6 Days in Alaska | Juneau & Anchorage

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Alaska and I already had some history before this trip. I’d previously visited Fairbanks in the dead of winter, but I knew August in Juneau and Anchorage was going to be a completely different experience.

This was also a work trip, which meant I wasn’t working with a perfectly optimized vacation itinerary. I had meetings to work around and squeezed most of my wandering around business obligations. As usual, that didn’t stop me from trying to pack in as much as humanly possible.

I spent the first few days hiking through ridiculously green forests, watching humpback whales feed in the bay, eating my way around Juneau and trying not to convince myself there was a bear behind every tree. Then I flew to Anchorage, where I repeatedly drove through the same park looking for moose and used a free morning to see as much of the Seward Highway as I could before an afternoon meeting.

Here’s how six days of working and wandering through Alaska played out.

Day 1: Arrival in Juneau, Mendenhall Glacier, Nugget Falls & Auke Bay

I landed in Juneau around 1 p.m. and immediately had one of those moments where you realize just how small the airport is. I was worried about figuring out which baggage claim I needed until I realized there was exactly one belt.

Getting out of the airport was considerably less efficient. I’d booked a car through Turo and had some issues with the reservation that left me sitting at the airport for about an hour. No biggie - I eventually made it to my Turo rental, got the car and headed toward Mendenhall Glacier. I realized that in my excitement to get to the glacier, I’d left my suitcase in the Lyft...

BIG sigh.

I couldn’t get ahold of the driver, so for a brief period I accepted that I was apparently going to hike at Mendenhall Glacier in my Pumas. Ouch, but YOLO. Thankfully, I finally got the driver on the phone before I went too far. He brought my suitcase back to me, which I was extremely grateful for.

Note: Rideshares do operate in Juneau, but don't count on them being immediately available or available during odd hours. My Lyft at midday took about 20 minutes to arrive at the airport.

Mendenhall Glacier & Nugget Falls

Mendenhall Glacier is incredibly easy to visit for how beautiful it is. Parking was available during my visit, and the day-use fee was $5. Save your money - you do not need a tour to see the glacier, only if you want to be on the glacier.

Hiking shoes afoot, I started with Nugget Falls Trail, an easy our-and-back walk along Mendenhall Lake to the huge waterfall near the glacier. The trail was mostly paved or hard-packed and essentially flat. There were plenty of people around, including people walking leashed dogs, which naturally made me miss Rosie.

The glacier was beautiful. The waterfall was cool. But I also really liked the entire setting. The grounds around the visitor center are beautiful, and there are several trails that make it easy to spend considerably more time here than I did.

I also walked Steep Creek, where salmon were spawning in the creek. Bears sometimes show up in this area to feed on the salmon, which created two very different possibilities in my head. Seeing one safely from a viewing area would have been amazing. Coming around a corner and finding one on the trail would have been considerably less amazing.

Plenty of opportunity to view the salmon, but no bears for me that day.

One thing to know if you’re visiting without a car: Juneau’s public transportation doesn’t take you directly to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center, so you’ll need to account for an additional walk to reach the recreation area.

I would have loved to add East Glacier Loop while I was there, but after the day’s various transportation debacles, I was running out of time. It's definitely on my “next time” list.

Auke Bay

My accommodation was in Auke Bay, and apparently Day 1 wasn’t finished messing with me yet. First, I had trouble finding the place, and a very nice guy from the neighboring restaurant helped me figure out where I needed to go. Then my room code didn’t work, so they remotely let me in.

Then they told me I was let into the wrong room. I cannot make this stuff up... Thankfully, it was unoccupied or that would have been extra fun! Eventually I made it into the correct apartment, and thankfully it was worth the effort.

Forbidden Peak Brewery was a one minute walk away, so I headed there for dinner. I had a cranberry raspberry lager and Pad Thai with tofu from Red Spruce, the restaurant inside the brewery. Both were delicious, and I sat outside overlooking Auke Bay while I ate.

After basically everything being a little helter skelter since landing, sitting beside the harbor with a beer and dinner felt like a pretty good reset. I called it an early night since my body was still firmly on Central Time, three hours ahead, and I had whales to see in the morning.

Day 2: Whale Watching, Perseverance Trail & Shrine of St. Thérèse

Being stuck on Central Time isn’t the worst thing when you have an early whale-watching tour!

