Cruise Guide to Alaskan Cruise Shore Excursions

Looking for a way to see the beauty of Alaska from up close for a unique and personal experience that you won’t forget? Then taking an Alaskan cruise ship holiday and checking out some of the best excursions available to you is a great way to do it. From the ability to learn about the native indigenous culture to fishing trips in the icy cold waters, you can find something for everyone to enjoy.

Inside Passage - icebergs

Outdoors Adventures

With the great outdoors calling, those who want to venture out into the wilderness or into the sea can leave the Alaska cruise and choose to go river rafting in the water, ride ATVs through the open land, or slide on a zipline over a forest of snow-covered trees. You can even schedule a jet boat ride or kayak trip while you are stopped for the day so you get to see the wild side of Alaska in its untamed glory.

Glacier Sightseeing

The layers of delicate snow will be blanketing the area and making it a beautiful sight to see no matter how you decide to do it. Whether you take an exciting helicopter flight to a nearby glacier or you opt for a dog sledding trip across the milky terrain to get your blood pumping, you can spend the day taking in the sights and viewing the untouched majesty of that mother nature has created.

With so many glaciers to see, you can spend all day looking at the dozens in the surrounding area and taking lots of pictures to capture each moment.

Fishing Excursions

Looking for a way to spend the day relaxing while also being able to take something home for dinner? Then go on an Alaskan fishing excursion that will take you into the crystal-clear icy waters of the Great Land and allow you to catch yourself a King Salmon to cook up. Or, if you would rather sit back and listen to some great stories instead, head to the Bering Sea Fishermen and take in their incredible tales and triumphs in the pursuit of the best crabs.

Alaska - shore excursions - fishing

Riverboat Sightseeing

An Alaska cruise offers plenty to see inside the ship, but with so much to look at around you, you’ll want to do some sightseeing off the ship while you’re docked for the day. So, hop from one ship to another and get a ride on a riverboat that will take you along the Chena River. In a bona fide sternwheeler, you can float along the river and check out the city from afar while relaxing on the starboard, or the port side.

Natural Wildlife Viewing

For the animal lovers on your trip, take the opportunity to see the wildlife that is indigenous to the area and get a glimpse of a wide variety of birds, whales, fish, and even bears out and about! Watch these animals thriving in their natural environment and you might be lucky enough to catch a moose chowing down on some leaves or a bear catching a fish to bring back to his cave for dinner.

brown bear at Glacier Bay

Gold Rush Excursion

Who says an Alaska cruise ship vacation can’t be educational? With a Gold Rush excursion, you can learn all about the history of the frantic time and have a chance to meet real coal miners in the area with a trip to a local mining camp where you can pan for gold just like they did in the 19th century. You can even take a ride on an authentic train from the Gold Rush period and feel like a real gold miner for a day.

Native Culture Excursion

You can’t possibly take in all the cultural facets here in one day, but while on an Alaska cruise, you can get a taste of the native traditions with an immersive experience of viewing performances of Native dances and rituals or checking out the hand-carved and painted totem poles. You can also get some local grub while visiting a real salmon bake or watching local lumberjacks compete in ax-throwing competitions.

Animal Planet and Discovery Excursions

With these names being known for the knowledge and experience they have with wildlife and nature, you can ensure that these expert-chosen excursions will give you the best choices and recommendations of exclusive options that will only be made available to our special guests. With these surprises in store for the bravest explorers, you will get to see the best that Alaska cruise excursions have to offer.

Interesting Facts About Alaska

Many people may know that Alaska officially became the 49th state of the U.S. in 1959, but with a rich history and many unique people and cultures living there still today, there are lots of things that most don’t know about this great area. Here are some interesting facts about the last frontier.

America’s Youngest Flag Designer

Unbeknownst to most, the official flag of Alaska was originally designed by a teenager named John Ben “Benny” Benson because he won a contest that was held to create a new flag design in 1927. The contest was held before the territory had officially become a state, but Benny’s design was kept and is still the official flag today.

Indigenous People’s Day

As most of the other U.S states are celebrating Columbus’s contributions to America on his national day, Alaskan natives are setting up their homes in support of Indigenous People’s Day. With a large number of different indigenous tribes settling in Alaska, they have a rich and vibrant population that takes into account the first people to settle here and honors their way of life and achievements before the European explorers came along.

Glaciers Galore

Although Alaska has one of the lower populations of the 50 states, they have some of the highest numbers of glaciers. With 616 named glaciers and over 100,000 in total, this state has the highest number of glaciers in all of the United States and is home to one of the biggest glaciers in all of North America. You can see over 1,000 alone just in one national park.


Author: Sophie Anderson

Post Date: 11th January 2020


Categories: Ports

Tags: