Had an outstanding guided tour with this company in the Tongass national Forrest surrounding the…read moreMendenhall glacier. This was a strenuous 5 mile hike over uneven terrain and a steep elevation climb, but the trek was worth it. Multiple beautiful views along the way to include the glacier. The guide went out of her way to ensure the pace was something that all Trail participants could do, taking well-timed breaks , ensuring the group stayed together. She also provided a nice history of the national park and the glacier in particular, integrating that into the hike which added so much more to this excursion. Of note, She also went above and beyond what was advertised for this hike by taking us into side trails off of the main trail to make sure we saw extra landmarks and terrain that she deemed as beautiful and meaningful that added so much more to this excursion. Nice! The side detours included a beautiful waterfall and some nice elevated views that were just outstanding and made the hike that much more memorable. High marks not only for this guide but for this company for hiring such qualified and passionate guides. Highly recommend this company where I Will definitely use them the next time I am in Juneau.

Absolutely Outstanding! One of the Best Excursions We've Ever Taken!…read more If you're visiting Juneau, this is the excursion to book! Our Whale Watching & Mendenhall Glacier tour with Gastineau Guiding was absolutely fantastic from start to finish. It was easily one of the best shore excursions we've ever experienced. Our guide, Collin Taylor, was exceptional. He was friendly, knowledgeable, engaging, and made the entire day so much fun. Throughout the tour, he shared fascinating information about Juneau, Alaska's wildlife, humpback whales, the Mendenhall Glacier, and even photography. His passion for Alaska was contagious. Our captain, Ron, was equally outstanding. He and Collin knew exactly where to find the whales, and they delivered! We saw at least a dozen humpback whales, including adults and a calf. We watched countless whale blows, multiple tail flukes, and even witnessed a breach in the distance. As a bonus, we got incredibly close to a group of sea lions relaxing on a navigation buoy. The Mendenhall Glacier portion of the tour was just as impressive. The hike through the rainforest was beautiful, and Collin explained how the glacier has retreated over the years and how an entirely new forest has grown in its place. It gave us a whole new appreciation for the landscape. We came away with some incredible photos and unforgettable memories. The icing on the cake is that Collin is also a professional photographer and shares his photos with the group afterward. That allowed us to stay in the moment while knowing we'd still have amazing professional-quality memories to take home. Five stars without hesitation. Gastineau Guiding exceeded every expectation, and if you can, request Collin Taylor. You won't regret it!

Could not have had a better day on the water. Our guides were so knowledgeable AND respectful of…read morethe wildlife we encountered. Could not recommend more,

Had a great time out with Dale, Aiden and the team seeing Humpback whales today!…read more We booked through our cruise line, and the price felt a bit steep, but the crew delivered on the experience and it felt well worth it. We saw other ships out on the water that seemed a lot rougher in condition, and just less professional, so I'm glad that we paid a premium to be on the ship that we were on! I'd definitely recommend booking with this team, they also seem to be a subcontractor for Juneau Lighthouse Tours, so booking with them may work as well.

Liz at the kayak rental shop in Auke Bay definitely went above and beyond! She was very friendly,…read moreprofessional and very knowledgeable. She fixed the rudder on my kayak with ease even though it was a complicated repair. Thank you Liz!

We went to Norris Glacier with ABAK and it was amazing!!!! The air, water, and land combination…read morewas incredible!!! Seaplane to the glacier landing. Packraft to the glacier and walk on Norris glacier. Every bit was fantastic. Everything was very organized with exceptional service.

BUCKET LIST! 5.0…read more In my fairytale dreams, I've always wanted to take a helicopter up to a glacier and go dog sledding atop a snowy mountain. The reality of fulfilling this dream almost vanished as fog hovered too low throughout the day, resulting in tour after tour being canceled (with refunds issued). Even though our scheduled departure time of 3:30 had come and gone, there was still a glimmer of hope, although nothing was guaranteed. We were transported to the airport, about 10-15 minutes away, to await the pilots' decision on whether it was safe to proceed. I felt confident that we would get to go up and that everything would be okay, and it was! We gathered in the briefing room for a quick overview of what to expect and were issued waterproof boots to wear. This was also our last opportunity to use the restroom before heading out. The next thing I knew, we were being harnessed into our seats, with my husband and me seated up front next to the pilot. To balance the helicopter, passengers were assigned seats according to their weight. It worked out perfectly for us! The aerial views of Glacier National Park, Dawes Glacier, and the surrounding Juneau landscape were absolutely amazing. The helicopter ride itself was about 15 minutes, from takeoff to landing. As we approached Herbert Glacier and looked down at our landing site at base camp, it felt like something straight out of a movie. We were on a mission to meet those pups! The weather was cold, but we never felt a chill. As they say, "There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing." We were definitely prepared with our down jackets, gloves, and waterproof gear. Once at base camp, we were introduced to the mushers and their working dogs. We learned about life at base camp and how these dogs are most comfortable in temperatures at -20 degrees Fahrenheit. We then enjoyed a good 30 minutes of dog sledding, switching positions at a stop midway through the ride while our musher called out commands to the dogs. After our sledding adventure, we chatted with the mushers, petted the very excited dogs, and took in our surroundings from the mountaintop. The sheer enormity of the peaks and the abundance of snow and ice were breathtaking! When the helicopters arrived to take us back to the airport, we boarded just as we had earlier. Taking off once again was phenomenal! The entire round-trip experience lasted about two hours. There was never a boring moment as we took in the breathtaking landscape from above, imagining what it must be like to spend months at a time at base camp and go dog sledding with these amazing dogs. If you've ever dreamed of doing this, just DO IT and check it off your bucket list! A Few Things to Keep in Mind: 1) Plan your cruise early in the season. If you're hoping to book this excursion, consider traveling during the months before July. We went in mid-late June. Because of the melting snow and ice, operators generally cannot offer this experience after the end of June, although the timing may vary from year to year. Just don't cut it too close to the end of the sledding season! 2) Be prepared for weather-related cancellations. With the unpredictable weather, there is a high chance that this excursion may be canceled. These decisions are made for everyone's safety, including yours and the crew's. Fog and rain can roll in quickly, making visibility too poor for safe flying. While a cancellation may be disappointing, safety comes first. I hope you get the opportunity to experience this once-in-a-lifetime adventure! We're so glad we did!

Matt was an awesome pilot and took us to an amazing glacier with awesome views. He pointed out…read moremany interesting sites and was a great tour guide as well. Highly recommend!

Fantastic trip and very knowledgeable crew. Saw what we came for on a great cruise to Alaskaread more

We went on an Alaskan cruise and decided not to book any excursions through the cruise line. When…read morewe docked in Juneau, we decided to wing it and find a whale-watching tour and a way to see the glacier. There were several options available when we got off the ship, and luckily, we chose the right one! The bus was nice, and the whale-watching boat was great. It was clean, had plenty of seating, and the staff was incredibly friendly. They made the experience fun and interesting, and we were lucky enough to see whales! Our bus driver was also fantastic. He was very friendly, shared lots of history about the area, and pointed out bald eagles along the way. The captain of the boat was also super friendly, and they even provided snacks during the tour. The tour also took us to see the glacier. They dropped us off and gave us a specific time to meet back up, then picked us up and brought us back to the ship. We made it back to the ship on time, which was important since we were on a cruise. If I ever come back to Juneau, I will definitely use this company again. Next time, I'll know exactly who to book with in advance! Five stars all around! Ps. I also took pictures of whales that we've seen. We were able to see six, but I took the pictures with my other phone.

Jason was the best guide! He had a ton of knowledge, stories, (and jokes of course!)…read more Absolutely recommend. The rapids were fun for a beginner like myself and the views speak for themselves.

Five star experience with Autumn and Captain Lee! Quite an informative and knowledgeable crew. The…read moresafety briefing was thorough and the boat was clean and organized. Autumn clearly has a passion for whales and gave us enough education to fuel our fire for the animals. We saw calves and Sasha and we were treated with the experience of a whale breaching right in front of the boat! Overall a wonderful experience and looking forward to another tour with ATA! Also to mention the wonderful salmon bake! Fresh fish and live music with covered seating and a creekside view. The short hike to the waterfall was fun too! Special shout out to our wonderful bus driver too! She drives the "sunshine" bus and while her name escapes me, her impression does not! She pointed out an eagle's nest, told stories of the legendary wolf Romeo, and gave us a quick but detailed history of the town. Bonus that she's from our neck of the woods!

