7 Shore Excursions Tours Worth Booking

1.Best Whale Watching and Wildlife Shore Excursion in Sitka

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 103 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $205Our pick

Review of Sitka Sound Tours whale watching, with small groups, local guides, wildlife sightings, pricing, logistics, and honest drawbacks.

“Captain Rick was nice but unless you’re sitting right up front next to him, it is nothing more than a super expensive boat ride. He didn’t talk to anyone other than the couple sitting up front with him. Barely any commentary on Sitka or what we were seeing. Saw a whale and a couple of sea lions on a buoy but even when we slowed down to look at those animals, Captain Rick didn’t volunteer any information. Definitely did not feel the trip was worth the money.”

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2.Amazing Whale Watching and Marine Wildlife Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 74 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $199

Review of Sitka’s 2-hour private whale watching cruise, with humpbacks, sea lions, otters, guides, pricing, weather tips, and booking advice.

“Tad is an amazing Captain. He went out of his way to make sure we had an experience beyond our wildest dreams. We saw whales with their calves, sea lions, eagles, otters, and a mama brown bear with her 2 cubs. All along, Tad informed us about the local culture, history, and the importance of the local ecosystem. Very approachable, Tad made this a wonderful experience beyond our expectations. We recommend Tad highly and without hesitation.”

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3.Reykjavik Shore Excursion: Whale-Watching Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 61 reviews · 3 hours 50 minutes (approx.) · from $108Best value

Review of Reykjavik’s whale-watching cruise, with wildlife odds, boat comfort, pickup advice, pricing, weather tips, and practical booking guidance.

“The tour was well-organized, we boarded and left on time and there were warm, waterproof jackets available for those that were underdressed. It was easy to hear the guide throughout the boat with the installed speakers and she made a point to orient us to the position of the animals so we could all find them quickly no matter where we were. Dominiki was our guide and she had a lot of great information about the local whale and other cetacean species, local geography, and we felt like we learned a lot despite having taken other whale-watching tours in the past. The captain did a great job of making sure…”

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4.A Comfortable Sitka Whale Watching Wildlife Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 24 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $225

Review of Sitka’s small-group whale watching cruise, with wildlife, Mount Edgecumbe views, pricing, logistics, value, and booking tips.

“Amazing tour! Rick has a spotless boat. My family was very comfortable and loved that he had heat and snacks. We saw whales, otters, sea lions and eagles. It absolutely met all of our expectations and more.”

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5.Victoria Shore Excursion: Whale-Watching Cruise with Expert Naturalist Guides

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 23 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $133

Review of Victoria’s 3-hour whale-watching cruise, with orcas, humpbacks, expert guides, practical port tips, pricing, and booking advice.

“The tour was great and the operators very knowledgeable and friendly.”

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6.Juneau Shore Excursion: Paddle with Whales Kayak Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 20 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $494

Paddle Alaska’s Inside Passage near humpback feeding grounds with a small group, full gear, guides, snacks, and boat transport from Juneau.

“Amazing employees and excursions. I’ve never kayaked before but was given excellent instructions. My kayak mate and I were given the ultimate experience of having a humpback whale surface right in front of our kayak. A once in a life time experience!!!!”

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7.Icy Strait Shore Excursion: Whale Watching Adventure Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 9 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $326

Review of Hoonah’s whale-watching tour from Icy Strait Point, with humpbacks, sea otters, Tlingit stories, boat details, value, and booking tips.

“Our captain was from the Tlingit nation and her first mate was a marine biologist. We were able to see whales, sea otters, and sea lions. I think my favorite part was the stories the captain shared from the Tlingit nation. I felt privileged to be able to listen to these wonderful stories. It was an excellent time!”

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