Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Alaska's Inside Passage: Juneau, Sitka and Skagway by Ferry
8 days from Juneau: Mendenhall Glacier, whales and Tracy Arm, the Alaska ferry to Sitka, then Skagway and the White Pass railway, with every night in a hotel ashore.
8 days · Round trip from Juneau · up to 12 guests
Tracy Arm: forest, waterfalls and drifting ice on the way to the Sawyer glaciers Photo: Mariamichelle, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tracy-arm-363705.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Juneau
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Mostly easy walking of 2 to 5 km a day on paths, boardwalks and town streets, plus long days seated on boats (up to about 8 hours on Tracy Arm). The Chilkoot Trail walk on day 7 is the hardest part, about 8 to 10 km on roots and rock with short climbs, and there is a flat alternative at Dyea if you prefer.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,150 (estimated price)
- Season
- Late May to mid-September
Highlights
Why this trip
- Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls at opening time, before the cruise-ship buses
- Humpback whales feeding in the channels off Auke Bay
- A full day up Tracy Arm, a narrow fjord, to the face of the Sawyer glaciers
- The Alaska ferry to Sitka through Peril Strait, where ships wait for the tide at Sergius Narrows
- Sitka's totem trail at the site of the 1804 battle, the Russian Bishop's House and the Alaska Raptor Center
- Sea otters rafting in Sitka Sound from a small boat
- The White Pass and Yukon Route railway from Skagway up to the summit at the Canada border
- A walk on the first miles of the Chilkoot Trail from the Dyea flats
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,150 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Juneau
Juneau International Airport to your hotel downtown
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Juneau
- Drive about 18 min
Afternoon
Fly into Juneau International Airport (JNU), about 15 km from downtown, by mid-afternoon if you can. No road links Juneau to the rest of North America: everything and everyone arrives by sea or air, which is why this trip moves by ferry and small plane. A driver meets you and takes you to a central hotel near the waterfront, under the steep slopes of Mount Juneau and Mount Roberts.
Evening
In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing: how the ferry timetable shapes the week, what to wear on the boats, and what to expect from the weather, which can change several times in a day. Then we walk to a welcome dinner together, with local seafood in season. If you arrive early, the Alaska State Museum and the Sealaska Heritage Institute's Walter Soboleff Building, with its Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian art, are both a short walk from the hotel.
Included
- Pick-up at Juneau International Airport (JNU)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Optional experiences
- Alaska State Museum
- Walter Soboleff Building (Sealaska Heritage Institute)
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Mendenhall Glacier and the whales of Auke Bay
Juneau to Mendenhall Glacier, then Auke Bay and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Juneau
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
Several thousand cruise passengers can be in Juneau on a summer day, and most of them reach Mendenhall Glacier by mid-morning. So we leave right after breakfast and are at the visitor centre when it opens, with the lake, the blue ice and Nugget Falls still quiet. Walk the short Photo Point trail with the guide, or the flat path of about 1.3 km to the foot of Nugget Falls, where the glacier is right beside you. Late morning we drive to Auke Bay, a few minutes away, and board a small whale-watching boat for about three hours in the channels where humpback whales feed through the summer. The crew also look out for orcas, Steller sea lions, harbour seals and bald eagles.
Evening
Lunch together back in town, then the afternoon and evening are free: ride the Mount Roberts Tramway, walk the boardwalk along the cruise docks once the ships leave, or rest before tomorrow's long day on the water.
Included
- Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center at opening, with the Photo Point trail
- Walk to Nugget Falls with your guide
- Whale-watching boat from Auke Bay, about 3 hours
- Lunch in Juneau
Optional experiences
- Mount Roberts Tramway
- Juneau Icefield flightseeing, with or without a glacier landing (weather dependent)
Easier option: Stay at Photo Point and the visitor centre instead of walking to Nugget Falls.
More active option: Walk the East Glacier Loop trail, about 5 km through rainforest with views down onto the glacier, while the others go to Nugget Falls.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 3 km on flat, mostly paved paths at the glacier. Dress warmly for the boat.
