Mendenhall Glacier Float Trip

Overview

A must-see sight while in port in Juneau is the Mendenhall Glacier and on this exciting 3.5-hour white-water rafting tour, you'll get up close to this impressive natural wonder! Sit back and have fun as your guide paddles you through Class II and III rapids at the foot of the glacier. While you float along the 6-mile (9.6-km) route, take in the amazing sights of the glacier, the sheer mountains and the abundant wildlife. No rafting experience is required and this tour is suitable for the whole family. Want to be more active and involved? Ask for a paddle raft, where you will follow your guide's commands and power your raft through the 1-mile stretch of class II rapids. Whatever your preferred activity level, we can accommodate you.

City: Juneau

Sat 16 Nov

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $173.25

Make a reservation

Sat 16 Nov

Starting at $173.25

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Professional guide

Snacks

Worry-Free Shore Excursion Guarantee

Transportation

Additional Info

Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Please indicate your ship or hotel name when booking your tour
Children must weigh at least 50 lbs (22 kg) in order to fit into required life jackets
Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult
Please indicate your ship or hotel name when booking your tour
Children 13-17 must have a signed parental consent form to participate in the absence of a parent or guardian

Cancellation Policy

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (124)

Christopher M

Jun 2022

Wow! What a day! Clear blue skies and temps in the 60s welcomed us in Juneau (last time we were there it rained all day). As we rode the bus to Mendenhall Lake, the driver pointed out a bear running across a field and bald eagles galore (that’s a lot!) in the trees and in a river bed near the dump. He gave us nice details about the community as we went along including how the Juneau citizenry were slow to dealing with a roundabout. We arrived at the shore of Mendenhall Lake where we were greeted by Dalton, one of the tour guide oarsmen. He asked all to sign the customary waivers, urged us to use the nearby bathroom (forest service permanent outhouse without sinks and hand cleaner dispenser), and then head to the shore for fitting of shoeless hip waiters and rubber boots and of course life jackets. (Double check your boots before you head out, a member of our party had one that leaked.) We deposited our shoes and non waterproof items into a secure tub which would meet us at the end of our journey. If you are lucky and get fitted early, you might be able to get on one of the two rubber rafts that allow you to help paddle the rubber raft. Being that we were not one of the lucky ones to row our raft, we were blessed to have the one and only Dalton from Bowling Green, Kentucky as our guide and oarsman! He went over all the safety rules carefully before we launched. Fighting a late afternoon wind, he rowed us across the lake to the Mendenhall River. He shared historical and geological insights about the Mendenhall Glacier. We were blessed that we could see the four towers which is rarely seen. He stopped and gave us plenty of opportunities to take pictures all along the excursion. Several of us have the smart phone plastic covers so we could take pictures. Ever hear of the Jökulhlaup floods? We hadn’t! Dalton shared and showed us the results of the floods along the riverbed as we headed down river including pointing out car remains from former drive-in theater where people tried to escape from that night. He took us through some rapids (don’t worry, this isn’t like the white water trips in Colorado, it’s a float most of the ride) at the outset of our trip and made sure that all members aboard got wet. Equal opportunity splashing! Some of us got a bit soaked since the water splashed up over and in the hip waiters but it wasn’t bad. Just expect to get wet! We appreciated the safety procedures the oars people embraced as we waited for three other boats to get through the rapids after us to make sure they were okay. Dalton pointed out differences in the color of water when water coming from a spring fed stream intersected with the gray pumice colored water of the Mendenhall River. He pointed out kingfishers and their nesting holes along the riverbed. He pointed out the flora as we made our way. We even saw live Juneauns (residents of Juneau) as we made our way downriver! We even saw some barbecuing dinner! Dalton pointed out a bald eagle’s nest and just like the that momma eagle popped her head up. (No, this is not like a Disney Splash Mountain ride, these are the real deal eagles!) As we came to a close on our ride, he gave us instructions for exiting the boat, what to do with our gear and to help ourselves to hot apple cider, salmon spread, reindeer sausage, veggies, crackers and cheese to enjoy while we waited for the rest of the guests in the boats that followed. We got out and were warmly welcomed by his colleagues. All our shoes were laid out like in a shoe store rack. We got our backpacks from the secure tote. Once everyone was off the river and had their belongings we walked a short distance to our bus for our return trip to our ship. “A good time was had by all” would be an understatement for us and others on our trip! We had a super great time! Our thanks to Dalton and the rest of the crew for such a fabulous Alaskan adventure!

Deborah W

Jun 2022

This was a shore excursions through NCL while we were cruising on the Bliss. We were bused to the Mendenhall lake where the outfitters had water resistant coveralls, boots and rain coats. There was a bathroom with nonplussed toilets. Think a step up from wilderness camping. The rafts had boards to sit upon. We choose to have the guide row rather than paddling our own raft. Besides the breathtaking scenery, the guide told us about the geography and geography of the area. I was very interested to see the changes since my first trip to the Mendenhall glacier in 1996. We did go through some small rapids which added excitement to the ride. When we arrived at the haul out location, there were covered benches to take off your gear. They also provided drinks and snacks while waited for all the rafts to return.

TexasGal308

Sep 2021

We came September 2021 and this was 100% worth every penny! Sugar Sean was our guide and he was hilarious! He made the trip extra fun and was very knowledgeable pointing out a lot of beautiful and exciting things! The glacier and view was breathtaking! We spotted 10 eagles, a seal and much much more. This is a must do!