We had an amazing experience with Ben as our tour guide on. 6-person tour. Ben was knowledgeable…read moreabout everything. The company was way to work with regarding changes to our group. Everything was punctual and well communicated. Would highly recommend and go again myself.

We were on the Polaris with Captain Dalton, and unfortunately the experience was disappointing…read more They'll tell you they're following the whale-watching rules, but our boat stayed much farther away than the other boats in the area. I can't imagine all of the other operators were breaking the rules. Even with 25× zoom on my phone, I couldn't get clear photos, and binoculars were almost required. Whales are plentiful in Alaska, so finding them isn't the issue--the viewing distance is. Staying so far away made this much less exciting than other whale watching tours I've been on. I would choose a different operator next time - sadly we don't know when will we be back to Alaska.

Disappointing and Overpriced Halibut Charter Experience Our…read moreexperience was poor to average. We are a family of four with two girls, ages 11 and 14, and this charter was not a good fit for us this past August, 2025. We were surprised to learn that guides were not allowed to help reel in the fish until they could actually see it at the water line. When fishing for halibut, the line is dropped over 300 feet with a two-pound weight to reach the bottom. Between the weight, the depth, and the rocky waves, it was nearly impossible for our daughters--and admittedly myself--to reel in a fish without assistance. For the price we paid, and after several conversations with the owner before booking, we were disappointed this was never explained upfront. It would have been helpful to know this charter was not ideal for families with kids or teens. We were also frustrated by the lack of basic amenities. The toilet on board was broken, leaving only a bucket with no toilet paper as the option. For almost $2,000, this felt unacceptable. No bottled water or beverages were provided, and the only snack was a single granola bar for a five-hour trip. For a premium charter, this fell far short of expectations. Another disappointment was with the fish processing. We paid the owner in advance for our three fish to be filleted and shipped home, only to be asked again for our credit card later to cover separate shipping charges. This was never made clear and felt misleading. Lastly, we did not catch our limit, and both the guide and captain repeatedly mentioned that a large fishing competition had just taken place in the area over the previous three days. Their exact words were: "It's not good fishing today, it's been way overfished the last few days and it will take about two weeks to get the halibut back to this area." It left us questioning why guests were still being booked at full price when conditions were known to be poor. In the end, we spent a lot of money for what turned out to be an average experience, with limited access to fish and very little in the way of customer service.

Great customer service - Adam and Andrew are true professionals that will guide you in the best…read morepossible direction for fishing and whale watching. Adam is responsive, trustworthy and despite it not being the best time for fishing we came away with a great experience and memories to last a lifetime.

Steve was absolutely fantastic!! My family and I were visiting Juneau by way of a cruise, and…read moreJuneau was our first stop. What a first stop it was! From the very first moment, Steve was extremely professional, knowledgeable, and hospitable. He started off the tour talking about Juneau's history and giving us an origin story of the Alaskan Native Indian population known as the Tlingit. Once we got to the docks, the true wonderment began. On our way out to the heart of Auke Bay, Steve continued with information about the local wildlife population, sharing fun facts about humpback whales, harbor seals, bald eagles, and more. The highlight of the trip had to be the humpback whale breaches. We got very lucky - there must have been 10-15 separate full-body jumps out of the water! Our presence was graced with several playful whale calves, many of them performing chin straps (a term I had never heard before ) and several full-body breaches. Thanks again Steve for helping make our trip to Alaska so special. I would strongly recommend his tours to anyone looking for something special to do in Juneau!

This was the best excursion we had all week when on our cruise in May. Captain Steve was so nice,…read moreaccommodating, and knowledgeable. We saw so many humpbacks and orcas and learned a lot about them. We saw several starfish when boarding the boat, and many Stellar Sea Lions. This was a small boat with a total of 6 on the excursion. So much better than large excursions. Captain Steve also stopped by Mendenhall Glacier for a few minutes before heading back to our ship. He told us a lot about the area and the natives of the area. I thoroughly enjoyed our day!

At the Norwegian Bliss Excursion desk, we asked the attendant what was worth doing if we were only…read moregoing to do one. She said the glacier boat tour, and it did not disappoint! Allen Marine Tours was fantastic. The boat picked us up directly from the ship as we were leaving Juneau around 1pm, and brought us back around 6pm. That really extended the day in a nice way. The boat moved at a relaxed pace through Stephen's Passage and into the Endicott Arm. The weather was glorious, something money can't buy! The scenery as we passed miles of coniferous rainforest and snow covered peaks was absolutely incredible. So calm and quiet, we never saw a single cabin or human on the shore. I felt so relaxed I napped twice. The guides were energetic and friendly, and very knowledgable. They interacted warmly with the guests, took pictures and answered every single question. They weren't in a hurry. When two bears were spotted, they stopped the boat for several minutes. The onboard snacks were actually -- dare I say it -- inexpensive! The crew provided coffee and hot chocolate free of charge, as well as warm donut holes. We spent a substantial amount of time up close to the glacier, probably close to an hour. We saw it calve several times. It's so massive and gorgeous, you don't understand the scale until you're close to it. Overall, worth every penny. Allen Tours made it special, relaxed, warm and memorable. It was the highlight of our trip.

