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Juneau Food Tours

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Review Highlights

“ Midgi is a great guide and she had all sorts of information about Juneau that was fun and interesting. ” in 5 reviews

“ We were lucky to have Joel as our guide and his passion for food was apparent. ” in 3 reviews

“ I was so happy to see that it was a smaller group (11 folks) because there's nothing worse than feeling even more like a herd of cattle after being on a cruise ship for three days straight. ” in 2 reviews

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Serving Juneau Area

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Juneau Food Tours is a culinary walking tour in downtown Juneau, Alaska. We have 8 tastings, with 6 tasting locations. Our tour focuses on the amazing seafood harvested from the cold Alaskan waters. Great for anyone who wants to learn more about Juneau and it's history while enjoying great food. It's real Alaskan food by real Alaskans. …

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I love a good food tour wherever I travel, and Juneau's is in my top ten. I was so happy to see that it was a smaller group (11 folks) because there's nothing worse than feeling even more like a herd of cattle after being on a cruise ship for three days straight. Our guide (I am terrible at names) was fantastic! The tour is well thought out and has a little bit, or a lot, depending on your likes, for everyone. We had some really cool stuff at great venues. Not to give it all away, but there were 6 stops and none of them disappointed. My favorite things were the Denali blueberry mojito, the ceviche and Kelly's chowder. SO GOOD! We bought a bunch of fun stuff to take home. There's a little walking, nothing crazy and no hills. Lots of historical information along the way. Highly recommend!

Buyer Beware. Did the prohibition tour and were scammed. $120 p/p nothing authentic. 3 stops and a lady showing pictures from a book and impossible to understand as it was done in busy restaurants. Indian restaurabt 1/2 glass of wine and two small appetizers for 10 people to share. Second stop a Mexican fusion for overcooked small piece of farm raised salmon and small glass of cheap champagne. Final stop(thank god) a bar for dessert which was a small piece of Chocalate and a Manhattan made with cheap Rye from Pennsylvania. Pathetic

What a wonderful tour!! We ate so much we were full! Delicious food with a great tour guide Natasha! She was very insightful and answered any questions we had. The walk is not long at all and the stops in between helped if you have any problems walking. Each stop had something yummy and usually something to drink. It was a nice sunny day and the walk was welcomed! This is a must do tour in Juneau. It gives you a little taste and allows you to learn where to go back and eat your heart out!! Thank you Midgi and Natasha for a great experience!!

We did the Juneau Food tour and loved it! Our guide Khrystl was excellent, knew a lot about Juneau, past and present. The food and drinks were delicious, varied and really represent local fare. We've done the usual trips in Juneau before, this was just what we were looking for!

What a great experience!! The food we tasted was excellent and gave us a real appreciation of Juneau and Alaskan cuisine. From bull kelp salsa, Spruce tip jelly, blue-ice tea, and blue mojitos, to the way Juneau does salmon, halibut, and crab. Most of all our guide Iola took special care to give introduce us to Juneau history, culture, and the impact that the indigenous people of Alaska have had on the capital city and the state.

We thoroughly enjoyed this tour. We had a taste of a variety of food products and drinks while walking a few blocks in downtown Juneau near the cruise ship dock. Midgi, our guide, was fun and informative, and she clearly loves her town. All the food tastings were unique and delicious and left us wishing for more. We definitely recommend this tour!

We were on a cruise last week (beginning of September) and paid ahead of time for this excursion. Although the guide, Ivan, was terrific, we felt that this company misrepresented to our cruise line what would be offered on this excursion My questions are... Where were the hog wings paired with hard cider? Where was the panko crusted salmon filet? Where was the Alaskan game sausage? Where was the UPSCALE Chef inspired restaurant? Where was the fresh caught halibut paired with fine wine? Where was the trip inside the Alaskan bar, where we were supposed to sample THREE, not ZERO, beers? The description says, "suds" Other thoughts... *Sushi in a sports bar? Ugh! *And I would not consider an artisanal tea house to be a tea shop where we stand around the store, amongst the products for sale, and sip tea out of a tea cup the size you'd get at a sushi restaurant. *The Alaska Brewing Spicy Ginger Seltzer was the size of a double shot glass! *The Blueberry Mojito was not much bigger and filled with ice! *I paid more money for this then I did for the exclusive Chef's table experience onboard the ship! ****Save your money if you're on a cruise and sign up for the Chef's table instead! We should have gone on the Mendenhall Glacier excursion instead!

4 cruise ships in port today and that is the slowest day of the week in Juneau. We flew in from Seattle and were able to do the 11 am Bites and Booze Tour. Joel was our fabulous guide and we were the only 2 on the tour. We made 8 stops, learned about Juneau and some art on our walk around the downtown, and had many tasty treats and sips! Highly recommend! If on a cruise, book on Juneau Food Tours website to save a lot of $$! They offer different tours and don't all involve alcohol.

See all photos from Colleen T. for Juneau Food Tours

Joel and Matt led us 16 ladies on a tour today. They were so patient, friendly and knowledgeable! They took us through 8 different amazing restaurants, bars, and shops that sell food and drinks. Was an awesome way to experience Juneau. Would recommend this tour to anyone visiting- you won't regret it!

We had fun taking the Prohibition Food Tour. We traveled to three restaurants we normally wouldn't have gone to, but definitely would go back to! We received personal service from the first two chefs. Our guide, Dennis, thought through our tour. It was a delightful way to explore Juneau.

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Quick Details

• Map Marker Location: Juneau
• Hour Glass Duration: 3.5 Hours
• User Ages: All ages
• Embark on an evening wildlife cruise featuring delicious Alaska-themed appetizers with a local tour operator boasting 50 years of expertise!
• While onboard keep your eyes open for humpback whales, orca, sea lions, eagles, seals, porpoise, and more!  An on-board naturalist will explain the behavior and habitat of wildlife encountered while on tour.
• The culinary experience highlights delicious, locally sourced cuisine. The delicious appetizer spread includes dishes such as smoked salmon dip, seafood chowder, reindeer sausage, quinoa & barley salad, chef’s choice dessert and much more!

Evening Whale Watching with Alaskan Culinary Flair!

• Meet at the designated meeting location and set out to Allen Marine’s whale watching facility in Auke Bay. Downtown Juneau is about 30 minutes from our whale watching facility.
• Sail onboard an Alaskan-built expedition vessel with comfortable seating, wrap around windows, heated cabin, restroom, outside viewing deck and galley gift shop.
• Cruising time is approximately 2.5 hours on the water. All tour timing is approximate.
• Every voyage is unique; custom-designed by your experienced Alaskan captain and crew.
• Evening tour timing allows you to get the most out of your day in Juneau, no matter how many activities you want to fit into it.
• After the tour concludes, meet your shuttle driver for transport to conclude the day’s tour.
• Chevron down Accessibility
• Participation does not require any physical exertion other than leisurely walking for short distances, however the van used for ground transportation to/from the boat dock is not equipped with a wheelchair lift, and it may be necessary to negotiate 3-4 steps to embark and disembark the sightseeing vessel.
• Chevron down Dietary Requests
• The selection of appetizers & desserts includes vegetarian and gluten-free options. We ask that dietary requests are sent in with at least 48 hours prior to departure time.
• It is important to note that the food is prepared in a small off-site location, where cross contact may occur. 
• Chevron down What to Wear
• Dress in warm layers and bring a rainproof jacket to wear on observation deck.
• Chevron down What to Bring
• USD Cash and credit cards. Beer, wine, cocktails, soda, and Alaskan-made retail products are available for purchase.
• Don’t forget your camera to capture your beautiful surroundings, and wildlife! Take advantage of our onboard selfie frames for a fun group moment! 
• Chevron down Other Considerations
• Persons sensitive to motion sickness may wish to take medication at least one hour prior to the tour departure time.
• Hot food items are available for guests to enjoy the first 1.5 hours of the excursion. Cold food items and desserts are available for the entire duration or until items run out.
• Tips are accepted onboard for a job well done but are in no way required. Crew are able to accept tips via cash or card.
• Chevron down Wildlife on Tour
• Southeast Alaska is teeming with wildlife, including bald eagles, bears, whales, sea lions, otters, and more. Our knowledgeable guides will help you spot these magnificent creatures in their natural habitats and provide fascinating insights into their behaviors.

As part of our commitment to sustainability, we prioritize responsible wildlife viewing practices to minimize any impact on the region’s wildlife populations. Our mission is to ensure the continued health and well-being of Alaska’s wildlife for future generations to enjoy.

