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Know the top four
most-visited
Alaska cruise ports

Read their descriptions below.

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Juneau

Its character
Juneau is America's smallest state capital - and the only one that is accessible only by boat or aircraft. Because it's the Alaska state capital, Juneau has some relatively large 20th-century buildings. Consequently, it has less Alaskan gold rush ambiance than Skagway, Ketchikan, and Sitka.  On the plus side, it rains less in Juneau than in those other port towns.

Best tourism aspect
Juneau offers the broadest variety of shore excursions and shopping venues of the top 4 Alaska cruise ports.

My Juneau excursion rankings
Click link to learn them:

Top 3 Juneau excursions

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Ketchikan

Gold Rush town
Miners debarked ships here to begin their trek to Yukon and possible fortune.

Rain
It rains far more in Ketchikan than in Skagway, Juneau and Sitka because it sits in a rainforest zone. The stats: 4 meters or 13 feet of rain per year.

My Ketchikan excursion rankings
Click this link to view them:

Top 3 Ketchikan excursions

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Sitka

Setting
The port town is picturesquely bordered by the sea and snow-capped mountains.

Dual heritages
Russian settlers and the indigenous Tlingit people fought each other in 1804 (the Tlingits won). Today the town is a peaceful cultural blend of the two heritages.

Former capital
Sitka was the Russian capital of Alaska before Russia sold the land to America.

My Sitka excursion rankings
Click link for pictures and descriptions:

Top 3 Sitka excursions

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Skagway

Ambiance
Skagway retains some of its Gold Rush ambiance with period storefronts and an old-fashioned boardwalk.

Rain
Of the top 4 ports, Skagway has the least rain (averages slightly less than 2 inches of rain per month).

My Skagway
shore excursion rankings
Click to read about them:

Top 3 Skagway excursions

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Other main
Alaska cruise ports

Haines
Small town. Can be visited as a day excursion from nearby Skagway.

Homer
Known for its sports fishing and Salty Dog Saloon. Near Seward.

Ice Straight Point
Its cannery is the chief tourism draw. Near Glacier Bay.

Petersburg
Nicknamed Little Norway. Limited tour options. Fishing and seafood processing reign here.

Seattle
Ranks second to Vancouver in cruise embarkations and debarkations. Don't miss the panoramic view from the Space Needle and the gourmet-dream Pike Place Market.

Seward
It's the leading cruise port serving Anchorage. The SeaLife Center is the town's finest attraction. Kenai Fjords is the best excursion destination.

Valdez
Columbia Glacier is the top tour. The eponymous town is wrongly associated with the infamous 1989 Valdez tanker oil spill.

Vancouver
Many cruises start and end here. Wonderful, livable city. One of the best attractions is the 360-degree view from The Lookout's observation floor.

Victoria
This attractive city's top 5 attractions are Butchart Gardens, Empress Hotel, Miniature World, Parliament Building, and Royal British Columbia Museum.

Whittier
It's second to Seward in serving Anchorage. Good base for exploring College Fjords.

Wrangell
Town offers little, but is a good base for wilderness excursions.

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Anchorage

Hardly anything is worth seeing in Anchorage. But the city is invaluable to cruisers for overnight stays who arrive or depart Anchorage by air. You have a choice of several major hotels. I like the Captain Cook Hotel for its traditional Alaskan ambiance.

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Best cruise ships by category
Best 4 Alaska cruise ports to visit
Best shore excursions - overview
Helicopter tours - Ranks #1
Floatplane tours - Ranks #2
Best 3 Juneau shore excursions
Best 3 Ketchikan shore excursions
Best 3 Sitka shore excursions
Best 3 Skagway shore excursions
Denali National Park
Goldstar Dome railroad ride
More pre- and post-cruise options

World's Top 100 Wonders

World's Top 1000 Wonders

Site map

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Alaska Cruise Association

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