Your top recommendations on our cruise stops?
 

Surprise early anniversary trip for my partner.

I have been on two Alaskan cruises (last in 2008). He has never been to Alaska.

We will have stops in Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway.

OF course, we have to do an excursion in each of the cities....

For those in the know, what would be your top thing to do in each of those cities?

Also, any recommendations on non-cruise excursion companies?

Personally, I'd visit Totem Bight state park in Ketchikan, get a car and drive around in Juneau - visit the Mendenhall Glacier, drive around Douglas Island, visit the Shrine of Saint Thérèse; and get another car in Skagway and drive up the pass, past Emerald Lake, to the Robinson Roadhouse, a ghost town just off the Klondike Highway.

For a higher-end/higher cost option, consider a Misty Fjords flightseeing trip out of Ketchikan.

In Skagway, the White Horse & Yukon Route Railroad trip was actually pretty enjoyable. Nice views. I walked around town in the morning, took the train around 1pm.


I rented a car and enjoyed driving around the Juneau area.

Have a good trip!

I loved the Railroad trip when I did it back in 2000.... sure we will have to do that again!

It really depends on your interests. I love hiking so I do a lot of hiking in the ports. In Skagway, a good alternative is to take the train one way and use the road the other way. Dyea Dave or Chilkoot Tours both offer this option.

In Juneau I have gone whale watching with Harv & Marvs multiple times. Only 6 passengers max per boat, longest time on the water that I have seen of any operator. Excellent tour.

Totem Bight was mentioned in Ketchikan, but if you go there I recommend also visiting Potlach Park which is right there too. You can take the public bus from downtown Ketchikan to Totem Bight and back.

The White Pass railway excursion was excellent. It was a bus tour up from Skagway to the Carcross desert in the Yukon, had a salmon bake lunch, and then back through the valley via train.

I will caution that if anyone is afraid of heights, the White Pass Railroad is not necessarily the best option. I can recommend renting a car and doing the drive instead, which means that being able to tailor the length of day to your preferences. In fact, my mother did the White Pass Railroad in the morning and the rest of us set off when she got back.

Juneau, I can second the recommendation of Harv and Marvs for whalewatching. Or take the shuttle bus out to Mendenhall. If the weather is good, take the Mt. Roberts Tram for a fantastic view (do not buy this ahead of time as it's not worth it if the weather is not good).

If this is going to be a once in a lifetime trip, consider a flightseeing/helicopter tour in at least one of the ports. Expensive but amazingly worth it. I've particularly liked trips that include landings on glaciers.