• By respecting wildlife and their natural habitats, we strive to create meaningful and memorable experiences for our guests while safeguarding the delicate balance of Alaska’s ecosystems. While we cannot promise specific sightings, we can assure you that our knowledgeable guides and crew will do their utmost to maximize your opportunities for wildlife encounters while prioritizing the welfare of the animals and the environment.
• While we cannot guarantee wildlife sightings in the wilds of Alaska, we’re proud to share that our tours have an impressive  99.9% success rate in wildlife viewing . However, it’s important to emphasize that  there are no guarantees when it comes to observing wild animals in their natural habitat.
• True Alaskan Tours adheres to all wildlife watching guidelines put forward by Whale SENSE.  Read more about that here!

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Eat and Drink Your Way Through Juneau

15 September, 2019

• Around Juneau
• Travel to Alaska

Nothing’s tastier than vacation food , and Juneau has plenty to offer whether you’re a true gourmand or want to try something new. You can choose to explore downtown Juneau (and eat and drink along the way). Or you can combine food with a real Alaskan adventure. No matter what you desire, Juneau food tours provide choices that will suit your mood and tantalize your taste buds.

Best of all, it’s easy to explore your culinary options from your home away from home at the Frontier Suites Hotel , an all-suite hotel in Juneau. Remember, vacation food doesn’t have any calories. But just in case you’re watching your waist, you can work out in the hotel’s fitness center either before or after your Juneau food tour.

Downtown Juneau

Kelly “Midgi” Moore is the proud owner of Juneau Food Tours. They offer three downtown walking tours that combine food and drink with Alaska culture and history. “If you love seafood, Juneau is the place to be,” Moore says on her site . “If you love smoked meats and imported cheeses, Juneau is the place to be. If you love old-world charm, ginger cookies with a bite, and great wines, Juneau is the place to be.”

Juneau afternoon delights: This 1.5-hour tour starts at the Alaska Commercial Memorial with a lesson about Alaska’s wild, sustainable seafood. Then you’ll make stops at Tracy’s King Crab Shack, McGivney’s Downtown, and Deckhand Dave’s. You’ll finish at the Alaskan Hotel & Bar. Price $65. Minimum age 10. Tours limited to 14 participants. Food highlights: Crab bisque, crab cake, and a panko-crusted salmon filet.

A tour with taste : This 2.75-hour tour features seven tasting locations (but nine total tastings), and it includes both a wine pairing and beer tasting. You’ll also get recipes and $50 in coupons from downtown Juneau retailers. But the food is the star on this tour. Stops include Tracy’s King Crab Shack, Deckhand Dave’s, McGivney’s Downtown, V’s Cellar Door, SALT, Harbor Spice & Tea, Chef Stef’s, and Salts by Kate. Price $129. Open to ages 12 and up. Bonus, you’ll get to “meet” Patsy Ann, Juneau’s official canine greeter . Tours are limited to 12 participants. Food highlights: Crab bisque, crab cake, a panko-crusted salmon filet, halibut fusion nachos, and spruce tip salted caramels.

Juneau Bites & Booze: This 3-hour tour is limited to adults over 21. With eight locations, it combines “lip-smacking bites, craft-y cocktails, and award-winning local beers.” Stops include Deckhand Dave’s, Salmon Shoppe, McGivney’s Downtown, Amalga Distillery, Imperial Bar & Café, The Narrows Bar, Alaskan Hotel & Bar, Chef Stef, and Alaska Knifeworks. Price $99. Tours are limited to 12 participants. Food highlights include fish tacos, Alaskan game, and craft cocktails.

Food and Adventure

If a walking food tour is too tame for you, consider adding an activity like panning for gold or kayaking before your meal. We’ve written on our blog about the best activities of Juneau.

Historic Gold Panning & Salmon Bake : The organizers of this 3-hour tour promise you’ll strike it rich with this Alaskan feast. The tour guide/prospector will take you gold panning (you get to keep anything you find) before your salmon bake. You’ll also learn about Juneau’s mining heritage at “Last Chance Basin.” Your prospector will teach you how to pan for gold on the banks of Gold Creek. Price is $95 for adults and $71.25 for children.

Taste of Nature : This 6-hour adventure combines hiking and kayaking with a beachside picnic lunch. Organizers have created an exclusive tasting menu that features Alaskan delicacies. Warning, the menu includes dairy, fish, shellfish, gluten, and nuts. Price is $199 per person — minimum age 8. Minimum group size is 2. The maximum is 12.

Go Straight to the Source

Want to skip the food and go straight to the drink? You can enjoy Alaskan brewed beers or specially distilled whiskey, vodka, or gin.

Alaskan Brewing Co. : The brewery, which opened in 1986, operates a tasting room with 20 Alaskan beers on tap daily. You can enjoy a full pour or a flight of samples. The place also offers a guided tasting in the Brewery Tour Hallway for $25. The guided tasting includes a chance to see the brewing and bottling operation, learn more about beer, and a tasting with six 4-ounce samples.

Barnaby Brewing Company : The brewery’s taproom has about a dozen beers on tap. And although Barnaby Brewing doesn’t serve food, it has partnered with the El Chignon by Poke Etc. food cart to deliver tacos to the taproom. You are also welcome to bring your own food.

Amalga Distillery : Juneau’s first distillery creates single malt whiskey, gin, and vodka. Amalga Distillery’s tasting room is its stillhouse, so you can enjoy a specialty cocktail next to the still that produces the specialty spirits.

Relax and Unwind

If you finish your Juneau food tour with any leftovers, you can bring them back to store and reheat in your Frontier Suites’ full-size kitchen. Still hungry? Then enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner at the Northern Cuisine Restaurant. Located in the lobby , the restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. The menu features Filipino and American dishes.

Further Reading:

• 5 Insider’s Tips for Traveling to Juneau, AK
• Fishing Paradise: Juneau Caters to Both Saltwater and Freshwater Anglers
• Our Guests: “Best Choice when Looking for a Hotel in Juneau”

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The Best Places to Eat on a DIY Food Tour in Juneau

By Juliana Dever

Two of my favorite ways to familiarize myself with a new place are by exploring it on foot and by eating my way through it. If you’re heading to Alaska, do both. This do-it-yourself food tour in Juneau is exceptionally easy due to the compact nature of the downtown area, coupled with the delicious fresh seafood.

The cruise industry helped build Juneau into a destination of its own, and now the city sees more than one million visitors every summer. That means it can get crowded during the peak summer season, but if you’re lucky enough to visit on an off day or an hour before the big boats arrive, you just might have the harbor to yourself (…or at least with a more manageable gaggle of tourists).

Pro Tip:  Consider also, if you can swing an Alaskan cruise in spring. You’ll be rewarded with far fewer groups and lines, a higher chance of seeing the northern lights, ample wildlife awakening, and better airfare and cruise prices.

Regardless of when you visit, you can explore the sights, smells and tastes of Alaska with your very own walking food tour in Juneau, and you won’t have to travel far from the pier. If you can, bring along several friends to split things so you can taste more—once you get there, it will be hard not to eat everything, especially the fish and seafood. (Which is why it’s awesome you’ll be doing so much walking. You’re going to need it.)

Stops on Your Juneau Port Food Tour

Price Range: $

Serving seasonally fresh fish daily, this polished silver food truck cooks up fish so flavorful you’ll be plotting your return before you’re even done eating. Even if it doesn’t go with anything you’ve ordered, get a side of the tartar sauce—it’s so yummy, you’ll be dipping your fork (or finger) in it like it’s some kind of side dish.

The menu is small, but in this case, that’s a good thing. As soon as you see it, you’ll immediately realize you need to try everything on it, and this is only the first stop of the day.

What I tried:

Combo platter that included: -rockfish taco -breaded halibut taco -crusted salmon taco

Cold cups of Alaskan Brewing Company beer

Pro Tip:  Deckhand Dave’s has a secret menu, so ask about it if you want some crazy combos involving fish and fries. I had the Trash Bear, which are sautéed rockfish bits with beer battered fries and spicy crema. I think that’s what gave me the energy to hike the Mendenhall Glacier directly after.

Stop #2: The Port: Local Goods Market

Price Range: $$

Stop number two on your Juneau food tour is a simple stand. Port first appears to be just a pop-up outdoor market with local goods, shirts, jewelry, and other Southeast Alaskan arts. It’s easy to get sidetracked by all the great souvenir shopping, but step left and there’s a tiny food stand with fresh-shucked oysters and homemade kelp salsa.

Here you can cleanse your palate with local Alaskan oysters, sampling the briny and creamy options of the day (this day it was Shikat Bay and Ketchikan’s Hump Island). Make sure you try the seaweed salsa—it sounds strange, but it’s surprisingly tasty.

They also have kombucha on tap if you feel like you need a healthy shot of something, even if you’re not sure what it does.

Alaskan oysters with mignonette and kelp salsa.

Pro Tip:  Look for the Chef Stef’s local spruce tip caramels.  The two flavors blend perfectly into a soft candy that’s perfectly (but not too) sweet.

Stop #3: Tracy’s King Crab Shack

Price Range: $$$

It’s easy to dismiss this place as a tourist trap, what with the loooong lines (especially later in the day), huge crowds and pricey menu. But don’t pass it by.

