Visiting Mendenhall Glacier from Juneau Cruise Port

Visiting Juneau on an Alaska cruise? Here’s how I got to Mendenhall Glacier independently, what it was like and a few tips for planning your own visit.

The first stop on my Alaska cruise was Juneau and top of my list of things to see was the Mendenhall Glacier.

I’d actually seen the glacier on Channel 4’s Cruising to the End of the Earth (a UK TV show) just a few weeks before my trip, so I thought I knew what to expect. However, nothing quite prepares you for seeing it in person.

Deep cracks and ridges cover the pale blue ice of Mendenhall Glacier as it descends between towering dark rock faces. Snow covered mountains rise behind the glacier beneath a low grey cloud layer.

At a glance

Excursion: M&M Tours – Glacier Express, the Blue Bus. Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls Shuttle
Cost: (as of May 2026): $79 (adults), $49 (children 2-11)
Travel time: Around 30 minutes each way
Time at glacier: Two hours
Total tour time: Three hours
Highlights: Mendenhall Glacier viewpoint, Nugget Falls
Walking difficulty: Easy, mostly flat trail to Nugget Falls

Booking my trip to Mendenhall Glacier

As I was so keen to visit, you’d think I would have been prepared and booked an excursion in advance. Nope. I left it to the last minute and booked the day before. Thankfully, the Blue Bus Glacier Express, run by M&M tours of Juneau saved the day.

I had done a bit of research before I travelled and came across M&M tours after a quick search. Their booking process was easy, just pick your date, complete the form and payment. I’d say it took less than 5 minutes in total. The ticket included a round trip and admission to the Mendenhall Glacier visitor centre.

I visited in May (2026), the beginning of the Alaska cruise season, and although there were five ships in during the course of the day I suspect it wasn’t as busy as it might have been if it was the height of the season. So, I think I was probably lucky to get a seat so last minute. If you are visiting in the peak summer months, I’d definitely recommended booking in advance.

Once we’d docked in Juneau, it was just a few minutes’ walk along the dockside to the meeting point. It was easy to find, with a clearly marked stand and staff on hand to direct passengers.

Arriving at Mendenhall Glacier

The journey to Mendenhall Glacier took around half an hour. Our guide provided some entertaining commentary along the way, sharing information about Juneau’s history and culture.

The time flew by and before I knew it, we’d arrived at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Centre.

We had two hours to ourselves to explore. Which doesn’t sound long but I found it was plenty of time to see the glacier from a couple of viewpoints, walk up to Nugget Falls and have a quick look around the visitor centre.

My first glimpse of Mendenhall Glacier

My first stop was the viewpoint overlooking Mendenhall Lake, with the glacier in the distance.

Sadly, the glacier has retreated significantly over the years, but it was still an impressive sight. Even the dull, overcast weather couldn’t spoil the view.

Having seen the glacier on television just a few weeks earlier, it was quite something to finally be standing there looking at it for myself.

A smiling woman with red hair and glasses stands on the pebbled shore of Mendenhall Lake wearing a black jacket and blue jeans. Across the calm water Mendenhall Glacier descends between steep dark mountains beneath an overcas

Walking to Nugget Falls

You can catch a glimpse of Nugget Falls from the viewpoints, but I was keen to get up close. Eventually I dragged myself away from the glacier views and headed along the trail to the waterfall.

The waterfall is around a mile from the visitor centre, but don’t let that put you off, I found it an easy and pleasant walk. The trail is mostly flat and winds through the Tongass National Forest.

I didn’t see any wildlife but have heard reports of being seeing black bears on occasion. Not sure if I’m glad I missed that or not! Other wildlife to look out for include mountain goats and porcupines. And if you visit at the right time, salmon.

A trail map labelled "Nugget Falls Trail" stands beside a gravel path surrounded by moss covered rocks and tangled trees. Wooden directional signs read "Nugget Falls" and "Photo Point" with arrows pointing to the right.

A wide gravel hiking path curves gently through woodland with tall evergreen trees and bare branches on either side. Large moss covered boulders line the trail with a steep mountain slope visible through the trees.

A broad gravel section of the Nugget Falls Trail curves left into dense woodland filled with evergreen trees and bare branches. Low green shrubs and moss cover the ground alongside the quiet forest path.

At the end of the trail, you make your way across a rocky beach where you can get surprisingly close to the base of the waterfall, close enough to feel the spray. One guy I saw took that a little further and actually stuck his head under the water!

I spent around 10 to 15 minutes at the waterfall, taking photos and watching the water cascading down the rock face. Then it was time to head back to the visitor centre. I didn’t want to miss my ride back into town!

A smiling woman with purple hair and glasses stands among large grey boulders wearing a black jacket and blue jeans. Behind her the powerful white water of Nugget Falls crashes down a steep rocky mountainside.

Visitors in colourful jackets gather on a wide gravel area at the base of Nugget Falls. The enormous waterfall cascades diagonally down a steep rocky mountainside showing the scale of the falls compared with the people below.

Thick streams of white water cascade down the dark layered rocks of Nugget Falls creating clouds of spray. Large angular boulders cover the ground at the base of the waterfall with evergreen trees lining the ridge above.

Once I got back to the visitor centre, I had around 10 minutes to have a quick look around.

The visitor centre has some interactive exhibits, educational presentations and some amazing views.

A large grey sign reads "Welcome Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center Tongass National Forest U.S. Department of Agriculture." The sign stands above a stone wall with Mendenhall Glacier and cloud covered mountains visible in the distance.

Is two hours enough at Mendenhall Glacier?

Yes, I think two hours is enough to see the main highlights of Mendenhall Glacier.

I comfortably managed to see the glacier from a couple of viewpoints, walk to Nugget Falls and have a quick look around the visitor centre. I didn’t feel rushed at all. The only thing I would have liked was a little longer in the visitor centre, but that didn’t spoil the visit.

If you’re planning to explore some of the longer hiking trails, then you’ll definitely need more time. But if your main aim is to see Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls, I found two hours was enough.

Tips for visiting Mendenhall Glacier independently

Book your transport in advance, especially if you are visiting during the peak cruise season
Check what is included before you book
Wear comfortable shoes. While it is a easy walk, you’ll be on you feet a couple of hours
Take waterproofs & dress in layers – weather is unpredictable
Don’t be late back to the shuttle bus – you don’t want to miss it!

Is visiting Mendenhall Glacier worth it?

Yes, definitely. It more than lived up to my expectations.

Although the glacier has retreated significantly over the years, it’s still an impressive sight. Nugget Falls was pretty spectacular too, especially being able to get so close to the waterfall.

I can see why it is one of the popular excursions when visiting Juneau. You can visit both the glacier and Nugget Falls in just a couple of hours, without having to spend the whole day away from the ship.

Mendenhall Glacier stretches between steep dark mountains with deep crevasses running through its blue white ice. A calm grey lake fills the foreground while low clouds obscure the surrounding mountain peaks.

The last word

Visiting Mendenhall Glacier was a great introduction to Alaska.

The Blue Bus Glacier Express was well organised, our guide was fantastic and the glacier itself was quite spectacular. Luckily, it was also one of the few times during my Alaska cruise that the weather behaved itself and the rain held off!

If you’re visiting Juneau on a cruise, I’d definitely recommend a trip to Mendenhall Glacier. Just don’t leave booking your transport until the day before like I did!