Ultimate Juneau Excursion: Hatchery, Glacier, Breaching Whale
We recently took a 7-day Alaska cruise on Royal Princess. We had several stops on this cruise, the first one being Juneau. I compared the tours offered by the cruise line, Viator, and the shore excursion group. I ended up picking our excursion from Shore Excursion Group.
I was looking for something to get us out and about with minimal walking. We were traveling with my parents who are in their 70s, me in my late 40s, and my 17-year-old son. I had originally thought about doing the Goldbelt Tram when we go to the port. However, the week before our cruise, I second guessed my decision and booked this tour with Last Chance Tours. I am so glad we did. This tour was fantastic, and it made everyone happy.
Meetup
Our tour started at 3. We were late getting into Juneau. We were supposed to arrive at 1. but we didn’t get there until about 1:30. Luckily, we were not in a rush, so we waited for the lines to die down, and then we walked off the ship. We walked to the Goldbelt Tram station. There was a mass of people there. We knew to look for a yellow and red sign with Last Chance on it. I was expecting it to be in the air like the others but the person holding it had more towards his mid-section. We did not see him until the crowd lessened. I had a contact number for the company, so I called and found out what he looked like and he magically appeared We gave him our tickets and he gave us directions where to meet our driver and guide.
Driver and Guide
Our driver and guide, Tom, along with his 15-year-old daughter Courtney, were in charge of our tour. They both had a wealth of information about the area. He gave us not only tips for Juneau but also for Ketchikan and Skagway. Our tour was on a minibus, not a huge bus. I think we had about 20+ people on our tour. I prefer smaller tours to large ones. This was a great size for the day’s activities.
Below is a picture of Courtney, us, and Tom. Courtney is up front and Tom is in the back. They were great about helping us get family photos on this trip, and I loved that they jumped in one. Don’t worry, I also have plenty without Tom and Courtney.
Us and our tour guides Courtney and Tom
First Stop
Our first stop on the tour was at the Macaulay Hatchery. At the hatchery, you learn about the life cycle of salmon.
Peak season at the hatchery would be July, with Salmon. However, we enjoyed the visit. We were able to see the Salmon Ladder. Pictured below.
This was a nice, fun stop. Tom and Courtney guided our group around the hatchery. After explaining what we were seeing, they gave us some free time to explore the visitor center. They had free samples of salmon jerky and free coffee to warm you up.
2nd stop
The second stop on our tour was Medenhall Glacier. My son and I love to hike. However, we knew that traveling with my parents, we needed to find another way to see the Medehnall Glacier. This tour gave us the perfect viewing spot with a quick walk to a viewing area. We had about 15 minutes at the glacier, and while that would not usually be enough time for us. I knew this going in, and I was thankful we got to see it this trip. Check out the picture below. I cannot imagine missing this!
3rd Stop
After Medenhall glacier, we headed back towards the cruise ship. We had one final stop at the breaching whale statue. Be warned, this is also a fountain, and with Alaskan winds, it would be easy to get soaked here.
After our final stop, we headed back to the cruise ship. We finished our tour back in the parking lot of the Goldbelt Tram. Overall, this was a great tour. If I were traveling with my husband and boys alone, we would want something more active. Our family loves to hike and explore on foot. However, this was a great option for our multi-generational family trip. Our tour was full of interesting commentary by Tom and Courtney. They are a super interesting family.
If you are interested in learning more about our Alaska Adventures, check out these posts:
How I saved big on our Alaska Cruise
What I wore in Alaska - shopping guide
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