Top Juneau Kid Friendly

We LOVED this trip. The speed boat is fun and makes it very easy to get close to the whales. You really have a lot of time on the bay to the whales watch and they do a great job finding them and making sure we can see them. Libby was our naturalist and she was great - very informative and she made it fun. She really knew her stuff. The trip to Mendenhall was good, too! Highly recommend. It was the perfect amount of time to be able to have a little time in Juneau after the adventure.

The guides did a great job. They were really funny! We saw a lot of whales and were lucky enough to see the whales bubble net feed. Great Experience.

We were lucky enough to see multiple humpback whales bubble net feeding. It was an amazing experience. Our guide and captain were friendly and informative. I highly recommend this tour.

We’ve done quite a few excursions over the years, and every once in a while you get one where you get off the boat and immediately think:“Okay…THIS is why we came to Alaska.”Our experience with Dolphin Jet Boat Tours was exactly that.This wasn’t just a whale-watching excursion. It was whale watching, glacier viewing, waterfalls, incredible scenery, and a boat ride that occasionally felt like someone had looked at a perfectly good sightseeing tour and said:“You know what this needs? HORSEPOWER.” 😂🐋 The Ride Out: Texas Meets AlaskaLet’s talk about the boat ride.For me and our 11-year-old son, it was AWESOME.The ride out was definitely bumpy. Not “a little choppy.”I’m talking about the kind of ride where you realize pretty quickly that your spine is no longer operating under the manufacturer’s original specifications.The best way I can describe it:Take a Texas boy, strap him to the back of a bull or bronco, slap that thing on the butt, and yell at the kid, “HOLD ON!”That’s basically what it felt like.And we loved every second of it. 😂Our son was having an absolute blast.The ladies in our group had a somewhat different opinion of the aquatic rodeo.Let’s just say the boys were thinking:“DO IT AGAIN!”While the ladies were thinking:“ARE WE THERE YET?”So if you’re prone to motion sickness or don’t enjoy a rough ride, be prepared. This is not exactly a leisurely Sunday cruise.For us?10/10. Would get launched across the boat again.Then We Found the HumpbacksOnce we reached the whale-watching area, everything changed.There were humpback whales everywhere.Okay, maybe not literally everywhere, but there was so much activity that it felt like we had stumbled into whale rush hour.There was a ton of humpback activity, and the highlight was getting to see bubble feeding.That was absolutely incredible.Watching the whales work together and seeing the water erupt as they came up was one of those Alaska moments that you don’t forget.Everyone on the boat was locked in.Cameras were out.People were pointing.Nobody wanted to look away because you never knew what was going to happen next.The Orcas Apparently Had Other PlansWe didn’t see any orcas.Apparently they checked the schedule and decided:“Nope. We’re busy that day.”Obviously, that’s wildlife. Nobody can control where the animals are going to be.And honestly, with the amount of humpback activity we experienced, we certainly weren’t disappointed.Would an orca have been the ultimate bonus?Absolutely.But we got an incredible humpback show instead.And Then…GO GO GO!This was probably the one thing we wished had been different.There was SO MUCH happening with the whales, and then suddenly it was time to leave because we needed to stay on schedule.And we understand why.The boat has a schedule. The excursion has a schedule. The port has a schedule. The cruise ship has a schedule.Nobody wants to be that boat calling the cruise ship saying:“Sorry, we’re running late because the whales were being awesome.” 😂But from a passenger perspective…WE WEREN’T READY TO LEAVE.The whales were still putting on a show, and we would have happily stayed out there longer.That’s really a testament to how good the experience was.Our complaint wasn’t:“That was boring.”It was:“WHY ARE WE LEAVING?! WE JUST GOT HERE!”Then Came the GlacierThe glacier portion of the excursion was another highlight.There were two trails, and this is where our 11-year-old and I apparently decided we were participating in the Alaska Trail Olympics.One of the trails took us approximately 1.4 miles to a waterfall.So naturally…WE RAN.Well, as much as two people can run while trying not to die on an Alaskan trail.😂My son and I apparently looked at the available time and decided:“Challenge accepted.”We made it to the waterfall, got some epic photos, made the 1.4-mile trip back, and still managed to complete the second trail.Out to the waterfall. Back again. Second trail. All in roughly 40 minutes.At this point, I’m pretty sure the tour operators were watching us thinking:“Who let these two Texas maniacs off the boat?”😂Our son absolutely crushed it.The glacier, waterfall, trails, and surrounding scenery were spectacular, and being able to get off the boat and actually explore made the excursion even better.Back to PortAfter the glacier, Dolphin Jet Boat Tours brought us back to the port.That gave us time to enjoy the local area before returning to the cruise ship, which we really appreciated.We weren’t immediately rushed back onboard.We had time to walk around, explore, and take in a little more of the area.It made the excursion feel like a full Alaska experience rather than simply a boat ride and back.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The VerdictThis excursion was AWESOME.The humpback whale activity was incredible.The bubble feeding was unforgettable.The glacier was spectacular.The waterfall was worth the 2.8-mile speed hike.The scenery was absolutely beautiful.And for me and our son, the boat ride itself was half the fun.Would we have liked more time with the whales?Absolutely.Would we have liked more time at the glacier?Absolutely.Would we have stayed out there all day if they let us?Also absolutely.That’s really our only complaint:We wanted MORE.And honestly, that’s a pretty good problem to have.We didn’t leave thinking:“Well, that was disappointing.”We left thinking:“WAIT…WE’RE DONE ALREADY?!”😂🏆 Final Score🐋 Humpbacks: Incredible 🫧 Bubble feeding: EPIC 🐋 Orcas: Apparently on vacation 🚤 Boat ride: Texas rodeo on water 🏔️ Glacier: Spectacular 💦 Waterfall: Worth the 2.8-mile speed hike 📸 Photos: Epic 👦 11-year-old: Had the time of his life 👩 Ladies: Survived the aquatic bronco ⏱️ Time available: Never enough 🔥 Overall: 10/10If you’re visiting Alaska and considering Dolphin Jet Boat Tours, DO IT.Just know what you’re signing up for.If you’re looking for a smooth, gentle boat ride where everyone quietly sips coffee while admiring the scenery…This may not be your adventure.If you want humpback whales, bubble feeding, glaciers, waterfalls, breathtaking scenery, and a boat ride that occasionally makes you question whether your internal organs are still in their original positions…Welcome aboard. 😂This was easily one of the highlights of our Alaska trip.All of us wish it had lasted longer.And that’s about the best endorsement we can give.Five stars, without hesitation. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Dolphin Jet Boat Tours gave us an Alaska experience we’ll be talking about for a long time.Worth every bump.

