Help with budgeting excursions in Alaska

[absmiff]

My husband and I are traveling on RC May 31st from Vancouver. We're trying to budget our shore excursions, and we don't want to feel like we're wasting our time at a port.

 

That being said, the excursions in Alaska are generally expensive and we're trying to budget. We're adventurous and willing to do any excursion, those associated with the ships or any others available. We also would be fine NOT doing shore excursions in certain areas - we've explored about 20 countries, mostly by ourselves. I do understand Alaska is a whole different creature than where we have been in the past (Europe, Asia, Australia).

 

The ports we are visiting, and the hours spent at them, are

-Ketchikan (6am-4pm)

-Icy Strait Point/Hoonah (9am-6pm)

-Juneau (7am-8:30pm)

-Skagway (7AM-4:30pm)

 

[We know we want to book a kayaking tour, but are open to where.

-We love hiking (with a group or alone), and would love the opportunity to actually walk on (or very close to) a glacier.

-We want to see whales, but it doesn't have to be on a whale watching cruise.

-Any other suggestions for outdoor activities or tours would be great as well...we want to be outdoors as much as possible at the ports.

-We like breweries, or interesting/novel bars, and would like to visit a couple at some point as well.

 

**Are there any of these ports that we wouldn't need to book an excursion for? We aren't interested in heritage centers or museums, so there would need to be other activities to keep us busy. We can definitely follow a map for hikes/etc if we knew which were suggested.

 

**What excursions would you suggest for what we want to fit into our tour and at what location?

 

We would like our budget for port costs to be at or under $800 total ($400/person).

 

Any help and suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[firstalaskatrip]

If you want to do kayaking, I would recommend Southeast Sea Kayaks in Ketchikan. We did the longer tour - i think it was about $150. You can probably find kayaking for cheaper, but it was limited to 6 people so much more enjoyable and gets consistently great reviews on tripadvisor. We even saw a killer whale on the way back. There is also a walking tour you can do in Ketchikan along the Creek where salmon run upstream later in the season - the visitor center hands out maps.

 

In Juneau - If you like hiking, Mendenhall Glacier is great. The shuttle bus out is pretty (I think it was about $7 each way), and there are several different trails to explore. You would have to do an excursion to walk on the glacier, but on the trails you can get a good view of both the glacier and waterfall. In august there are often black bears around in one part. We didn't see them, but plenty of others did the same day.

 

We saw whales every day from the ship, but I definitely wouldn't trade our whale watch - much closer and we also saw an amazing pod of orcas. As you said though, there are tradeoffs, so it depends on what is most important to you. Juneau also has the Alaskan brewing company - we didn't have time to do the brewery tour, but they supposedly have a nice one. We did enjoy their beers both on our cruise and onshore, and we made it to their store. The brewery is outside of town so you have to take a shuttle there.

 

In Skagway, I remember reading on cruise critic last year about a free walking tour you could join and there are also number of trails - found some via google as well. We didn't end up doing this since we had other activities planned, but I'm sure if you post specifically about hiking trails in Skagway someone will answer.

 

I'm sure you will have a great time with whatever you choose.

[Assateague Island Princes]

We went on a self-guided kayak tour in Juneau in Mendenhall Lake - right in front of the glacier. It was amazing paddling among those HUGE bergie bits! We really enjoyed it. Afterwards, we went back to town and picked up our rental car. Drove "out the road" to the fish hatchery, which was a great stop as the salmon were running - right up the salmon ladder in droves (w/a sealion at the bottom, his own private smorgasboard!:)). Then we drove to the brewery, but alas, it closed at 6PM, so my niece's boyfriend was disappointed. Afterwards, went to Mendenhall Glacier to see it from the land perspective and walked the trails for a bit. Then off to Eagle Beach, where my niece attempted to catch a salmon w/her bare hands as the creek was teaming with them (And she almost did, but no cigar:rolleyes:...). Then we stopped at the Shrine on the way back to town and saw a few whales right off shore.

 

In ISP, I'd recommend a whale watching excursion. We used Misty Bay Lodge and were so pleased - we got lucky, saw numerous instances of breaching and bubblenet feeding. Small six passenger boats, and Capt. Dan (and his wife Hope) were wonderful. Dan showed us a ton of whales and the area is just stunningly beautiful! Afterwards, my niece and her boyfriend had lunch w/Hope and she gave them a ride back to the ship, while I went on a bear search, again w/Misty Bay Lodge. Bingo! Another successful excursion, and once again, so fortunate to see two bears - one young brown bear fishing for salmon in the stream right under the bridge we were standing on. The second was an older brown bear eating his way thru a berry patch right off the road, literally just yards from where we were standing next to the van. It was thrilling and I so enjoyed it!

