Guide · Private and small

Private whale watching tours in Juneau

A boat to yourselves, or just a quieter deck? How private whale watching tours in Juneau compare with small-group trips and the larger shared boats, and which one is worth the money.

Check availabilityfrom $108 · free to cancel

Editorial team, juneauwhalewatchingtours.comUpdated October 16, 20266 minutes to read2 sources

On this topic: the tour Juneau: Whale watching cruise with snacks 4.8 (579 reviews) 3 hoursSnack bag and waterBinoculars on board from$108per person Check availabilityFree to cancel until 24 hours before you sail

Quick answer

01Truly private: Booked direct with a local company; one offers boats for 6 guests.¹
02Nearly private: A small-group trip capped at 9 participants.
03Best value: This site's shared tour, from $108.
04Same whales: Every boat follows the 100-yard rule.²
05Who it suits: Families, photographers and anyone celebrating.

What a private trip changes

Private whale watching tours in Juneau put your group alone on the boat with a captain and often a guide. You decide how long to stay with a whale, when to move on and how much talking you want between sightings. For families with small children, keen photographers and couples marking a special trip, that control is the real luxury, more than any cushion or glass of wine.

What a private trip does not change is the whales. They feed in the same channels whoever is on board, and every boat follows the same federal rule against approaching a humpback within 100 yards (91.4 m), with some exceptions.² A private charter cannot take you closer or promise a better sighting; it gives you more freedom in how you spend the time near them.

Price is the other big difference. On a shared boat you pay per seat; on a private charter you pay for the whole boat, so the cost per person falls as your group grows. For a couple it is usually the most expensive way to see whales, while for a group of friends or a large family it can come close to the cost of booking individual seats.

Planning

Booking a private trip step by step

First

Fix your hours

Know when you arrive and when you must be back.
Then

Contact companies

Ask which small boats can be reserved for your party.
Compare

Read the terms

Transfers, food, length and cancellation rules.
Confirm

Get it in writing

Meeting point, time and what is included.
On the day

Dress for the water

Rain gear and warm layers, even in summer.

Where to find a private boat in Juneau

The tours listed on this site are shared trips, and none of them is sold as a private charter. If you want a boat to yourselves, the usual route is to book directly with a local company. One Juneau company, for example, describes smaller vessels for 6 guests alongside larger boats for 18 to 40 guests.¹ Ask such companies whether a small boat can be reserved for your party alone.

When you contact a company, ask the same questions you would for any trip: the total length, the meeting point, what is included and what happens in bad weather. Ask too whether the private price includes the transfer from downtown or whether you need to make your own way to the harbor in Auke Bay. Get the answers in writing before you pay.

Plan ahead for summer dates. If your dates are fixed, enquire as soon as you know them, so you have time to compare replies and confirm the details calmly rather than at the last minute.

Comparison

Shared, small group or private?

Option	Group	Booking	Price
Shared tour (this site)	Enclosed boat	Online, free cancellation	from $108
Small-group tour	Max 9	Online, free cancellation	from $189
Private boat	Your party	Direct with a company	Quoted per boat

Shared and small-group prices are from-prices on GetYourGuide; private boats are priced by each company.

Three ways

How much privacy do you need?

From Juneau: Whale Watching Cruise with Snacks

Best value

Shared tour

Most reviewed

Price: from $108
Duration: 3 hrs
Rating: 4.79

Compare

Quiet deck

Small group

Catamaran, max 9

Price: from $189
Duration: 3.5 hrs
Group: Max 9

Compare

Full control

Private boat

Booked direct

Group: Your party
Price: Per boat
Booking: Direct

Compare

Decision helper

Private, small group or shared?

Tap the one that sounds like you

We are a big family or group We want space but no planning Value matters most We are celebrating something I am traveling alone

Private boat

The cost per person falls as the group grows.

Small group

Limited to 9 participants, booked online.

Shared tour

From $108, rated 4.79.

Private boat

Your pace, your stops, your company.

Shared tour

Good company on deck and the lowest price.

Under these regulations it is unlawful for a person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to approach, by any means, with some exceptions, within 100 yards (91.4 m) of a humpback whale.

