If you’re used to sailing in the Caribbean, you may be surprised by the price of shore excursions on an Alaska cruise.
Want to take a helicopter to the top of a glacier and enjoy a dog sledding tour? Costing over $700 per person. Excited for an authentic Alaska fishing experience? This was a trip worth over $500. Prices for a nearly three-hour scenic train ride on the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad start at more than $150 per passenger.
Travel is so expensive not only because Alaska is a remote destination (where shipping goods and materials costs more), but also because Alaska is a part of the United States where wages and travel insurance costs can be higher than on the islands. Additionally, many Alaska excursions involve floatplanes, helicopters, specialized boats, and other equipment, which only adds to the price of your land-based experience.
For many people, an Alaska cruise is a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and many trips are worth the splurge. But you don’t have to spend money at every port. Whether you want a few cheap days to balance your budget or simply don’t have the resources to spend big bucks every day of your vacation, you’ll want to look for cheap or free things to do in Alaska’s cruise ports.
Fortunately, you have many options. I know because I spent a lot of time in Alaska’s ports exploring independently. Plus, I checked with Alaska travel representatives to bring you a complete list of free (and cheap) things to do on an Alaska cruise.
Things to do in Skagway, Alaska, free and cheap
Skagway is best known for its gold rush history, but you don’t need an expensive trip to immerse yourself in this town’s storied history. Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park has four free museums open to visitors, including the Visitor Center Museum (featuring interactive exhibits), the Moore House Museum (the former home of Skagway’s first family, with two restored Victorian rooms), and the Jeff Museum. Smith’s Parlor Museum (once a bar with a shady past) and the Mascot Saloon Museum (a restored Gold Rush saloon).
If you’re into the old-time atmosphere at all, you’ll want to grab a bite at the bar at the Red Onion Saloon. Once upon a time, this was Skagway’s iconic brothel, but now it’s the place to go for Alaskan brews or snacks, as well as apps and pizza named after the good-time girls of yesteryear. For a reasonable $20 per person, you can sign up for a quick tour of the site’s allegedly haunted brothel museum. There is no additional charge for ghost sightings!
One of my favorite things to do in Skagway is hike and stretch your legs, there are several trailheads within easy walking distance of the cruise ship. Options include Upper and Lower Dewey Lakes, Reed Falls and Gold Rush Cemetery, and the Ice Lake and Upper Reed Falls trails. The National Park Service graciously lists distances and difficulty levels of hikes from the Skagway Historic District. There’s no need for a guide, and you don’t have to pay to access the trails.
RELATED: Alaska Cruise Guide: Best Itineraries, Planning Tips and Things to Do
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Free and Cheap Things to Do in Juneau, Alaska
Window shopping is a popular activity on the main street of Juneau Cruise Terminal, but you may be tempted to spend a lot on souvenirs. (If you want to buy a gift at a lower price, keep an eye out for sales, especially during end-of-season sailings.)
You can buy a full-day pass to the Juneau Gold Trolley for $60, or if you’re in good shape you can hike from the boat to the top of the Trolley on the Mount Roberts Trail for free. I did this hike on a recent Alaska cruise, and while it wasn’t technical, it was steep and could get muddy after a storm. Make a loud noise in case a bear appears on the road.
At the top of the mountain, you can visit the Chilkat Theater and watch a free movie about the Tlingit people of the area. If you’re too tired to hike back, you can take the tram back for $20.
Other hiking trails accessible from the boat include the Gold Creek Flume Trail and the Perseverance Trail.
If you prefer to stroll downtown, take a free self-guided tour of Juneau. The Juneau Sounds Project has audio installations at 11 locations around town where you can learn about the city through the stories of Alaska Natives. Or pick up a map from the Visitor Welcome Center and follow this walking tour to visit the city’s highlights.
You can also find a PDF guide to the Juneau Totem Pole online.
If you prefer learning about history and culture indoors (not a bad plan considering Alaska’s variable climate), Juneau offers some affordable museums worth a visit.
The Juneau-Douglas Municipal Museum offers permanent and temporary exhibits on the area’s history and art. Admission is $7, but if you don’t want to walk the 20 minutes, you may want to take a taxi. You can also book a series of walking tours of the museum; tour prices include museum admission and gift shop discounts.
Additionally, a 20-minute walk from the port is the Alaska State Museum, where you can learn about Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian culture. Admission is $14. For more information about Alaska Natives and their culture, visit the Sealaska Heritage Institute’s Walter Soboleff Building ($7) and its gift shop displaying local art. Don’t miss the iconic totem poles and handcrafted clan houses.
