Help with Ketchikan and Juneau

Hey guys,

Firstly a big thank you. Thanks to you guys I found chillikoot tours in skagway and have found a great option for yukon and white pass rail.

Can anyone make any suggestions for similar tour companies in Juneau and Ketchikan.

To give you some background, I am mid thirties relatively fit but doing this cruise with my 76 grandma. She would be best suited to some of the "easy" style tours. She's coming from Australia (im in canada) and leaving all the planning to me. Ideally we would do misty fjords or mendenhall glacier. Can anyone suggest some local operators in these ports? I have checked the threes but Im up to page 14 and drawing a blank.

Thanks in advance!

Hey guys,

Firstly a big thank you. Thanks to you guys I found chillikoot tours in skagway and have found a great option for yukon and white pass rail.

 

Can anyone make any suggestions for similar tour companies in Juneau and Ketchikan.

 

To give you some background, I am mid thirties relatively fit but doing this cruise with my 76 grandma. She would be best suited to some of the "easy" style tours. She's coming from Australia (im in canada) and leaving all the planning to me. Ideally we would do misty fjords or mendenhall glacier. Can anyone suggest some local operators in these ports? I have checked the threes but Im up to page 14 and drawing a blank.

 

Thanks in advance!

Tripadvisor is your friend:) So are the local visitors' bureaus.

Off the top of my head:

For local "easier" type tours, in Ketchikan, try Classic Tours with Lois Munch, Ketchikan Taxi Cab Tours, or Wild Wolf Tours.

For Misty Fiords flights try Island Wings Air Service, Family Air, Carlin Air, Southeast Aviation.

In Juneau try Harv and Marv's whale watching (they include a stop at Mendenhall), or Evergreen Taxi and Tours.

Gastineau Guiding and Allen Marine are two reputable Alaskan companies that offer a number of excursions through the cruise lines, as well as with them directly.

Hey guys,

Firstly a big thank you. Thanks to you guys I found chillikoot tours in skagway and have found a great option for yukon and white pass rail.

 

Can anyone make any suggestions for similar tour companies in Juneau and Ketchikan.

 

To give you some background, I am mid thirties relatively fit but doing this cruise with my 76 grandma. She would be best suited to some of the "easy" style tours. She's coming from Australia (im in canada) and leaving all the planning to me. Ideally we would do misty fjords or mendenhall glacier. Can anyone suggest some local operators in these ports? I have checked the threes but Im up to page 14 and drawing a blank.

 

Thanks in advance!

For Misty Fiords I highly recommend Southeast Aviation.

For Mendenhall- I'll suggest another option = rent a car. You then have the freedom to stay as long as you like at Mendenhall, and add some other stops. It would depend on your port time? Interests?

http://www.traveljuneau.com http://www.visit-ketchikan.com take a look, if you haven't already.

Hey guys,

Firstly a big thank you. Thanks to you guys I found chillikoot tours in skagway and have found a great option for yukon and white pass rail.

 

Can anyone make any suggestions for similar tour companies in Juneau and Ketchikan.

 

To give you some background, I am mid thirties relatively fit but doing this cruise with my 76 grandma. She would be best suited to some of the "easy" style tours. She's coming from Australia (im in canada) and leaving all the planning to me. Ideally we would do misty fjords or mendenhall glacier. Can anyone suggest some local operators in these ports? I have checked the threes but Im up to page 14 and drawing a blank.

 

Thanks in advance!

I would recommend a visit to Taku Lodge. (Juneau)

Just google it and you will see the website.

This is the exact tour that the cruiselines offer, but you will save money by booking it yourself.

You can walk from the ship to the tour pickup location in about 5 minutes.

It is a short floatplane ride to get to the lodge. (included in the tour)

A few hours at the lodge.

A great meal at the lodge.

I agree with Boo's Mom. We booked the 5 glacier Float Plane and Taku Feast. Really looking forward to it. This is in Juneau.

Hey guys,

Firstly a big thank you. Thanks to you guys I found chillikoot tours in skagway and have found a great option for yukon and white pass rail.

 

Can anyone make any suggestions for similar tour companies in Juneau and Ketchikan.

 

To give you some background, I am mid thirties relatively fit but doing this cruise with my 76 grandma. She would be best suited to some of the "easy" style tours. She's coming from Australia (im in canada) and leaving all the planning to me. Ideally we would do misty fjords or mendenhall glacier. Can anyone suggest some local operators in these ports? I have checked the threes but Im up to page 14 and drawing a blank.

 

Thanks in advance!

Mendenhall does not need a guide. If she is not able the board the bus, you could take a cab, but get the telephone number to call for a return pick-up.

