Experience The Great Land’s wildlife, Indigenous culture, and famed seafood.

BY SCOTT LAIRD AND JANICE WALD HENDERSON

The best Alaska cruise excursions can range from the thrilling to the serene. Passengers can fly on sleds led by huskies, ogle bald eagles and salmon-gobbling grizzlies, and soar over towering glaciers in a helicopter. And the best part? All these activities are available for you as part of the cruise line’s selection of shore excursions—as a way for travelers to sample the diverse wonders of the 49th state in one visit.

Wildlife viewing trips may be the more popular Alaska cruise shore excursions, but travelers shouldn’t overlook incredible opportunities to learn about the state’s Indigenous cultures (there are over 229 federally recognized tribes representing 11 distinct cultures in Alaska), as well as culinary experiences centered around local favorites such as fresh seafood, berries, produce, and craft beer.

Alaska is rich with both natural beauty and wildlife, often just minutes away from where the cruise ships berth. (Pro tip: For fewer crowds and generally dependable weather, the best time to cruise Alaska is in the spring.) Know, too, that different cruise lines can offer similar excursions (many offering the exact same tour with the exact same local operator), so first choose a ship that speaks to you, then immediately book excursions (popular ones sell fast). Even if the cruise line-offered excursions are sold out, you may still be able to book directly with the tour operator, but bear in mind that when booking on your own, the ship won’t wait if your excursion runs late.

Princess Cruises: Dogsledding and Glacier Adventures by Helicopter

The Dog Sledding and Glacier Adventure by helicopter, created by an Iditarod musher (they lead sled dogs on the annual 1,049-mile race from Anchorage to Nome), combines two top-notch thrills for passengers on port calls at Juneau. Don glacier overboots, board a helicopter, and fly over the Alaskan ice field as the pilot points out icefalls and rock formations. After landing on Norris Glacier, meet top Iditarod race veteran mushers and their dogs. Soon you’ll be whisked on a sled pulled by a team of exuberant huskies for the ride of a lifetime.

Celebrity Cruises: Wilderness Exploration and Crab Feasts

In Ketchikan, a four-hour Wilderness Exploration and Crab Feast at the George Inlet Lodge in Tongass National Forest (America’s largest national forest) scores big buzz. Drive past locally-treasured sights, like Indigenous Łingít totem poles, snowcapped mountains, and thunderous waterfalls. Enjoy a sightseeing vessel ride, assist crew pulling in crab pots (if you like), before tearing into unlimited fresh crab with warm clarified butter, and cheesecake drenched in Alaskan blueberries.

Holland America Line: Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Quest

In Juneau, Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Quest rocks everyone’s boat. Marvel at one of North America’s most spectacular metropolitan glaciers and learn about glaciers’ remarkable force in a compelling Forest Service visitor center. Ride to Auke Bay and board a water-jet-powered expedition vessel designed for superior wildlife viewing. When sailing Stephens Passage—renowned as a summer breeding ground for humpback whales—you may well get close enough to hear these giants breathe (although beware if you’re downwind, for you may also smell those breaths—and whales don’t brush their teeth).

Seabourn: Anan Creek Bear Viewing and Photography

In Wrangell, sign up for Anan Creek Bear Viewing and Photography, joining the expedition team bear expert and a photography specialist for this rousing small-group bear-viewing experience. Travel by boat to the Anan Estuary and Wildlife Observatory in the Tongass National Forest (Anan Creek is a traditional Łingít fishing ground and has Southeast Alaska’s largest pink salmon run) and climb to the observation deck overlooking cascading waterfalls. Expect an electrifying view of salmon jumping and black and brown bears snatching their next meal.

Norwegian Cruise Line: Whale Watching & Seafood Feast

During a Glacier Bay passage, a park ranger hops aboard to narrate scenic sights. Explore majestic Icy Strait Point, with family-minded excursions like the good-for-all-ages Whale Watching & Seafood Feast. Guests will take a whale-watching boat to Point Adolphus, known for having the highest concentration of humpback whales in this part of Alaska (the tour operator has never had to pay out—not even once—on its money-back guarantee that passengers will see whales in 20 years of operation). Afterward, they’ll enjoy a seafood feast of shrimp, crab, Andouille sausage, and a host of side dishes. 

Regent Seven Seas Cruises: Best of Klawock

At the brand-new Port Klawock on Prince of Wales Island, only in its second cruise season in 2025, guests are welcomed ashore in a rustic tent with free coffee and cookies from a local bakery. Here, guests will learn about local wildlife and plants used for traditional Łingít medicine and rituals while walking along the Klawock River, before watching a Łingít master carver work on a totem made from local cedar. Then it’s into town to visit the 21 totems lining a local park and board a boat to tour the blissfully uncrowded ocean waters to watch for humpback whales and sea otters.

Royal Caribbean International: Eagle Preserve Wildlife Float Adventure

One of the world’s largest concentrations of bald eagles can be found at the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines. It’s so chock-full of eagles, in fact, that the State of Alaska designated the confluence of the three rivers a dedicated bald eagle preserve in 1982. Guests embark across scenic Lynn Fjord on a catamaran, then travel up the Haines Highway, which was originally a trading route for the Chilkat Łingít tribe. Then it’s onto a river raft to float leisurely down the whitewater-free river to a riverside picnic—all while watching out for bald eagles and other wildlife.

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