I have been to a LOT of glaciers and Mendenhall is not better/worse than any of the others for the fly in tours. Yes serenade of the seas on sept 18th is the cruise i'm considering. We had a blast doing the whale watching and were fortunate to see a ton of whale activity. Which must mean that we will have to return :-). For us it just never gets old. Before you plan your glacier tour, get familiar with these common destinations. Hubbard Glacier is the northernmost of all the scenic cruising spots offered on weeklong cruises, located off Disenchantment Bay, northwest of Glacier Bay National Park. The baby was breaching and putting on quite the show! Im interested more if Hubbard glacier is a must see one or if the Dawes glacier/Haines combo is just as good. My very 1st cruise was in 2007, and went from Whittier to Vancouver. Part of me wishes I had not tried to involve him in the discussion and just booked him! When I asked my son if he wanted to do it, he was pretty indifferent so I made up his mind for him. The bus process also went smoothly with great information given about the area while we were traveling. The ever-changing face of the glacier makes for a unique, Helicopter dogsledding tours have to be one of the most doggone amazing adventures for visitors to Alaska, and this is definitely one of our favorites! I recall when I went to glacier bay the fog didnt lift until later in the morning in time to see the glaciers, granted it was September. I give him the choice of participating in planning and decisions, or "giving it away" to me. Wildlife-- mountain goats, bears, You don't walk up to the face of the glacier but see it from a distance (unless you are on some excursion that gets you to the face) Personally if I were doing Glacier Point Safari I would skip Mendenhall. Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve Tours & Tickets, Last Chance Mining Museum Tours & Tickets, Juneau-Douglas City Museum Tours & Tickets, Alaska State Capitol Building Tours & Tickets, Waterfront Promenade and Franklin Street Tours & Tickets. The crew was great, made sure we sawseveral whales and saw many seals. Highlights plus less visited destinations. An example, visiting Hubbard Glacier, it just "sat there"; didn't "perform". The flight itself will leave you in awe as you take in the breathtaking landscape of Juneau. Im reopening this thread and hope someone reads. Our observation was that the cruise line excursions and the independent booked Glacier Point Safari excursions all end up on the same boat with the same 3rd party company. It is $40 cheaper to book direct rather than through the cruise line. TEMSCO Helicopters | Mendenhall Glacier Dog Sledding It was a boat ride down the Lynn Canal and a bus ride through the woods then a hike to the river then canue to the glacier area where you hike up to Davidson Glacier. ", 2 minutes Admission Ticket Not Included, 1 hour 30 minutes Admission Ticket Included. So sounds like Hubbard is more worthwhile to visit as a glacier but Haines would be worthwhile seeing too. Of course a lot of this depends on when your ship arrives and departs, number of hours you have to do all this. Combine an exhilarating helicopter flight, a pack of friendly huskies and their mushers, and a dash by dogsled across the Herbert Glacier for a one-of-a-kind, Explore Juneaus largest glacier by helicopter, by airboat, and on foot with one of the best Juneau helicopter tours! Juneau Helicopter Tour and Dogsledding Experience Thank you cc. It is an all day thing, but we got to hike all the way up and touch the glacier. We will be on an Alaskan cruise first week in September and had planned on doing the Juneau Whale Watch combo tour which includes the shuttle to the Mendenhall Glacier. Our group of 6 booked independently. It was very enjoyable. Would definitely recommend. Alaska Vacations & Travel Advice from Trusted Alaskans In order to receive a refund, changes and cancellations must be made more than 7 days prior to your tour date. Captain Ben, Rob and Jayden were an amazing crew! And, if the black bear makes his/her appearance after the salmon have been grilled to get some free food off the grill----whatever one paid, it's worth it! schedule in each port. Thank you for your reply. :D. can I ask a more complicated question? LOTS of pictures of the dogsled excursion! It is remote, there will not be a crowd. Hubbard Glacier is huge and definitely worth visiting. latebuyer, February 13, 2022 in Alaska. Powered by Invision Community, Thanks for your replies. :) My son doesn't like to "own" any decision. Your guided adventure will give you the opportunity to see everything from whales and seals to cascading waterfalls. Mendenhall Experiencing the majesty and splendor of an Alaskan glacier is a, The Juneau Icefield extends more than 1,500 square miles and is home to, nearly 40 large glaciers, including the famous, Most visitors to Taku Glacier head to the Taku Glacier Lodge, which sits directly across from the glacier, and do a, More adventurous travelers can take their, Ride