We rented a car from the Goldbelt hotel in Juneau It is a 15 min walk from the ship. You could always go by yourself then drive back to the ship to pick her up. We drove to the Mendenhall Glacier. Very easy drive with lots of parking. We were able to set our own pace which was nice.

Thanks so much for all the advice. After talking to her I found out she really wanted to see whales. So I booked harv and Marv in Juneau. Now just figuring out ketchikan and whether misty fjords is worth the $$. But I live in Vancouver. So Alaska is an easy cruise for me and I have to remember it's her once in a lifetime opportunity.

We used Island Wings for a Misty Fjords flight and thought it was totally worth it. For comparison, we also took a flightseeing tour around Denali (which I would recommend over Misty Fjords if you can only choose one).

Here is a link to my travelogues with a description of our day in Ketchikan and pictures from the flightseeing tour if that helps you

http://72hourstogo.blogspot.com/2015/08/day-16-ketchikan-alaska-and-last-day-at.html

I would recommend a visit to Taku Lodge. (Juneau)

Just google it and you will see the website.

This is the exact tour that the cruiselines offer' date=' but you will save money by booking it yourself.

You can walk from the ship to the tour pickup location in about 5 minutes.

It is a short floatplane ride to get to the lodge. (included in the tour)

A few hours at the lodge.

A great meal at the lodge.[/quote']

 

I am thinking of doing this excursion for our June 2017 cruise. I went to their website and it seems that they direct you to book through the cruise website. Has this changed very recently or can you indeed book independent of the cruise? If so, what kind of price difference is it? I always prefer to book independently if possible to save money and since they are right by the cruise ships I am not worried about getting back on time, the planes obviously will all leave the lodge about the same time to head back.

I am thinking of doing this excursion for our June 2017 cruise. I went to their website and it seems that they direct you to book through the cruise website. Has this changed very recently or can you indeed book independent of the cruise? If so, what kind of price difference is it? I always prefer to book independently if possible to save money and since they are right by the cruise ships I am not worried about getting back on time, the planes obviously will all leave the lodge about the same time to head back.

Yes, keep scrolling down and make the booking independent of the cruise line.

I did this last summer.

This is the price:

Taku Lodge Feast & 5-Glacier Seaplane Discovery Tour

Price: Adult, $309 per person

Child (under 12 yrs), $265

Infants under the age of 2 years may travel at no cost as lap babies.

Duration: 3 hours of total tour time.

Includes 35 minutes of Glacier Flightseeing in route to the Taku Lodge, 2 full hours on the Taku Lodge grounds, and a 15-minute return flight past the glaciers to the downtown Juneau waterfront. (the meal is served approximately 1 hour after departure time)

Thanks. I want to say the price for the excursion through Celebrity was just under $320 so I might as well book through Celebrity and feel a little more secure in the ship waiting on us if we are returning late or some other circumstance that can't be predicted. If it was substantially higher to go through Celebrity then I would book independently.

Thanks. I want to say the price for the excursion through Celebrity was just under $320 so I might as well book through Celebrity and feel a little more secure in the ship waiting on us if we are returning late or some other circumstance that can't be predicted. If it was substantially higher to go through Celebrity then I would book independently.

Celebrity charges $339.00 per person.

This can be booked independently for $309.00.

$30.00 difference per person.

I booked it independently. I think we are doing the 11:00 one? That should get us back more than early enough to get on board. We are actually hoping to go to Mendenhall after we get back from Taku. After a direct email to them they said they have room on their 9:00 am and 11:00 am. See message below (I hope this is okay, if not, please delete):

Hello and Greetings from Wings Airways & the Taku Glacier Lodge!

On September 15th, 2016 we would have availability on our 9am or 11am departures.

Taku Lodge Feast & 5-Glacier Seaplane Discovery

$309 Adult $265 Child under the age of 12 years (infants under the age of 2 years may travel at no cost as a lap baby)

If you would like to make a reservation please call us at 907-586-6275, or forward your contact number with a suggest time to call. Following the end of the 2015 season, we are in the office sporadically during the Fall months. If we are unable to take your call please leave a message and we will happily call you back as soon as we are in!

Booking information:

· The full amount is required at the time of the booking.

· We accept Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover Card, and PayPal.

· Cancelations: Full refunds can be made prior to 30 days in advance of the tour. A 75%refund can be made until 2 weeks prior to the tour. All tours are non-refundable once with two weeks prior to the departure date. If we cancel due to inclimate weather you will be fully refunded.

· Once payment has been received an email conformation will be sent and will include additional tour information.