A full day up Tracy Arm
Juneau by boat to Tracy Arm and the Sawyer glaciers, and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Juneau
- By boat
Today is a full day on a small day boat, about eight hours, from the Juneau waterfront south along Stephens Passage to Tracy Arm, a fjord about 50 km long with granite walls that rise straight from the water and waterfalls pouring down them. Small icebergs drift in the channel, often with harbour seals hauled out on them, and the captain picks a way through towards the two Sawyer glaciers at the head of the fjord. If the ice lets us, we sit off the face of the glacier and watch and listen for calving. When ice blocks the arm, the boat goes into neighbouring Endicott Arm to Dawes Glacier instead, which is just as dramatic. On the way out and back there is a good chance of humpback whales, mountain goats on the cliffs and black bears on the shore.
Afternoon
Lunch is on board.
Evening
We are back in Juneau late in the afternoon, and the evening is free.
Included
- Tracy Arm full-day boat to the Sawyer glaciers (Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier when ice blocks Tracy Arm)
- Lunch on board
Free time: Evening free
Activity: A long seated day with little walking. The air near the glaciers is cold even in July: bring a hat, gloves and a waterproof layer.
The Alaska ferry to Sitka
Juneau (Auke Bay terminal) by Alaska Marine Highway ferry to Sitka
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Sitka
- Drive about 45 min
This is the day the whole trip is built around. The Alaska Marine Highway sails from Juneau to Sitka only on certain days of the week, and its times shift because the ships wait for slack tide to pass Sergius Narrows, a tight channel in Peril Strait. We date each departure so this is a daytime sailing and confirm the exact times with your final itinerary.
Morning
After breakfast we drive to the Auke Bay terminal, about 22 km north of downtown, and board as foot passengers. The crossing takes most of the day: down Chatham Strait, then into Peril Strait, a winding passage between forested islands where whales, eagles and sea lions are often close to the ship. Find a seat in the forward lounge or the covered solarium on the top deck, with the guide pointing things out.
Afternoon
Lunch is in the ship's cafeteria.
Evening
A short drive takes us from the Sitka terminal into town, where the evening is free on the harbour.
Included
- Transfer to the Auke Bay ferry terminal
- Alaska Marine Highway ferry from Juneau to Sitka through Peril Strait
- Lunch on board
- Transfer from the Sitka ferry terminal to your hotel
Free time: Evening free in Sitka
Activity: Sailing time varies with the tide and the ship; the times for your dates are in your final itinerary.
Sitka: Tlingit and Russian history, raptors and sea otters
Around Sitka, then a small boat on Sitka Sound
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Sitka
- Drive about 30 min
Sitka is the old heart of Russian America and, long before that, a Tlingit town, Sheet'ka. We start early on the totem trail in Sitka National Historical Park, a walk through rainforest past tall carved poles to the site of the 1804 battle between the Kiks.adi Tlingit and the Russians. From there it is a short walk to the Sheldon Jackson Museum, with its collection of Alaska Native objects, and to the Russian Bishop's House, completed in the 1840s and one of the few Russian colonial buildings left in North America. We pass St Michael's Cathedral and climb Castle Hill, where Alaska was handed to the United States in 1867.
Afternoon
After lunch in town we visit the Alaska Raptor Center, which treats injured bald eagles, owls and hawks. Late afternoon a small boat takes us out on Sitka Sound to find sea otters, which raft up in the kelp beds, along with whales and sea birds.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Sitka National Historical Park and the totem trail with your guide
- Sheldon Jackson Museum
- Russian Bishop's House
- St Michael's Cathedral (outside) and Castle Hill
- Lunch in Sitka
- Alaska Raptor Center
- Sea otter and wildlife boat on Sitka Sound, about 2 to 3 hours
Optional experiences
- A Tlingit dance performance in Sitka, on the days one runs
Easier option: Skip the climb up Castle Hill and wait in a cafe on Lincoln Street.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: About 4 km of easy walking in town and on the park trails.
Fly to Skagway over Lynn Canal
Sitka by air to Juneau, then by small plane up Lynn Canal to Skagway
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Skagway
- Drive about 18 min
Going from Sitka to Skagway by ferry means going back through Juneau and a second long sailing, so today we fly. A scheduled flight takes under an hour from Sitka to Juneau, and a small plane carries us on, about 45 minutes, up Lynn Canal, one of the deepest fjords in North America, with glaciers spilling off the mountains on both sides and Haines below. If the Lynn Canal ferry has a daytime sailing that fits your dates, we may take it instead. Skagway sits at the head of the fjord, and in 1897 and 1898 it was the gateway for tens of thousands of stampeders heading for the Klondike goldfields.