NOAA FisheriesSource 2

The small-group alternative

If a private charter is out of budget, a small-group tour gets you much of the benefit for a lower price. The small-group trip in this comparison is limited to 9 participants, runs 3.5 hours and starts from $189 per person. It carries a 5.00 rating from 14 reviews, with guide, transportation and value each scored at 5.

With a group that small, everyone gets a place at the rail, the guide can answer questions personally and the boat feels calm rather than crowded. For many travelers that is the sweet spot between the shared jet boats and a private charter, and it requires no extra organisation: you book a seat like any other tour.

The trip includes a narrated bus ride from downtown and a catamaran ride, according to the listing. Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead and pay later are offered on the same terms as the larger tours. That flexibility is useful if your plans are still moving.

Checklist

Before booking a private boat

Agree in writing

Total time and time on the water
Transfer to Auke Bay included or not
Food and drinks on board
Cancellation and weather terms

Bring

Rain gear
Warm layers
Camera with zoom

Cost calculator

Seats for your group

See what individual seats cost your group, to compare with a private quote.

Shared tour3 hoursfrom $108 Small groupmax 9 peoplefrom $189

People 2

Total from$216

per participant from $108

Check availabilityfree cancellation

The 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.

Video

Private Luxury Whale Watching in Juneau: Is It Worth the Upgrade?

The video loads only when you tap play.

A luxury whale watch in Juneau

Ask a handful of people what a luxury whale watch in Juneau should include and each will give you a different answer. For some it means a small boat and a quiet deck. For others it means a warm cabin, good food on board and a guide who stays with them the whole time. Decide which of these matters to you before you compare offers, because the word luxury alone tells you little.

Comfort on the water is the part that most often makes the difference in Juneau. Days are often cool and damp, so a heated, enclosed cabin where you can warm up between sightings is a real upgrade. The tour sold on this site uses small, enclosed, climate-controlled boats, which gives you that comfort even on a shared trip.

Time is the other luxury. A longer private trip gives you the chance to stay with a feeding group or to wait out a quiet spell rather than heading back on schedule. If that matters to you, ask a company for its longest option and what the crew does when the whales are slow to appear.

Photography on a private or small boat

For photographers, the case for a smaller boat is strongest. On a crowded deck you may find the best angle blocked at the moment a tail rises, and moving around with a long lens is awkward. On a private boat or a small group you can stay on one side, brace yourself against the rail and wait for the shot without worrying about the people around you.

Talk to the captain about light and position before you start. A good skipper will try to keep the sun behind you and the whales in front, while still respecting the distance rules, and will tell you when a whale is likely to surface again after a dive. That cooperation is much easier to arrange with a handful of people on board than with a full boat.

Pack for the conditions as much as for the subject. Spray, drizzle and cold fingers are the usual problems, so bring a rain cover for your camera, a cloth for the lens and gloves thin enough to work the controls. Set a fast shutter speed in advance, shoot in bursts when a whale arches its back, and keep a short lens handy for the wider moments when a whale surfaces close to the boat.

Is the shared tour good enough?

For many visitors the honest answer is yes. The tour on this site is the most reviewed whale trip in our comparison, rated 4.79 from 579 reviews, and starts from $108. Guests score its guides at 4.9 and value for money at 4.7. It takes 3 hours in total, with about 2 hours on the water.

A shared trip is also a social one. You hear other people gasp when a tail rises, share binoculars with the family beside you and swap photos on the bus back to town. For solo travelers especially, that can be part of the fun rather than a drawback.

Choose private when your group is large enough to make the cost reasonable, when you have special needs such as small children or a lot of camera gear, or when the trip marks an occasion. Choose a small group when you want space without the planning. Choose the shared tour when value and simplicity come first.

Planning tips for a private day

Start with the date and your hours in Juneau, then work backwards. If you are on a cruise, ask the company to plan the timing around your all-aboard time and confirm who carries the risk if the ship arrives late. A good operator will have dealt with this many times and will tell you straight away.

Agree the details in advance: the meeting point, whether the transfer to Auke Bay is included, what food and drink are on board, and how long you will be on the water. If anyone in your group has limited mobility, ask about the boarding ramp and the steps on the boat before you book.

Finally, dress for the water rather than the town. Bring rain gear and warm layers even in summer, a camera with a zoom lens and something to keep it dry. A private boat gives you time; good clothing lets you enjoy it on deck instead of inside.

Book your seat