Costs
Alaska Shore Excursion Costs
Alaska has the most expensive shore excursions in mainstream cruising. A whale watching trip runs $120 to $190, a floatplane tour $280 to $400, and a helicopter glacier landing with dog sledding $650 to $950. A couple booking one significant excursion in each of four ports typically spends $1,200 to $2,400.
The short answer
Alaska excursions typically cost $45 to $600 per person depending on the activity, with helicopter tours at the top and shuttles at the bottom. Budget $150 to $350 per person per port for a significant excursion. Independent operators are usually 25 to 40 percent cheaper than the same trip sold on board.
Key points
- Budget $150 to $350 per person per port for a significant excursion.
- Helicopter tours are the most expensive category at $400 to $950 per person.
- Independent operators are typically 25 to 40 percent cheaper than the ship.
- The White Pass railway at $130 to $185 is the best value high impact excursion.
- A couple booking four excursions typically spends $1,200 to $2,400 across the cruise.
Excursion pricing is where most Alaska budgets fail, because travellers anchor on Caribbean prices. A Caribbean beach transfer costs $40. An Alaska helicopter glacier landing costs $500. The activities on offer are simply different in kind.
Costs by activity type
| Activity | Ship booked | Independent | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glacier shuttle transfer | $50 to $70 | $45 to $60 | 2 to 3 hours |
| City or town tour | $60 to $110 | $45 to $85 | 2 to 3 hours |
| Totem park visit | $70 to $110 | $55 to $90 | 2.5 to 3 hours |
| Whale watching | $150 to $220 | $120 to $190 | 3 to 4.5 hours |
| Whale watching plus glacier | $210 to $280 | $180 to $260 | 5 to 6 hours |
| Rail excursion | $140 to $195 | $130 to $185 | 3 to 3.5 hours |
| Kayaking | $170 to $240 | $140 to $220 | 3 to 5 hours |
| Ziplining | $200 to $270 | $180 to $250 | 3 to 4 hours |
| Bear viewing, road accessible | $150 to $220 | $130 to $200 | 3 to 4 hours |
| Floatplane flightseeing | $310 to $430 | $280 to $400 | 2 to 2.5 hours |
| Bear viewing by floatplane | $450 to $620 | $400 to $580 | 4 hours |
| Helicopter glacier landing | $450 to $650 | $400 to $600 | 2 to 3 hours |
| Helicopter dog sledding | $700 to $1,000 | $650 to $950 | 3 to 4 hours |
| Fishing charter | $350 to $550 | $300 to $500 | 4 to 6 hours |
Costs by port
| Port | Free option | Mid range | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juneau | Downtown walk | $45 to $260 | $400 to $950 |
| Ketchikan | Creek Street and town | $55 to $250 | $280 to $580 |
| Skagway | Ranger walk, historic district | $80 to $310 | $280 to $380 |
| Sitka | National Historical Park | $45 to $220 | $300 to $500 |
| Icy Strait Point | Forest trails, museum | $80 to $210 | $300 to $480 |
| Victoria | Walk to the Inner Harbour | $85 to $160 | $130 to $200 |
| Seward | Waterfront trail | $200 to $290 | $400 to $600 |
What drives the price
- Aircraft cost dominates. Helicopters and floatplanes are expensive to operate, insure and maintain in Alaska, and the season is short. That is why $500 is a normal helicopter price rather than a premium one.
- Group size. A twelve passenger boat charges more per head than a hundred and forty passenger catamaran and delivers a genuinely different trip.
- Season length. Operators earn a full year of revenue in roughly twenty weeks, which is priced into every trip.
- Transfer distance. A Juneau whale trip includes twelve miles of road transfer each way, which is built into the fare.
- Park and permit fees. Some operators pay concession fees to operate in national forest or park areas.
- Ship margin. The cruise line takes a commission, which is the main reason ship booked tours cost more.
How to spend less without doing less
- Book independently where the port is compact. Ketchikan and Sitka operators are close to the berth, so timing risk is low and savings are real.
- Do the free thing in one port. Ketchikan on foot is a genuinely good day and costs nothing.
- Choose the combination trip. A Juneau whale plus glacier combination at $180 to $260 costs less than the two components separately.
- Take the shuttle, not the tour. The Mendenhall shuttle at $45 to $60 delivers the same glacier as a $110 guided tour.
- Share a charter. Fishing and small boat charters priced per boat become reasonable split four or six ways.
- Skip the town tours. Every Alaska cruise port centre is walkable. A guided drive around Skagway is not worth $80.
- Book one premium experience, not four mid range ones. One helicopter landing you remember beats four coach tours you do not.
Frequently asked questions
How much do Alaska shore excursions cost?
Typically $45 to $600 per person depending on the activity. Glacier shuttles start around $45, whale watching runs $120 to $190, the White Pass railway is $130 to $185, floatplane flightseeing is $280 to $400, and helicopter dog sledding reaches $650 to $950. Budget $150 to $350 per person per port for a significant excursion.
Why are Alaska excursions so expensive?
Operators earn a full year of revenue in a season of roughly twenty weeks, aircraft operations are costly to run and insure in this environment, and many trips involve long transfers or concession fees for operating in national forest and park areas. Cruise line commission adds a further 25 to 40 percent on ship booked tours.
What is the most expensive excursion in Alaska?
Helicopter dog sledding on the Juneau Icefield, at roughly $650 to $950 per person. It combines a helicopter flight, a glacier landing and time at a working dog camp on the snow. Helicopter glacier landings without the dogs run $400 to $600, and bear viewing by floatplane from Ketchikan is $400 to $580.
Are ship excursions more expensive than independent ones?
Yes, typically by 25 to 40 percent, because the cruise line takes a commission. The offsetting benefit is that if a ship booked tour runs late, the ship waits or the line gets you to the next port. With an independent operator that risk is yours, which matters in Southeast Alaska where catching up means flying.
What is the best value excursion in Alaska?
The White Pass and Yukon Route railway from Skagway at $130 to $185. It is spectacular, historically remarkable, entirely weather proof and does not depend on wildlife appearing. If your itinerary includes Seward, a Kenai Fjords day cruise at $200 to $290 for six to eight hours on the water is arguably better value still.
How many excursions should I budget for on an Alaska cruise?
One significant excursion per port is the right default, which on a seven night itinerary means about four. For a couple at an average of $200 per person, that is roughly $1,600 for the cruise. Booking more than one substantial excursion per port rarely works, because Alaska port days are shorter than they look.
Keep researching
How to choose and book, not just what it costs.
Our ranked picks across the circuit.
Where excursions sit in the total.
The port with the widest excursion price range.