Best of Alaska: Budget Tour Package

Immerse yourself in the rich history of Southeast Alaska's native culture and the thrill of a lumberjack showdown on the Saxman Native Village & Lumberjack Show tour. This Ketchikan shore tour combines the vibrant traditions of the Tlingit people with the high-energy thrills of the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show, offering a unique opportunity to explore both during your time in port. Though the itinerary may shift, you’ll experience all the planned activities!

Start your adventure with the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show, an action-packed event where traditional logging techniques have been transformed into an electrifying sport. Marvel as skilled lumberjacks scale poles, chop wood at lightning speed, and throw axes with pinpoint accuracy, showcasing their raw power and agility. Guests will find their covered seating comfortable rain or shine.

Next, journey to Saxman Native Village, where your guide will welcome you in the traditional Tlingit dialect and lead you to the Beaver Clan House. Here, you'll be captivated by the intricate songs and dances of the Cape Fox Dancers. Through rhythmic drumming, evocative scents, props, and stunning native regalia, these performances tell the stories of the brave warriors who once roamed these lands.

After the performance, visit the Carving Center and witness the meticulous process of totem pole carving, where each chisel stroke brings ancient stories and symbolic motifs to life. Conclude your tour with a serene walk through the totem pole park, where towering totems stand as timeless guardians of cultural heritage.

The Saxman Native Village and Lumberjack Show perfectly combines history and entertainment. Check out the Alaska Cultural, Culinary & Lumberjack Show if you want to pair this excitement with a meal!

Fun for the whole family, the Juneau Sled Dog Discovery is your chance to actively participate in Alaska’s state sport of dogsled racing! Meet the huskies and their professional mushers who compete in the annual winter races, take a thrilling one-mile dogsled ride through the Tongass National Forest as part of the huskies’ summer training regime, and help train the athletes of the future by playing with dozens of roly-poly, utterly adorable husky puppies! The Juneau Sled Dog Discovery excursion runs for 2 1/2 hours, including scenic drives to and from the dog camp through the Tongass National Forest from the cruise docks to Douglas Island. Juneau dog sledding is a wonderful way to experience a tradition deeply embedded in Alaskan history and culture, to see the amazing bond between mushers and their husky teams, and to take a happily dizzying ride through the rainforest as the sturdy huskies set a pace you won’t believe. You’ll have just one regret at the end of this heart-warming Alaskan adventure — that you can’t take a puppy home!

Your Juneau dog sledding adventure takes place at a professional racing dog camp a short drive from the city on beautiful Douglas Island. The teams of 14-16 huskies will be jumping with excitement at your arrival, as they know they are about to race! Once you clamber aboard the custom wheeled sled used for summertime practice racing, your musher will give the signal to start and you will be off and dashing down a forest trail lined with giant spruce and hemlock trees. After your thrilling Juneau Sled Dog Discovery ride, you’ll meet a seasoned dog handler and retired sled dog who will give a lively demonstration of the care and training huskies receive from their mushers and handlers. You’ll also learn about the rigors of winter racing and see the equipment used for dogsledding. Then a short nature walk across a suspension bridge overlooking Fish Creek is followed by time with the husky puppies. These cute and cuddly little pooches adore attention, and your pats and cuddles help them socialize — an important contribution to their future athletic success! Juneau dog sledding will be an adventure that you won’t forget!

To combine dog sledding with an exhilarating helicopter tour, consider the Helicopter & Dogsled Glacier Excursion.

Some of the best shore excursions in Alaska are budget-friendly tours suitable for the entire family. Take this one, for example! One of the best-reviewed and most popular of our Skagway tours is the White Pass Summit and City Tour, which showcases all the local highlights in 2 ½ enjoyable hours. On the White Pass Summit and City Tour, you’ll first explore historic Skagway, receiving a great overview of the town with narration from a knowledgeable local guide, before heading up the Klondike Highway to White Pass Summit. On this spectacular scenic drive you’ll pass through stunning alpine scenery: snow-capped peaks, alpine meadows, misty white waterfalls, and crystal mountain lakes. You’ll also make stops at points of historic interest along the Gold Rush Trail of 1898, including Brackett Wagon Road, Pitchfork Falls, Moore Creek Bridge, and overlooks above the WP & YR railroad. After reaching White Pass Summit at 3292 feet above sea level, you’ll pass through the sub-arctic alpine tundra of the “Tormented Valley” and beside the crystal blue waters of Summit Lake before stopping for a photo opportunity at the famous ‘Welcome to Alaska’ sign. Wildlife sightings are common on this tour, so be ready with your camera when grizzlies appear!

This popular White Pass Summit and City Tour is not available through the cruise lines. Unlike the cruise line tours that depart in 45-passenger buses, this outing is strictly local, with between 13-32 passengers aboard a comfortable mini-coach with large viewing windows. At a convenient 2 ½ hours, this tour also gives you ample time to spend some extra hours exploring Skagway; you’ll have time to do some shopping or even to add another unforgettable experience to your itinerary, such as a ziplining, dogsledding, or horseriding. If you’re searching for a comfortable, budget-friendly, and family-appropriate excursion into the wilderness, the White Pass Summit and City Tour is no doubt one of the best shore excursions in Alaska!

Looking for a longer or more customizable tour into the wilderness? You may want to check out one of our private tours, like the Private Emerald Lake Tour. It's one of the most exclusive and best shore excursions in Alaska!