I was up around 5 a.m. and started the morning at Tide & Timber with a breakfast bowl made with eggs, hash browns and sausage gravy. This one wasn’t really for me - and a bad idea before a boat tour for someone who gets seasick... There was way too much gravy for the amount of everything else, and it got pretty greasy as I ate. I wasn’t ready to pass judgment on the restaurant based on one breakfast, though, so I decided I’d give it another try another day.

Whale Watching with Harv & Marv’s

Then it was time for what would become one of the absolute highlights of my trip.

I booked with Harv & Marv’s Juneau Whale Watching ($179 as of 2026) on an 18-person boat with a captain and naturalist. We spent about three hours on the water, and the small group was perfect. I never felt like I couldn’t get a good view, and our naturalist was incredibly knowledgeable.

Pro Tip: If you're staying in Auke Bay, you can probably walk to the harbor, check with your tour about the exact meeting time since posted tour times probably incorporate shuttle pickup buffer. Also, dress warmer than you think you need to. Even wearing layers, I really wished I’d brought gloves.

We found humpbacks almost immediately, and they were bubble-net feeding. Humpbacks spend summers in Alaska taking advantage of the abundant food before many migrate thousands of miles south to Hawaiʻi or Mexico for the winter breeding and calving season. They’re generally solitary animals, which made what we were seeing even more special. Coordinated bubble-net feeding is a learned behavior practiced by only a small subset of Southeast Alaska humpbacks. The whales actually work together to corral fish with bubbles before lunging through the concentrated school to feed.

You can book a whale-watching tour. You cannot book the whales. We got ridiculously lucky.

At one point we saw a whale the crew said they hadn’t seen in more than a decade. That same whale gave us quite a show, rolling upside down and slapping its tail against the water before flipping over and continuing right-side up. We didn’t get a breach, but there were plenty of tails, dives and feeding activity throughout the trip.

Our naturalist also introduced us to Happy Whale, a citizen-science project that identifies individual whales using the unique markings on their tail flukes. You can upload your own whale photos, potentially identify who you saw and then follow that whale’s sighting history around the world. Your vacation photos can even contribute to research about whale populations and migration, which I thought was incredibly cool.

The whole experience was incredible. If I were recommending only a handful of things to do in Juneau, whale watching would make the list again and again.

After three hours on the water, I needed warmth and food. I stopped at Squirez in Auke Bay for a coffee, because I was chilled to the bone from the boat and rainy weather, and a smash burger with tater tots from The Salty Mariner (located inside Squirez). The bartender was super nice, and by then the rain kicked up, so warming up inside felt particularly good.

An early lunch gave me time to wait out the rain. As soon as the sun came back, I headed downtown to hike Perseverance Trail toward Silverbow Basin.

Perseverance Trail to Silverbow Basin

Perseverance Trail to Silverbow Basin was the hike I’d been both excited about and nervous about. I was hiking alone in Alaska, and I was genuinely terrified of running into a bear.

I decided I wasn’t going to let that keep me from hiking, so I put one headphone in, left the other ear open, and made plenty of noise around blind corners. I sang. I clapped. I generally made sure no bear could possibly claim I had snuck up on it.

I did not see a bear. I did, however, get startled by multiple dogs and people who probably thought I was nuts. Worth it!

Perseverance was gorgeous. The trail follows Gold Creek into the valley behind downtown Juneau and was everything I hoped hiking in Alaska would be: lush, intensely green and full of water. There are also remnants of Juneau’s mining history along the route. It was especially fun to stand in front of the old mine opening and feel the blast of cold air coming out of it.

Perseverance is rated as an easy-to-moderate trail leading into Silverbow Basin, where the abandoned Perseverance Mine operated from 1885 to 1921. My hike was about six miles total out and back. There was some climbing early on from where I parked, but after that much of it felt more like a long, straightforward walk than a particularly strenuous hike.

The trail is quite popular and shared with runners and cyclists, so keep an ear out for bikes. More than anything, I was glad I hadn’t let my fear of bears talk me out of going. It ended up being one of my favorite experiences in Juneau.

Shrine of St. Thérèse

After Perseverance, I drove out to the Shrine of St. Thérèse. I’m not religious, I’d simply heard that the property was beautiful, and it absolutely was. You don’t have to be visiting for religious reasons to appreciate the setting.

