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Guide · Getting around
Juneau hop-on hop-off bus, public buses and bus tours
In big cities you can ride a red hop-on hop-off bus. In Juneau, getting around by bus works differently: a slow public bus, a dock shuttle and short guided bus tours. Here is how to use each one.
Check availabilityfrom $52 · no cancellation fee
Editorial team, juneaucitytour.comUpdated October 16, 20266-minute read8 sources
Quick answer
- 01Hop-on hop-off
- None of the tours we track in Juneau is a hop-on hop-off bus.
- 02Public bus
- An adult ride costs $2.1
- 03To the glacier
- By public bus, allow up to 1.5 hours each way.2
- 04Guided bus tour
- The City Highlights tour runs 1.5 hours from $52.
- 05From the AJ Dock
- A shuttle runs to the tram building in town.
Is there a hop-on hop-off bus in Juneau?
If you are used to the open-top buses of big cities, the first thing to know is that Juneau is a different kind of port. None of the tours we track here is a Juneau hop-on hop-off bus, and the town itself is small enough that most of its sights are a short walk from the docks. What visitors usually want from a hop-on bus, a ride between the sights with some commentary, comes in other forms.
Those forms are the public bus, run by Capital Transit, the shuttle that links the southern cruise dock with the center, and guided bus tours that loop through town and out into the valley. Each solves a different problem. The public bus is cheap but slow, the shuttle only covers a short distance, and the guided tours give you commentary but follow a fixed route.
The trick is to combine them. Walk the downtown core, use a short guided tour for the sights that are too far to walk, and keep the public bus for a budget trip to the valley if you have time to spare. The rest of this page explains how each option works and what it costs.
A bus tour morning
The City Highlights loop, stop by stop
-
Meet
Tram building
Find the guide on the water side of the red tram building.
-
Drive
Downtown
Roll past the shops and the Governor's Mansion.
-
Stop
Overstreet Park
See Tahku, the humpback whale fountain.3
-
Stop
Homestead Park
Look back at downtown from Douglas Island.
-
Stop
Brotherhood Bridge
A view of the Mendenhall Glacier at mile 10.
-
Back
Downtown
Return after about 1.5 hours.
The public bus: Capital Transit
Capital Transit operates Juneau's public buses. Riders aged 19 and up, seniors among them, pay $2 per trip.1 Fares are paid in cash, coins or bills, and drivers cannot make change, so have the right amount ready.45 It is the cheapest way to move around the borough.
The bus is built for residents rather than for visitors in a hurry. Getting from downtown out to the glacier visitor center this way can eat up 1.5 hours each way, a half-hour walk from the last stop included.2 On a short port call, that leaves little time to enjoy the glacier before you have to start back.
Use the public bus when you have a long day and a tight budget, or for short hops along the main roads. Check the timetable before you set out, be at the stop a few minutes early and plan your return first: missing the last suitable bus back is the classic mistake on a cruise day.
Options
Ways to get around Juneau
| Option | Best for | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walking | Downtown core | Your pace | Free |
| Capital Transit | Budget trips | Up to 1.5 hrs to the glacier | $2 a ride |
| City Highlights tour | Sights beyond the core | 1.5 hrs | from $52 |
| City tour with glacier | Town and glacier | 3 hrs | from $131 |
| Glacier and whale tour | Nature day | 4 hrs | from $152 |
Bus fare and travel time from Capital Transit; tour prices are GetYourGuide starting prices for one adult.12
Three ways
Public bus, short tour or long tour
Cheapest
Shortest tour
Longer tourDecision helper
Which bus is right for you?
Choose by budget and time in port
Capital Transit
A ride costs $2.1
City Highlights tour
1.5 hours with commentary.
City tour with glacier
3 hours, glacier stop included.
Brewery tour
225 minutes with brewery stops.
Drivers are not able to make change, so please have the correct fare ready when boarding the bus.
The dock shuttle and walking downtown
Cruise ships in Juneau dock at several berths along the waterfront. If yours ties up at the AJ Dock at the far south of town, a shuttle runs to the red tram building on South Franklin Street, and the tour listing quotes about $3 for an all-day pass. From the tram building, the old town is right on your doorstep.
Once you are downtown, walking beats any bus. The shops, the Capitol, the museums and the hillside church sit within a short distance of each other, and the streets are too narrow and busy for a bus to save you time. Our walking tour guide has a route through the center that you can follow at your own pace.
The sights a bus is really useful for lie beyond the core: the whale fountain at Overstreet Park on the waterfront, the viewpoints on Douglas Island and the glacier valley. That is where a guided bus tour earns its price, as it strings those far-flung stops together with commentary in a single trip.
Checklist
For buses and shuttles
01
Carry
- Small notes and coins for the fare
- Your tour booking, saved offline
- Rain gear for waiting at stops
02
Check
- The timetable back to the docks
- Your ship's all-aboard time
- How busy the day is in port
Cost calculator
Bus tours for your group
Enter your group size and compare the totals.
People
Total from$103
per traveler from $52
Check availabilityfree cancellationSums are built from GetYourGuide's entry price for each tour, switched into your currency at the ECB rate; the reservation screen settles the exact cost.
Video
A full day in Juneau from the cruise port
No video data loads before you press play.
Bus tours in Juneau that cover the sights
Of the bus tours in Juneau, the shortest is City Highlights: a 1.5-hour loop priced from $52, with 108 reviews averaging 4.44 and a 4.7 for the transport. It drives through downtown, stops at the Tahku whale fountain and the Homestead Park viewpoint on Douglas Island, and ends with a view of the Mendenhall Glacier from Brotherhood Bridge Park.
For a longer loop, a city tour that visits the glacier runs 3 hours from $131. A glacier and whale combo travels by coach between the Mendenhall Glacier and Auke Bay, runs 4 hours and starts from $152. These trade town time for nature and use a bus mainly to connect the stops.
There is also a themed van tour. A brewery tour with scenic highlights runs 225 minutes from $159, with stops at Devil's Club Brewing Company, Alaskan Brewing Co and Forbidden Peak Brewery. It suits adults who want a relaxed afternoon with a local flavor rather than a classic sightseeing loop.
Bus tour or public bus: the trade-off
The public bus wins on price by a wide margin, but it costs you time. A guided bus tour picks you up near the docks, drives straight between the sights and brings you back with commentary along the way. On a port day where every hour counts, the time saved is often worth more than the fare difference.
A guided tour also removes the risk of a missed connection. If a public bus runs late or you miss a stop, the whole plan slips. On a tour, the operator handles the timing, and the 1.5-hour City Highlights loop leaves most of your day free for walking, lunch or a second activity.
The public bus makes more sense on a long call or an overnight stay, when there is time to wander and wait. It also suits travelers who enjoy seeing how a town really works, riding alongside residents rather than other visitors. Just keep an eye on the clock and on the weather, which can make waiting at a stop unpleasant.
Getting around with limited mobility
Juneau is not the easiest town for travelers who use a wheelchair or walk with difficulty. The downtown core is flat along the waterfront but climbs steeply behind it, and some viewpoints are reached by stairs. Plan the day around the flat waterfront and the sights you can reach by vehicle, and save the hillside streets for a view from a car window.
Check each tour before you book. The City Highlights bus tour is not suitable for wheelchair users, and its Douglas Island viewpoint lies down a flight of stairs. A private pedicab ride around downtown is listed as wheelchair accessible, runs 75 minutes and includes pickup. A private scenic road trip with pickup is listed as wheelchair accessible as well.
Ask the operator about the vehicle, the steps at each stop and the distance from the drop-off point to each sight. Mention any needs when you book rather than at the meeting point, and allow extra time at every stop. With a little planning, the waterfront, the whale fountain and the valley views are all within reach.
Tips for getting around Juneau
Start with the busiest days in mind. From late April until the end of September cruise ships dock almost daily, and on peak days the city allows up to 16,000 cruise passengers.67 Buses, shuttles and tours all feel it, so book guided tours ahead and give yourself extra time at every connection.
Carry cash for the public bus and the shuttle, and keep a printed or saved copy of your tour booking. Mobile signal is fine in town, but a screenshot is quicker than searching for an email in a crowd. Note the meeting point of your tour: the City Highlights tour meets on the water side of the red tram building.
Dress for rain at the bus stop as well as at the sights. July averages 164 mm of precipitation over 13 rainy days.8 A waterproof jacket and a small umbrella make waiting for a bus or a tour much more comfortable.
Book your seat
Juneau's highlights, in one relaxed loop.
Hold a seat now, pay later, and keep a free way out until the day before.
You ask,we answer.
Is there a hop-on hop-off bus in Juneau?
Not among the tours we track. Visitors combine walking, the public bus, the dock shuttle and short guided bus tours instead.
How much is the public bus?
A single adult ride costs $2. The fare applies to riders aged 19 or older, seniors included.1
Can I take the public bus to the glacier?
Yes, but it is slow. Allow up to 1.5 hours each way, including a walk of about 30 minutes.2
How do I get from the AJ Dock to town?
By shuttle. A shuttle runs from the AJ Dock to the tram building on South Franklin Street.
Which guided bus tour is shortest?
The City Highlights tour. It runs 1.5 hours from $52.
Is there a bus tour that visits the glacier?
Yes. A city tour with the glacier runs 3 hours from $131.
Sources
