Humpbacks feed in Favorite and Saginaw channels from April to September, best June to August. Shared tours cost $154 to $169 for 2 to 3 hours on the water, and two operators refund the fare if no whale appears.
Dark months are the peak for that species, light months are the rest of its season. October is marked.
| Species | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humpback whale | January: not usually seen | February: not usually seen | March: not usually seen | April: in season | May: in season | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: in season | October: not usually seen | November: not usually seen | December: not usually seen |
Peak In season
From traveljuneau.com. Whales turn up outside these months too.
| Operator | What you get | From | Length | Group | Min age | Boat | If no whales | Cancellation | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 Hour Whale Watching AdventureIncludes Narrated bus tour through town, Transfers between downtown and Auke Bay, Marine restroom |
$154 per person |
3 hours 15 minutes, about 2 hours on the water |
All ages | Small jet boats with outside decks, seating 18, 30 or 36 | Advertises guaranteed humpback sightings; refund terms not stated | If a cruise ship arrives late or early, rebooking on another tour or a full refund | Check dates | ||
Juneau Whale WatchingIncludes Light snack and refreshments, Coach transfer to Auke Bay Harbor |
$155 per person |
3 to 3.5 hours total, about 2 hours on the water |
Custom-built boat with enclosed, heated cabin and viewing decks | Not stated | Full refund if cancelled more than 24 hours before the tour day; no refund within 24 hours | Check dates | |||
Premier Catamaran Whale WatchIncludes Round-trip shuttle transfer, 3-hour whale watching and sightseeing cruise, Stop to view Mendenhall Glacier from the water, Bathroom breaks |
$159 per person |
4 hours (about 1 hour round-trip transfer, 3 hours whale watching and sightseeing) |
up to 49 guests |
All ages | Custom-built catamaran, up to 49 guests | Money back if no whale is seen, May 15 to September 15 | Check dates | ||
Whale Watching ToursIncludes Snacks and beverages, Marine restroom on each boat, Guaranteed seat |
$169 per adult |
3.5 hours total, including 2 hours on the water |
No minimum listed; infants under 2 free | Refund if you do not see a whale | Check dates | ||||
Harv's Original Small-Boat Whale Watching TourIncludes Stop to view a glacier from the water |
$210 per person |
4 hours, about 3 hours on the water |
up to 6 guests |
All ages | 6-passenger boat | Money back if no whale is seen, May 15 to September 15 | Check dates | ||
Private Whale Watching CharterIncludes Transportation, Whale watching, Stop to view Mendenhall Glacier from the water |
$1,150 per group |
4 hours |
1 to 49 people |
All ages | Money back if no whale is seen, May 15 to September 15 | Check dates | |||
Private Charter Whale Watching Tour |
$2,700 per group |
3.5 hours |
Not stated | Check dates | |||||
Private Juneau Whale Watching Tour |
$2,999 per group |
24-passenger or 49-passenger vessel |
24-passenger or 49-passenger vessel | Not stated | Full refund if cancelled more than 24 hours before the tour day; no refund within 24 hours | Check dates |
From each operator's own website, checked October 21, 2026. How we compare.
Auke Bay Harbor, just north of Juneau proper, is where Dolphin Jet Boat Tours and Juneau Tours and Whale Watch board, and both bring guests out from downtown. Dolphin Jet Boat Tours meets at the base of the Mount Roberts Tramway, and Juneau Tours and Whale Watch uses the tramway's parking lot before a coach transfer. Alaska Tales greets guests at the main cruise ship terminal and buses them through town to its harbor, which it does not name. Harv and Marv's runs a courtesy shuttle from near the ship or from a downtown meeting spot.
Door to door, a shared tour lasts about 3 to 3.5 hours, with roughly 2 hours on the water. Harv and Marv's allows about an hour for the round-trip transfer and 3 hours of cruising. On its combo tour, Dolphin Jet Boat Tours describes the bus leg as a 20-minute narrated ride via the Mendenhall Valley. If a cruise ship docks early or late, the same operator offers a different tour or a full refund.
Travel Juneau gives the whale season as April through September, with the best odds from June to August, and names Favorite Channel and Saginaw Channel as the prime humpback waters. About 600 humpbacks spend the summer in Southeast Alaska and a few stay all year, according to the tourism board. Many come from Hawaii, more than 3,000 miles away, in as little as 30 days. Operator seasons sit inside that window: Dolphin Jet Boat Tours runs late April to early September, and Harv and Marv's guarantee covers May 15 to September 15.
Alaska Tales lists flukes, breaches and the rarer sight of bubble-net feeding, in which a group of humpbacks rings a school of herring or krill and rises through it. Orcas are less predictable. Alaska Tales says pods are sighted occasionally, and Travel Juneau notes that orcas can cover 100 miles a day and leave an area for weeks. Sea lions gather on Benjamin Island, and the jet boat operator also lists Dall's porpoise, harbor seals, bald eagles and black bears.
Morning tours often find calmer water, while afternoon trips get the warmer part of the day, according to Travel Juneau. It advises dressing in layers because the weather is hard to predict, and bringing binoculars and a camera. Seats at the bow give the widest view, it says, while the sides can bring you closer to a surfacing whale.
Juneau Tours and Whale Watch uses a custom-built boat with an enclosed, heated cabin and viewing decks. Dolphin Jet Boat Tours has forward-facing seats, large windows that open, outside decks and a marine restroom. Alaska Tales promises every guest a seat and has a restroom on each of its two boats. None of the operator pages opened for this guide gives advice on seasickness.
Dolphin Jet Boat Tours has the lowest shared fare, from $154 for 3 hours door to door with 2 hours on the water, on jet boats seating 18, 30 or 36, with a narrated bus ride. It advertises guaranteed humpback sightings but does not publish refund terms. Juneau Tours and Whale Watch charges $155 for 3 to 3.5 hours, with a light snack and the coach to Auke Bay. It refunds in full if you cancel more than 24 hours before the tour day.
Harv and Marv's charges $159 for 4 hours on a catamaran of up to 49 guests, or $210 on its original 6-passenger boat, and every trip stops to view a glacier from the water. It refunds the fare if no whale is seen between May 15 and September 15. Alaska Tales charges $169 per adult and $149 for ages 2 to 11, with a naturalist, snacks and drinks, and its money back if no whale appears.
Private boats start at $1,150 with Harv and Marv's, for groups of 1 to 49, including transport and a stop to view Mendenhall Glacier from the water. Alaska Tales' private charter starts at $2,700. Juneau Tours and Whale Watch charges $2,999 for a 24-passenger boat and from $5,999 for a 49-passenger boat.
from $154 per person
3 Hour Whale Watching Adventure
Jet boats seating 18, 30 or 36 passengers
from $155 per person
Juneau Whale Watching and 1 more option
Season April to September
from $159 per person
Premier Catamaran Whale Watch and 2 more options
Money-back whale guarantee from May 15 to September 15
from $169 per adult
Whale Watching Tours and 1 more option
On-board naturalist on the shared whale tour
Prices and policies come from each operator's own pages, read on October 21, 2026. Seasons, rules and local details come from the pages below.