The food is seriously fantastic, the lines go fast and it’s worth it. Alaskan King crab is good anywhere, and having it in Alaska is something you simply must experience if you are a shellfish lover. It’s so sweet and delicious, I really just wanted to wake up, eat here, hike for two hours, then eat here again.

What I tried: Crab Bisque Crab cakes Alaskan King crab legs Beer flight of local Alaskan beers

The End of the Walking Food Tour in Juneau Port

I travelled with a group of six, and we often split things six ways. Still, at this point, we were full. Overall, the stops on this tour took about 90 minutes, making it a shorter walking food tour, but a thoroughly satisfying and tasty one. Juneau Port has many options, but after consulting locals and eating around, these are the best three spots to go.

But wait! There’s more. I stayed in Juneau for another 36 hours. I loaded up on recommendations from locals, including some from longtime resident Captain Dan Blanchard, CEO of UnCruise Adventures , who graciously hosted me during my seven-day cruise through the waters of southeast Alaska . He’s lived in Juneau for decades and knows the restaurant scene intimately, so I wasn’t surprised to find that his recommendations were great.

As a bonus, here are the rest of my reviews on the places I visited, stayed and ate when I was in Juneau, Alaska, to help you plan your own trip.

More Tips: Planning Your Trip to Juneau, Alaska

Where i stayed:.

Juneau has a chain hotel or two down by the water, but this little boutique hotel was perfect. It has a rooftop hot tub and a help-yourself kitchen, which is perfect for when you feel like a trash bear at midnight and want to root around for cookies and flavored popcorn. The room was new but basic. It had adorable touches like fluffy colored robes, funky artwork and tons of shelves with sundry items in the bathroom.

It’s in a great location deeper within the town so you can walk to the local restaurants and bars. It also gets extra points for the extremely friendly front desk folks, the color-in-yourself world map on the wall and the extra bear spray canisters that you could take with you on hikes.

More Places to Eat / Drink

This unusual fusion of Mexican and Korean cuisine has some hits and some misses. And while they do cater to vegetarians (ginger tofu is available as a protein), I have a sneaking suspicion that they receive high marks for their Korean BBQ. I did really enjoy the nachos (the fusion sauce is fantastic), I wasn’t knocked out by the house-made pineapple shrub cocktail.

If you’re in town a couple nights, it’s worth the venture. Service was very friendly, ambiance was dark and cozy.

I stopped here for a snack after a two-hour hike through Mendenhall Glacier park. It was a rare day when the temperature had soared past 80°F/ 26.6°C and my friend and I were parched. And famished. We needed water and definitely some beer. They don’t have anything on draft, but the beer cooler is frosty. I had one sushi roll and it was perfectly fine, if a little over-riced.

The ambiance was a little detached, but a totally fine place to stop and get some sushi.

Considered one of the best restaurants in Juneau, Salt offers a creative menu and great craft cocktails. However, I went on a Monday and most of the things I wanted to order were not available. Because of the supply chain and the remoteness of Juneau, the restaurant hadn’t received their deliveries for the week, so their supply of a lot of ingredients was low.

In the end, we only ordered the cod dumplings. They were plated beautifully, but ultimately had very little flavor. We decided to call it and headed to the Italian restaurant (In Bocca al Lupo) next door for dinner.

The interior of Salt is sleek and warm. Service was spotty. We had one great server and one server who needed to continually talk about what a tough night he was having and how tired he was.

This one gets a Juneau 5. Of all the restaurants in town for dinner, this one was my favorite. It offered fresh Italian-Alaskan fare that was an explosion of flavor. The spruce tip gnocchi had the texture of perfect little pillows and the spruce added a welcome dimension of woodiness.

I ordered the special—sautéed scallops over fresh zucchini with Parmesan and pine nuts—and it was a balance of cooked and raw that worked harmoniously.

The interior is cozy and casual, Service was solid. Wine list was great.

Alaskan Brewing Company 5429 Shaune Dr

I tried to go here. In fact, I took a taxi out to the official tasting room. I enjoy their beers and wanted to taste more of them, but the place was so packed with cruise-ship guests on beer tours that I turned right around and grabbed my taxi before she had even left the parking lot.

Pro Tip:  The store at the harbor is gear only. If you want to sample the beers you’ll have to grab a taxi (or take a beer tour) and head out to the tasting room , which is about a 10-15 minute drive out of town.

Devils Club Brewery 100 N Franklin St

This is a popular place and the tasting room is a crowded fun place. The beer options weren’t my thing—I don’t love IPAs and sours, and that was mostly what they had on offer. But it seems that everyone else in Juneau liked it, so by all means, give it a try.

This narrow little bar is warm and inviting, despite its small size. The craft cocktail menu is concise, but the bartenders are excellent and willing to change it up if you want, say, mezcal instead of tequila. Great place to chill.

Juneau Food Tours

If you don’t want to do your own walking food tour of Juneau Port, or maybe you’re looking for some history and fun with your food, check out Juneau Food Tours . I met the owner, Midgi, in downtown Juneau and she was an absolute blast.

Midgi has tours that range all the way from pub crawls to kayaking and picnicking to a new, prohibition food tour. You’ll definitely have a great time while learning more about the area, so hit up Juneau Food Tours if you want more insight on the town.

Only about 20 minutes away from downtown, this looming convoy of ice slowly advances right through Juneau’s backyard. You can join a tour, or you can save yourself some money and take a taxi to the park yourself. The fee to enter the park is only $5 and gets you an all-day pass to stroll over to the waterfall and stare at the impending wall of ice. Or, if that’s not your thing, you can hike one of the many trails the park has to offer.

**Here is where I have to get real for a minute to say that this is Alaska and bears enjoy the outdoors just as much as we do. Plus it’s their home. You’ll probably encounter them, and you will most likely be absolutely fine. But please pay attention to the rangers, be sure you’re aware of bear sightings, and clap and sing like an idiot every once in a while if it gets too quiet on the trail—bears apparently have a low threshold for human contact (and even more so for human singing) and tend to amble away.

Transportation: Taxi $34 each way, park fee $5.

I hiked East Glacier Trail, which took an hour and 10 minutes. This is an intermediate fitness level path with lots of ups and downs (my fit bit recorded 88 floors), and rocks and streams to cross.

Where to Shop

There are a lot of cruise-ship owned stores right at Juneau’s harbor, which means quite often, that the gifts are not authentic and the money is not going back into the local community. Buyer beware that some stores even put “Alaskan owned” signs in the window to make it seem local, but that still does not mean area families own them.

After talking with several residents, the following shops are the ones you want to give your business to if you want to contribute to the local economy.

Caribou Crossings 387 S Franklin St

*I bought a super cool ring made from a fossilized wooly mammoth tooth, wild blueberry salt and one of those really neat Alaskan Ulu knives here.

The Port: Local Goods Market 356 S Franklin St

*Their t-shirts and hoodies are so super soft and have artist’s drawings of indigenous Alaskan animals on them. Oh, and you can get kelp salsa to go.

Treetop Tees 110 N Franklin St

*More great t-shirts made right there in Juneau.

60° N Juneau, Alaska – Coffee and Tea

2 Marine Way

*Besides a good cup of coffee, this is a great place to buy Alaskan Chaga in powder or tincture form for the road. According to their website, chaga is a mushroom that only grows above the 60°n Latitude on birch trees.

“The main benefits of consuming chaga as part of your daily routine includes support for the immune system, soothing properties, gastrointestinal health, antimicrobial properties, normalizing blood pressure and cholesterol, DNA damage protection, and antiviral properties.”

See? You’re bringing the gift of good health home on that one.

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Have you been to Juneau? Did I miss anything? Are you planning a trip to Juneau and have questions? Let me know in the comments!

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About the Author

Juliana dever.

Hi. I’m Juliana Dever and according to science I have some sort of "exploration" gene. Embracing this compulsion, I spend a lot of time hurtling around the planet in metal tubes experiencing other cultures and writing humorous essays about it. Enjoy.

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Juliana Dever March 26 April 13 2

“Sorry I smell like salmon.” I’d only just set food in the Sitka airport, and already the place was gearing up towards peak Alaska. It happens so fast...

My Recommendations on Where to Eat in New Orleans

Juliana Dever February 23 November 4 23

My trip to New Orleans at the end of January was totally food-related. I mean, WORK related. But, come on, nobody goes there without thinking morning noon and...

Juliana Dever February 8 April 4 2

Wondering what it's like to cruise Alaska? The Wild Wild (north) West of Alaska is filled with clean air and bastions of wildlife that will take your breath...

I’m so glad you enjoyed your visit to Juneau! As a local, and girlfriend of an employee of the AK Brewing Company, I can tell you they just opened a new tasting room (near the old one) and it’s bigger. It should not feel as crowded now!