The shrine dates back to the 1930s, when Jesuit priest William LeVasseur envisioned a retreat center in Alaska. The stone chapel sits on a tiny island connected to the mainland by a causeway, and was built using rock gathered from the beach right there at the shrine. Construction began in 1937, with the first Mass held in the chapel in 1941. The property continued to grow over the decades and was officially designated a National Shrine in 2016.

The little chapel and waterfront grounds were stunning, and it was a nice change of pace after a full day on the water and trail. I was also told this area tends to get more sunshine than Juneau, and that locals will sometimes head this direction when the surrounding area is covered in clouds. Sure enough, it was beautiful while I was there.

I ended the day back at Forbidden Peak Brewery for round two, this time ordering a chicken bowl from Red Spruce and a canned wine. The bowl normally came with wings, but I don’t particularly enjoy fighting chicken off a bone, so I substituted chicken skewers.

What I didn’t realize was that I was essentially substituting away the sauce that gave the bowl much of its flavor. Mine ended up a little plain as a result, but that was entirely because of my choice. Everything was fresh, tasty, and well cooked.

After whales, six miles of hiking, and successfully avoiding death by imaginary bear, I was very ready for bed.

Day 3: Downtown Juneau & Auke Nu Trail to John Muir Recreation Cabin

I gave Tide & Timber another shot for breakfast. This time I ordered a breakfast sandwich on an English muffin with egg, meat and aioli, plus hash browns. I ordered Canadian bacon but received regular bacon instead.

The sandwich was good, and I especially loved the English muffin, which was light and fluffy. They were also very generous with the bacon. Unfortunately, regular bacon combined with the aioli was richer than I wanted first thing in the morning.

After two visits, my biggest wish was simply for some lighter options. Oatmeal, yogurt with fruit, or even fresh fruit as a side option would have been greatly appreciated.

Downtown Juneau

I squeezed in a work meeting and then headed downtown to wander through Juneau’s downtown area. We got lucky with the timing because the cruise ships hadn’t unloaded yet, and downtown was quiet and uncrowded.

For lunch, I visited the Vintage Food Truck Park in downtown Juneau and grabbed a halibut taco from Deckhand Dave’s. Incredible. Then I got a strawberry cheesecake crepe from Alaskan Crepe Escape. Also amazing.

I wandered around a little longer, but by then the cruise passengers had arrived and downtown felt completely different. It was noticeably busier and more crowded. If you’re staying in Juneau rather than arriving by cruise ship, getting downtown before the ships unload is absolutely worth trying.

Auke Nu Trail to John Muir Recreation Cabin

Later that afternoon I headed back toward Auke Bay and started hiking Auke Nu Trail to John Muir Recreation Cabin around 4 p.m. I only had a couple of hours available, so I knew from the beginning I wasn’t going to finish the entire route. I hiked for about an hour before turning around at the second meadow.

Unlike Perseverance, which felt fairly easy for much of the route despite its moderate designation, Auke Nu genuinely felt moderate to me. The trail starts at Spaulding Meadow Trailhead. It was a steady uphill climb, was varied terrain, and had some of my favorite trail features of the trip: wooden plank walkways through peat bogs.

But the meadows, or muskeg, were the real surprise. Muskeg is the local term for the open, spongy peat bogs found throughout this part of Alaska. You’re walking beneath towering evergreens and then suddenly step out of the dense forest onto a wooden boardwalk surrounded by open muskeg and sunlight. I loved the contrast and had no idea those beautiful open spaces were waiting for me along the trail.

Finishing this hike immediately went on my "next time in Juneau" list.

Afterward, I went back to Squirez for a glass of wine and eventually ordered dinner The Salty Mariner. I had the fried chicken sandwich this time. It was good, although nothing crazy amazing. They’d run out of the excellent tots I’d had the day before, so I got fries instead, which were also good.

One note specifically for other solo female travelers: Squirez felt very much like a local watering hole, with a lot of male regulars who were inclined to chat. I was perfectly comfortable, but I’m also very comfortable ignoring people or simply telling someone when I don’t want to talk. Someone who doesn’t enjoy that kind of interaction while sitting alone might feel differently. I wouldn’t describe the place as unsafe at all. It’s more of a “know the vibe” thing.

Day 4: A Little More Juneau & Transition to Anchorage

My final morning in Juneau started at Heritage Coffee downtown. It’s a cute coffee shop, although it was very busy that morning with tourists and families.