 

I have also been whale watching w/Harv and Marv in Juneau (again, small 6 passenger boats w/excellent, knowledgeable captains) that I have thoroughly enjoyed. And yes, I HIGHLY recommend them, for a more personalized experience with fewer people on board with you. However, I suggested the whale watch for ISP because there is less to do there than there is in Juneau - Hoonah, the little town near Icy Strait, is a true Alaskan town, not commercialized at all. Some folks are bored there (NOT me:D! I'd go back for a longer visit if I could!), so I feel it is wise to schedule an excursion there - particularly whale watching to take advantage of the wonderful area. Keep in mind there is also great kayaking in ISP from what I understand, and the longest zipline also - but my feeling is, you can do a zipline pretty much anywhere, but you can't search for whales or kayak among them just anywhere;).

 

Ketchikan is where we've gone flightseeing over Misty Fiords with Michelle of Island Wings. Truly a magical experience! I also went on a bear viewing excursion to Neets Bay w/ProMech Air (booked thru HAL) in Aug. of 2011 - and all I can say is WOW!!!! The flight over to Neets was like an excursion in itself - flying over the mountains and fiords is just breathtaking! Then viewing the bears - truly up close and personal - about 15 feet away - as they were catching their dinner, was just astounding!!! It was easily one of the best excursions I have ever done in my four trips to Alaska, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat! Keep in mind that Neets Bay is primarily black bears, so if seeing browns is on your agenda, another area would be more appropriate.

 

In Skagway, we've rented a car and drove up to the Klondike, stopping when and where we wanted - what magnificent scenery every single mile along the way! We saw several bears eating dandelions right along the highway. So much fun! We drove up to Emerald Lake and hiked around a bit, stopped at Carcross and the world's tiniest desert, and also stopped at several lakes and pull-offs for great photos. It was an exciting and interesting day - my DH's very favorite excursion on that trip. There are some ranger led hikes in Skagway that you could go on, or go out to Dyea for a nice long hike to really immerse yourself in the gold rush experience.

 

So many things to see and do in AK - it is truly a feast for the senses. I do hope you have a wonderful trip. And trust me, you'll be back;).

[Assateague Island Princes]

Oops! Forgot to tell you we booked the kayak trip in Juneau with Above and Beyond Alaska independently. Harv and Marv's website is www.harvandmarvs.com. Island Wings website is www.islandwings.com. I don't recall Misty Bay Lodge's website, but if you google it or check out Hoonah's Tourist website, it is on there. Have fun planning!

[Budget Queen]

There are hundreds of tours to consider.

 

IF you have a lot of kayaking experience- Mendenhall Lake is limiting. :) I too highly recommend Southeast Kayaks out of Ketchikan. Despite what people may report, there is no comparism between whale watching from a cruiseship and a whale watch boat tour (and I am out on a cruiseship deck, far more than most people). You will always find me on a whale watch. :)

 

The problem is your very limited budget, the above post has some excellent tour recommendaions, but way outside of what you are looking to spend. Is this amount fixed?

Are there savings that could be made before you go?

 

There are many bottom cost consideration, with car rentals being one of them. Do your homework and get trail information, hike for free- don't bother using your funds for any "guided" hikes-- except- if you want to consider Above and Beyond (same company out of Juneau that rents the kayaks) and their Mendenahall trekk. IF you are doing a round trip cruise, this will be your only option for land access to stand on a glacier.

 

So you have some further thinking perhaps.

[laurasue]

We are on the same sailing as you and are finding that our 3 year old will limit our excursions before our budget will. So we are opting for a mix of excursions and "down days" to balance it out.

In Ketchikan we are going to take the bus to see the totems and just spend time walking and shopping. This makes it a pretty inexpensive port. If your budget allowed, it would be a great port for kayaking or snorkeling (cool, right?!). Also good for flight seeing to Misty Fjords.

 

In Juneau we opted for whale watching through a private charter (Rum Runners). This is our highest excursion cost of approx. $140/pp. Harvs and Marvs were not an option with our little one (they don't allow young kids), but we are excited about havign a private boat at a comparable cost. We also plan to do some hiking around Mendenhall on our own, with just the cost of the shuttle to get there.