Secondly, I must correct your statement about the Mendenhall Glacier. It is in no way advancing. It is receding at a rapid rate. In my lifetime (the last 30 years) several hillsides have been exposed and it has moved farther and farther from the visitor center.

I’d also like to add that Pucker Wilson’s food cart advertises the best burgers in town, and personally I think they are.

Thanks for all of your info, Elizabeth, I really appreciate it. I’m so happy to hear the tasting room is bigger – I was disappointed to miss it, but I literally could not get through the crowd that day!

Also, I appreciate your clarification on the Mendenhall Glacier. It’s extremely important for all to note that it is in fact receding. My imagery was more one of the idea that a wall of frozen water cuts through the land and is rather in your face, but yes, my idea that’s it’s advancing is an illusion. Which also begs the reader – go see it before it (sadly) recedes too far to truly enjoy its grandness.

I’m not a meat eater so great tip for everyone that is! Check out Pucker Wilson’s carnivores!

You missed Chez Alaska cooking School! The best sockeye salmon, wild berry dessert, complimentary wine and the best true lived stories of yester years. Funny!

Sounds great Annie – thanks for the tip!

Hi I went to Anchorage and Juneau for 3 weeks. Although I was disappointed cause most of the places I want to were closed due to covid but regardless I enjoyed my trip. Food are quite expensive but I tried those local cuisine. Didn’t do food tour but I went to almost all the restaurants. Love Tracy’s crab shack and even met her. Too bad I don’t drink beer so didn’t do good much to me the bar scene. Most stores were closed but overall I had an amazing timpani will go back to Juneau.

Hi Vivian! Glad you were able to enjoy at least a bit of Juneau and especially Tracy’s. So yummy.

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ALASKA FOOD TOURS

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Seattle Underground Donut Tour

$54 / person

Seattle's small-group donut tour explores Seattle's sweet side with a local guide, by taking a walking donut tour of the city. You'll hit up some of the best donut shops in town, including Top Pot Doughnuts, Dahlia Bakery, an READ MORE...

Vancouver Gastown Food Tour

$95 / person

Historic Gastown, Vancouver's oldest neighborhood is home to an impressive culinary scene. Immerse yourself in the local cuisine as your professional, storytelling guide leads you on a walking tour through Gastown. Come for READ MORE...

North Vancouver Shipyards Food Tour

$107 / person

Be whisked away on a scenic ferry ride to the famous Lonsdale Quay Market in North Vancouver. Discover and delight in delicious tastings and beverages of an emerging foodie scene. With waterfront views and a vibrant communi READ MORE...

Bus Transfer: Whittier to Anchorage with Taste of Alaska Tour

$369 / person

Taste your way through the Alaska craft beverage scene while taking in the mountain vistas, pristine lakes, and grandeur of Alaska. Included in the tour is a tram ride and lunch atop Mt. Alyeska and behind the scenes tours an READ MORE...

Icy Strait Village Tour and Crab Feast

$195 / person

Fresh, hot Alaskan Dungeness crab is a meal you won't forget on your Alaskan travels. Local guides are ready to help you discover the Alaskan Way of life from foraging to commercial fishing. A hearty meal is served on a pri READ MORE...

Seattle Pike Place Market Food & Culture Tour

$59 / person

Treat yourself to this mouth-watering adventure! You will have the opportunity to partake in at least eight different samplings from the world-renowned Pike Place Market. Truly experience the Pike Place Market as your friendl READ MORE...

Ketchikan Saxman Totem Park and Dungeness Crab Feast

$159 / person

Celebrate and discover the Tlingit culture on a visit to the Saxman Native Village. Explore the history and community as you take in the sight of magnificent totem poles that fill the park. Come hungry for knowledge and for READ MORE...

Ketchikan Wilderness Exploration and Crab Feast

$199 / person

Looking for a truly Alaskan tour? Then join us for some favorite Alaskan activities; catching and eating delicious crab! This tour includes pulling crab pots and enjoying a fresh Dungeness crab feast in a beautiful lodge on t READ MORE...

World Famous George Inlet Lodge Crab Feast

$90 / person

Visit an elegant historic building for a Dungeness Crab feast. George Inlet Lodge's warmth and charm provide a relaxing dining experience. Enjoy your meal with scrumptious crab and beverages, and then finish your meal with a READ MORE...

Ketchikan Silverking Lodge Adventure & Seafeast

$189 / person

Travel to one of Alaska's oldest fishing resorts, Clover Pass Resort via a scenic, fully-narrated drive. Cruise the Inside Passage waters by boat as you take in Southeast Alaska's sights and sounds. Your final stop is Silver READ MORE...

Skagway Musher's Camp and Gold Panning

$149 / person

Meet our Alaskan husky athletes, puppies, and dog mushers! Learn about the Alaskan state sport from the actual mushers during the unique "Musher Talk." Wrap up your day by experiencing the history of Alaska - try your hand at READ MORE...

Skagway Musher's Camp and S'Mores Roasting

$134 / person

Learn about the mushing dogs and the history of their sport and then enjoy some delicious S'mores roasting! The best part of this tour is playing with husky puppies! Your affections help to socialize these future athletes, wh READ MORE...

Taku Glacier Lodge Flight & Feast | Same Day

$475 / person

This tour to the infamous Taku Glacier Lodge is the ultimate Alaskan experience. Your journey begins with a narrated flight in one of our seaplanes to the remote Lodge. Upon arrival, you'll enjoy a delicious Alaskan meal and READ MORE...

Taku Glacier Lodge Flight & Feast

Ketchikan alaska fishing & wilderness dining tour.

$355 / person

This tour is perfect for serious adventurers or families seeking a personalized experience! The fishing excursion is customized for your interest and skill level with only five or six guests per boat. Light tackle is our spec READ MORE...

Bus Transfer: Seward to Anchorage with Taste of Alaska Tour

Liarsville gold rush camp & salmon bake.

$119 / person

Experience the White Pass and travel back in time to the iconic Alaskan Gold Rush! Nestled by a waterfall and surrounded by sourdoughs, dance hall girls, and prospectors, you will learn all about life during the gold rush. Yo READ MORE...

Liarsville Salmon Bake

$89 / person

Explore the life of the early prospectors and enjoy a wonderful salmon bake during your stop in Skagway. An all-you-can-eat feast for the whole family includes Alaska's signature Alderwood-grilled WILD salmon, Cheechako chic READ MORE...

Juneau Whale Watching, Mendenhall Glacier & Salmon Bake

$279 / person

Experience three of Juneau's most popular attractions with this three-in-one excursion! This tour begins with a narrated transfer to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor's Center. You'll have plenty of time to take in the majestic READ MORE...

Juneau Whale Watching Tour & Salmon Bake Combo

$239 / person

Humpback and orca whales are actively feeding while they are in southeast Alaska waters, so chances are you see whales breach, play, and maybe bubble net feed! You will savor wild Alaska salmon amidst amazing scenery at the G READ MORE...

Juneau Mendenhall Lake Kayak & Salmon Bake

$309 / person

Experience tandem kayaking on the pristine glacial waters of the Mendenhall Lake. For two hours, navigate the waters with your professional guide as you take in the natural beauty and learn about the history and ecology of t READ MORE...

World Famous George Inlet Lodge Crab Feast | Same Day

Ketchikan wilderness exploration and crab feast | same day, juneau eat, sip & explore.

$345 / person

Come explore Juneau with a local guide on an exclusive Jeep journey through historic Juneau. Be amazed by the wonders of the salmon hatchery and catch a glimpse of the adorable harbor seals. Get away from the crowds to exp READ MORE...

Juneau Food Tasting Tour

$129 / person

Prepare your tastebuds for the ultimate Alaskan tasting experience. We'll visit several local eateries like Tracy's King Crab Shack, Taku Smokeries, Hangar on the Wharf, Crystal Saloon, and a few others to delight your senses READ MORE...

Gold Creek Salmon Bake Tour

$79 / person

The Juneau Salmon Bake has been grilling up perfection since 1978! Enjoy this all-you-can-eat feast, in the majestic setting of the Tongass Rainforest. This mouth-watering Alaskan buffet includes signature Alderwood-grilled w READ MORE...

Ketchikan Silverking Lodge Adventure & Seafeast | Same Day

Ketchikan pub crawl.

$85 / person

Feel like a local in this fun, informative, and entertaining walking tour that allows you to drink with the locals while you learn about the rich history of Ketchikan. Stops vary but may include local favorites such as the Ar READ MORE...

Anchorage Craft Beer Tour

$169 / person

Come experience the booming Anchorage craft beer scene in style as you join your knowledgeable guide for an off-the-beaten path tour of Anchorage full of sudsy fun. Guests are introduced to some of Anchorage's finest brewerie READ MORE...