We had a work lunch at Devil’s Club Brewing Company, where I had a nonalcoholic citrus drink that was incredibly refreshing and, importantly for me, not overly sweet. I also had a rice bowl with smoked salmon that had some heat to it but was delicious.

After lunch we poked around a few more shops and tried unsuccessfully to see Mabel (the dog) at the Rainy Retreat Books bookstore. Sadly, Mabel had a much-deserved day off!

Thaku Whale Statue, DIPAC Macaulay Salmon Hatchery & Bear Hunting

Then we headed over to see Tahku, the huge bronze humpback whale sculpture on the waterfront in Mayor Bill Overstreet Park. After that, we made a quick trip to the Douglas Island Pink and Chum (DIPAC) Macaulay Salmon Hatchery. The hatchery was interesting on its own, and we also spotted a harbor seal hanging around.

Then we did what any group of responsible adults visiting Alaska would do... We went looking for bears at Costco and the dump.

No bears, but while wandering around the Lemon Creek area I stumbled across the Lemon Creek Trail behind Home Depot, which immediately went onto my growing "next time in Juneau" list.

And with that, it was time to leave Juneau.

Transition to Anchorage (Kincaid Park)

We flew to Anchorage and stopped at Kincaid Park almost immediately after arriving. It’s conveniently close to the airport, and almost as soon as we entered the park we saw a cow moose and her calf.

Unfortunately, cars blocked us from getting the photo or video I wanted, so instead of accepting a perfectly good moose sighting, we drove around the park looking for another one. No luck. Then we saw another calf on the way out, but again, no great photo.

Apparently I now had a mission.

The weirdest part of the night was realizing it was around 10:30 p.m. and still light outside. Blackout curtains were immediately deployed.

Day 5: Seward Highway & Anchorage

Wednesday was a workday, but I didn’t have a meeting until 3 p.m., which was plenty of justification for me to get another Turo and squeeze in a mini road trip.

I picked up the car around 10:30 a.m. and headed south from Anchorage along the Seward Highway. Since I had limited time, my strategy was to drive to the farthest point I could reasonably reach (Bird Point) and then work my way back toward Anchorage, stopping along the way.

Bird Point

Bird Point had a nice scenic overlook across Turnagain Arm. It was pretty, but honestly a little underwhelming as a destination by itself. If you’re already driving the Seward Highway, it’s an easy stop. I just wouldn’t make it the reason for the drive.

The overlook is part of Chugach State Park, with paved walkways, spotting scopes, interpretive signs, restrooms and access to the paved Bird to Gird pathway. It’s also a good stop for kids and one of the more accessibility-friendly viewpoints along the highway.

Really, the point of Bird Point is the view. It gives you an easy place to pull off the highway, stretch your legs and take in the mountains and Turnagain Arm before continuing on. Sometimes a pretty overlook can just be a pretty overlook.

Beluga Point

Beluga Point was busier, with plenty of people stopping to look out over Turnagain Arm. I went out onto the rocks and spent some time scanning the water for beluga whales, but no luck for me. Cook Inlet belugas do use Turnagain Arm, though, so the name isn't just wishful thinking.

What I didn't know when I stopped is that Beluga Point is also an important archaeological site. Evidence shows people were using this area thousands of years ago, and Alaska Native hunters used the point as a lookout. That made this feel considerably more interesting in hindsight than just another scenic pullout.

Today, it’s an easy place to stop for views, interpretive signs and a chance, however uncertain, of spotting a beluga. Even without whales, the views across Turnagain Arm are worth a quick stop if you're already driving the Seward Highway.

McHugh Creek Day Use Area

Next was McHugh Creek Day Use Area, where I wandered around the creek and waterfall and took another look out toward the inlet. If you want a less busy spot to try your luck at seeing a beluga, this is a good one. There are picnic tables, restrooms, creekside areas and viewpoints, so it would also be an easy place to stop for lunch.

McHugh Creek is also a trailhead, which I didn't take advantage of on this visit. The Turnagain Arm Trail runs through here, with about 3.4 miles one way to Potter Trailhead or 4.2 miles in the other direction to Rainbow Trailhead. Longer and considerably more strenuous hiking options head inland toward McHugh and Rabbit lakes.