Best tour in Alaska! Airboat ride, which is a very unique and personal tour experience, combined…read morewith the helicopter ride and a glacier landing! Wow! My dad and I went as our special Alaskan adventure. It was my dad's first helicopter ride and the views of the mountain tops and glacier were absolutely amazing. The airboat ride was of course by far the highlight - Captain Brian is a pro driver, making it the most memorable experience ever! Getting that close to such a big glacier is a dream come true! We had an entire hour on the water and saw the face of the glacier from every angle. The length of the tour and the multiple once in a lifetime experiences was well worth the price of this tour. Brian and Julie gave a great safety briefing and fit us with warm life jacket coats and ear muffs. We just showed up and everything needed was provided. Captain Brian is very knowledgeable of the area, he grew up spending time in the Taku River passing by this glacier often.

Once in a lifetime experience! We signed up for an excursion from the Norwegian encore. It was a…read morecombination helicopter/airboat trip to Taku glacier. Our guide knew so much and was a great pilot. The airboat portion was fantastic! Definitely thrilling, breathtaking, informative, and exhilarating! Trying to decide on whether to splurge? This is a must for!

If you have limited time in Juneau, the Tram up Mouth Roberts is eye opening…read more The tram ride is slow enough to enjoy. No ear popping, it can be a little crowded, but the cool thing is your ticket is good all day and you can run up and down until the end of the day. Military discount is small, but if you have a good size group, it's worth it. There are a couple of amenities at the top. A a small cafe, a gift shop, a little auditorium that plays a movie about the history of the tram. We got up to the top. We went hiking on the small trail, but if you have it in your...you can hike up to Browns Cross and get an even better view of Juneau and the surrounding areas. And one ticket will allow you to do it early and then again later? Wow. The staff are friendly and keep things in order. They get you up pretty quickly. We had a good time, and I can see why it's a must do on Juneau lists. Recommend.

I'm guessing our experience was better than others. The cost was much less because we booked it…read morethrough NCL. There's a $50 credit per tour that applies to the first guest through the "More at Sea" package. You'll also get Latitude Reward discounts depending on your tier. It somehow ended up costing less than $20 for both of us. It's also an all day pass, so you can go up & down as many times as you want. We were one of the first in line that morning. There were only 8 people in front of us. We watched as they were taking the staff up to the shop & resraurants. Before long, it was our turn. The tram was pretty packed with lots of standing room and very few seats. I chose to be on the outer edge with a great view. The climb is steep, and you do go straight up like an elevator for that last push to the top. To be honest, I've been on much higher gondolas (to the top of the Zugspitze near Garmisch). The Goldbelt Tram was an easy ride compared to that. I did like the commentary along the way. It was nice to hear fun facts & history as you're taking in the view of the channel and forest below. There is a gift shop, restaurant, bar, and theater as you get to the top. We opted to take on the Alpine Loop Trail early. We also made sure to stop at the Chilkat Theater to view the "Seeing Daylight" documentary. Don't miss that viewing. It's part of the whole experience. It really puts everything into perspective about the land and its people (Tlinget) who have lived here for centuries. You'll see an ongoing theme as you explore other Alaskan towns. It really ties it all together. We didn't get to try the restaurants. We thought it best to explore Downtown Juneau and the waterfront instead. It was a good decision. It was all very memorable! I'd love to do it all again.

This stop was part of our cruise excursion. Was very organized, and the employees were welcoming,…read moreenthusiastic, and informative. We were here in early June and sadly there weren't many flowers yet, but we enjoyed the mini tram ride that took us into and through the forest & gardens. The views were spectacular, and we were fortunate to have beautiful weather as the day was warm and sunny.

We did not enjoy our visit. The guide, who seemed like a nice guy, spoke with an extremely…read moreexaggerated Southern drawl. We only understood every 4th to 5th word. It seems like a fascinating place but not being able to understand our guide ruined it for us. We were with a group of 42 people and everyone else had the same problem. I wrote a very polite email to them about this and they never responded.