Juneau, Alaska - The Gateway to Natural Wonders
- Work To Wonders
- Mar 7
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 8
Juneau is a quirky little place. No doubt about that. It's the Alaskan capital, yet it stands unique as the only capital city that is completely unreachable by road. It's quite a pretty little place, but has the atmosphere of a frontier town.
However, what really sets this place apart is its jaw-dropping nature. A short bus ride (and a bit of a walk) from this small city lies a truly wonderful place, where you can see both a glacier and a waterfall side by side. Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls, set in the wilds of Alaska and deep in bear country, are an utterly astounding sight - quite possibly unique on the planet and a complete must-see. The journey there takes you through streets and pathways lined with enormous Sitka spruce trees. The winding pathway to the falls skirts around the edge of known wild bear habitat.
But the view... that view is something that will live with us for a long time.
How to get there
The only way to Juneau is by sea or air. There are multiple lines that provide cruises in the Alaskan Inside Passage. Our suggestion is to choose your line by price, date, ports of call and the facilities you will need.
Alaskan cruises mostly leave from Vancouver, Canada or Seattle, USA. Vancouver appears to have the cheaper flights from the UK, but these are still pretty expensive.
Cruise ships all dock downtown. Cruise companies will offer tours to Nugget Falls and the Glacier. They will likely charge around $80-90 per person. There are also tours offered at the port for mostly around the same price.
There is a much cheaper way.
There are local buses that leave from the Downtown Transit Center, just a block or so from the cruise port, that will drop you around a mile from the Mendenhall Visitors Centre for $2 per person one way. The tours only drop you at the Visitor's Centre, saving only around a mile's walk for $76 more. Just make sure you are back at the bus stop on time to get back to the port.
How we did it
We flew from Reykjavik, Iceland with IcelandAir to Vancouver, and back via Toronto with WestJet. They are budget carriers, so don't expect luxury.
We cruised with Royal Caribbean on the Brilliance of the Seas. It was a family-oriented ship and a little on the old side, but the crew were fantastic.
Our Top Tips
We were blessed with warmth, sunlight and no rain for most of our cruise. This is not normal for Alaska cruises. Make sure you have a waterproof jacket and shoes. Rain is likely and can come with little notice.
If the mile-long walk to the Visitors Centre through bear country scares you, remember: bears don't like loud noise. Bad, out-of-tune, loud singing finally has its uses!
There's a Tourist Information Center round the corner from the Transit Center than can provide you with any bus timetables you need. However, be warned: Alaskans are really friendly and can be talkative when you have a bus to catch!
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