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Glaciers in Alaska: Juneau Icefield, Mendenhall Glacier, & More

Best Food & Tour Combos in Alaska

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Attention alaska cruisers: juneau tours announces important updates on how to get to mendenhall glacier in 2024.

JUNEAU, Alaska, June 19, 2024 --( BUSINESS WIRE )-- With Juneau consistently ranked as a top cruise ship destination, especially for those seeking to explore the awe-inspiring Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau Tours reminds visitors of the importance of planning their visit ahead due to recent changes. We strongly advise visitors to make bookings for transportation or glacier tours before arriving in Juneau , as purchasing on the day of may not be possible.

Are you planning a cruise to Alaska? Want to go visit the Mendenhall Glacier? There is a lot of information online as this is the number one destination for cruisers who stop in the capital city. The catch is that there have been some major changes as a result of the surge of visitors to Alaska! Due to the results of a long-standing environmental impact study, there are a set number of permits for the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area–a little more than 500,000 are allotted for commercial operators. Sounds like a lot right? In 2023 alone, 1.6 million people came to Juneau on cruise ships during the 6+ month-long season! The math obviously doesn’t add up for all of those visitors to be able to see the glacier with these stipulations in place. Our advice? Plan ahead.

How to get to Mendenhall Glacier

Two primary, reliable methods for reaching Mendenhall Glacier are booking a shuttle tour or renting a car . Opting for a tour provides the convenience of transportation along with guided insight into the glacier's history and surrounding landscape. The journey to Mendenhall Glacier typically takes around 25 minutes each way by car. Whether embarking on a guided tour or driving independently, experiencing the majestic beauty of Mendenhall Glacier promises to be a memorable adventure in the heart of Juneau's wilderness.

It’s important to note that Juneau’s bus transit system is not an option for getting to Mendenhall Glacier as it doesn’t go all the way there.

Guaranteed Access and Expert Insight with Juneau Tours

At Juneau Tours, we offer the top-rated, most reliable, and most convenient way for cruise ship passengers to experience the Mendenhall Glacier via our brand-new classic city trolleys. Our Glacier Shuttle Tour boasts several advantages:

Guaranteed Permitted access

Entry fee included for the Mendenhall Glacier Visitors' Center

Frequent departures–nearly every hour

Ride in style on our new 2024 classic trolleys

30-minute narrated tour

2 hours for independent exploration, including Nugget Creek Falls, Photo Point Trail, or the East Glacier Loop (As you explore, pay careful attention to your pickup time for your return trip to the cruise ship dock. The hike time to the Nugget Falls and back is 40 minutes round trip. Wear comfortable shoes and have fun!)

Convenient pickup and drop-off at the cruise ship terminal

Plan Your Alaskan Adventure Today

For more information on Juneau Tours and the Glacier Shuttle Tour, please visit Juneau Tours' website or contact us directly, and prepare to experience the majesty of the Mendenhall Glacier with Juneau Tours!

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240618441698/en/

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About Juneau Food Tours

Midgi Moore

Midgi Moore, Owner

Hi, I’m Midgi Moore. I have spent the past six years writing and blogging about Juneau and the delicious food scene here. Juneau Food Tours was started to share my passion for food and my love of this picturesque city. Each tasting location was chosen to highlight the delicious food, intriguing culture, and the beautiful scenery of Southeast Alaska. If you love seafood, Juneau is the place to be. If you love smoked meats and imported cheeses, Juneau is the place to be. If you love old-world charm, ginger cookies with a bite, and great wines, Juneau is the place to be. I invite you to join me on a culinary Alaskan adventure to experience the best Juneau has to offer in food, fun, and breathtaking scenery!

Midgi Moore Owner

Speak with our team

Easy walking through the downtown area with plenty of stops to rest. I would recommend this tour to anyone visiting!

Kris K Pittsburgh PA

Frequently Asked Questions

Do i need to purchase tickets in advance.

Yes, all tickets are purchased via our online ticketing service. If you are having difficulty with the online service, please call or email us and we will gladly assist you. For private groups, please contact us and we will invoice you.

What is your cancellation policy?

We get it, things happen and sometimes plans need to change. Given the nature of our tours, our cancellation policy is a full refund if canceled prior to 48 hours of the tour. If within 48 hours, there is no refund. If for any reason your cruise ship does not come to Juneau or Juneau Food Tours cancels the tour, we will offer a full refund.

What if it is raining?

Juneau is located in the beautiful Tongass National Forest, which is the largest temperate rainforest in the world. We tend to get quite a bit of rain. This is what makes Juneau and Southeast Alaska so beautiful. Locals refer to the rain as “liquid sunshine.” We encourage guests to wear a lightweight rain jacket because rain or shine, we will dine!

I live in Juneau. Should I go on the tour?

Most definitely! While the Prohibition Progressive Party doesn’t provide city history, it includes unique and quite colorful history of the era.  Many locals end the tour with “I never knew that!”

Don’t see your question answered here, visit our FAQ page.

Limited bookings available!

Don’t wait until the last minute. Tours may have limited availability. Reserve your spot today.

Tours Run Daily

2.5-hour guided food and drink experience through downtown Juneau. 14 people maximum per tour.

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Available every day.

Uniquely designed custom experiences for groups of 4 to 400.

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Each item in every box is hand-selected to share a little taste of Alaska and support local small businesses.

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Here Are 50 of America’s Very Best Food Tours You Can Try

Posted: February 4, 2024 | Last updated: February 4, 2024

50 food tours worth traveling for

Alabama: LoDa Stroll, Bienville Bites

This tour of Mobile was founded by a local couple dedicated to showing off their beloved Gulf Coast city. Join the LoDa Stroll  and you'll explore the city's mouthwatering culinary traditions through seven of the top restaurants downtown. A favorite stop is Wintzell's Oyster House which opened in 1938. You can add on a cocktail package too. 

Alaska: A Tour with Taste, Juneau Food Tours

This is one for seafood lovers. A Tour with Taste takes place in Alaska's historic capital, Juneau, with visits to nine of the city's best-loved foodie spots. Stop off at Tracy's King Crab Shack for crowd-pleasing king crab bisque, and indulge at SALT, a modern restaurant serving innovative Alaskan cuisine like cod tacos. Each tour is led by Kelly "Midgi" Moore, a local food blogger.

Arizona: Downtown Tucson Tour, Tucson Food Tours

In 2015, Tucson became the United States' first UNESCO city of gastronomy for its first-rate farm-to-table food and innovative dishes. Tucson Food Tours has been showing off the city's best bites since 2012. Its downtown tour visits some of the city's quirkier restaurants, including Reilly Craft Pizza and Drink, located in a former funeral parlor. The tour also drops into El Charro, which claims to be America's oldest Mexican restaurant, opening in 1922.

Arkansas: Booze and Chews Tour, A Bite of Hot Springs

The city of Hot Springs is well-known for its natural spas and mountain vistas, but the people here know how to cook too. A Bite of Hot Springs ' 'Booze and Chews' tour works its way through the city's downtown on foot, combining tastings and Hot Springs history. A highlight is the traditional tamales at Latin fusion restaurant Rolando's, where the tour begins.

California: West Hollywood Food Tour, Sidewalk Food Tours

The star-studded city of West Hollywood borders LA and has all the foodie clout of its glittering neighbor. Book onto this tour from Sidewalk to take a gourmet deep dive into the area, feasting on indulgent pastries at beloved Michelina Bakery, inside the city's original farmers' market; and slurping curries and noodles at Noree Thai. 

Colorado: Downtown Denver Food Tour, Taste of Denver

On this three-hour tour of downtown Denver , you'll hear about the city's Gold Rush past and learn how the surrounding land (the city is at the base of the Rocky Mountains) has been a crucial ingredient in its burgeoning food scene. Stops include beer and sliders at the city's oldest brewery, Wynkoop Brewing Company; and a scoop of Denver's finest ice cream at Milkbox Ice Creamery.

Connecticut: Live to Eat Tour, A Taste of New Haven

This small tour company offers a handful of tours showcasing the foodie delights of New Haven (pictured). The Pasta Tour is a firm favorite: join up to go on a tasting odyssey of the city's Italian eats, from perfectly prepared cacio e pepe at Zeneli Pizzeria e Cucina Napoletana to beloved Libby's ice-cream parlor, with its world-class gelato. Some stops include a tempting wine pairing too. 

Delaware: Walking Food Tour, Eating Rehoboth

Seafood is the star of the show in this gourmet tour of Rehoboth Beach, a laid-back coastal city in Delaware. Feast on food plucked straight from the ocean like pan-fried scallops and seared sea bass. The tour features five of the city's culinary stars and also delivers on creative cocktails and local beer. 