Afternoon
After lunch the guide walks you down Broadway, where the false-fronted wooden buildings of the gold rush are kept by Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, and into the park's visitor centre in the old railway depot.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Flight from Sitka to Juneau
- Small-plane flight from Juneau to Skagway
- Lunch in Skagway
- Walk through Skagway's historic district and the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park visitor centre
Free time: Evening free in Skagway
Activity: The small plane has a baggage weight limit; pack one soft bag. If weather grounds it, we take the ferry.
The White Pass railway and the Chilkoot Trail
Skagway by train to White Pass summit and back, then Dyea and the Chilkoot Trail
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Skagway
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
In the morning we ride the White Pass and Yukon Route, a narrow-gauge railway built in 1898 to carry the gold rush over the Coast Mountains. It climbs about 870 m in roughly 30 km from the sea, on ledges blasted from the rock, over trestles and through tunnels, past Bridal Veil Falls and Dead Horse Gulch over the Canada border to the summit of White Pass in British Columbia, then comes back down. Because the train enters Canada, everyone needs a passport on board. The round trip takes about three and a half hours. The train timetable follows the cruise ships, so ops choose the departure with the most room.
Afternoon
After lunch we drive about 15 km to Dyea, the old rival town, and walk the first miles of the Chilkoot Trail, the stampeders' other route north, through mossy rainforest beside the Taiya River. Ship passengers are back on board by then, so the trail is quiet.
Evening
Farewell dinner in Skagway.
Included
- White Pass and Yukon Route summit train, about 3.5 hours round trip, crossing briefly into Canada (passport required)
- Packed lunch
- Chilkoot Trail walk from Dyea with your guide and a local guide
- Farewell dinner in Skagway
Easier option: Walk the flat Dyea townsite and the Slide Cemetery, where avalanche victims of 1898 are buried, instead of the trail.
More active option: Walk about 5 km out along the Chilkoot Trail towards Finnegan's Point and back, about 3 hours on roots and rock with short climbs.
Activity: Bring your passport for the train. The Chilkoot walk is about 8 to 10 km on uneven ground. The Dyea road is narrow and partly gravel.
Fly back to Juneau and home
Skagway by small plane to Juneau International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 18 min
Morning
A slow breakfast in Skagway, with time for a last walk to the harbour or the Gold Rush Cemetery, where Soapy Smith and Frank Reid, who shot each other in 1898, are buried. Late morning a small plane takes us back down Lynn Canal to Juneau, about 45 minutes, for a last look at the glaciers above the fjord on a clear day. If weather grounds the small planes, we travel by the Lynn Canal ferry instead and the guide adjusts the plan and your onward connections. Your guide sees you to the check-in desk at Juneau International Airport before saying goodbye. Most flights south leave for Seattle or north for Anchorage. Book a flight from Juneau leaving after about 3 pm, so a weather delay on the small plane does not cost you your connection.
Evening
If you want to stay longer in Juneau, we can book an extra night for you.
Included
- Small-plane flight from Skagway to Juneau
- Drop-off at Juneau International Airport (JNU)
Free time: Morning free in Skagway
Activity: Book a flight from Juneau leaving after about 3 pm.