· Please visit our website for answers to some of our most frequently asked questions: http://www.wingsairways.com/faq

We hope to show you our amazing part of the world this upcoming summer!

Sincerely,

The Wings Airways/Taku Lodge Team

http://www.WingsAirways.com

907-586-6275

I booked it independently. I think we are doing the 11:00 one? That should get us back more than early enough to get on board. We are actually hoping to go to Mendenhall after we get back from Taku. After a direct email to them they said they have room on their 9:00 am and 11:00 am. See message below (I hope this is okay, if not, please delete):

 

Hello and Greetings from Wings Airways & the Taku Glacier Lodge!

 

On September 15th, 2016 we would have availability on our 9am or 11am departures.

 

Taku Lodge Feast & 5-Glacier Seaplane Discovery

 

$309 Adult $265 Child under the age of 12 years (infants under the age of 2 years may travel at no cost as a lap baby)

 

If you would like to make a reservation please call us at 907-586-6275, or forward your contact number with a suggest time to call. Following the end of the 2015 season, we are in the office sporadically during the Fall months. If we are unable to take your call please leave a message and we will happily call you back as soon as we are in!

 

Booking information:

 

· The full amount is required at the time of the booking.

 

· We accept Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover Card, and PayPal.

 

· Cancelations: Full refunds can be made prior to 30 days in advance of the tour. A 75%refund can be made until 2 weeks prior to the tour. All tours are non-refundable once with two weeks prior to the departure date. If we cancel due to inclimate weather you will be fully refunded.

 

· Once payment has been received an email conformation will be sent and will include additional tour information.

 

· Please visit our website for answers to some of our most frequently asked questions: http://www.wingsairways.com/faq

 

We hope to show you our amazing part of the world this upcoming summer!

 

 

 

Sincerely,

 

The Wings Airways/Taku Lodge Team

 

 

 

http://www.WingsAirways.com

 

907-586-6275

sounds like a good plan.

We have always done two excursions while in Juneau, because there is always so much to do there. And it usually is a very long port day.

We have done Harv & Marv's whale watching a few times there. Excellent, excellent, excellent! They pick you up at the cruise pier and on the return back to the ship they will stop at the Mendenhall Glacier for about 20 minutes (plenty of time).

Thanks for pointing out it is a $30 price difference if booking Taku independently. That adds up. The $60 we save could be put towards doing something else in Juneau when we get back. Would it be possible to do the whale watching after coming back from Taku? Or should we just go and sight-see around Juneau on our own? Not sure how much is within walking distance from the pier.

If you get the 9:00 flight to Taku, when would you eat? Do they serve food early enough for those guests? I guess they do two different lunches for the two different group arrivals or does the 9:00 group eat right around noon and have to leave right away?

Thanks for pointing out it is a $30 price difference if booking Taku independently. That adds up. The $60 we save could be put towards doing something else in Juneau when we get back. Would it be possible to do the whale watching after coming back from Taku? Or should we just go and sight-see around Juneau on our own? Not sure how much is within walking distance from the pier.

 

If you get the 9:00 flight to Taku, when would you eat? Do they serve food early enough for those guests? I guess they do two different lunches for the two different group arrivals or does the 9:00 group eat right around noon and have to leave right away?

With the 9am flight, you would be having brunch.

The following is from the website.

*************

Taku Glacier Lodge Brunch Departures:

With a 9am departure and 10am mealtime, the brunch departure is the perfect way to start the day.

Includes all of the amazing food from above with the addition of reindeer sausage and scrumptious scones

**************

With the 9am Taku Lodge flght you can def do whale watching.

Looks like your ship departs at 6pm.

So, all onboard at 530pm.

Plenty of time.

Thanks for pointing out it is a $30 price difference if booking Taku independently. That adds up. The $60 we save could be put towards doing something else in Juneau when we get back. Would it be possible to do the whale watching after coming back from Taku? Or should we just go and sight-see around Juneau on our own? Not sure how much is within walking distance from the pier.

 

If you get the 9:00 flight to Taku, when would you eat? Do they serve food early enough for those guests? I guess they do two different lunches for the two different group arrivals or does the 9:00 group eat right around noon and have to leave right away?

It depends on your port time- if you can add a whale watch or not. IF you have all day- sure you can do both.

Taku Lodge used to be about a half day stop when I went. :) They have tighten up the visit to much shorter now. You would be eating around 10am with a 9am tour.

Sure you can "sight see" around Juneau. Fodor's Alaska, Frommer's Alaska both have detailed walking tour maps. Also the visitor center has a walking tour map. (there isn't only one :) )