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Cheap and free things to do in Ketchikan, Alaska from a cruise ship
Ketchikan is known for its Creek Street Historic District, built on a boardwalk above the salmon-rich Ketchikan Creek. Stroll the historic buildings, shops and restaurants for free, or pay $10 to visit Dolly’s House for a glimpse of the city’s former red-light district.
Just off Creek Street, the Tongass Historical Museum and Totem Heritage Center allow you to immerse yourself in the area’s history for just $6 (free for kids and military members). From there, you can self-tune the 1 1/2-mile Ketchikan Salmon Trail and learn about the fish’s impact on the town (and maybe even see some on the salmon ladder when in season). The trail takes you past the Totem Heritage Center (also $6, or buy a combo ticket to both museums for $9), which houses a collection of 19th-century totem poles salvaged from nearby islands.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can skip the tour and head to Saxman Aboriginal Village on your own. It’s 2 miles south of Ketchikan, so it’s walkable – but for just a few dollars, you can take a city bus there. A solo stroll through the park is only $5; you’ll find 25 replica totem poles, as well as Aboriginal carvers using traditional techniques to create new totem poles.
Free or Cheap Things to Do in Icy Strait Point, Alaska
Icy Strait Point is a man-made cruise port near the town of Hoona. It was created to offer everything a cruiser could want in port, so all the activities are geared towards letting you part ways with your hard-earned money. Still, there are plenty of free or cheap things to do in Icy Strait Point.
Free cable car rides transport visitors from one cruise terminal area to another, but if the lines are long or you’re afraid of heights, you can follow the same path along the nature trails. Keep an eye out for wildlife.
The port has plenty of beach access, so you can wander the shores of the icy strait for free, stopping to snap photos of the scenery and look for marine life. At the Hoonah Cannery building, you can browse the Hoonah Packing Co. Cannery Museum exhibits scattered among the shops, or purchase tickets to an Aboriginal dance performance for $20 per person at the on-site ticket booth.
From the cannery, it’s a 1 1/2-mile (about 30-minute) walk to Hoonah, a true town where many of Icy Strait Point’s workers live and is home to Alaska’s largest Tlingit village. You can also take the affordable $10 shuttle into town, where you can admire totem poles and sample local beers at Icy Strait Brewing.
Related: The best Alaska cruise shore excursions—from helicopter hikes to whale watching
Free or Cheap Things to Do in Sitka, Alaska
Sitka’s blend of Alaska Native and Russian history and culture is stunning, and a self-guided tour of the town’s major attractions doesn’t cost much (if anything).
You can visit the Russian Bishop’s House for free, a fine example of 19th-century architecture from colonial Russia in Sitka. Castle Baranof National Historic Site (Castle Hill) was occupied by Tlingit and Russian settlers for centuries and is the site of Alaska’s transfer from Russia to the United States. You can view the landscape and information signs for free.
St. Michael’s Cathedral National Historic Landmark is an exact replica of the first Russian Orthodox church in the Americas. Due to the site’s active congregation, visitors can view its collection of 17th-century religious artifacts for a limited time each day.
Museums with lower admission fees include the Sitka Historical Museum (showcasing local history) and the Sheldon Jackson Museum (showcasing a collection of Alaska Native artifacts). If you enjoy exploring old cemeteries, you’ll want to stop at the more than 200-year-old Sitka Russian Cemetery, where the tombstones are made from the ballast of Russian ships.
Sitka National Historical Park’s visitor center and grounds (featuring trails and totem pole installations) are free and open to everyone. This is a scenic area perfect for a relaxing nature walk, or you can go in to learn more about Sitka’s Russian and Tlingit culture or join a ranger program.
You don’t need a tour to see eagles, hawks, owls and falcons at the Alaska Bird of Prey Center. Admission is $16, but it’s a bit of a walk from the city center. Watch injured birds relearn how to fly and wander through the center’s forests.
Finally, you can watch a variety of dance performances at affordable ticket prices. The Alaska Storytellers Dance Show ($15) celebrates traditional and modern Russian dance, while a performance by the New Angel Dancers highlights Russian folk dance. Or, step into a Tlingit clan house and enjoy the music, costumes and dance of the Naa Kahidi Tlingit Dancers.
bottom line
You don’t need to spend a fortune on a trip to explore Alaska’s culture and history or enjoy its natural beauty. On an Alaska cruise, you’ll find many free activities in port. I do encourage you to budget for some travel, though, whether it’s getting out of the port area and into the wilderness of Alaska, or immersing yourself in activities like dog sledding, kayaking, fishing, whale watching, or bear watching. You won’t regret spending your money on amazing experiences and memories.
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