Florida: Little Havana Food and Cultural Tour, Miami Culinary Tours

For hearty Cuban cooking in downtown Miami, book onto the Little Havana Food and Cultural Tour . You'll sip Cuban cocktails at the Ball & Chain bar and lounge (a mainstay of the city's live music scene since the 1930s) and feast on fried plantains, guava pastelitos and a traditional Cuban sandwich. At each venue, you'll be greeted by enthusiastic chefs keen to share stories about the dishes they serve. The tour also includes a visit to a Cuban cigar factory.

Georgia: Modern Southern Food and History Tour, Atlanta Food Tours

Inman Park is one of Atlanta's trendiest neighborhoods, a leafy suburb known for its hipster hangouts and creative food scene. This afternoon tour samples the best the area has to offer, like the industrial-chic Krog Street Market (pictured). The steaming Szechuan dumplings from Gu's Dumplings are one of the best bites.

Hawaii: Chinatown Walking Food Tour, Tasting Oahu

Spend a delicious three hours digging into Honolulu's Chinatown district on this focused food tour . You'll graze on dishes such as Chinese-style barbecued pork and delicate dim sum as you move between some of the city's most historic restaurants. Along the way you'll see fascinating architectural sights such as the Buddhist Kuan Yin Temple. 

Idaho: Historic Downtown Boise Brunch and Arts Tour, Indulge Boise

Idaho's capital is one of America's most underrated foodie spots but Indulge Boise is determined to put the city on the gourmet map. This tour explores downtown and picks out the best dishes to try along the way. You'll dine at Stardust, known for its fun take on 1950s fine dining, and indulge your sweet tooth at Guru Donuts, who still follow a handwritten 1940s recipe. 

Illinois: Iconic Foods of Chicago Tour, Chicago Food Planet

Chicago is synonymous with deep dish pizza but there's a lot more to enjoy in the city. For a broader taste of the Windy City, opt for Chicago Food Planet 's "Iconic Foods" tour. You might taste an Italian beef sandwich at local institution Al's Beef or a Chicago-style hot dog from Portillo’s. Of course, you'll also get a bubbling slice of pizza from a beloved pizzeria such as Lou Malnati's.

Indiana: Massachusetts Avenue Food Tour, Taste Indy Food Tours

For a true taste of Indianapolis, you needn't look much further than Massachusetts Avenue, a bustling cultural district in the city's downtown area. On  this walking tour , you'll try local beers, handmade meatballs and German cuisine. The tacos and tequilas at modern Mexican joint Bakersfield are a highlight too. 

Iowa: Iowa Tenderloin Trail

The Iowa Pork Producers Association has put together the Iowa Tenderloin Trail , which highlights the best places in the state that make Iowa's most famous dish: the pork tenderloin sandwich. Think quality pork cuts covered with crispy breadcrumbs, barely contained by the bun. You'll have to go this tour alone but you can download a "Tenderloin Trail Passport" and get it stamped as you try each of the 14 sandwiches en route.

Kansas: Trail Days Cafe and Museum

The folks at Trail Days Cafe and Museum in Council Grove offer a time-traveling food tour, taking you back in time to the days when the Santa Fe trail, stretching from Missouri to New Mexico, was a major commerce route. Homes, like the Kansas spot pictured, would open up to feed hungry traders. Today, tour guides take you round a preserved period home, entertain you with stories and serve up homemade early American dishes for a taste of the past.

Kentucky: Roebling Bridge Food Tour, Riverside Food Tours

With  Riverside Food Tours  you'll sample hearty pub grub such as fish and chips from Irish tavern Molly Malone's, or feast on wood-fired pizza at The Gruff in the cute northern Kentucky town of Covington. There are also seriously good chicken wings on offer at local favorite Smoke Justis, as well as an indulgent bread pudding at Blinkers Tavern. 

Louisiana: French Quarter Tasting Tour, New Orleans Culinary History Tours

This tour takes you straight to the best Creole and Cajun food in NOLA. You'll pound the streets of the French Quarter for three hours, dipping into local haunts to try traditional dishes like seafood gumbo and beef brisket. You'll get to see a chef demonstration along the way, too.

Maine: Old Port Seafood Lover's Tour, Maine Foodie Tours

A food tour of Maine wouldn't be complete without sampling some lobster – and this entire tour  in Portland revolves around it. It takes place on the waterfront where you'll spot working lobster boats, before sampling a fresh lobster roll. Seafood chowder and lobster mac and cheese are also on the menu.

Maryland: Fells Point Tour, Charm City Food Tours

This three-hour tour explores a historic part of Baltimore's downtown: Fells Point. It's a waterfront area known for its maritime past and great seafood joints. You'll begin at the covered Broadway Market and sample Maryland specialties like crab cakes and pit beef – hunks of roasted meat served up in a sandwich.

Massachusetts: Boston Food Tour, Secret Food Tours

This tour focuses on Boston's historic North End, one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city. You'll feast on Massachusetts staples like lobster roll and clam chowder, as well as Italian classics like bubbling brick-over pizza. On every tour, there's also a "secret dish" that you'll discover on the day.

Michigan: Detroit Eats Food Tour

The Detroit Eats Food Tour is not to be missed. Journey around historic Corktown in the city's downtown – you'll learn about the area's importance, feast on traditional barbecue and sample craft beer.

Minnesota: St Paul Skyway Food Tour, Taste Twin Cities

This tour  makes the most of St Paul's Skyway system (suspended covered bridges connecting the city's tower blocks). You'll feast on local delights such as chocolate truffles, crispy sambusas and craft beer as you pass between the soaring passageways. A highlight along the way is Sawatdee (meal pictured), which is tipped as the first Thai restaurant in the state – the spring rolls are unforgettable. 

Mississippi: Historic Oxford Square Walking Food Tour, Oxford Food Tours

Make a beeline for the cute Mississippi town of Oxford, best known as the home of lauded author William Faulkner and the University of Mississippi, to discover its foodie offerings. This tour focuses on the college town's quaint square (pictured), allowing punters to feast on Southern classics such as shrimp and grits, and visit local favorites such as YaYa's Frozen Yoghurt. 

Missouri: KC Barbecue Tour, Barley Bus

One for meat lovers,  this tour  is all about barbecue and beer. Traveling by bus, you'll spend the day driving across Kansas City, sampling the best spots for smoked meat. Stops may include Gates Bar-B-Q, with its belly-busting sandwiches, and legendary joint Arthur Bryant's Barbeque, with its secret spicy sauce recipe.

Montana: Cocktails and Bites Tour, Taste of Missoula Food Tours

If you're a foodie, it's well worth paying a visit to the picturesque mountain town of Missoula (pictured), which is an underrated gourmet spot in Montana. Sink your teeth into the downtown area with this tour , which combines craft cocktails with some of the city's best dishes, from plantains to French onion soup. Your guides will feed you plenty of the town's history along the way too.

Nebraska: Mother Road Market Tour, Food Tours Tulsa

'Get your licks on Route 66' is the strapline of this fun foodie tour company. The best tour focuses on the Mother Road Market, which is tipped by the tour group as the best food hall in America. Decide for yourself as you wander with a guide and feast on tempting options such as chicken wings, Indian-inspired mac and cheese and small-batch ice cream.

Nevada: Savors of the Strip, Lip Smacking Foodie Tours

Las Vegas is known for slot machines and poker tables but it also has serious culinary credentials. The Savors of the Strip Tour is a fine dining restaurant crawl covering the city's most sought-after locations. Restaurants aren't disclosed until your tour day but stops have included fancy French restaurant Bardot Brasserie in the lavish ARIA Hotel.

New Hampshire: Best of Portsmouth Tour, Portsmouth Eats

Run by enthusiastic locals, this tour brings together the best of Portsmouth, a city with some of New England's best seafood. You'll get to sample The River House's clam chowder, which has regularly won best in show at Portsmouth's Chowder Festival.

New Jersey: The Hoboken Food and Culture Tour, Mangia Hoboken

The Hoboken Food and Culture Tour highlights Italian influences on New Jersey cuisine. You'll visit local institution Carlo's Bake Shop and taste handmade pastries and specialty cakes; and Antique Bar & Bakery, in operation since 1938. Beyond the bakes, try a hearty Italian sub at Fiore's deli and grab a slice of pie at Grimaldi's Pizzeria. 

New Mexico: A Taste of Santa Fe, Food Tour New Mexico

Led by locals, this lunchtime walking tour is a great way to explore Santa Fe and its New Mexican cuisine. You'll visit five venues including La Casa Sena and the Kakawa Chocolate House. The former is an elegant restaurant serving traditional enchiladas, green chile cheeseburgers and grilled elk tenderloin. The latter is a chocolate shop known for its chili-chocolate creations. 

New York: Best of Brooklyn Tour, Foods of New York Tours

You'll never go hungry in New York City, but for a true taste of the city's foodie scene, you'll need to head to Brooklyn. The area is renowned for its hipster hangouts and huge open-air food market. On this Best of Brooklyn tour , you'll travel by bus, stopping at the likes of popular Table 87 for a delicious slice of coal oven-fired pizza.

