At least we saw bears !! Bus driver and our guide were rather odd and boring. I know it wasn't the…read moreCarnival excursion that was bad because others raved. We just had bad luck in who were assigned to. We did do exactly as the description read and we did see bears which was pretty awesome but it could have been more fun. Half of the people on the bus were bored as well and ready to move on or be finished. The provided lunch was good what made it great was the view from the radio station we ate in.

This tour was wonderful. I enjoyed the small group size. Our guides were knowledgeable, funny, and…read moreanswered all our questions. They made sure each of us had a chance to see the wildlife and take lots of photos. We learned about the ecosystem, culture, and current lifestyles in the Chilkat Valley. They had lots of resources, including spotting scopes, manuals, and photos. Binoculars were available for everyone. The bus was comfy and our driver was great. Thanks!

Discovered this the last time we were in Skagway - and it's easy to get to from the cruise port…read more Most of the walk is through residential area and along a flat pathway, but the mountains on the side make for a scenic view. Then you reach a section where you walk into the woods and follow the trail to climb up towards the falls. It's pretty short and not too steep. Once there, the lower falls are so pretty! It can get crowded as the day goes on. We got there in the late morning and there were already a good number of people, so I think earlier is better. **BONUS: When we hiked down, we took the path towards the cemetery. That was an interesting section with some really old headstones/gravesites. It was a little sad but also fascinating to read the markers and to think about the people who lived here long ago.

Was told about this from our zipline guides. We did the walk from the cruise ship over to the…read morefalls. The actual hike is pretty short. so if you just get dropped at the parking lot you will be walking less than a 1/4 of a mile..... From the ship over was around 2.25 miles each way. The falls are beautiful and were worth seeing. But was wishing we had chose a path over to a lake we had seen from town instead. A tour bus of people got dropped at the parking lot JUST as we got there so we had a ton of people to contend with after we had just walked over. They seemed oblivious to the fact that other people were there and wanted pictures without them in it. But definitely a lovely stop to get a little taste of Alaska beauty.

This is it. This is what I'd like to talk about. The trail that starts in downtown Skagway, Alaska…read moreand leads to Upper Dewey Lake and eventually Devil's Punchbowl! I'm not shy about this, lol, so I'm just going to say it...the views from high above were blissful! Joyous! Incomprehensible! Lol, can I go any further? Hehehe. Now...for my first ever visit to Skagway, I had stopped in at the Visitor Center, spoken with a few of the locals and done my research. If there's one hike you must do while here, it's this trail that navigates to Upper Dewey Lake and then finally Devil's Punchbowl. Briefly, I want to say...along my adventure...a few other hikers I passed by said the sights and surroundings reaching Devil's Punchbowl were 10 out of 10! Yeah, sure, I didn't really believe these people. These (in my head) were amateur explorers, lol. What did they know? Here I am, having visited almost every national park, having accomplished loads of hikes and trails. Lol, I'm Mr. Know It All! So...I didn't really take these random acquaintances seriously. Well, obviously, I am here writing this, my story, and yes...this hiking trail that takes you to the upper limits of Skagway...standing high above the inlet of the Alaskan Panhandle has won my full support and approval! This was easily one of the 10 BEST HIKES I have ever accomplished! Almost 4000 feet high! Feeling like I'm on top of the world! I can't stress enough the type of mighty feeling I felt in my belly! The freedom! Just, (tears of joy), breathing in that fresh Alaskan air was unlike anything else. I am beyond grateful to be writing about this, lol. And...once again...this hike relit my fuel, to say...I take nothing for granted. I am humbled. Thank you Skagway, Alaska! This Dewey Lake Trail leads to all sorts of different pathways. You don't necessarily need to trek to Upper Dewey Lake and Devil's Punchbowl. There's the Lower Dewey Lake Loop (nothing special), Sturgill's Landing, and mediocre Icy Lake and Upper Reid Falls. But...going all the way to Upper Dewey Lake and Devil's Punchbowl was monumental! First off...if you're going to make it all the way to Upper Dewey Lake...you MUST FINISH it till the end at Devil's Punchbowl. MUST. Some cruise ship passengers I was hiking alongside never ventured fully to Devil's Punchbowl. They missed out. Because...Dewey Lake was just okay. But...the real highpoint of it all happens when you're climbing to Devil's Punchbowl. Especially in the afternoon time with the sun at your back makes for the perfect setting. All my wondrous moments came while at the top of the mountain. Then, I could view Upper Dewey Lake and the colorful snowcapped mountains in their entirety and, wow, this is what it's all about! Also, off to the left hand side while climbing, you can view downtown Skagway and the cruise ships docked in port. This Upper Dewey Lake Trail to Devil's Punchbowl took 8 hours to complete. They say it's an all day hike but I started at 12pm and finished by 8pm...a little before sunset. Here are the statistics... - To arrive at Upper Dewey Lake, it's 7 miles roundtrip gaining 3100 feet in elevation. Definitely, strenuous. - To arrive at Devil's Punchbowl, in total from the trailhead it's 9.5 miles gaining 3700 feet in elevation. At this point it's all adrenaline, lol. And...so let me just talk about the incline and how hard the hike was. After the initial start...it's nothing but serious climbing and climbing and climbing. Especially, there'll be a sign beside the Lower Dewey Lake Trail Intersection stating to arrive at Upper Dewey Lake...it's only 2 more miles. But...that 2 miles is straight incline. Just be prepared with water and food/snacks and embrace the challenge. One thing...Skagway is known for having loads of cruise ship passengers. If you're from a cruise and want to head to Devil's Punchbowl, you must start this trail immediately when exiting the ship. Unfortunately, along the way to Upper Dewey Lake, there's nothing to view. It's plenty of switchbacks and intense trekking upward through forest on a dirt pathway and beside a streaming river. In the end...the reward of it all is snapping stunning photos from the top of the mountain, located just outside Devil's Punchbowl. This hike totally rejuvenated and motivated me to explore what's next on my summer journey throughout Alaska. Btw...the actual Devil's Punchbowl was average. It's all about the views peering down upon Upper Dewey Lake and Skagway. Like out of a photoshopped magazine or postcard, lol. Looking at my pictures, they really don't do justice. Finally, the views from high above were so special. I can't put into writing other than to say you must come here and do this, to reinforce, to believe, that the world is a beautiful place and there's nothing like standing among the heart of the great outdoors.

