Fun Things To Do in 4 Popular Alaskan Ports

Thinking about cruising to Alaska? Here are some of our family’s favorite things to do in various Alaskan cruise ports!

Our family had an amazing time visiting Alaska a couple of months ago. Our cruise itinerary had 4 stops: Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Icy Strait.

We took a private van tour of the city. We chose to do this because we were traveling with my parents who have some mobility challenges. It worked out great for everyone in our group.
We booked our tour with Cape Box Tours through Alaska Shore Excursions. It was $540, which was a good deal for us since we had 9 people.
We didn’t have any plans when we showed up to the van, so we asked our guide to take us to the highlights around town.
Saxman Village is a great spot to stop to see totem poles. The Historic Street area is worth exploring and is great if you want some souvenirs.
We took a very short hike to Ward Lake. It was beautiful and so peaceful!

We went deep-sea fishing in Juneau! I used the website FishingBooker to book with Captain Terry White (with Juneau Adventures). We loved this excursion so much!
Terry planned for a taxi to pick us up from the port and take us to his boat at the docks.
No one in our family fishes regularly, and it was still great! No experience necessary!
The boat ride itself was amazing. There were so many eagles, sea lions, and whales.
We spent a few hours fishing and had a great time. Depending on the time of year, you’re allowed to keep different times of fish. You can even get them packaged and shipped home!
We had our taxi drop us off in town afterward and we got dinner at a local restaurant.

A van picked us up at the port and drove us up into the mountains. It was absolutely beautiful!
Once we got to the top of the mountain pass, the van dropped us off and got us set up with bikes and helmets.
From there, you ride with your group on the road back down the mountain. We got to see waterfalls and amazing viewpoints.

After the excursion, we had extra time and decided to eat at a restaurant near the cruise ship. It honestly looked like a tourist trap, but ended up having some amazing fish and chips!
We also hiked to Icy Lake after lunch. This hike was very steep but beautiful. If you have extra time and love hiking, check out All Trails for lots of hikes near the cruise port! Make sure to download your maps beforehand because there isn’t great service on the hike.

Icy Strait is unique because it’s not a regular town, but more like an area curated for cruises.
They offer bear-watching, whale-watching, gondola rides, and tram tours. There are also lots of shops and some restaurants.
My one complaint is that the prices seemed very expensive.
We took the gondola/tram up the mountain and rode the tram from there. The tram tour was fun and we got to see some beautiful areas.

Looking for more information on these cities? Check out my podcasts from a few years ago on each city!