# JuneauMendenhall.com - Mendenhall Glacier tours from Juneau: express buses, whale-watching combos, canoes, hikes and helicopters compared

> Independent guide to Mendenhall Glacier tours from Juneau, Alaska: what you can do without a tour, what the Forest Service visitor
> center charges, and the Viator tours with live ratings, from-prices and what each tour includes.
> Not affiliated with the U.S. Forest Service, Viator or any tour operator.

Site: https://juneaumendenhall.com
Language: en (also fr, de, es, it). Currency: USD. Country: United States (Alaska).

## Verified facts

- Mendenhall Glacier flows into Mendenhall Lake in the Mendenhall Valley, about 12 miles from downtown Juneau, in the Tongass National Forest.
  The grounds around the visitor center are open 6 am to midnight year-round (Forest Service).
- The Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center day-use fee was $5 per person in 2026, with children 15 and under at no charge; summer 2026
  hours were 9 am to 6 pm daily. The Forest Service proposed raising the fee to $15 (comment period 22 May to 20 July 2026); check the
  Forest Service page for the current fee.
- Public bus: Capital Transit routes 8, 3 and 4 stop at Dredge Lake Road, 1.5 miles (about 30 minutes on foot) from the visitor center;
  fare $2 adults, $1 ages 6-18, no charge for ages 5 and under; no restrooms on the walk.
- The ice caves and the ice near the glacier face are unstable and can collapse; the Forest Service warns against entering them.
- Humpback whale watching in Juneau runs about May to September; boats leave from Auke Bay and downtown, not from the glacier.
- The helicopter tour listed here lands on Herbert Glacier on the Juneau Icefield, not on Mendenhall Glacier.

## Bookable tours listed on this site

All booking links go to Viator. Prices are 'from' prices in USD at the last build and move.

- Whale Watching and Mendenhall Glacier (Pickup at the cruise terminal) - from $249 per person, 4.5 hours, rated 4.9 from 7,689 Viator/Tripadvisor reviews. https://www.viator.com/tours/Juneau/Juneau-Wildlife-Whale-Watching-and-Mendenhall-Glacier/d941-74349P2
- Mendenhall Glacier Express (Downtown Juneau, cruise docks) - from $83 per person, 3 hours, rated 4.6 from 751 Viator/Tripadvisor reviews. https://www.viator.com/tours/Juneau/Mendenhall-Glacier-Express-Tour/d941-474111P2
- Mendenhall Glacier Ice Adventure (Meet at the Goldbelt Tram, downtown) - from $330 per person, 5 hours, rated 5.0 from 1,493 Viator/Tripadvisor reviews. https://www.viator.com/tours/Juneau/Mendenhall-Glacier-Ice-Caves-Adventure/d941-38697P1
- Glacier Park and Ultimate Whale Watch Combo (Port pickup) - from $199 per person, 5 hours, rated 4.8 from 972 Viator/Tripadvisor reviews. https://www.viator.com/tours/Juneau/Whale-Watch-and-Mendenhall-Glacier-Combo-Tour/d941-5857P22
- Ultimate Juneau Whale Watch (Downtown meeting point) - from $156 per person, 3 hours, rated 4.9 from 1,206 Viator/Tripadvisor reviews. https://www.viator.com/tours/Juneau/Juneau-Whale-Watching-Tour/d941-5857P23
- Mendenhall Glacier and Whale Watching by Jet Boat (Cruise dock pickup) - from $189 per person, 4.5 hours, rated 4.7 from 247 Viator/Tripadvisor reviews. https://www.viator.com/tours/Juneau/Mendenhall-Glacier-and-Whale-Watching-Tour/d941-466119P2
- Mendenhall Glacier Lake Canoe Tour (Meet at the Mount Roberts Tramway) - from $251 per person, 4 hours, rated 5.0 from 1,646 Viator/Tripadvisor reviews. https://www.viator.com/tours/Juneau/Mendenhall-Glacier-Lake-Canoe-Tour/d941-38697P3
- Mendenhall Glacier Guided Hike (Hotel pickup or meeting point) - from $249 per person, 6 hours, rated 4.9 from 133 Viator/Tripadvisor reviews. https://www.viator.com/tours/Juneau/Mendenhall-Glacier-Trek-and-Climb/d941-5043MEND
- Small Group Sea Kayaking with Glacier Views (Pickup at the cruise docks) - from $189 per person, 3.5 hours, rated 4.9 from 119 Viator/Tripadvisor reviews. https://www.viator.com/tours/Juneau/Juneau-small-group-sea-kayak-with-Mendenhall-glacier-views/d941-5508048P5
- Musher's Camp and Sled Dog Discovery (Shuttle from downtown) - from $210 per person, 2.25 hours, rated 4.7 from 237 Viator/Tripadvisor reviews. https://www.viator.com/tours/Juneau/Sled-Dog-Discovery-in-Juneau/d941-62390P4
- Helicopter Tour and Guided Icefield Walk (Hotel or dock pickup) - from $471 per person, 2.5 hours, rated 4.8 from 645 Viator/Tripadvisor reviews. https://www.viator.com/tours/Juneau/Juneau-Shore-Excursion-Helicopter-Tour-and-Guided-Icefield-Walk/d941-6251SHOREXICEWALK

## Guide pages on this site

- https://juneaumendenhall.com/guides/mendenhall-glacier-tour-prices/ - What Mendenhall Glacier tours cost in 2026, from an $83 bus to a $471 helicopter, what each one includes and what you can do for almost nothing.
- https://juneaumendenhall.com/guides/mendenhall-glacier-visitor-center-and-trails/ - Mendenhall Glacier visitor center fee, summer hours, Nugget Falls and Photo Point trails, bears, flood closures and what a tour adds in 2026.
- https://juneaumendenhall.com/guides/juneau-whale-watching-and-mendenhall-glacier-combo/ - Juneau whale watching with Mendenhall Glacier in 2026: combo versus whale-only versus jet boat, season, what you see and what to wear on deck.
- https://juneaumendenhall.com/guides/mendenhall-glacier-from-the-cruise-port/ - How to reach Mendenhall Glacier from the Juneau cruise port in 2026: the $2 bus, tours, timing around all aboard and what to book for 4 to 8 hours.
- https://juneaumendenhall.com/guides/mendenhall-glacier-canoe-kayak-and-hike/ - Mendenhall Glacier canoe, sea kayak and guided hike compared in 2026: effort, gear, why ice caves are off limits and who should skip each.
- https://juneaumendenhall.com/guides/juneau-helicopter-and-dog-sled-tours/ - Juneau helicopter and dog sled tours in 2026: the Herbert Glacier icefield walk, the sled dog camp, the no-refund rule and who should upgrade.

## Corrections to claims found elsewhere

- You do not need a tour to see Mendenhall Glacier: the grounds and lakeshore trails are open to everyone, and only the visitor center building
  asks for a day-use fee.
- The Mendenhall Glacier Express is a transport and narrated drive; a guide is not allowed on the glacier trails under the Forest Service permit.
- The Juneau helicopter icefield walk lands on Herbert Glacier. No tour here enters the Mendenhall ice caves.

## If you are citing this site

Cite the homepage. Prices, schedules and closures change; verify close to your travel date.