North Carolina: Wilmington Downtown Tasting Tour, Taste Wilmington

Indulge your stomach and discover the cute coastal town of Wilmington with this foodie tour . You'll wander between five or six of the town's most prized bars and restaurants, sampling delicious seafood plates and indulgent sweet treats. Some stops include a tipple too. 

North Dakota: Heritage Eats

The North Dakota tourist board has pulled together a guide to the best spots in the state. You'll have to download the map from North Dakota Tourism and take yourself on the tour, but it's worth it. The trip reflects the state's heritage and includes the 19th-century Buckskin Bar & Grill, serving hearty all-American dishes; and Reuben's Restaurant, a German-American joint that pays homage to the German ancestry of many North Dakota residents.

Ohio: Findlay Market Tour, Cincinnati Food Tours

Take a tour of Findlay Market , the oldest market in Cincinnati, and learn about its history as well as its culinary delights. During the tour you'll meet five merchants, who'll share their story and a sample. A highlight is Gramma Debbie's Kitchen, beloved for its tasty meatballs and wings. For a small extra fee, you'll get wine and beer tastings too.

Oklahoma: Paseo Arts District, Oklahoma Food Tours

Paseo Arts District is best known for its creativity, but it has a stellar food scene too. Eat your way around the art-filled district with a knowledgeable local guide, who will regale you with stories about the neighborhood and the city while you get your fill. Expect tasty dishes including killer tacos and great views of the Spanish Revival architecture all around.

Oregon: Food Carts, Pods and Patios Tour, Lost Plate Food Tours

Portland is awash with street food trucks and this tour shows off the best of the city's roving vendors. You'll visit up to seven food carts (including a popular food-cart 'pod'), plus a buzzing food hall and a brewery. Expect everything from barbecue plates to sweet pies and ice cream. 

Pennsylvania: Taste of Philly Food Tour

This local-led tour is operated out of Reading Terminal Market. Its leader, Carolyn Wyman, wrote an entire book about the Philly cheesesteak so she knows her stuff. You'll sample Philly classics like scrapple, pretzels and the famed cheesesteak itself.

Rhode Island: Downcity Providence Food Tour, Rhode Island Red Food Tours

This three-hour tour takes you through downtown, showing off Providence's hearty, farm-to-table food. You'll visit Dune Brothers Seafood Shack for clam cakes and chowder; feast on pastries at Parisian bakery Ellie's and try beautiful, modern plates at upmarket Gracie's. You won't go thirsty – there's a stop at The Malted Barley tap house too. 

South Carolina: Downtown Charleston Culinary Tour, Charleston Culinary Tours.

Eat your way around Charleston's historic French Quarter and learn about low country cooking at the same time (think rice, grits and freshly-caught seafood). You'll also taste some of the city's best barbecue. Poogan's Smokehouse and Oyster House on Market – serving barbecue food and seafood, respectively – are highlights along the way.

South Dakota: Downtown Sioux Falls Food Tour, Sioux Falls Food Tours

For comfort food with a modern twist, book a space on this Sioux Falls tour . It's run by Sioux Falls local and ex-barista Jenna Aukerman and you'll try comforting southern classics like shrimp and grits. You might sample one of modern Queen City Bakery's delicious sweet treats too. 

Tennessee: Midtown Tour, Walk Eat Nashville

The Midtown Tour in Nashville shows the best of the city's Southern joints, like Mason’s, a restaurant serving inventive twists on comforting classics. As well as plenty of food, the tour includes a walk along "Rock Block", the eclectic center of the city's rock scene. 

Texas: Up in Smoke: Texas BBQ Tour, Food Chick Tours

There's no better state for a barbecue tour and this is a pilgrimage to the best spots for ribs, brisket and juicy steaks in San Antonio. The tour lasts for four hours and carnivores will stop off at beloved joints like Smoke Shack BBQ, which serves barbecued meat with a whole lot of Southern hospitality. 

Utah: Gourmand Tours at Park City

A food and history tour in one, this culinary journey is led by local Chris through Main Street in picturesque Park City. The city is best known for its Mexican-inspired and modern American dishes, and you'll try both and more on this walking tour. The buffalo cauliflower from Handle Park is a winner. Beyond the food you can learn about the city's mining history and pop into the Park City Museum.

Vermont: Vermont Farm Tours

Get the chance to  visit farms across lush Vermont  and taste their gourmet delights. You can embark on a cheese-filled tour of Shelburne Farm, where you'll learn about the production process and enjoy plenty of samples. Or opt for Bread and Butter Farm, where you can have a go at making your own.

Virginia: Oyster & Tour, Taste Virginia

The state of Virginia is well-known for its oysters so there's nowhere better for an oyster and wine pairing tour . The tour begins in Lynnhaven Bay where you'll learn more about the history of this delicacy. Then, head along Virginia's oyster trail, sampling them raw and Rockefeller style (baked or broiled), with carefully selected wine pairings. Family-owned seafood restaurant Rockafeller's is a favorite stop. 

Washington: Signature Food Tour of Pike Place Market, Savor Seattle Tour

Pike Place Market has been the heart of Seattle's food scene since 1907. On this Savor Seattle Tour , you'll explore the marketplace, sampling the vendors' wares and learning about the venue's history. You'll try award-winning clam chowder from Pike Place Chowder and mac and cheese at Beecher's Handmade Cheese.

Wisconsin: Atwood Brew and Chew, Madison Eats Food Tours

Take a tour of Atwood , one of Madison's trendiest neighborhoods in the east of the city. Duck into gourmet spots including cozy Thai restaurant Monsoon Siam and Tex Tubb's Taco Palace. There's craft beer from Next Door Brewing on offer too.

West Virginia: Taste of Morgantown

While the Mountain State doesn't have a dedicated foodie tour just yet, its gourmet festival in cute Morgantown (pictured) is the next best thing. Taste of Morgantown sees a plethora of vendors come together to showcase West Virginia's foodie spoils: sample everything from Italian dishes and barbecue plates to tacos and burgers. 

Wyoming: Teton Food Tour, Teton Village

This isn't your average food tour – but it's a fantastic way to experience the best of the state's gourmet scene. Teton Village is best known for its winter sports and stunning scenery, and each summer the Teton Food Tour combines the great outdoors with some great foodie offerings. The tour sees participants cycle through the bucolic region (view from Teton Village bike path, pictured) stopping for provisions such as burgers and kombucha at the likes of Snake River Ranch.

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Awash in tourists, Juneau, Alaska, prepares to turn some cruise ships away

Cruise ships line the Juneau waterfront on Wednesday, June 8, 2022. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

JUNEAU, Alaska — Alaska’s state capital is set to become the first city in Alaska and one of only a handful in the United States to limit the number of daily cruise ship tourists.

Under the terms of a voluntary agreement announced Monday and effective in 2026, the nation’s four largest cruise lines will schedule ships containing no more than 16,000 standard beds in Juneau per day, what the industry calls “lower berths,” with the limit dropping to 12,000 on Saturdays.

The agreement comes after growing complaints by locals about overcrowding, housing shortages, noise pollution and air pollution.

“The goal and the message here is that Juneau is hitting pause on growth,” said Alexandra Pierce, the city’s tourism manager , of the agreement.

Because some ships sail above their listed capacity, the number of tourists allowed by the agreement may exceed 16,000 on some days, and that figure also doesn’t include visiting crew.

Some city residents say the agreement doesn’t go far enough to answer residents’ complaints, and they’re gathering petition signatures for a ballot measure that would ban cruise ships altogether on Saturdays.

One of the organizers of that measure, Karla Hart, said that even if the city’s agreement were for 12,000 or 5,000 people per day, it doesn’t give people a break from the cruise tourism season, which stretches from April through October.

“I’m still going to have helicopters flying over … there will still be whale-watching boats in numbers big enough that people can’t avoid those; all of the impacts of the industry will still be going even if there are some reductions in numbers of cruise passengers,” she said.

A counter-campaign, urging locals to not sign the petition, is already underway.

Juneau, a city of 32,000 residents, welcomes more than 1.6 million visitors annually , and on peak days, more than 21,000 tourists may visit by cruise ship.

By number of ships and number of visitors, Juneau is the most popular whale-watching destination in the world, the city claims. The Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area, located within city bounds and operated by the U.S. Forest Service, is the most-visited tourist attraction in Alaska.

“The full-on cruise season in Juneau now is about 22 weeks long, which spans all of our summer plus our spring and our fall,” Hart said.

Travelers frequently spread out across the city, climbing aboard helicopters, boarding whale-watching boats and riding buses.

Hart described listening to strings of eight or more helicopters flying over her home.

