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The top
Shore excursions

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Best of the best

The top 2 Alaska Cruise shore excursions:

Helicopter sightseeing

There are three types: 1) With a glacier landing and walk, 2) with two glacier landings and walks, and 3) with dog sledding on a glacier. Click helicopter sightseeing for my page with insights and photos.

Floatplane sightseeing

See remote, dramatic aerial landscapes. Some tours land on remote lakes or fjords. Read my floatplane sightseeing page for photos and descriptions.

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Other popular
shore excursions

They include:

Whale and orca watching
Bear watching
Salmon and halibut fishing
Sea kayaking
Learning local foods and cooking
Hiking in the wilderness
Touring the port towns
Visiting local museums
Taking an historic railroad ride
Seeing raptor rehab sites

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The top 3 shore excursions
in each of the top port towns

Click these links to learn them:

Juneau
Ketchikanu
Sitka
Skagway

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Book early

Some shore excursions sell out long before your ship docks.

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Book with whom?

Many tours cost less if you book them independently with tour operators or their booking agents rather than directly with your cruise line. However, be aware that there are major tradeoffs.

Booking directly with a cruise line helps reduce booking time and potential glitches. It assures you that the tour operator was vetted for quality and reliability - and that it will likely offer schedules that better dovetail with the ship's time in port. And, cruise lines completely reserve some tours months in advance, leaving independent tour buyers out of luck.

If you purchase a tour from your cruise line and it returns after your cruise ship's scheduled departure, cruise ships will wait for you (or will get you to the vessel's next port of call without charge). If an independently book tour returns late, you might end up on the dock waving the ship goodbye.

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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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Explore my
candid country, region
and other travel guides
Click links for tips & insights

©2012 HQP - Hillman Quality Publications / hillmanwonders.com