Inside Passage- What worked for us

[J&KCruisers]

We just returned from our cruise aboard the Star Princess for the week of June 7-14. An absolutely incredible cruise with wonderful weather, calm seas and some really great experiences.

I have read so many details on the Alaska board, I thought it only appropriate to share some of the things we did and what worked for us.

Ketchikan:

We took the advice of Budget Queen and used the public transportation. We got off the ship and took the Blue line from the stop across from the eagle totem to Totem Bight State Park. The bus drops you off at the visitors center parking lot and it is an easy stroll through the park. This location can be seen in an hour and has numerous totems in a nice location along the channel. The bus returns after an hour and you can re-board back into town.

In town, the bus dropped us off in front of the eagle totem, where we waited 15 minutes and caught the Red line which took us to Saxman Village. They drop you off directly across the street from Saxman City Hall where you purchase your tickets into the park. At this location they have native dancers, a carving shed (worth getting into) and numerous totems. The gift shop has quite a selection and is pretty expensive. The Red line then picks you back up next to the gift shop about an hour later and returns you to town.

The best part about the public transportation beyond how easy it is to use, it was FREE. On June 15, it changed to $1 per ride. Both of these excursions combined (from the ship) would have cost us over $100 per person, but doing it this way cost us $3 each for the tickets into Saxman (the carving shed and dancers are extra).

Juneau:

Although this was our third time to Alaska, we had never been to Mendenhall Glacier, so that was our goal on this trip.

Originally, we planned to take the MGT Blue Bus at $14 per person. To catch this, go to the parking lot across from the Mt. Roberts Tram. It looks very convenient and easy to use. Princess has a “shuttle” which was $6.50 pp into town. We had 5 in our party, and a taxi ride was $35 each way from the AJ Dock. We took the taxi because it was cheaper and more convenient.

Our ship also arrived at 2:00 which we thought was going to be a negative. When we got to Mendenhall at 3:00, there was a huge line of people waiting for the MGT bus to get back to the ships leaving in the early evening. The glacier was un-crowded and we had a great hike to the waterfall. Sooo, if you get their later it can be better.

Skagway:

Here we rented a car from Avis and while they say the office opens at 9:00, it was open at 8:30 when I arrived. They were well organized, got everyone out quickly and the cars were new and clean.

We drove to Carcross and Emerald Lake. This was an easy and wonderful drive. We saw 2 bears, a caribou, sled dogs (at Caribou Crossing) and the drive was simple. They have a pretty good chicken lunch (and all the doughnuts you can eat) at Caribou Crossing for $15 pp. This is also the location for a pretty good museum with MANY stuffed animals (the owner is an expert in taxidermy) and they have a sled dog camp which is really fun.

The advantage of renting a car rather than the bus is crowd avoidance. You can drive and get ahead of the bus tours to some of the major sites. When we saw the bears, they were on the side of the road which were not typical stops for the buses. With the car, go at your own pace.

Also, we recommend Murray’s Guide. Even though it gives many of the same stops as the buses, it is spot on for some really great locations.

Victoria:

I always recommend walking in Victoria. The inner harbor is 20 minutes from the dock and really easy to do.

Hopefully this helps some of you heading for the Inside Passage this summer.

Happy Cruising!!

[alwayslost]

thanks for the information. it is very helpful. now i know i don't need a rental car for juneau. have booked a rental car at skagway.

 

the $14 bus trip is per one way. so taxi would be $75 round trip is that correct. We are a party of 3 adults and 1 child, seems taxi may be the way to go.

 

Murray's Guide - Is that the exact title of the book? I'm trying to find one.

[Budget Queen]

thanks for the information. it is very helpful. now i know i don't need a rental car for juneau. have booked a rental car at skagway.

 

the $14 bus trip is per one way. so taxi would be $75 round trip is that correct. We are a party of 3 adults and 1 child, seems taxi may be the way to go.