You don't have to hike to make the stop worthwhile, though. The waterfall and creek are right there, and I liked having somewhere quieter to wander around for a bit instead of simply pulling into another roadside overlook.

Potter Marsh

My last stop was at Potter Marsh & Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge, where a long boardwalk stretches across the wetland. The boardwalk itself was cool, although I didn’t see much wildlife during my visit.

Potter Marsh is known as one of Anchorage's easiest bird and wildlife viewing areas. The main boardwalk is about 1,550 feet long, with viewing areas overlooking the marsh. It's flat and accessible, making this a particularly easy stop for kids, strollers, and visitors with limited mobility.

Even without much wildlife activity, I liked this stop because it felt completely different from the Turnagain Arm overlooks. Instead of standing above the landscape looking out at it, the boardwalk takes you right into the wetland.

Seward Highway

As I think back on these individual stops, they were all nice, but none of them individually blew me away. The thing that did was the drive itself.

Driving the Seward Highway along Turnagain Arm was easily the highlight of the morning. The mountains, water and huge stretches of mudflat made the entire drive feel like the attraction rather than simply the road connecting a series of scenic stops. Bird Point, Beluga Point, McHugh Creek and Potter Marsh were all worth pulling over for, but collectively they were much more memorable than any one stop on its own.

I also came away from the day with another "next time in Anchorage" item. Somewhere between Bird Point and Beluga Point I passed the Falls Creek trailhead and could see a waterfall almost immediately. I wish I would've stopped even for a quick look, but after researching it later, the full trail went straight onto my future hiking list: about 5.4 miles round trip with roughly 3,000 feet of elevation gain and a 5–6 hour estimated hiking time.

Kincaid Park (Again), Dinner & Drinks

I made it back to Anchorage with enough time to shower and get ready for my 3 p.m. meeting. Afterward, apparently still unwilling to accept the outcome of my earlier wildlife search, we drove through Kincaid Park again looking for moose.

Nada.

Dinner that night was at Rustic Goat, and it was amazing. Then, because I'm nothing if not stubborn, I drove through Kincaid Park yet again.

Still no moose.

At this point, it started to feel personal. You know what they say about doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result...

I met up with people afterward at 49th State Brewing downtown. I’ve eaten there on a previous trip and remember the food being good, but this time I just had a cocktail. We eventually ended up at Darwin’s Theory, a funny little downtown dive bar that turned out to be a fun stop.

Day 6: Workday & One Wild Final Night

Thursday was basically all work, so there wasn’t much wandering during the day. We had lunch at Spenard Roadhouse, which I really liked. The standout for me was their rhubarb soda, which was refreshing and different from the usual soft drink options, but the food was great, too.

Dinner was at Sullivan’s Steakhouse, and this one was a miss for me. It was expensive, I didn’t think the food was particularly good, and my salmon was overcooked. Overcooked salmon is disappointing anywhere. Overcooked salmon in Alaska just feels particularly wrong.

Thankfully, Alaska had one more surprise waiting for me...

After dinner, we went to Mad Myrna’s and happened upon a "More Than Salt" drag show, specifically featuring Queens of color. It was completely unexpected, wildly fun, and such a random way to end the trip. We had an absolute blast.

Day 7: Departure Day

My flight home left at 7 a.m., which meant there was no final morning of wandering. Just an early trip to the airport and one last goodbye.

As I thought back on the week, Juneau was the place that stuck with me most. Maybe Anchorage never really stood a chance after I’d spent several days surrounded by mountains, water and impossibly green forests, watching whales in the bay and hiking trails where I was simultaneously hoping to see wildlife and terrified that I actually would.

But some of my favorite memories weren't necessarily the things I planned. I’ll remember almost hiking Mendenhall in my Pumas because my suitcase was driving away in a Lyft, singing and clapping my way through Perseverance Trail to make sure every bear in Alaska knew I was coming, and stepping out of the dense forest into the sunny muskeg on Auke Nu. I'll remember watching humpbacks bubble-net feed, searching unsuccessfully for bears at Costco, and driving through Kincaid Park an unreasonable number of times trying to get one good moose photo.

And somehow the trip ended at a drag show in Anchorage. I certainly didn't see that coming, but it was perfect.

There were plenty of things I didn’t get to do and places I didn’t get to see, but I didn't leave disappointed by what I missed. Mostly, I left thinking about how much I loved what I found - and I have a feeling I’m not done with Alaska yet.