above the million year-old glacial icefields on a, For a spellbinding expedition, check out Davidson Glacier in Skagway. The "deadliest catch" tour likely would be done whatever the weather would be. It was a scary ride. A moderate amount of walking is involved. Bad weather, started late and missed Mandenhall glacier because ran out of time in whale watching. Walk through the forest to arrive at your canoe which will take you on a trip to the Davidson Glacier! We walked right up to the glacier and touched it. The dock is just across from historic Ft. William Seward. Analysis and reporting is a breeze with Tableau, which comes a preconfigured report library, included for all cirrus customers. At least there's a good outcome. Your journey begins with a narrated flight in one of our seaplanes to the remote Lodge. There is a no bag policy in the aircraft, if you have medical needs that require a carry on, please contact us. you know how those teens can be. I really would like to go to hubbard but dont want to be rained out. 5 Juneau, Alaska 99801. We have booked directly with Temsco and are looking forward to a fabulous excursion! I read it yesterday and then checked out Temsco and some other private tour operators. If you would like to exchange one tour for a different one, you must create a new reservation for the new tour and send us an email to cancel the other tour. Skagway Glacier My mom was very nervous about a helicopter ride. Obviously opinions vary but I prefer real towns. For many, the RR dock is not "too far" to walk, very doable. Mendenhall Glacier - Wikipedia It was absolutely fantastic!! Answer: Absolutely! WebTEMSCOs tours based out of Juneau or Skagway give you the chance to walk on glaciers, drink glacier water straight from the source, or go dogsledding in some of the most beautiful and pristine environments imaginable. Fortunately, tickets werent necessary to enjoy its beauty. It is recommended that you wear warm layered clothing, a waterproof jacket and comfortable slip-proof shoes, Always check with us regarding the shuttle schedule if you want to spend more than 1.5 hours at the Glacier park, This tour/activity will have a maximum of 49 travelers. My husband is NOT interested in flying in a helicopter but two out of the three kids and I would get such a thrill. Cut-off times are based on the experiences local time. #3. Youll create unforgettable memories as you experience a glacier from high in the sky and gliding along its surface. Tracy the ships don't get close to the action - at Hubbard - Glacier Bay and Endicott they do. Why?? You would be wasting an hour in backtracking shuttle time. The boat was going so fast and we were bouncing up and down on the hard seats , and water was getting in wetting us .we felt battered and bruised after . You can check-out the memory book I made of our alaska cruise. Answer: If the weather is just not cooperating and the pilots determine that its too bad to fly, well do our best to reschedule you to a later time of day that works for you. WebDescription Details Frequently Asked 5.0 (23) Please be advised this tour must begin at least 1 hour after your arrival to Juneau if traveling by cruise ship. If you book through the ship, Temsco shuttles will pick you up at the pier. Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features. We learned a lot about the gold rush as someone talked on the train through speakers as we passed sites of interest. Mendenhall Glacier | How to Visit | ALASKA.ORG If it was as bad as it was maybe we should have been told beforehand . Skagway Dog Sledding & Glacier Flightseeing Helicopter Tour. Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos. Due to its location, mainly one-way cruises sailing to/from the Seward and Whittier homeports in Alaska stop at this scenic site. If weather causes the tour to be cancelled, I would think that whatever you paid would be refunded. All ports or docks are within 10 minutes walking distances, except one - the A Dock - which provides a Downtown shuttle to the Mt. One of the most popular tours in Skagway, the White Pass Railroad summit tour isn't one to miss. I highly recommend this combo tour as it gives you a great glimpse at the natural wonders! You have up until 7 days prior to your tour date to cancel for any reason. #1 Posted March 6, 2016 Hi i'll be sailing on Disney wonder to Alaska this Summer. We had a two hour break, went back to ship and had lunch, then had a second excursion to the Davidson Glacier. You have up until 7 days prior to your tour date to cancel for any reason. Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features. Since there is more time on Skagway I was thinking of doing the whale watching/Mandenhall explorer on Juenau and leaving the dog sledding for Skagway/Denver Glacier. It would be in august. We are more than happy to accommodate children of all ages. Please send an email to [emailprotected] letting us know which tours you would like to cancel as we must have all cancelation requests in writing. Bus tour or taxi from downtown Juneau, 12 miles, Taxi from Auke Bay Ferry Terminal, 7 miles, City bus stops 1 1/4 miles from the visitor center. Rob, Four and capt brenden were very knowledgeable and made sure we got to see plenty of whales!! I booked a morning Coastal glacier tour with Coastal followed by whale watching w/ Harv & Marv. Why?? This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies. Any thoughts on the Chilkoot Charters company and their Carcross Rail and bus tour? (Photo by naturesdawn / CC BY). We've done May and September cruises and weather was never a concern during each of those four cruises. Highly recommend! The lads doing the trip were very nice but the boat trip was shocking . Ask your rep for details. Many of the dogs we took out on the glacier last year Sebastian raced with in the Iditarod this year! It was the absolute best excursion of the trip. Will do this excursion again when I go back!! There are river rafting and fishing opportunities galore. And the historic Ft. William Seward/Chilkoot Barracks is listed on the National Register of Historic Placesandalso is designated a National Historic Landmark. Steve Kroschel has a wildlife conservation area that is worth visiting. A couple months ago I recieved the following email from Eileen at Harv and Marv: I received a call from Lisa at Coastal Helicopters and they are requesting all passengers to be at their offices at least a half hour before the tour. (He just doesn't do that size boat!). The tour is supposed to get us back around 5:15 and our ship doesn't leave until 10 pm. Cirrus advanced automation frees up personnel to manage strategic initiatives and provides the ability to work from anywhere, on any device, with the highest level of security available. This tour won't disappoint if you're looking for fun! It's a popular destination in the height of the season, so patience is always needed! Usually, there are tours that go from Haines to Skagway for a quick visit. Get all the amazing views of a helicopter glacier tour, and add in the thrill of a dog sled ride. However, they told us that we could walk from the ship to their heliport and that wasn't accurate. Haines is a less visited port. Mendenhall Glacier vs Davidson Glacier - Juneau Forum The glacier and surrounding landscape is protected as part of the 5,815 acres (2,353 ha) Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area, a federally designated unit of the Tongas However, this is not a wildlife viewing tour and we cannot guarantee you will see wildlife. Fortress of the Bears and the Raptor Center. Answer: There are several planes available at the base and can make accommodations for larger groups with advance notice. Simple, he will return to the ship, or Mendenhall glacier drop off may be an option?? Once on the glacier, you'll meet the dogs and take off on the ultimate thrill of riding with the dog sled team. Have found 2 companies that go to different galciers. Mendenhall glacier by bus was not so great. Helicopter to glacier in Juneau or Skagway? - Juneau You have to COBOOK this with a single vendor. The helicopter ride was incredible, with beautiful views of the fjords, the mountains, the ship and the town. This tour to the infamous Taku Glacier Lodge is the ultimate Alaskan experience. Mendenhall Glacier toursare very popular. If you have questions about tours prior to booking, please email [emailprotected]. From there, hop into your ATV for a fun ride through the forest while taking in the scenery and wildlife. Alaska Shore Tours donates 5% of profits to local charities. Since Philip moved and has started a family, I have visited additional times (including a Christmas visit). We also enjoyed the Glacier Point Safari. This is the only Juneau Glacier that is still advancing, and one of few in the entire world for that matter! How have people felt about going back to Alaska a second time? It would have been helpful to have had this information before hand. We did see a whale which was great but that was the only good part . The Whale Watching tour was fantastic. You can travel to a remote mushers camp and let 10 Alaskan Huskies pull you along one of Juneaus glaciers. That way I'm not "pestering" him trying to involve him in a decision he doesn't want to make. Haven't run out of new experiences! For this type of excursion I am leaning towards booking through the cruise line "just in case". Whale Watching & Mendenhall Glacier Tour We went into the Yukon to Carcross. The dog sled ride was too short! 135. It is a bit of an adventure - boat ride, then a school bus through the woods, then a canoe (with motor) and finally a hike up to the face of the glacier. We had the weight issue in Hawaii, and they couldn't go, so when we found this one we had to sign up. Hiking trails are in Chilkoot State Park and also Chilkat State Park. Whale watching and visiting the Mendenhall Glacier are two of the most popular activities around Juneau. In Skagway, we also did multiple excursions in one day. This 5-hour tour is Juneaus first multi-sport adventure of this kind.