 

Murray's Guide - Is that the exact title of the book? I'm trying to find one.

 

Mendenhall shuttle bus is $14 pp round trip. A cab would be in the $30++ range each way.

 

 

Murrays Guide is written by poster Yukon. You purchase it online and print it out and bring it with you. web site is not able to copy on this board for some reason, it will be murraysguide dot com

[J&KCruisers]

We had 5 adults with us and we found a van/taxi which could take 5, thus making the cab more affordable. If only 2-3 persons, the Blue Bus is the most affordable option.

[vbmom87]

Question for the OP: You made it sound like you could see the dancers at Saxman for an additional fee. Is this correct? I know that since I have reading these boards, it has been posted that if you wanted to see the dancers, you had to book through the cruiseline.

[hook'em]

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences- especially the details on the transportation options.

[dancentx]

Thanks for all the information you shared J&K Cruisers!

[dreams_of_travel]

this info is great to have. thanks for posting!

[swetag81]

thanks for the great info!!

[traceye]

Thank you so much for posting this....it sounds like you did most of what we planned on doing for this trip. I have one question for you. When all was done, did you feel like you had the "Alaska Experience" that you had hoped to have? We are traveling with our two kids 7 and 9 and to do some of the excursions would just be too expensive for us. As I'm reading the many reviews and travel plans with everyone going whale watching, helicopter rides, and so many other things, I'm hoping I won't feel like I missed out. Times are tough right now and we wouldn't even be doing this trip this summer but my generous parents are taking us and my sister's family on this trip. We are trying to do this trip within some budget constraints. We are just thankful to be going on the trip. Some excursions would not be totally out of the question to do, but I'd rather not have to spend $400-500 for an afternoon out especially if my kids may not be as into it as us. We pan on doing similar stuff including renting a car in Skagway and following murrays guide.

 

Would love to here your prespective on this.

 

Tracey

[georoc01]

Thank you so much for posting this....it sounds like you did most of what we planned on doing for this trip. I have one question for you. When all was done, did you feel like you had the "Alaska Experience" that you had hoped to have? We are traveling with our two kids 7 and 9 and to do some of the excursions would just be too expensive for us. As I'm reading the many reviews and travel plans with everyone going whale watching, helicopter rides, and so many other things, I'm hoping I won't feel like I missed out. Times are tough right now and we wouldn't even be doing this trip this summer but my generous parents are taking us and my sister's family on this trip. We are trying to do this trip within some budget constraints. We are just thankful to be going on the trip. Some excursions would not be totally out of the question to do, but I'd rather not have to spend $400-500 for an afternoon out especially if my kids may not be as into it as us. We pan on doing similar stuff including renting a car in Skagway and following murrays guide.

 

Would love to here your prespective on this.

 

Tracey

 

Not sure if this helps, but if you look for things like the Alaska Toursaver and Northern Lights coupon books, you can cut the cost of your excursions in half with b1g1free coupons. And you can find the books themselves discounted on sites like ebay.

 

By doing that, I cut the price of my excursions roughly in 1/2. Saved quite a bit of money.

[J&KCruisers]

Regarding the dancers at Saxman Villiage, I am sure that it costs to see the dancers through either an additional ticket or via a tour.

 

As far as the "Alaska Experience", the tours and excursions on to glaciers or flightseeing are the most expensive of any we have ever seen. For those who are budget concious, Alaska is difficult. There are two "Alaska Experiences".

 

The first involves all of the pricy tours. From flying on to and climbing on a glacier, zip lining through a forest, white water rafting, fishing or whale watching. ALL of these cost a lot- $100-$500+ per person. (We are not anti tours, having done flightseeing, glacier climbing and fishing in previous trips)

 

The second involves viewing the scenery and getting out of the tourist areas. John Muir did not go to Southeast Alaska to buy a tanzinite pendent or a chinese made replica totem.

