Best Things to Do in Juneau, Alaska

Going to Juneau and not visiting Mendenhall would be like going to the Big Island of Hawaii and skipping Volcanoes National Park. It’s arguably the most popular natural attraction in the area. And for good reason. The 3,000-year-old glacier flows 13 miles from its source and is a half-mile wide at its face. It’s impressive. While you can see the glacier from the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center, to really appreciate it, it’s worth hiring a guide and getting on it (going alone is not recommended for safety reasons). Above & Beyond Alaska offers both an eight-mile round-trip hiking excursion and a canoe paddle across the lake. When you get to the ice, you’ll click into some crampons and spend some time exploring. 

Humpback whales and Steller sea lions and harbor seals, oh my! Sea Lion Adventure Tours takes passengers out into the chilly but abundant waters of Auke Bay for a marine safari. The vessels only hold up to six passengers, so you won’t be fighting for shoulder space with other guests. If you’re looking for something a little more adventurous, the brand also offers kayak tours where guests can get even closer to nature.

Fishing in The Last Frontier is a bucket-list item for many, and for obvious reasons. Here if you catch an 18-inch pink salmon, you’re going to turn around and use it to try to bait a “barn door”-sized halibut. There are few places where fishing is this epic. The Local Guy, as well as other area charters, take guests out for a day of angling for salmon, halibut and rockfish.

Sure, you can hike yourself up Mount Roberts. The 1,800-foot, four-mile climb is a leg-burner, but it’s doable. Or you can board the tram near the docks and be at the top in five minutes, gloriously sweat-free. From the top, you can see the entire town, various waterways and nearby peaks. There are a handful of gift shops, a raptor center and a restaurant. 

You might not think of Juneau as a ski destination — it is in a temperate rainforest, after all — but last winter the area’s ski hill saw a record 640 inches of snow. The community-owned and -operated ski area has a peak elevation of 2,750, from which it’s possible to see the multi-hued coastal waterways surrounding the island. If you’re keen, there are also hundreds of acres of backcountry access and plenty of untouched powder. 

If you’ve ever read the price for a pound of king crab legs at a Lower 48 restaurant and thought “fuck that,” prepare to be delighted. Even though the restaurant is mere steps from the cruise ship terminal, it’s probably the most reasonably priced plate of king crab in the country. And it’s really, really good. Other popular menu items include crab bisque, crab cakes and supremely buttery rolls. 

Housed in a converted airplane hangar on a wooden pier overlooking the water, this seafood restaurant is known for its tempura fish and chips, citrus salmon, halibut macadamia and a rotating selection of 20+ craft beers. 

Helmed by a former commercial fisherman, it makes sense that this taco truck only uses locally sourced fish — they know that freshness is important for flavor. The outdoor eatery also recently launched a champagne oyster bar in the same lot. It’s worth noting that Deckhand Dave’s does close for the winter season. 

Various populations have called Alaska home, including myriad Indigenous communities, Russian immigrants and Americans from the Lower 48. This museum does the best job at explaining what it looked like through each of their eyes, with artifacts, artwork and interactive displays. 

Elizabeth Peratrovich might not have big name recognition outside of the 49th state, but she’s an important civil rights icon. As an activist, she urged territorial legislators (this was in 1945, before Alaska achieved statehood) to pass the Alaska Equal Rights Act, the first anti-discrimination bill in the country. Peratrovich was part of the Tlingit nation, and the bill made it illegal to discriminate against Alaska Natives, so she’s honored with a holiday statewide each year. 

In 2022, Juneau will host the 40th anniversary of Celebration, a biennial festival that honors the 10,000 years of Southeast Alaska Native culture. The four-day event (June 8-11) will fill the town with people performing traditional songs and dances, wearing traditional regalia, sharing arts and crafts and more. 

Keep your shutter finger at the ready. This marine safari company offers four-hour tours, where whales, sea lions, porpoises, seals, eagles and more are often sighted. Their sister company, Alaska Dream Cruises, the only Indigenous-owned cruise company in the country, also offers week-long sailing throughout the region, either starting or ending in Juneau. 

Alaskan Brewing Co. is arguably the best known Alaska-based brewery, largely because it’s one of only a few that distributes to the Lower 48. At any given time they have 20 or so craft beers and hard seltzers on rotation. They also have a shuttle that will take guests from downtown to their taproom. We recommend the Icy Bay IPA and the Smoked Porter. 

If you’re looking for a wild ride, Barnaby Brewing is your place. Given that the tap list is incredibly inventive (especially for a place where getting ingredients is a challenge) and constantly rotating, there’s usually a crowd at this pint-sized brewery downtown. That’s all to say: you’ll have a good time. 

The only distillery in Juneau (and one of very few in Southeast Alaska), this joint serves up snifters and specialty gin and whiskey cocktails for on-site consumption. You can also purchase a couple loose cocktail cans to-go — they pair well with Alaska adventures like fishing, hiking and whale watching. 

If you’re out all night chasing the midnight sun, chances are you’re going to need a good cup of joe to get moving the next day. The Rookery is a laid-back cafe with rocket-fuel coffee, homemade scones and walls festooned with local art. 

What’s notable about the Juneau Hotel is that it is on the shore of the cosmically beautiful Gastineau Channel and it’s entirely made up of suites. Each of the 72 rooms has either one or two queen-sized beds, a full kitchen, cable TV and an in-unit washer and dryer. It’s not winning any awards for its design, but it’s within walking distance of everywhere downtown.

This family-run lakeside lodge is just a few miles outside of town, but a world away. It’s small, with just five private suites, but that makes it easier to enjoy the surrounding nature. Guests can hang out on the lake, relax in the hot tub and hike near the property. The owners can also help organize local tours.