A strenuous trek up the hill with a lot of switchbacks and is not for the faint of heart as this is…read morea difficult strenuous walk that reminds me a lot of some of the trails I walked in Hawaii. Big chunks of the path going up the hill is uneven with wet/loose dirt and exposed roots and imbedded rocks that you need to stay focused on. The vegetation is lush and green and is quite serene. Nice elevated views in spots with lake views and alternate trails around the lake. We only got as far as Dewey lake and there trail system on this day (which is what this review and rating reflects) due to another hike we had taken earlier in the morning where we ran to of time and had to return to the ship for departure. Having said that, I see in the other review that the Punchbowl is amazing and that is something we will have to do on the next trip here which we will definitely be doing at some point in the future. Upper Reid falls was also a goal for us as we saw the lower Reid falls earlier in the day which was absolutely gorgeous. Overall a nice but strenuous place to hike that offers some beautiful scenery along the way.

Loved this day tour from Haines to Juneau , family owned very friendly and attentive we saw whales,…read moreseals, bald eagles and bear. We were fed on our departure and return, the salmon chowder was so good and welcome after a cold day on our way back. Lots of good recommendations on where to go in Juneau and great info on wildlife and the area in general . Catch was our captain and very knowledgeable, Hannah was super attentive and friendly , keep up the good work!

Captain Ketch and deckhand Jessica created a wonderful experience for a day-long excursion from…read moreSkagway to Juneau (with stops in Haines to pick up and drop off a few passengers). We stopped for whales and other wildlife along the way (a young humpback whale even came up between the pontoons of the catamaran). In retrospect, I would have done this trip with the available overnight stay in Juneau. Four hours isn't a lot of time in Juneau, especially if you take the bus to Mendenhall Glacier. I scarcely had time to buy lunch and a coffee in Juneau before meeting the bus for the 15-minute trip back to the small boat harbor. The snacks served on board were delicious (blueberry muffin in the morning, and salmon chowder, sourdough bread, and a cookie in the afternoon.

Definitely where I'll always go for a bike tune up, great staff that does a great job…read more Best bike shop in town!

We have gone on multiple excursions with Sockeye Cycle over the last 15 years. Today was the first…read moretime we went on a tour out of Haines. We booked today's trip via our cruise ship... We have booked on our own with them out of Skagway. The guides are very friendly and knowledgable. Anna and Erin were out guides today - what a hoot they really were a perfect fit for our trip to Chilkoot Lake. Another great bonus with this company is that they seems very committed to community... Whether you are in Haines or Skagway check out Sockeye Cycle!

They left us in Haines!! They DID NOT come back to pick us up & take us back to Skagway, so we…read morecould board our cruise ship. We had to spend the night in Haines...no clothes, toothbrush, charger, nothing! We received notification of the cancelled trip 3 hours AFTER they should have picked us up. I had to pay almost $900 for hotel, another trip on a different ferry so we could meet our cruise ship in Juneau. No refunds have been given!! Take this trip at your own risk!! They are not reliable & are not sanctioned by the cruise ships because of their sloppy operating practices! Avoid this ferry!!

Made it back from our excursion to board the ferry back. Many people in our group needed to use the…read morebathroom and this employee rudely said when asked if the bathroom could be unlocked "no I have computer work to do and the ferry is on the way" the bathroom could have easily been unlocked for the group. She would not provide her name but was extremely Rude!