 

The smartest thing we did was rent the car in Skagway ($150 for a Toyota Camry). The drive into the Yukon is amazingly beautiful and you can get ahead of the tour buses to have some quiet time in stops along the highway. We saw bears and caribou which we did not see the previous two times we travelled there on tours. We had some snacks and drinks and sat along the shore of Tutshi Lake and took it all in. Your kids can play in the cold lake water and do kid things. We hiked down to a rushing river and found nesting birds. I messed with my kids by throwing a rock into a bush like there was a bear. :D

 

In Juneau, Mendenhall Glacier was great. We were there in the afternoon and it was less crowded. We hiked to the waterfall next to the glacier and waded through the lake (absolutely freezing water). It was nice and the cost was just getting there. The park rangers have these huge chunks of glaciel ice which the kids can pick up and hold.

 

I think we experienced more of Alaska via the scenery than the more tourist oriented excursions.

 

If I was to book one excursion, it would be whale watching in Juneau. My wife and daughter were doing that while we were fishing and saw humpbacks and orcas.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Happy cruising.

[dancentx]

As far as the "Alaska Experience", the tours and excursions on to glaciers or flightseeing are the most expensive of any we have ever seen. For those who are budget concious, Alaska is difficult. There are two "Alaska Experiences".

 

The first involves all of the pricy tours. From flying on to and climbing on a glacier, zip lining through a forest, white water rafting, fishing or whale watching. ALL of these cost a lot- $100-$500+ per person. (We are not anti tours, having done flightseeing, glacier climbing and fishing in previous trips)

 

The second involves viewing the scenery and getting out of the tourist areas. John Muir did not go to Southeast Alaska to buy a tanzinite pendent or a chinese made replica totem.

 

The smartest thing we did was rent the car in Skagway ($150 for a Toyota Camry). The drive into the Yukon is amazingly beautiful and you can get ahead of the tour buses to have some quiet time in stops along the highway. We saw bears and caribou which we did not see the previous two times we travelled there on tours. We had some snacks and drinks and sat along the shore of Tutshi Lake and took it all in. Your kids can play in the cold lake water and do kid things. We hiked down to a rushing river and found nesting birds. I messed with my kids by throwing a rock into a bush like there was a bear. :D

 

In Juneau, Mendenhall Glacier was great. We were there in the afternoon and it was less crowded. We hiked to the waterfall next to the glacier and waded through the lake (absolutely freezing water). It was nice and the cost was just getting there. The park rangers have these huge chunks of glaciel ice which the kids can pick up and hold.

 

I think we experienced more of Alaska via the scenery than the more tourist oriented excursions.

...

Thanks for another insightful post K&D'! We plan to do things a lot like you did, since this time we are traveling as a family group of 6. After reading your posts and others like it, I rented a van in Skagway to accommodate all of us. I found only 2 agencies, and no vans available from Avis (mid-July), but I had no problem reserving one from Sourdough rental, a local mom & pop operation with a delightfully helpful man there (owner).

 

We're the grandparents traveling this time with our son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughters (11 & 14.5). We have done lots of excursions when just the two of us are traveling, but after looking at the prices and reading about how much there is to see and do by rental car or public transportation, we agreed to instead spend the money to upgrade from connecting outside rooms to connecting balcony rooms, and I KNOW that will be well worth the money to us. Can't wait!

[dancentx]

Thanks for another insightful post K&D'!

Just correcting my mistake here - I saw after I posted that I typed K&D, but I meant J&K' for J&KCruisers. Thank you!

[BarbaraM]

J-K, Question about the Skagway car rental.

 

The areas that you went -- were the roads steep, winding and narrow? Or is it possible to drive and avoid that kind of thing?

[J&KCruisers]

The drive from Skagway to Carcross and Emerald Lake is straight and easy. It is scenic and simple to do because there is only one way in and back.

 

From Skagay to Frasier (the first 22 miles of the drive) you climb a hill which is not difficult or twisted. There are a lot of scenic vistas and waterfalls along the way. You are going almost parallel with the White Pass RR which is coming up the hill below the road you are on.

