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Guide · Prices
Whale watching prices in Juneau, tour by tour
From a short shared cruise to a whale and glacier day, here are the whale watching prices in Juneau for each listed tour, what each price includes and the sum a family or group of friends should budget.
Check availabilityfrom $108 · free to cancel
Editorial team, juneauwhalewatchingtours.comUpdated October 16, 20266 minutes to read0 sources
Quick answer
- 01Entry price
- This site's tour starts from $108 for 3 hours.
- 02Small group
- From $189, limited to 9 participants.
- 03Combos
- Whales and glacier start from $152.
- 04Top of the range
- The whale and glacier day trip starts from $230.
- 05Not included
- Tips and hotel pickup on this site's tour.
What a whale watch in Juneau costs
Whale watching prices in Juneau depend mostly on three things: how long the trip lasts, how many people share the boat and whether a glacier stop is part of the package. A short shared trip on an enclosed boat sits at the lower end, while small groups and combo days cost more. Each figure here is a starting price, converted into whichever currency you have picked in the menu, and it shifts with the date and how many seats remain.
The tour sold on this site is the entry point. It starts from $108 per person and takes 3 hours from downtown and back. For that you get the bus to Auke Bay, about 2 hours on a small enclosed boat, water, a snack bag and the use of binoculars. Guests rate its value for money at 4.7.
Further up, the small-group trip starts from $189 and is limited to 9 participants. The combos with Mendenhall Glacier start from $152 for 4 hours and from $199 for 5 hours. The longest day trip starts from $230.
Paying for your trip
From booking to the boat
-
Today
Reserve
Hold your seat and pay later.
-
Up to 24 hours before
Free to cancel
Cancel for a full refund if plans change.
-
Before the day
Pay
The booking is charged as shown on the listing.
-
On the day
Meet downtown
Find the representative outside the tram building.
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After
Tip the crew
Tips are not included in the price.
What the price includes
On the tour sold here, the price covers the boat trip, the round-trip transfer from the meeting point downtown, water, a snack bag and binoculars to use on board. The boat is small, enclosed and climate-controlled, so you have a warm place to sit between sightings. A live guide speaks English.
The combos include more by design. The 4-hour combo includes transport, water, coffee, hot chocolate, a snack, binoculars and a self-guided visit to the glacier recreation area. The 5-hour waterfall combo adds free time at the glacier and a full refund if you see no whale. That promise is worth something if you are anxious about a quiet day.
The small-group trip includes a narrated bus ride, a restroom on board, wildlife viewing and bottled water, according to its listing. Its value comes mainly from the group size: with no more than 9 participants, the deck never feels crowded.
Time for your money
How long each tour lasts
hours
Prices compared
Juneau whale tours by from-price
| Tour | Duration | Includes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| This site's tour | 3 hrs | Snacks, binoculars | from $108 |
| Whales and glacier | 4 hrs | Glacier stop, drinks | from $152 |
| Small-group tour | 3.5 hrs | Max 9, water | from $189 |
| Glacier, waterfall and whales | 5 hrs | Refund if no whale | from $199 |
| Whales and glacier day trip | 4.5 hrs | Snacks, naturalist | from $230 |
From-prices on GetYourGuide; the price you pay depends on the date and seats left.
Price bands
Three budgets compared
Budget
Mid-range
PremiumDecision helper
Which price band fits you?
Tap what matters most to you
This site's tour
From $108 for 3 hours.
4-hour combo
From $152 with a glacier stop.
Small-group tour
From $189, max 9 participants.
Waterfall combo
From $199, full refund offered.
Day trip
From $230, 4.5 hours.
What costs extra
Tips are not included on the tour sold here, and the same goes for several of the listed trips. Budget a tip for the crew if they look after you well; the guide, the captain and the driver all play a part in the day. Hotel pickup is not included either, so you need to make your own way to the meeting point downtown.
Food beyond the snacks is your own affair. On the small-group trip, the listing says food is not included and that you are welcome to bring your own. On longer combo days, plan lunch before or after the tour, because the glacier stop is short and there is no restaurant on the boat.
There are smaller extras to think about too. If your ship docks at an outlying berth, you may need a city bus or shuttle into town, which costs a small fee. Photos taken by a crew member, souvenirs and drinks in town all add up, so it is worth setting aside a little more than the ticket price.
