How to Explore Alaska's Capital Without Breaking wallet

Just spent an incredible day in Juneau during our Alaska cruise, and I’m here to share a money-saving guide that doesn’t sacrifice the experience! Here’s how we made the most of our 3 PM to 10 PM stop in this beautiful port city. 🛳️ PORT DAY ESSENTIALS: Docking Time: 3 PM - 10 PM Weather: Surprisingly sunny! ☀️ Mission: Explore Juneau without overspending! 🚶‍♂️ 1. Downtown Exploration Right off the ship, you’ll find South Franklin Street – a touristy strip packed with souvenir shops and jewelry stores. We spent about 30 minutes window-shopping but didn’t buy anything. If you’re not into shopping, skip this and head straight to the glaciers! 🚁 2. The One Thing I’d Splurge On I REALLY regret not booking the helicopter glacier tour! 🚁 • Price: Around $500 USD per person • Includes: Breathtaking aerial views + glacier hiking • Why worth it: Cruise ships only view glaciers from afar, and small boat excursions cost $300+ anyway. • Pro tip: ONLY Juneau offers this! Do it here instead of crowding on the deck later. 🏞️ 3. Mendenhall Glacier Park - The Budget Way Most tour companies charge $70-80 for a bus ride to the glacier. DON’T DO IT! ✅ Our hack: Take Lyft or a local taxi • Lyft: ~$40 each way • Taxi: $50 (we negotiated) ⚠️ Warning: No signal at the park! Pre-arrange a pickup time with your driver. ⏰ Time needed: 2 hours (enough for two trails and photos!) 🚌 4. Taking Public Transit (Adventure Mode!) We attempted the bus based on Xiaohongshu recommendations: • Bus fare: $2 cash (adult), $1 (child) • Token Transit app requires phone verification (useless without signal!) • Changed CAD to USD at cruise front desk – bad exchange rate + $4.5 fee 💸 💡 Lesson: Bring USD cash in advance! 🚍 5. Bus Details • Routes: 3, 4, or 8 (Take Route 8 – it’s express!) • Frequency: 1 hour between buses • Last bus: 6 PM (don’t miss it!) • Pickup: Downtown Transit Center • Drop-off: Dredge Lake Rd (then walk 2.3 km/30 mins to park) • Note: Buses without AC on sunny days = sweaty ride! 🥵 🏞️ 6. Mendenhall Glacier Park Visit • Entrance fee: $5 per person (before 5 PM) • After 5 PM: Free (but no one checked anyway 😅) • Trails: Nugget Falls Trail (easy, scenic!) + Photo Point Trail • Views: Stunning blue glaciers and waterfalls! 💵 COST COMPARISON: • Tour Bus: $70-80 • Lyft/Taxi: $40-50 round trip • Public Bus: $4 round trip + 1-hour walk We chose the bus for adventure, but Lyft is the best value! 👍 FINAL THOUGHTS: Juneau is stunning, but you don’t need expensive tours to enjoy it! If I could do it again, I’d: 1️⃣ Splurge on the helicopter tour 2️⃣ Use Lyxt for Mendenhall Glacier 3️⃣ Skip the downtown shops 4️⃣ Bring USD cash in advance! Alaska doesn’t have to be expensive – just plan wisely! Already dreaming of my next trip back… 🏔️ #US #Alaska #mendenhall glacier park #Juneau