 

Make sure you have passports to get through the border because the check both ways.

 

Thanks

[J&KCruisers]

Also, while the highway is one lane in each direction, I would not describe as narrow. The road is wide open with many places to pull out on either side.

 

The tree line in the Yukon is really low and once you pass Frasier, there are only the lodge pole pines which are spread along the vistas. Literally, the horizon opens up and you are looking for what seems a hundred miles into the distance. The mountains are sheer faces of rock and brush which are very dramatic and beautiful. The drive follows a series of lakes, so you have all of this emerald water along the highway at the base of mountains.

 

As scenic drives go, this is a 10 out of 10.

 

Go for it!

[dancentx]

We had 5 adults with us and we found a van/taxi which could take 5, thus making the cab more affordable. If only 2-3 persons, the Blue Bus is the most affordable option.

J&KCruisers, The van/taxi option you used in Juneau sounds like it might be a good option for us, as 4 adults and 2 adult-size teen girls. Would the van-taxi's you were in there have held 6 passengers, or was it tight with 5?

 

Our cruise with NCL leaves Seattle this coming Saturday 7/18, and we're flying to Seattle Wednesday to start our vacation, so we're all eager & looking forward to it. We like your DIY path in Ketchikan, and we have a minivan reserved in Skagway from Sourdough Rental, the only car rental in town besides Avis (who did not have a vehicle large enough for us). They were friendly and helpful on the phone. Juneau is our uncertainty, but we like the taxi idea.

[CamMG]

Hi J&K, thanks for the great info. We're a family of 6 leaving August 1st on our first cruise. When I booked it, I had no idea of the expense involved in the tours! If we were to rent a car in Skagway to drive to the Yukon, could we still do the dog sledding there? I've been looking online everywhere for information about dog sledding without being on a tour, but haven't been able to find anything. That's the one thing the kids really want to do!

[dancentx]

If we were to rent a car in Skagway to drive to the Yukon, could we still do the dog sledding there? I've been looking online everywhere for information about dog sledding without being on a tour, but haven't been able to find anything. That's the one thing the kids really want to do!

Hi CamMG,

I can give my feedback to that question for you. We just returned from our Alaska cruise today (7/25), and following the lead of J&K here our group of 6 rented a van in Skagway from one of the only 2 rental agencies (we used Sourdough Rental, and there is also Avis). We had a beautiful drive to Emerald Lake in the Yukon and back and renting was great for us. But the answer to your question is that there is no dog sledding or other tourist activity at the other end or along the way. It is just a beautiful drive with the ability to make several photo stops as well as get a light lunch before heading back. And we would not have had enough time for another activity anyway. (Also, I wonder where dog sledding is done if you're doing the Inside Passage, because things are very green there right now - you see snow and ice up in the mountains and of course beautiful glaciers, but the ground is basically green everywhere.)

 

By the way - as a note to all, the single best decision WE made was to upgrade our two adjoining outside rooms to adjoining balcony rooms. We chose that over an expensive whale excursion for 6, and although no one can gurantee the same result, we spotted whales on either 3 or 4 days of our 7 day cruise and enjoyed watching them from a distance while we were standing out on our balconies (and my son and his family watched several of them during dinner the last night in addition to the days I saw them). We also had rain a lot of the time, but it didn't matter with a balcony to enjoy. What a great value the balconies were for us!

[slabeaume]

Actually there is dog sledding at Cariboo Crossing. Although it wasn't quite what I had expected to see. It was a beautiful sunny 75ish degree day and no snow in sight. The dog sleds ran on the grass and dirt. The sled dogs were also much skinnier then I expected, but they looked happy. I don't know if you can book directly with them, but I don't see why not. The time we were there only a couple people did the sledding. There's also suppose to be puppies there, but I missed them.

[TracieABD]

Thanks for the review.:)