- Juneau3 nights
- Sitka2 nights
- Skagway2 nights
- Juneauend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Humpback whales feed in Southeast Alaska through the summer, and June and July bring the longest days, with daylight until after 10 pm in Juneau. Late May and early June are often the driest stretch; August and September are wetter but bring salmon runs and the first autumn colour. Bears are possible on the Chilkoot Trail; the guide carries bear spray.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want the Inside Passage without a cruise ship
- Whales, glaciers and sea otters from small boats
- Gold rush, Tlingit and Russian history in small towns
- People who like evenings ashore, with free time to eat where they like
Not for you if you want
- Anyone who wants to see Denali or drive Alaska's road system: see our Anchorage, Denali and Kenai Fjords trip
- Travellers who cannot manage small planes or stepping on and off boats
- Guests who need fixed dates any day of the week: the Sitka ferry sets the calendar
- Travellers who want guaranteed sunshine
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Juneau3 nights
- Sitka2 nights
- Skagway2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights in central hotels: 3 in Juneau, 2 in Sitka, 2 in Skagway
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Juneau International Airport (JNU)
- Our own vehicle and driver in Juneau, local vehicles with drivers in Sitka and Skagway
- Alaska Marine Highway ferry from Juneau to Sitka
- Flight from Sitka to Juneau
- Small-plane flights from Juneau to Skagway and from Skagway to Juneau
- White Pass and Yukon Route summit train
- Whale-watching, Tracy Arm and Sitka Sound boats
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, with local guides on the boats, at the Raptor Center and on the Chilkoot Trail
Activities
- Mendenhall Glacier and the walk to Nugget Falls (Juneau)
- Whale-watching boat from Auke Bay (Juneau)
- Tracy Arm full-day boat to the Sawyer glaciers (Juneau)
- Sitka National Historical Park and the totem trail (Sitka)
- Sheldon Jackson Museum (Sitka)
- Russian Bishop's House (Sitka)
- Castle Hill (Sitka)
- Alaska Raptor Center (Sitka)
- Sea otter and wildlife boat on Sitka Sound (Sitka)
- Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park walk (Skagway)
- White Pass and Yukon Route summit train (Skagway)
- Chilkoot Trail walk from Dyea (Skagway)
Meals
- 7 breakfasts
- 6 lunches, including lunch on board the Tracy Arm boat and the Sitka ferry
- Welcome dinner in Juneau
- Farewell dinner in Skagway
Not included
- International and domestic flights to and from Juneau
- US entry documents (ESTA or visa)
- Travel insurance
- Dinners other than the welcome and farewell dinners
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities such as the Mount Roberts Tramway and Juneau Icefield flightseeing
- Extra hotel nights if weather or a ferry change delays you
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,150 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Seven nights in central hotels, 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches and two dinners, the ferry from Juneau to Sitka, three flights, the whale-watching, Tracy Arm and sea otter boats, the White Pass summit train, Mendenhall Glacier, the Raptor Center, the Sitka museums, the Chilkoot walk, airport transfers and a See Sight Tours guide throughout. Optional flightseeing, drinks and most dinners are extra.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That fits the small whale and sea otter boats, the small planes to Skagway and one table at lunch, and everyone can hear the guide on the ferry deck.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the Juneau airport on day 1 to the Juneau airport on day 8. Local captains and naturalists run the boats, and a local guide joins us on the Chilkoot Trail. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
Is this a cruise?
No. You sleep in hotels ashore in Juneau, Sitka and Skagway and travel between them by the public Alaska ferry, small planes and the White Pass railway. You see the same coast as a cruise, and do the big boat trips with a small group.
Why does the ferry timetable fix the dates?
The state ferry from Juneau to Sitka sails only on certain days of the week, and its times move with the tide at Sergius Narrows. We build every departure around a daytime sailing on day 4, so dates open once the summer timetable is published. Sitka to Skagway is by air, because the ferry would mean going back through Juneau.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderate. Most days have 2 to 5 km of easy walking and long spells seated on boats. Day 7 has a walk of about 8 to 10 km on the Chilkoot Trail over roots and rock, but you can choose the flat Dyea townsite instead. You need to step on and off boats and small planes.
I am travelling solo. What will I pay?
You can have a room of your own for a supplement of CAD 1,150 for the trip, shown before you book, or ask us to pair you with another solo guest of the same sex and pay the shared price. Solo travellers sit with the group at every included meal and on every boat.
When is the best time to go?
The trip runs from late May to mid-September, when the White Pass train, the Tracy Arm boats and the summer ferry timetable all operate. June and July have the longest days, and late May and early June are often drier. August brings salmon runs but more rain. Whales feed here all summer.
What if it rains or the small plane cannot fly?
Southeast Alaska is a rainforest, so some rain is likely and the boats and walks go ahead in it. If weather grounds the small planes on day 6 or day 8, we travel by the Lynn Canal ferry instead. That is why we ask you to book a flight home from Juneau after about 3 pm on day 8.
Do I need a passport or a visa?
Yes, a passport for everyone. The White Pass train crosses briefly into Canada to the summit in British Columbia, so passports are checked on board. Visitors from outside the US need US entry papers, such as an ESTA or a visa, and guests who are not US or Canadian citizens should check Canadian entry rules (an eTA or a visa) for the crossing.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The trip also runs as a private trip for your party only, from CAD 12,185 per person, on a date you choose that matches a Sitka ferry sailing. If you would rather travel independently, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels, ferry, flights and boat trips.
How does booking work?
Choose a start date and request to book. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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