Checklist
In the price or extra?
01
Included on this tour
- Round trip to Auke Bay
- Snack bag and water
- Binoculars on board
- Enclosed, climate-controlled boat
02
Plan for extra
- Tips for the crew
- Hotel pickup
- Lunch in town
- Bus from an outlying dock
Cost calculator
What whale watching costs your group
Tap a tour, set the head count, and the group from-price updates at once.
People
Total from$216
per participant from $108
Check availabilityfree cancellationThe calculator multiplies each listing's lowest GetYourGuide price by your party size, converting with the ECB rate where needed; the booking step has the binding figure.
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Small group and combo: worth the extra?
The small-group trip costs more than the shared tour, from $189 against $108. What you buy with the difference is space and attention: a guaranteed place at the rail, a guide who knows your name and a calmer deck. For photographers and families with young children, that can be money well spent.
A combo costs more than a whale-only trip but replaces a separate glacier outing. If you were going to visit the glacier anyway, the 4-hour combo from $152 may cost less than paying for a whale watch and arranging your own glacier transfer. If the glacier is not a priority, the whale-only tour is the better value.
The longest day trip, from $230, is run by a different company and scores 4.9 for its guides. Its value for money is rated 4.5, a touch lower than the shared tour's 4.7. Choose it if its schedule suits you or if your first choice is sold out.
Ship excursion or booking it yourself
Cruise lines also sell whale watching in Juneau as a shore excursion, and the main difference from booking it yourself lies in the terms. A ship's excursion usually comes with the line's promise to wait if the tour runs late, while a tour you book yourself puts the timing on you. In exchange, booking directly often gives you a wider choice of departures and the flexible terms shown on the listings here.
If you book yourself, protect your day with a sensible margin rather than paying for a guarantee. Choose a departure that brings you back well before all-aboard, keep your phone charged with the tour's contact number, and do not stack a second tight activity onto the same afternoon. With those habits, the risk is small and the savings and choice can be worth it.
Whichever route you take, compare like with like. Check the length of the trip, the time on the water, the size of the group and what is included before you compare the headline prices. Two tours with the same price can feel very different once you know that one includes a glacier stop or a quieter deck and the other does not.
Working out the total for your group
Prices are per person, so the total grows quickly for families and groups. The calculator on this page multiplies the from-price by the number of people for each tour, so you can compare the real cost of your party side by side. Use it before you decide between a shared trip and a small group.
For larger groups, compare the total of individual seats with a quote for a private boat booked directly with a local company. Our guide to private whale watching explains how those trips work. With enough people, a private boat can come close to the cost of seats on a shared trip.
Check the age rules and any child pricing on the listing of the tour you choose, since they vary between companies. And remember that the from-price is the lowest price for that tour; the actual price depends on the date and how many seats are left.
How to book without losing money
Every tour in this comparison can be booked with nothing to pay upfront and released without charge until 24 hours before the start. That means there is little risk in booking early: you hold a seat at today's price and can still change your mind if your plans move.
On a cruise, book once your port times are confirmed and check them again the evening before. If your ship changes its schedule, cancel or move the booking in time and you lose nothing. That flexibility is one of the main reasons to book a tour yourself rather than through a ship.
Finally, judge value by the experience rather than the minutes. A 3-hour trip with a good crew and a warm boat can be worth more than a longer day that leaves you cold and tired. Pick the tour that fits your day, dress well and let the whales do the rest.
Book your seat
The humpbacks are feeding off Auke Bay.
Claim a place now, settle up nearer the date, and change your mind at no charge until the day before sailing.
You ask,we answer.
What is the cheapest whale tour in Juneau?
This site's tour. It starts from $108 per person for 3 hours.
How much is a small-group trip?
From $189. It is limited to 9 participants and runs 3.5 hours.
How much is a whale and glacier combo?
From $152. That is the 4-hour combo; the 5-hour version starts from $199.
Are tips included?
No. Tips are not included on this site's tour; budget for the crew.
Is hotel pickup included?
No. You meet the tour downtown near the cruise docks.
Can I cancel for free?
Yes, up to 24 hours ahead. Reserve now and pay later is also offered.
Sources
Evidence for this guide
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