a jetboat and begin your whale watching adventure. Cruise through the Favorite Channel, Stephens Passage, Lynn Canal, or the Saginaw Channel. Keep an eye out for wildlife like humpback whales with the help of a naturalist guide. Peer through the provided binoculars to try to spy life at a distance. Arrive at the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area where you have free time to take an easy hike to Nugget Falls This tour is designed specifically for people who want extra time to make it to the picturesque Nugget Falls, a waterfall overlooking the Mendenhall Glacier. Alternatively, use your free time to explore the Visitors Center for educational opportunities about the glacier, or walk the board walk over looking a creek where salmon spawn. Return to your meeting point in Juneau at the end of the experience.

Juneau: Mendenhall Glacier Adventure Tour

3. Juneau: Mendenhall Glacier Adventure Tour

Meet your guide at the cruise ship docks to start off this adventure. Hop in the van and listen to live commentary while driving through Juneau into the Tongass National Forest, the largest National Forest in the United States.  Once at the lake you'll have a meet and greet with the second guide who helps you put on the gear. You receive a rain jacket, rain pants, and rain boots. Along with everything needed to stay safe, including but not limited to paddling gloves, life jackets, helmets, trekking poles, and dry bags.  Your guides go over safety and paddling instructions before stepping into the canoe. This journey across the lake is a team effort, so it is not necessary to have paddling experience.  Mendenhall Lake is a glacier-fed lake that is surrounded by mountains and the famous Nugget Falls. The wind coming off the Mendenhall Glacier will officially welcome you to the Alaska wilderness.  Once the canoe is docked on the beach, there's time for a quick break before starting the hike to the glacier. During the hike, you can learn about the history of the area and listen to all the information your guides can share. Enjoy quiet moments to soak in the calmness of Alaska.  Once arriving on the rocky shore next to the glacier, follow your guides on an exploration trek around the rocky moraine to view the glacier up close.  The professional guides are in the wild every day and thrive on showing off what nature has to offer. One of the most unique aspects of the trip is that the glacial environment is in a constant state of movement and change, meaning no one tour is the same as the next. After your hike back to the canoes, be sure to soak in your last moments with the Mendenhall Glacier as the group paddles back to the shore.  Once arrived your guides will provide a hot beverage while you take off the gear. After a short drive back to the cruise ships, you will walk away with memories of Alaska that you will never forget.

Juneau: Mendenhall Lake Canoe Tour

4. Juneau: Mendenhall Lake Canoe Tour

Come face to face with the famous Mendenhall Glacier on this once in a lifetime Alaskan adventure. Meet your guide at the Mt.Robert's Tram building near the cruise pier. Your guide will take you on a scenic tour by minivan to the Tongass National Forest where you can gaze upon the stunning Mendenhall Glacier. This small group canoe tour takes you past icebergs, waterfalls, and steep cliffs once carved by ice. Paddle up close to the face of this 3,000-year-old glacier, 13 miles long of ice, half a mile wide and up to 1,800 feet deep. This is Alaska's most visited glacier! The paddle time is around two hours from start to finish, providing plenty of time to take advantage of capturing the memory through scenic photos. You will be equipped with top quality gear including rain pants, rain jackets, waterproof boots, and everything else you will need to ensure your comfort and safety. You'll get a dry bag filled with bottled water and snacks, to be used to store personal belongings while canoeing. Please note this is canoe tour only and does not include hiking on a glacier. Throughout the day you are offered snacks and beverages.

Juneau: Mendenhall Glacier Lake Canoe Day Trip and Hike

5. Juneau: Mendenhall Glacier Lake Canoe Day Trip and Hike

See for yourself while this tour is one of the most popular adventure trips to the world-renowned Mendenhall Glacier. Paddle across the Mendenhall Glacier Lake and uncover an array of natural features on the edge of the receding Mendenhall Glacier on a guided hike.  Enjoy pickup and drop-off from a meeting point in downtown Juneau or from major hotels in the Mendenhall Valley. Hop aboard a comfortable and climate-controlled van for the transfer to the starting point of your canoe trip.  Begins on the shore of the Mendenhall Glacier Lake with paddle instructions from your guide. Load your gear into the large canoes and paddle together across the cool waters along the Mendenhall. Glide past Arctic Tern nesting grounds and observe the mist generated by Nugget Falls. Travel in 8-person or 12-person canoes skippered by 1 to 2 guides. As you approach the glacier, keep your eyes open for freshly calved icebergs and feel the cool breeze generated by the ice. navigate to the beach and land the canoe. Stop along the way to refuel with a hearty and tasty snack pack. After landing by the glacier, follow your guide across the rocky landscape. See crevasses filled with a deep blue color and an icefall at the toe of the glacier. Due to the glacier's state of constant change, not all features may be present or accessible, making each hike a unique experience.  Return to the canoes and enjoy paddling back with the wind at your back. Arrive on the shore, de-gear, and transfer back to downtown Juneau or your hotel in the Mendenhall Valley.

Juneau or Mendenhall Valley: Mendenhall Glacier Day Trip

6. Juneau or Mendenhall Valley: Mendenhall Glacier Day Trip

Discover the beauty of the Tongass National Forest on 4-mile hike and uncover an array of natural features on the edge of the receding Mendenhall Glacier on this guided hike. Enjoy pickup and drop-off from a meeting point in downtown Juneau or from major hotels in the Mendenhall Valley.  Hop aboard a comfortable and climate-controlled van for the transfer to the starting point of the hike. Begin with a hike through the Tongass National Forest, the largest temperate rainforest in the world. Walk through areas dominated by towering Sitka Spruce and Hemlock Trees. Stop along the way to refuel with a hearty and tasty snack pack. Watch as the wilderness trail becomes less defined as you follow your guide through the dense vegetation, around beaver ponds, and up rock scrambles. Emerge from the forest and approach the final ridge where the jagged face of the glacier bursts into view, and with its ice behind it. Continue along the edge of the glacier to uncover the unique moon-like landscape of bedrock that has been recently exposed by the receding glacier. See crevasses filled with a deep blue color and an icefall at the toe of the glacier. Due to the glacier's state of constant change, not all features may be present or accessible, making each hike a unique experience. Hike back on the West Glacier Trail and transfer back to your meeting point.

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What people are saying about Mendenhall Glacier

Overall rating

4.7 / 5

based on 50 reviews

Bryce and Kelsey were incredible guides. They really engaged our 12 and 16 year old daughters early on and hooked in their attention for the day of adventure! People with teens know exactly how important this is! We canoed, we hiked, we learned, we stopped for photos. We explored and had an amazing up close adventure at the Glacier and Nugget Falls. I am amazed at how much knowledge the guides remembered and shared. It was really one of the most incredible and memorable days for our family. Thank you so much for everything you did to keep everyone warm and comfortable while also having a lot of fun!

My husband and I had the most amazing and wonderful time. The guides (Paul and Kels) were incredible and very knowledgeable. They made the experience unforgettable by taking us all other the glacier, answering our questions and taking the time to capture as many pictures as we wanted. We even got to see a bear!! I cannot say enough wonderful things about the tour and the guides. I will definitely book again.

It was one of my favorite adventures I’ve ever done! Canoeing across Mendenhall Lake was so exciting! We saw a Seal swimming. Beautiful scenery all around and floating icebergs! The hike to get to the glacier was a great! The guides Kelsie and Kelby were the best! Touching the actual glacier ice was awesome!

An unforgettable experience in a wonderful place, the guides always attentive and taking great care of safety, we had an incredible time!

The guide was excellent. Answered all the questions and never pressure by the time