 

Because we are already whale watching in Juneau, we plan to have a low key day in Icy Strait Point, walking into Hoonah, having some crab, nothing too fancy. This is a great port for whales, but it was more pricey than our Juneau private charter plus we figured that we would need a down day after other busy port days. None of the other excursions are really young child friendly so that made it easy for us :) I would also look into the zip line here if that's your thing. Bear searching is an option but it appears to be hit or miss.

 

In Skagway we are renting a car through Avis ($120/day) to explore on our own.

 

I think that brings our total excursion cost to around $200/pp for our party of 4. All in all, we would probably spend more if it weren't for our little one, but I think it's forcing us to strike a good balance between excursions and down time. Plus, will get our fishing, clamming, sled dog and hiking adventures when we get to Alaska (we have family up there) after the cruise.

 

I think your budget it doable, but you just have to prioritize what you want to do most. Any tour that includes a flight or on-glacier time will get expensive quickly.

 

See you in Alaska!

[laurasue]

Also you don't mention how much time, if any, you'll have in Alaska after the cruise. If you are looking for a different location or type of glacier walk/tour, you could always take the intro to ice climbing classes or glacier trekking offered on the Matunaska Glacier (1.5-2 hours from Anchorage). I think they are offered through Mica Guides (not sure about others). This looks super cool, it's just too much to fit into our short week. Next time!

[absmiff]

Thanks for all the replies so far. $800 is our goal budget, but we can expand it if there are some must do things we just cannot not do. We know this won't be our only trip to Alaska, because we know we want to do the interior of Alaska at some point in the next few years.

 

I think the Kayaking suggestion will be a definite for us.

 

Our flight leaves Anchorage after about 18 hours, so we don't have much time but we are looking at something to do that day. We will also spend time in and around Vancouver prior to the trip. If we did go on a whale watching tour, should we do it in Vancouver or while on the trip?

 

Also, from what I think I'm reading, we should almost exclusively look at independent excursions. Is that correct?

 

Thanks again!

[firstalaskatrip]

Where to go whalewatching depends on what type of whales you want to see. In Vancouver the whale watches go out looking for orcas. In Juneau, the focus is on humpback whales. There is a chance to see orcas in Juneau, but apparently it is not the norm - they told us about 20% of the time. We debated which to do since I really wanted to see both, but the friend I was traveling with wasn't sure she wanted to do one whale watch let alone two. In the end, we picked Juneau since it gave us definite humpbacks and a chance for orcas while Vancouver definitely would not give us humpbacks. I'm so glad we decided this since we lucked out and saw an amazing pod of orcas up close on our Juneau whalewatch, plus the humpbacks, sea lions, and porpoises. It was incredible! And the friend who wasn't so sure about whale watching to begin with loved it.

[PennyAgain]

I travel cheap in Alaska both in my choice of cruise ship/accomodations and land activities, but I've been to Alaska very often and have family there.

 

Fundamentally I walk a great deal.

 

Each town has a travel site for ideas that don't cost a mint.

 

I take the cheap(not the really cheap city bus) bus to Mendenhall Glacier and start walking.

 

Do not buy tram tickets in Juneau until you arrive and are ready to go up. Weather can change fast. There are no refunds and there is no point in going up if you can't see the top from the bottom. You can walk up for free and ride down.

 

I also walk in and around Anchorage, especially along Turnagain Arm. Walking the Bird to Gird trail is free and wonderful.

[Glaciers]

I also walk in and around Anchorage, especially along Turnagain Arm. Walking the Bird to Gird trail is free and wonderful.

 

I can’t get enough of Turnagain Arm and have been down that way 5 times in the past 2 weeks. It’s a phenomenally beautiful area and it’s free. Excellent drive but even better by foot.

[PennyAgain]

I can’t get enough of Turnagain Arm and have been down that way 5 times in the past 2 weeks. It’s a phenomenally beautiful area and it’s free. Excellent drive but even better by foot.

 

Our family home is above Anchorage so we know Turnagain Arm very well. I still can't get enough of it. Used to make me angry to see people on the tour buses sound asleep.

 

I've been on the other side of Turnagain Arm at the village of Hope and love the view from that side as well. I've even been photographed by people in tour buses as I walk along Turnagain and down around Portage Glacier.

