#2 of 17 top-rated excursions

Harv and Marv's Whale Watching Cruise

A long-running local outfit shuttles you from the cruise dock to Auke Bay for roughly three hours on the water, which is longer than most competing trips.

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By Greg Peters, editor · Updated October 2026 · Ratings checked October 18, 2026

#2 Top rated · ranked 2 of 17 Juneau excursions

A long-running local outfit shuttles you from the cruise dock to Auke Bay for roughly three hours on the water, which is longer than most competing trips. Weather permitting, the boat also pauses for a look at Mendenhall Glacier from the water, and snacks and soft drinks are included.

Tour details

OperatorHarv and Marv's Outback Alaska

TypeWhales

How longAbout 3 hours on the water; about 4 hours total

SeasonSummer cruise season; current season dates not shown on the pages checked

Good forAnyone wanting maximum time with whales. You must manage a steep tide ramp and steps onto the bus and boat; not advised for back problems or wheelchair users.

Rating5 / 5 from 2,292 reviewsViator (Viator and Tripadvisor reviews combined), checked October 18, 2026

Check price and availability →

Times and policies from viator.com, tripadvisor.com, tripadvisor.com, checked October 18, 2026. They change; the booking page has the final word.

Viator shows the booking as non-refundable for change of plans, though a weather cancellation earns a new time or a refund.

Read the reviews

ViatorTraveler ratings and reviews TripadvisorTraveler ratings and reviews

Check prices and dates → Operator website

How we ranked it

On October 18, 2026, we looked up every Juneau excursion on Viator, Tripadvisor and GetYourGuide and noted its star rating and number of reviews. We used the numbers for the specific tour, not an operator's total across everything it sells. Because Tripadvisor reviews also show up in Viator's totals, each tour gets a single Viator or Tripadvisor figure, with GetYourGuide counted on its own. We sorted tours into rating bands first, then put the most-reviewed tours at the top of each band, so a new tour with a few five-star reviews doesn't jump ahead of one with thousands of strong ones. The Goldbelt Tram was closed on the day we checked, so it isn't ranked. Reviews stay on the sites that host them; the links take you there. Operators can't pay to be listed or to move up.

← #1 Whale Watching and Mendenhall Glacier Combo #3 Crowd-Skipping Small-Group Whale Tour →