Sailed via the Norwegian Encore as a solo doing the Mendenhall Glacier & Whale Quest, applied $50…read moreexcursion credit. Easy transport to the Mendenhall Glacier though the entrance was very busy with 6 cruise ships in port that day. Short walk to the visitor center, watch your time closely if doing a hike into the park, we had 4 guests not returning to our bus can only hope they used a related bus at departure time for the transfer to Statter Harbor. Not exactly a retreat into nature because of the crowds but still a nice stop. Not a long drive to Auke Bay, Statter Harbor and our transfer to the Whale Watching Boats. My excursion was on May 5th, weather was dry, and mostly clear. Complimentary warm beverages, and some nibbles were provided, plus other food and beverages for purchase, clean bathrooms, and sheltered seating on decks 1 and 2. Found my insulated jacket, gloves, and binoculars all useful, but even being sheltered it was cold on deck 2. The binoculars were helpful to view the humpbacks that we sighted, but so was the gps of my phone to know where the boat was in relationship to its surroundings, we sailed up the Saginaw Channel. In my opinion the sailing component makes sense if you enjoy the idea of a cruising the channel, with marine sightings as a bonus. Overall a good experience with the crew proving insights into this area of Alaska during Whale Watching component. Got back to my cruise ship post normal dinner service, but the Encore extended buffet hours, and I grabbed some food via the Local / Pub.

I loved this tour duo. There was so much natural beauty and history along the trail and the big…read morefinish at the glacier. Having three whales leaping in unison took my breath away. The seals finished in second place as they cavorted on the rocks. I have to mention that I signed up for a moderate tour and it was definitely a challenge on the hike to keep up. But Tristan and Sam encouraged me all the way and to their credit and my astonishment, I was able to say I did it!

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!

What a fun time! The captain knew where to find these creatures. We saw at least 12 gorgeous…read moreanimals. Cold rainy day but the inside seating was comfortable and the windows are perfect huge size for sightings. The naturalist guide was clearly in love with her job. She was as excited as we were at each siting. We came across a family of sea lions napping on a buoy. So cute to see the baby poke his head out from under mom. Worth the money for sure. Even though we had seen more whales off the coast of VA, these were Alaska whales!

Hannah was a great guide. Her information about the whales was very informative. Captain John did…read morea great job getting us on the whales. We really enjoyed this excursion!

Wow Juneau Whale Tours small local company. Absolutely the Best…read moreTJ, Alan and Andrew were professional respectful and funny! This tour is a must! Saw 12-15 whales during the tour. They not only put us on whales but were informative and entertaining. I would highly recommend. Boat was 20 max passengers and very safe and stable. You can walk around the boat for better views! Absolutely super. Thank you JWT!

Oh my Gosh if you're in Juneau take this tour if you want to see whales! We saw multiple whales…read morebreach and some came so close to the boat that even our naturalist was in shock. My camera was zoomed in so much that I didn't take any great photos do to them being so close when they breached. Use this company. I will use them again when in Juneau.

The tour cast for this trip was, drum roll:…read more Chris, Coral are naturalists with captain Mac and Garrett was bus driver. All of them are equally amazing in their own right. Chris have had before on my very first whale watching trip and she's very very special, adorable and wealth of knowledge. Plus, hopefully, a captain in the making. Coral took the naturalist lead this trip and was amazing. What a wealth of knowledge she is. The captain kept us all safe and informed, keeping us our as long as possible before the inevitable end of our trip. Really truly amazing the whole crew has been. Highly recommend any of their tours. This was my third one and each memorable in their own right though first one was the most memorable 3 years back. Just a minor thing compared to one the well before. It would've been nice to see the whale lookup stats on happy whales. Each crew is thankfully uniquely different, really enjoy each and every time have gone out. Please keep it up and do the fantastic job you are.

Really great tour. We went out on the water in a really nice new boat. Saw loud of whales as well…read moreas sea otters, sea lions, and eagles. Then we went into the island with the lighthouse and got some great pictures and climbed up to see the light. Annie, Coral and captain Graham were all very personable and fun to be around. They were very knowledgeable and did a fantastic job making this trip educational and fun. Highly recommend

Jayleen's whale watching was more than amazing. Her personal tour, along with a pilot that she was…read moretraining, I believe her name was TC, was packed full of both of their knowledge about the area and the sea life that we would observe. If you are planning a trip to Juneau definitely plan a tour with Jayleen, you will not be disappointed. Even though it can be unpredictable, we did see hump back whales, orcas and sea lions. Again a 10/10 experience.

Where do I start. Jayleen's Alaska is hands down one of the best whale/wildlife tour in Alaska…read more Jayleens boats are small and more personalized for a better experience. Holding only 6 guests it makes viewing so much more relaxed as you're not fighting for positions on a bigger boat. You have more of a one on one experience. They also supply you with some binoculars if you didn't bring yours. If you're a photographer this is a great way to get some amazing shots without jockeying for positions to shoot. Great for families as the captains are very knowledgeable about the area and what nature it has to hold. I've been fortunate to be a guest for 3 trips now. Just getting back last week from an amazing tour with Capt Alana. Also got to experience her new boat Naughty Girl. All of Jayleens boats are top notch amazing quality boat's. And transportation from the ship to marina was easy. Pick up is right across the street at the Red Dog Saloon (Side note had a good burger there for lunch after the tout) Seen a lot of whale activity with tail slapping and jumping we only had 3 people on board for this trip so it was like my own boat. Seen whales, eagles, seals porpoise and even a bear on the ride back to town. I'd 1000% recommend Jayleen and her team for an amazing tour in Juneau.

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.

Julia and Kendall were amazing! Our boat driver did an amazing job finding the whales and giving…read moreus a close, but safe experience! We love kayaking and this experience was out of this world! Just incredible. We saw humpbacks and orcas! Highly recommend this company!