Welcome to planning and discovering Juneau. If you’ve never been before, you’re in for a real treat. If you hope to see new sights and enjoy new cultural experiences, you’ll certainly be able to do so during your travels.
Discovering Juneau is a trip like no other. No matter where you’ve visited in your travels to the U.S., there’s nothing quite like Alaska. Follow this ultimate travel guide to prepare.
The Ultimate Juneau Travel Guide
Plan an ideal trip to Juneau by following this travel guide. You’ll find information on everything from when to travel, where to stay and how to get the most from your experience. Start planning your full experience now.
When to Visit
The best events take place during the travel season of May through September. You’ll also find easier access to excursions and restaurants during this time because shop owners know they’ll have ample opportunities to serve tourists.
However, the cheapest time to visit Juneau is during the off-season. If you still want to visit Juneau during the summer but still get the best prices, flights are often the least expensive on Wednesdays. So the best budget trip would be Wednesday to Wednesday since so many people travel on the weekends or close to the weekends.
If you want to get better prices, just evaluate whether the destinations and excursions you want to participate in will be open during the off-season travel dates you select.
Another factor in your decision about when to visit is whether you want to cruise Alaska or fly in to stay specifically in Juneau or travel from one town to another via car or plane.
Where to Stay
Booking your lodging in Juneau is a good first step. That way you ensure that you can stay where you hope to during your preferred dates before booking your flights. Flights are generally non-refundable whereas hotels can be canceled for a full refund so long as you meet deadlines.
You have two main options when booking your stay: Juneau airport hotels and downtown Juneau hotels. When you stay near the airport, you’re closer to nature and hiking trails. Staying downtown makes it possible to walk to most major destinations and sightseeing experiences.
When choosing your hotel, consider these Juneau accommodation features to ensure you have the most comfortable experience possible.
- Fish and game freezer
- Full kitchen
- On-site restaurant
- Separate living and sleeping space
- Breakfast included
- Good location
- Fitness space
- Hospitable team
- Spacious rooms
- Easy booking process
How to Get Around
Another crucial element of booking your travel is selecting how you’ll get around the area. You have many options for transportation, including public transportation, taxis, rideshares, rental cars and shuttles. Here’s a brief look at each as you make your decision.
- Public transportation: the public transportation system is decent in Juneau. It’s one of the least expensive travel options and allows you to still see the sights while on the go. You’ll also have the opportunity to connect with locals during your travels. However, as is true with most public transportation, you won’t arrive directly at your destination and will need to walk the rest of the way. You might spend a good deal of time waiting at the bus stop for the next bus to arrive. And depending on how busy the bus is, you might need to stand during transportation, which can add further fatigue to your busy time sightseeing.
- Taxis: similar to rideshares, taxis are good for minimal transportation needs. But you won’t have to worry about surge pricing like you do with rideshare companies. You can sit back and enjoy the sights while others do the driving. The setback to this is that you’ll need to call to schedule your transportation and you might have to wait a while before your transportation arrives.
- Rideshares: if you don’t plan to go many places, rideshares are a good option for mild transportation. Enjoy the backseat of the car while someone else does the driving and book with ease from an app. But if you go to many places during your travels, rideshare expenses will add up quickly. Wait times are often long during the main travel season in Juneau. And you might experience surge pricing during the busiest times of day.
- Rental cars: with a rental car, you won’t have to worry about waiting around for transportation to arrive. You’ll see sights at your leisure and enjoy greater spontaneity. However, you’ll also need to pay attention when driving instead of watching the landscape go by when someone else does the driving. This is also one of the more expensive transportation options.
- Shuttles: this is a great option for getting around because it is often included with your hotel or excursion booking. Plus, it will drop you off right at the front door of your hotel, the airport, the ferry or your excursion destination. However, it doesn’t run during overnight hours so you won’t be able to use it to get places late at night or early in the morning. And you’ll still need a way to get to other sightseeing experiences.
LOOKING FOR A NICE HOTEL IN JUNEAU?
Full kitchens in every suite.
Should You Bring Your Kids?
Yes! Juneau is a very family-friendly area. You’ll find a host of hotels in Juneau that are good for families, including some with suites to offer multiple sleeping rooms, full kitchens and more.
While the flights likely won’t be inexpensive for the whole family, there are plenty of family-friendly budget activities. For example, you can go light on excursions and see the area yourself without a guide. While the food isn’t inexpensive, you can share meals with your kids because the portions are generous. There are plenty of family-friendly restaurants in Juneau.
Choose a hotel that comes with airport shuttles. And be strategic about which hotel you select so that you can stay near the attractions you hope to see during your stay.
If you can, come during the slow season of September through April. While that’s complex with children’s schooling, it is far less expensive during the off-season. Ask excursion companies about kid pricing to help make your experience more affordable.
You’ll find many enjoyable things to do, including family-friendly dog sledding experiences.
Plan Your Activities
There is so much to do in Juneau. The more you plan in advance, the easier time you’ll have booking what you really hope to see and ensure the experiences are not sold out. Here’s a look at some activities that people enjoy in Juneau.
- Kayaking close to nature
- Whale-watching tours
- Bank fishing
- Dog sledding
- Gold panning tours
- Extreme sports
- Arts experiences
- Snowshoeing
- Winter surfing
- Hiking trails
Where to Eat
Juneau is full of outstanding restaurants you’ll want to visit during your travels. Some great places to get breakfast in Juneau include the following.
- Donna’s Restaurant
- The Rookery Café
- Sandpiper Café
- Sacred Grounds
- Valley Restaurant
- Heritage Coffee Roasting Company
- Alaskan Crepe Escape
If you’re looking for the best salmon in Juneau, which the area is well known for, you have many options for various dishes to enjoy while here. Some places to get great salmon are on this list.
- Deckhand Dave’s
- Alaskan Crepe Escape
- Island Pub
- Red Dog Saloon
- Sandpiper Café
- The Hangar on the Wharf
- Gold Creek Salmon Bake
- Alaska Fish & Chips Company at the Flight Deck
There are plenty of delicious restaurants in addition to these great spots. Review ways to eat and drink your way through Juneau but also allow yourself to visit some impulsive locations during your stay.
Plan Your Shopping Experiences
If you’re looking for the ideal gifts to bring back to friends from Alaska, this list will make it simple. Some ideas for items to bring back for loved ones include these fun ideas.
- Alaskan salmon
- Gold
- Alaska native artwork
- Photography
- Jewelry
- Glacier Mud products
- Knives
- Coffee
- Tea
- Matryoshkas dolls
- Billikens
- Alaskan rug bowl
- Birch syrup
- T-shirts and hoodies
Book Your Stay
Now that you’ve reviewed the essential elements of planning your trip to Juneau, you’re ready to book your stay. Frontier Suites will welcome you with amenities that make your travels feel more like home. Some of these amenities include a full kitchen, fish and game freezer and a helpful front desk team that can assist you in answering questions.
Further reading:
