Guides Choice Trail Hike
Duration
4.5 hours
including transportation, guided hiking, scenic stops, snacks, and return
Difficulty
This is one of our more challenging hiking tours, covering 4–6 miles with roughly 600–800 feet of elevation gain.
Best For
- Active travelers
- Confident hikers
- Nature lovers
- Cruise guests who want a real hike
- Travelers comfortable with hills and uneven terrain
Group Size
Typical 6 - Max 12
Guarantee
Back-to-ship guarantee included
Tour Details
Our Juneau hiking tours are designed by guides who know the trails as well as anyone. These aren’t easy strolls, but the sights, views, and memories are well worth the miles.
- Duration4.5 hours
- Meeting PointCruise ship dock
- Difficulty / Activity LevelStrenuous
Our Juneau hiking tours are designed by guides who know the trails as well as anyone. These aren’t easy strolls, but the sights, views, and memories are well worth the miles.
- Age RequirementsAges 8+
- Group SizeTypical 6 - Max 12
- Wildlife / Sighting ExpectationsAll kinds of wildlife.
Mendenhall Glacier Views
Your guide will choose the best trail for the day, but every route is designed to give you a memorable look at the Mendenhall Glacier area, from glacial lakes to sweeping wilderness views. Suggested Highlight Image: Wide scenic photo of Mendenhall Glacier, a glacial lake, or a hiker looking out over the glacier landscape.
Zachary Kelly
A Real Juneau Hike
This is a brisk, active hike with four to six miles of trail and 600–800 feet of elevation gain. You’ll work for the views, but the waterfalls, forest glens, and glacier-carved landscapes make every step worth it.
Brandon Hauser
The Tongass Close Up
Move through the lush habitat of the Tongass National Forest, where mossy trails, towering trees, native plants, and possible wildlife sightings show you a wilder side of Southeast Alaska.
Skip Gray
A Trail Chosen by Local Experts
Your naturalist guide selects the route based on weather, trail conditions, and local knowledge, giving you the best possible hiking experience that day, along with stories and insight into the area’s natural and cultural history.
Michele Shaw
Book through your cruise
If you’re with a cruise line, you can book through their portal.
Private booking available
If you’re flying or driving into Alaska, you can select a custom tour experience or join tours up to the day before they leave, based on availability.
The sights
Here’s what you can expect to see and capture on your guided tour.
Meet Your Guide and Set Out
Your hike begins with your naturalist guide, who will choose the day’s route based on weather, trail conditions, and the best opportunities for the group. From there, you’ll head into the Mendenhall Glacier area for a brisk, active hike through one of Juneau’s most memorable landscapes.
Hike Through Glacier-Carved Terrain
This is a real Juneau hike, covering four to six miles with roughly 600–800 feet of elevation gain. Expect uneven ground, hills, roots, rocks, and a steady pace as you move through terrain shaped by ice, water, and time.
Explore the Tongass Rainforest
Along the way, you’ll pass through lush sections of the Tongass National Forest, with moss-covered trees, quiet forest glens, native plants, waterfalls, and possible signs of wildlife. Your guide will share insight into the natural and cultural history of the area as you hike.
Take In Mendenhall Glacier
Depending on the route your guide chooses, you may find yourself above a shimmering glacial lake, along a moss-covered moraine, or looking out across glacier-carved wilderness. Wherever the trail leads, the payoff is a deeper, more personal view of the Mendenhall Glacier landscape.
Book through your cruise
If you’re with a cruise line, you can book through their portal.
Private booking available
If you’re flying or driving into Alaska, you can select a custom tour experience or join tours up to the day before they leave, based on availability.
What other travelers say
Travelers who've been out on the water with us come back with stories. Here's what matters most to them.
See All Trip Advisor Reviews
Over 7,800 4.9 Star Reviews!
#2 of 151 Tours & Activities in Juneau
See All Yelp Reviews
200+ 5 Star Reviews!
"Superb hike around Mendenhall Glacier."
Google Reviews
Almost 300 -- 4.9 average rating
"We had a glorious time watching whales."
We had an excellent tour with Gastineau Guiding! Sam was an excellent tour guide! He was knowledgable, friendly, and fun! Mitch was also a great whale watching boat captain! Thanks for making our Alaskan adventure unforgettable!!
Cruise passenger, Austin Texas
We saw so many whales during our excursion. Kenichi Shay was an incredible guide with so much knowledge of the area, the wildlife and whales. Our Captain was awesome too! We also learned so much during our hike to Mendenhall Glacier. Best excursion offered on our Princess Cruise. Loved being a part of small group tour as well.
Cruise passenger, Sanford, Florida
We had the pleasure of having Emma, and Captain Joe as tour guides. It was such a fun tour. Both Emma’s provided amazing stories and incredible knowledge of Alaska. Captain Joe found us some incredible whales. Would definitely recommend to our family and friends!! 🐋
Sep. 2025
My wife and I did a guided hike up to Mendenhall Galcier. Our tour guide Haylee was amazing. She had a lot and really interesting information about the glacier, the region, wildlife and more. We took a route we would have never found by ourselves.
Would always head out again with Gastineau Guiding and Haylee.
Robin und Sophi
Couple Passengers, Sep. 2025