Juneau Tourist Attractions and Sightseeing

(Juneau, Alaska - AK, USA)

Tourists spending time in downtown Juneau will find that this part of the city is very walkable and filled with attractions, with a series of signposts explaining local Alaskan history. However, there are some fairly steep hills, particularly around 4th Street.

One of the biggest tourist attractions in Juneau is without question the Mount Roberts Tramway, which stands on South Franklin Street, close to the Twisted Fish Co. Alaskan Grill and Alaska Canopy Adventures. Cable cars / gondolas travel along this aerial tramway to the Skybridge, on Mount Roberts, with the ascent lasting in the region of six minutes and reaching a height of more than 1,150 meters / 3,775 feet.

Cruise ship passengers stopping off at Juneau often choose to head straight to the Mendenhall Glacier. Located within the Mendenhall Valley and approximately 15 to 20 minutes to the northwest of the city center and its port, the Mendenhall Glacier is of epic proportions and is around 12 miles / 19 km in length. The whole region is now a protected recreation area and features some spectacular mountainous scenery.

Other notable attractions around the capital of Alaska include the Macaulay Salmon Hatchery Visitors Center and the Alaskan Brewing Company, and if money is no object, then perhaps a helicopter tour of the region is in order?

Mount Roberts Tramway

Address: 490 South Franklin Street, Juneau, Alaska (AK), 99801, USA
Tel: +1 888 461 8726
This tramway officially opened in 1997 and each year transports some 200,000 passengers, who are able to enjoy some breathtaking views of downtown Juneau and its cruise ships, the Chilkat Mountains, Douglas Island, the Gastineau Channel and the Silver Bow Basin - the site where gold was famously discovered in the 1880s. In fact, these are the best possible views of Southeast Alaska that you are ever likely to experience. When you reach the top, you will be able to visit the Raptor Center, where rescued eagles and other birds of prey are rehabilitated, ready to be returned to the wild. Alternatively, the Timberline Bar and Grill at Mountain House is on hand for a hot meal, and the Raven Eagle gift shop provides yet another attraction, as do the short films at the 120-seater Chilkat Theater. There are also a number of scenic hiking trails, should you choose to hike back down to the bottom of the mountain.
Open hours: May to September, daily - 08:00 to 21:00, operation times vary
Admission: charge, discounts available for children, children five years old and under are free

Mendenhall Glacier

Address: Visitor Center, Glacier Spur Road, Juneau, Alaska (AK), 99801, USA
Tel: +1 907 789 0097
The Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center is easy to reach and enjoys healthy visitor numbers of roughly half a million, the majority of which are made up of cruise ship passengers and tourists. This is the place to come for some of the finest views of the glacier itself, although if you feel like splashing out a little, then consider a helicopter tour, perhaps followed by a ride on an authentic dog sled pulled by a team of eager-to-please huskies. It is worth allowing enough time to walk along some of the neighboring paths and boardwalks, such as the East Glacier Loop, the Nugget Falls Trail, the Steep Creek Trail and also the Photo Point Trail. If you are here during the summer, then you may be fortunate enough to catch sight of a family of black bears, playful mountain goats or the spawning sockeye salmon. You can easily spend anywhere from two to five hours here, so it makes sense to arrive early, so that you don't feel rushed.
Open hours: visitor center, May to September, daily - 08:00 to 19:30; October to April, Thursday to Sunday - 10:00 to 16:00
Admission: charge, children 16 years old and under are free

Macaulay Salmon Hatchery Visitors Center

Address: 2697 Channel Drive, Juneau, Alaska (AK), 99801, USA
Tel: +1 907 463 4810
A visit to the Macaulay Salmon Hatchery Visitors Center enables you to learn all about the life cycle of salmon living in Alaska. A ten-minute tour of the facility takes visitors around the hatchery, with experienced guides being happy to answer any fishy questions along the way. There is a large saltwater aquarium stocked with lots of native fish, and touch tanks are on hand to stimulate the minds of younger visitors, who are able to stroke sea cucumbers and starfish, and handle small crabs. If you are lucky, you will see the imprinted salmon returning here, to their place of birth, to spawn. This is a really fascinating sight, with the salmon leaping up the 'fish ladder' staircase to reach the elevated holding pens. And of course, the free samples of smoked salmon are sure to go down well.
Open hours: May to September, Monday to Friday - 10:00 to 18:00, Saturday and Sunday - 10:00 to 17:00; October to April by appointment only
Admission: charge, discounts available for children, children one year old and under are free

Alaskan Brewing Company

Address: 5429 Shaune Drive, Juneau, Alaska (AK), 99801, USA
Tel: +1 907 780 5866
The Alaskan Brewing Company resides on the northwesterly outskirts of Juneau, in the Lemon Creek area, just past Salmon Creek. This brewery has been in operation since its opening in 1986, although it has expanded greatly over the subsequent decades. Visitors are treated to guided tours, learning about how beer is brewed here in Alaska, before tasting the produce. Some of the award-winning ales are seasonal, such as the summer and winter ales. Rough drafts, limited-edition beers (such as Alaskan Smoked Porter) and year-round beers are also available (such as Amber, Freeride, White and Alaskan Stout). All of these bottled beers can be purchased at the gift shop, along with branded sweatshirts, hoodies, T-shirts, caps, glasses, mugs and the Alaskan Brewery Company Cookbook, which includes recipes such as Baltic Porter cod, fish chowder, fudge truffles, pale ale paella and sourdough rye bread.
Open hours: guided tours, October to April, Tuesday to Saturday - 11:00 to 17:30; May to September, daily - 11:00 to 18:00
Admission: free

Floatplane, Plane and Helicopter Tours

Seeing the cityscape of Juneau and its surrounding countryside from the air is certainly a very memorable way to sightsee, and both helicopter tours of the Mendenhall Glacier and trips onboard a floatplane (an aircraft that lands and takes-off on water) are available. Alternatively, if you are on vacation here as a group, it might make more economic sense to charter a small plane, as this allows you to share the cost whilst customizing the route to take in your chosen attractions and scenery.

• Wings Airways
  Address: 2 Marine Way, Suite 175, Juneau, Alaska (AK), 99801, USA
  Tel: +1 907 586 6275
• Ward Air Inc.
  Address: 28991 Yandukin Drive, Juneau, Alaska (AK), 99801, USA
  Tel: +1 907 789 9150

Open hours: hours vary
Admission: charge

Outdoor Activities

Gastineau Guiding
Address: 1330 Eastaugh Way, Suite 2, Juneau, Alaska (AK), USA
Tel: +1 907 586 2831
The seasonal weather obviously greatly affects the possible outdoor attractions and recreational activities around Juneau. Trails suitable for walking, hiking and cycling provide good alternatives to public transportation, if you have a little extra time, while the downtown district is very walkable, with its plentiful sidewalks and attractive neighborhoods. A number of the main roads now include dedicated cycle lanes, so that you can safely cycle alongside the traffic. If hiking is more your kind of thing, then you will be pleased to learn that there are close to 100 different hiking trails dotted around the area, often leading through parks and passing by rental log cabins, although some of these routes are fairly steep. Water lovers may prefer to sightsee by canoe, kayak or sailboat, and these can easily be hired.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free