“It’s every day that people who are in their own homes are interrupted and disturbed by helicopter noise,” she said. “Their enjoyment of their yard, of the trails around their home is disturbed by helicopter noise. And people who want to go out boating are disturbed or displaced or disrupted or endangered by a fleet of over 70 whale-watching boats … which creates horribly confused wakes and noise and disruption.”

Some businesses are already taking steps to mitigate the problems.

Wings Airways, which flies tourists via floatplane to a remote lodge, imposed its own limits on its operation, said Holly Johnson, a company vice president. It hasn’t grown its fleet of five airplanes.

“It’s something we’ve sort of always done behind the scenes, because it was the right thing to do for our business,” she said.

Wings is an exception: After the end of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency, the number of cruise tourists visiting Juneau grew by 40% from 2022 to 2023.

“That was shocking for people, and we had a lot of community reaction,” Pierce said.

She said the busiest days “have felt a bit suffocating for a lot of people and we’re trying to eliminate that and create some balance for the community.”

For the city, the difficulty has been balancing the interests of workers employed in the tourism industry with the needs of local residents who feel the consequences.

As far back as 2019 , Juneau had convened a task force to consider a cap on the number of visitors, and current discussions began in March, she said.

Pierce said the new limit is designed to effectively hold tourist numbers steady, allowing businesses and the city to develop more infrastructure that spreads out the number of visitors, whether through new attractions like a summertime gondola planned for the city’s ski area, another cruise ship dock to spread out the crowd of arriving visitors, or changes to the Mendenhall Glacier site, planned by the Forest Service.

“Our goal is to make a million and a half people feel like a million people through infrastructure development,” she said.

By not having the cap take effect until 2026, cruise lines have time to reschedule their ships, said Renée Limoge Reeve, vice president of government and community Relations for Cruise Lines International Association Alaska.

Other ports in Southeast Alaska will also have time to anticipate the arrival of ships that otherwise might visit Juneau.

Juneau’s approach is a voluntary agreement, which differs from some approaches taken elsewhere. The city of Key West, Florida, passed several voter-approved ordinances putting hard limits on cruise ships, but those were vetoed by the state legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis.

In Bar Harbor, Maine, locals installed a hard cap of 1,000 cruise ship passengers per day. A U.S. District Court judge upheld that limit after a legal challenge, but the case has been appealed.

In Alaska, the city attorney in Sitka rejected a Bar Harbor-like limit last year as unconstitutional under the language of the Alaska Constitution.

Juneau itself had an extended legal battle with the cruise industry over the use of head taxes paid by passengers. The city lost that case, which now limits how the city can spend passenger taxes.

That case, and the experience of other cities, encouraged Juneau to pursue negotiations and a voluntary cap. Pierce said that doesn’t mean the city will surrender to the industry if cruise lines decide to break the agreement.

Three of the four docks used by cruise ships in Juneau are city-owned, and in the worst-case scenario, “we’d say great, we’re closing our city docks,” Pierce said. “We do have a hammer. We just don’t want to use it.”

Meanwhile, Hart said she’s prepared to give Juneau residents the chance to vote on a tougher restriction. If the petition turns into a ballot vote this fall, she expects the resulting campaign could get “really ugly.”

Already, banners on some Juneau businesses are urging residents not to sign the petition.

“Our story is pretty clear,” she said. “It’s the lived experience of people. So we’ll just put in the work to give the community the chance to decide. And then it’s up to the community to decide. And we’ll see how it goes.”

Alaska Beacon is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alaska Beacon maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Andrew Kitchenman for questions: [email protected] . Follow Alaska Beacon on Facebook and Twitter .

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The post Awash in tourists, Juneau, Alaska, prepares to turn some cruise ships away appeared first on Rhode Island Current .

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What do I pack?!?

Monday, June 17, 2024 3:00 PM

Do you know that feeling when you’re two weeks out from your big trip to Juneau, Alaska and you realize you don’t know what to pack? Take a breath – we have you covered!

First things first: remember where you’re going and do a little research on the TravelJuneau.com website, where you’ll find lots of local information and ideas on what to bring along. Here are some favorite pieces of advice from your friends at Travel Juneau.

Southeast Alaska has a very different climate from Alaska’s interior . Think of Seattle or Vancouver, then go a little north – we’re in a temperate rainforest, surrounded by mountains and huge trees. Our oceanfront location keeps us cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter than our cousins to the north. During the spring/summer months, we average over 20 days a month of measurable precipitation; while climate change is impacting that and making us a little drier, we always dress for rain and are happily surprised at sunshine.

Invest in a pair of nylon hiking pants . Your jeans are sure comfy for dry days, but here in the Tongass National Forest , where we get more days of rain than sunshine, those jeans may get wet, heavy and cold in a hurry. Nylon pants dry quickly and will keep you plenty warm on most days.

Layers, layers, layers . These are key to keeping your cool or warming up to your surroundings. Nylon or polypropylene base layers (even a cotton T-shirt) topped with a light or medium-weight fleece zip-up will ensure that you’re comfortable. Temperatures can swing widely in just a few minutes, so being able to add or shed layers is important.

No need for an umbrella – locals just pop up their hoods . Because rainy days can also be a little windy, bring a waterproof or water-resistant jacket that has a hood and pockets. It’s an essential layer, and believe us, we won’t care if your hair is messy when you take it down. An alternative is a “Seattle Sombrero,” available at outfitters here in Juneau.

Leave the strappy sandals and flip-flops in your suitcase. They will make you miserable in the rain or out on a trail. Instead, bring your sturdiest sneakers or better yet, a pair of waterproof/water-resistant hiking boots or trekkers for your outdoor adventures. If you have an excursion planned that may take you into really wet terrain, your host may have a pair of our famous XtraTufs for you to use. Your socks and toes will thank you.

Bring your sunscreen and maybe a sleep mask. With more than 18 hours of sunlight in the summer, your skin will get blasted on sunny days especially if you’re on the water.  If you’re sensitive to light when you sleep, a sleep mask will help you get a better rest by blocking light – there’s enough light to read outside at 1AM during Summer Solstice!

As always, the Travel Juneau team is here to answer your questions or concerns. Happy packing!

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Attention Alaska Cruisers: Juneau Tours Announces Important Updates on How to Get to Mendenhall Glacier in 2024

With Juneau consistently ranked as a top cruise ship destination, especially for those seeking to explore the awe-inspiring Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau Tours reminds visitors of the importance of planning their visit ahead due to recent changes. We strongly advise visitors to make bookings for transportation or glacier tours before arriving in Juneau , as purchasing on the day of may not be possible.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240618441698/en/

Juneau Tours Mendenhall Glacier Trolley Tour (Photo: Business Wire)

Are you planning a cruise to Alaska? Want to go visit the Mendenhall Glacier? There is a lot of information online as this is the number one destination for cruisers who stop in the capital city. The catch is that there have been some major changes as a result of the surge of visitors to Alaska! Due to the results of a long-standing environmental impact study, there are a set number of permits for the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area–a little more than 500,000 are allotted for commercial operators. Sounds like a lot right? In 2023 alone, 1.6 million people came to Juneau on cruise ships during the 6+ month-long season! The math obviously doesn’t add up for all of those visitors to be able to see the glacier with these stipulations in place. Our advice? Plan ahead.

How to get to Mendenhall Glacier

Two primary, reliable methods for reaching Mendenhall Glacier are booking a shuttle tour or renting a car . Opting for a tour provides the convenience of transportation along with guided insight into the glacier's history and surrounding landscape. The journey to Mendenhall Glacier typically takes around 25 minutes each way by car. Whether embarking on a guided tour or driving independently, experiencing the majestic beauty of Mendenhall Glacier promises to be a memorable adventure in the heart of Juneau's wilderness.

It’s important to note that Juneau’s bus transit system is not an option for getting to Mendenhall Glacier as it doesn’t go all the way there.

Guaranteed Access and Expert Insight with Juneau Tours

At Juneau Tours, we offer the top-rated, most reliable, and most convenient way for cruise ship passengers to experience the Mendenhall Glacier via our brand-new classic city trolleys. Our Glacier Shuttle Tour boasts several advantages:

• Guaranteed Permitted access
• Entry fee included for the Mendenhall Glacier Visitors' Center
• Frequent departures–nearly every hour
• Ride in style on our new 2024 classic trolleys
• 30-minute narrated tour
• 2 hours for independent exploration, including Nugget Creek Falls, Photo Point Trail, or the East Glacier Loop (As you explore, pay careful attention to your pickup time for your return trip to the cruise ship dock. The hike time to the Nugget Falls and back is 40 minutes round trip. Wear comfortable shoes and have fun!)
• Convenient pickup and drop-off at the cruise ship terminal

Plan Your Alaskan Adventure Today

For more information on Juneau Tours and the Glacier Shuttle Tour, please visit Juneau Tours' website or contact us directly, and prepare to experience the majesty of the Mendenhall Glacier with Juneau Tours!

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240618441698/en/

[email protected]