Fun and exciting... Jake was very knowledgeable and funny! We had a great captain and assistant who were very knowledgeable and gave great information on the whales

We had an amazing day. Everyone who worked together to coordinate the experience was amazing. I would love to give a special shout out to the naturalist on board. Kyla was exceptional. She was so knowledgeable and personable which created a top notch experience.

I’ve been on several whale watch trips in Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico & Cape Cod & this was the BEST EVER!!! Hot chocolate & snacks were an added bonus! Would def choose them again!

We had an awesome time on this excursion. In addition to the driver, there was also a naturalist on our boat. He gave us lots of information and we could ask questions. We saw so many whales. We even got to see a big group “bubble net feeding!” We could have stayed longer at the glacier, but we wanted to make sure we got back to our ship on time. They had lots of buses going back and forth. I highly recommend this activity.

A great whale experience. Just wish we had a little more time at the glacier.

Great tour, perfectly organized, nice tour guides, even with snacks, and with whale watching—as promised.

Our family took this tour earlier this month and the only word I can use to describe it is “incredible”. The tour was easy to find at the pickup point and the drive over was easy. Bus driver gave some commentary as we drove which was informative.The whale watching tour itself was amazing. Dr Dan, the naturalist, was great - shared lots of good information and clearly has a passion for what he does. And of course, the whales. Once we got out to the open water, we were almost immediately surrounded by whales. Since the boat is smaller and close to the water, you really feel like you’re up close with the whales. I lost track of how many whales we saw - it was just amazing.We booked the “peek” at Mendenhall but once we arrived at the visitors centre, we realized we had a bit of extra time and the Dolphin representative offered to let us stay for an extra hour so we could do the Nugget Falls hike. This was greatly appreciated and we enjoyed both the hike over (not difficult) and of course the view upon arrival.Would definitely not hesitate to recommend Dolphin to anyone wanting to whale watch in Juneau!

This is a locally owned business, and you can tell in all the best ways. The boats were small with only room for 30 guests which was great because we were able to move around easily and see out of windows on both sides of the boat. I’ve been whale watching in a large vessel before and it wasn’t a fun experience, so I really appreciated how easy it was to see on this boat.The crew was so personable. You can tell they really care about the health and safety of the whales and are trying to make the experience really memorable.We learned that this was the first whale watching company in the area.The time at the glacier was great. The team was flexible on which shuttle you take back to the ship, so if you wanted to go for a hike or enjoy nature for a while, you could have the opportunity.

Very well organized, and the experience did not disappoint! Saw many whales, including an amazing breach! Comfortable transportation - both the small bus and the boat itself. The captain and naturalist were knowledgeable and great to work with, as well.

Absolutely wonderful! Bus driver was very friendly and helpful and accomodating. The boat people were knowledgeable and we saw 5 different whales numerous times with great information about them. Also saw the glacier which was beautiful, allowed extra time if needed/wanted.

Absolutely wonderful staff - first our driver Otto was informative, funny and entertaining between stops. Kyla (naturalist) incredibly knowledgeable and helpful in many other areas. Austin, boat captain was professional and personable. We felt very safe and whale taken care of! This was our favorite excursion on our Alaskan cruise.

Brenden was our bus driver and Austin and Nelly (I think) took us on the boat tour, and it was a great experience! We saw lots of humpback whales and some sea lions and bald eagles. We also got some hot chocolate and snacks at the end of the boat tour which were a plus. I definitely recommend this tour; it was affordable and fun!!