 

I now live on a mesa in Texas which helps me a bit when away from Alaska, but of course no water and everything seen from my mesa is beige.

 

Enjoy Turnagain an extra time for me!

[outoftowner]

Also you don't mention how much time, if any, you'll have in Alaska after the cruise. If you are looking for a different location or type of glacier walk/tour, you could always take the intro to ice climbing classes or glacier trekking offered on the Matunaska Glacier (1.5-2 hours from Anchorage). I think they are offered through Mica Guides (not sure about others). This looks super cool, it's just too much to fit into our short week. Next time!

 

This is a super cool thing to do. We did it in 2009. We rented a car on Sunday morning from the airport. Drove to the glacier, did the glacier hike. The guides are awesome. Took the most wonderful pictures, drove back to Anchorage, saw a moose by the side of the road, and made it back in plenty time to return the car and catch a very late flight. We have enjoyed many hours of telling our tale of walking on a glacier.

[PennyAgain]

This is a super cool thing to do. We did it in 2009. We rented a car on Sunday morning from the airport. Drove to the glacier, did the glacier hike. The guides are awesome. Took the most wonderful pictures, drove back to Anchorage, saw a moose by the side of the road, and made it back in plenty time to return the car and catch a very late flight. We have enjoyed many hours of telling our tale of walking on a glacier.

 

So glad you did this! Driving Turnagain Arm is just about the first thing I do when I arrive in Anchorage. Usually walk as well.

[Budget Queen]

Thanks for all the replies so far. $800 is our goal budget, but we can expand it if there are some must do things we just cannot not do. We know this won't be our only trip to Alaska, because we know we want to do the interior of Alaska at some point in the next few years.

 

I think the Kayaking suggestion will be a definite for us.

 

Our flight leaves Anchorage after about 18 hours, so we don't have much time but we are looking at something to do that day. We will also spend time in and around Vancouver prior to the trip. If we did go on a whale watching tour, should we do it in Vancouver or while on the trip?

 

Also, from what I think I'm reading, we should almost exclusively look at independent excursions. Is that correct?

 

Thanks again!

 

Vancouver is not the best place for viewing the 3 resident orca pods. Victoria has higher viewing stats. I would never consider this location. But I go out on repeative orca watches in Victoria. What people may not think about, you are a "visitor" into a small segment of a whale's life. They could be eating, sleeping, on the move. Juneau is 100% sightings for humpbacks. You may see orcas. You always read about the "amazing" trips, mulitple behaviors etc. LIKELY, you will not see this. Average- will be blows, backs and tails seen. Expect nothing more. I probably have been on 30 Juneau whale watches to know this. Breeches have been maybe 10 views. Bubble net feeding has been - guessing- 6. I know what I am seeing and can easily identify it with around 200 whale watches between Hawaii, Mass., and Alaska every year.

 

In Anchorage, I would rent a car, no matter what the cost. The airport has many car rentals, check them all.

 

You would have time for the above glacier trek. (I find booking private well worth it. Nobody is going to slow you down, and you decide what you want to do. Also longer is better. :) )

 

Or enjoy the Mat Su area, Hatcher Pass etc.

 

I too am a big fan of Turnagain Arm, so consider time there, Crow Creek, Girdwood, etc

[absmiff]

We've booked Misty Bay Lodge Whale Watching in ISP, and are fairly certain that we are going to book the Southeast Sea Kayaks in Ketchikan (the 4 hour one) within the next couple of days. Luckily we went ahead and booked the Misty Bay Lodge tour, because we got the last 2 spots available for that day.

 

What else should we do in Ketchikan for the day? It looks like we'll probably have another 3-4 hours after kayaking. Is there enough to keep us busy by just wandering around?

 

In Juneau, we're looking at taking the shuttle to Mendenhall Glacier as suggested, doing the hike to Nugget Falls from there, and are looking into other hikes around the area. Depending on the weather, we may also hike the trail at Mount Roberts and take the tram back down. I think we'll still have time left that day, too - we're thinking about the Brewery or finding something else to do - Juneau will be on DH's birthday.

 

Not sure what we're going to do with our afternoon or evening in Anchorage yet, or what we're going to do in Skagway. Renting a car is a definite possibility in Anchorage, as suggested.

 

We're looking at hikes, or perhaps a bike tour in Skagway.