The Chilkat River Adventure was wonderful from dock to dock! Our bus driver, Mads, was…read moreinformative, engaging, and funny. The facility on the Chilkat River was organized and easy to navigate. The jet boat adventure was fun and informative and we even spotted a mommy moose and her babies, many eagles, lots of other birds, and some beautiful scenery. Highly recommended!

As the name says, they operate boats that cruise up and down the Chilkat River. They cannot…read moreguarantee what you will see since wildlife is not really predictable. There is nice scenery if the weather it good (they can't guarantee the weather either). Our weather was good, but initially we didn't see much wildlife. Nice scenery, pretty mountains. We saw a few birds, including trumpeter swans. On the way back to the dock we got lucky. Bears. A mama brown bear and her juvenile cub. The boat stopped and we lingered for several minutes watching them interact. It was great. As I said, they can't guarantee that. But if you do get to see the bears it's truly magical. And watching them from the safety of the boat is really the only way to do it.

Had them booked for a cruise excursion months in advance. They cancelled our excursion as we were…read moregetting off for the ship for day. Cancelled because we had to small of a group.

This was a GREAT tour!…read more We met Amy and Davis - two guides near the cruise port. We joined about 8 others in a van and drove about 30 minutes out into the wilderness. Roads quickly turn to dirt and it's pretty remote feeling. Amy and Davis then took us on a moderately difficult 2 mile hike rising about 400' in the Alaskan wilderness. After about an hour - we started descending which is also not the easiest to hike - but they waited for everyone and helped anyone in need. They also helped carry any extra gear if you needed. Amy took breaks every 10 minutes or so to allow everyone to rest and point out the local flora. We then got to a rive where a raft was brought in by other guided. After putting on boots, everyone boarded the raft for a picturesque trip down a very scenic river with bald eagles flying all around - eating fish and the like. We got stuck in an eddy of water for a while - but Amy got us out. Davis was still learning the guide role. After the river float - we helped get the raft out and they had cookies and hot tea / chocolate for everyone to enjoy. This was a SUPERB ALASKAN experience!!!! I would HIGHLY recommend this, provided you can hike a moderately difficult trail.

Cara boo was very entertaining she told us history about alaskas past and made many funny jokes…read morethroughout the tour she made the tour very fun

I took the 6 hour tour which included a 2.5 hr train ride, panning for gold and sled dogs. What an…read moreamazing time w my mother who uses a rolling walker. As long as you can do a few steps you can do this tour. We had wild Jessie and he dresses the part. He's very knowledgeable about the history of Skagway. Since he lives in the town all year-round he gives great suggestions on places to eat and go. The sled dog demonstration was fun to watch. We got to meet the dogs and hold puppies. Plenty of dogs to go around. We then learned how to pan for gold. You get to keep it! They measure your gold and tell you what it's worth. Very fun. The water is warm so you don't freeze when panning for gold.

When even the cruise table servers say an excursion is worth it then listen up. We did not plan on…read moreany excursions for our trip to Alaska but this one was said to be a "do not skip" and we are extremely glad that we did not. Booking is easy from the cruise app. Check-in was super easy as well. Not too much waiting to board and water was provided for the trip. As we did just the White Pass and did not include the Yukon portion we did not need our passports. We also did not like the idea of a 7 hour train ride. This ride ended up being one of the highlights of the trip. We all huddled in the front of the same car and took turns out in the platform. The views were breathtaking. The narration provided gave a heads up for specifics to look out for. The miners crushed by a boulder. The hanging glacier we passed. The wooden bridge we would climb over. Very informative. Zero complaints. Zero regrets. One thing everyone in the ship would say is that Alaska in general is indescribable, after this journey through the White Pass, I most certainly agree.

The Journey was absolutely beautiful and, up until the end, one of the highlights of our Alaska…read moretrip. The scenery was incredible and we were having a great experience. Unfortunately, during our trip the train suddenly braked extremely hard. A number of passengers were thrown around and had minor injuries, including my young daughter, who got an abrasion on her chin. Two passengers ultimately needed to be transported by ambulance, including an older woman who had a significant facial injury. To their credit, I thought the company handled the aftermath very well. They stopped the trip at the nearest appropriate location rather than continuing, arranged buses to get everyone safely back to Skagway, gave us a full refund (which, amazing if you think about the money they had to fork out) and even gave everyone hats. The staff seemed genuinely concerned and did everything they reasonably could once the incident occurred. It's difficult for me to rate because the scenery and experience were fantastic and I was very impressed with how they responded. At the same time, after experiencing an incident like that with my family, I personally don't think I would take the train again. I wouldn't necessarily tell others not to go, but I do think our experience is something prospective passengers should know about when making that decision.