 

Any further suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[dllyon]

What we are hoping to do, saving for it

 

Ketchikan, Alaska $ 100.00 KE00 - Going into town by ourselves

 

Icy Strait Point, Alaska $ 330.00 IC34 - Wine and Whales Evening Cruising (2hr 30min)

 

Juneau, Alaska $ 286.00 JU14 - Mendenhall Glacier Float Trip (3hr 30min) Snack

 

Skagway, Alaska $ 338.00 SK12 - White Pass Railway & Trail Camp Adventure (4hr 45min) Snack

Turnaround Excursion Seward, Alaska $ 258.00 SW13 - Kenai Fjords Cruise with Lunch & Sealife Center Photo Gallery (8hr 45min)

 

Tipping $ 60.00

 

Juneau, Alaska $ 94.00 JU25 - Gold Creek Salmon Bake

 

Skagway, Alaska $ 86.00 SK06 - Ghost & Goodtime Girls Walking Tour

 

Icy Strait Point, Alaska $ 100.00 IC00 - Going into town by ourselves to get Crab and walk around

 

Ketchikan, Alaska $ 728.00 KE65 - Halibut Hunt (6 hours) Lunch Included

[Budget Queen]

 

In Juneau, we're looking at taking the shuttle to Mendenhall Glacier as suggested, doing the hike to Nugget Falls from there, and are looking into other hikes around the area. Depending on the weather, we may also hike the trail at Mount Roberts and take the tram back down. I think we'll still have time left that day, too - we're thinking about the Brewery or finding something else to do - Juneau will be on DH's birthday.

 

Not sure what we're going to do with our afternoon or evening in Anchorage yet, or what we're going to do in Skagway. Renting a car is a definite possibility in Anchorage, as suggested.

 

We're looking at hikes, or perhaps a bike tour in Skagway.

 

Any further suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

You have not considered your early June timeframe and many of your trails you are thinking about are going to be snow choked, namely, East Loop at Mendenhall and Mt Roberts- forget the hike up plan, way too early in the season. Frankly, if all your interest is in hiking, then don't spend the money- which your title implies.

 

You have coupon discounts for the kayaking?

[Budget Queen]

What we are hoping to do, saving for it

 

Ketchikan, Alaska $ 100.00 KE00 - Going into town by ourselves

 

Icy Strait Point, Alaska $ 330.00 IC34 - Wine and Whales Evening Cruising (2hr 30min)

 

Juneau, Alaska $ 286.00 JU14 - Mendenhall Glacier Float Trip (3hr 30min) Snack

 

Skagway, Alaska $ 338.00 SK12 - White Pass Railway & Trail Camp Adventure (4hr 45min) Snack

Turnaround Excursion Seward, Alaska $ 258.00 SW13 - Kenai Fjords Cruise with Lunch & Sealife Center Photo Gallery (8hr 45min)

 

Tipping $ 60.00

 

Juneau, Alaska $ 94.00 JU25 - Gold Creek Salmon Bake

 

Skagway, Alaska $ 86.00 SK06 - Ghost & Goodtime Girls Walking Tour

 

Icy Strait Point, Alaska $ 100.00 IC00 - Going into town by ourselves to get Crab and walk around

 

Ketchikan, Alaska $ 728.00 KE65 - Halibut Hunt (6 hours) Lunch Included

 

With your "hope", "saving" reference for these tours, my opinion, some of these are not the best choices. I have been on hundreds of Alaska tours, have been there over 30times, and by far a bottom choice is the Mendenhall float trip. Money is far better spent elsewhere. Your view is minutes, and far away. Rest of trip is trees and backyards.

 

A big moneysaver would be for you to book a Kenai Fjords boat tour on your own and get some 2 for 1 coupons, same with the Sealife Center.

 

If you want to stick with ship tours because of false security all well and good. My posts are for general information.

[dllyon]

With your "hope", "saving" reference for these tours, my opinion, some of these are not the best choices. I have been on hundreds of Alaska tours, have been there over 30times, and by far a bottom choice is the Mendenhall float trip. Money is far better spent elsewhere. Your view is minutes, and far away. Rest of trip is trees and backyards.

 

A big moneysaver would be for you to book a Kenai Fjords boat tour on your own and get some 2 for 1 coupons, same with the Sealife Center.

 

If you want to stick with ship tours because of false security all well and good. My posts are for general information.

 

 

Thanks, for your post. I want all this type of information. If a tour is no good I want to know it before I book it, Thanks again