Juneau Tours
Juneau Tours is a family-owned, seasonal Alaska tour operator founded in 1998 that runs whale watching, glacier, and city excursions from Juneau and Skagway, serving approximately 90,000 cruise ship passengers and independent travelers each summer via a six-vessel custom fleet.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersJuneau, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Juneau Tours does
Juneau Tours and Excursions is a privately held, family-owned Alaskan tour operator founded in 1998 by Sky Bonnell, headquartered in Juneau with a secondary operational location in Skagway. The company's core function is providing seasonal (April–September) shore excursions — principally whale watching, glacier viewing, and city sightseeing — to cruise ship passengers and independent travelers visiting Southeast Alaska. It carries on its books approximately 90,000 guests per summer, claims the title of largest independent tour provider in Southeast Alaska, holds the #1 TripAdvisor ranking in its category with over 21,500 five-star reviews, and was a founding member (2015) of the NOAA Fisheries Whale SENSE program. Day-to-day operations are managed by Serene Hutchinson, the founder's sister, with a 60+-employee workforce reporting a 70% retention rate.
The underlying operating platform is a custom-built fleet of six vessels — four catamarans (Atlin, Chilkat, L'ook, Rochelle B) constructed by Bay Welding/Coastwise Corporations and Armstrong Marine, and two jet boats (K'eet, S'eek) built by Bentz Boats — supplemented by motor-coach buses and classic trolleys for ground transfer. Vessel features include heated cabins, multiple viewing decks, marine toilets, and onboard naturalists for educational commentary. Core inventory comprises four publicly listed products (Mendenhall Glacier Shuttle Tour from $65, Juneau Whale Watching from $155, Whale Watch & Glacier Combo from $199, and City Trolley Tour from $50) plus two private options (Private Bus Tour and Private Whale Watching Charter at $2,999 for 24 seats and $5,999 for 49 seats). The company underwrites a 100% whale-sighting guarantee (May 15–September 15) and a No Port-No Pay refund policy tied to cruise ship arrivals.
Juneau Tours monetizes through per-ticket direct bookings on juneautours.com, commissionable B2B bookings with travel advisors and inbound tour operators, premium private charter sales (weddings, corporate events, family reunions), and indirect referrals via cruise line shore-excursion desks. Distribution is hybrid: direct-to-consumer via the company website and phone/text, channel partnerships with travel trade, and physical dock presence at the Goldbelt Mount Roberts Tramway meeting location directly in front of the cruise ship docks. Promo-code-led conversion efforts (FIVEOFF, 6ONLINE10) and tiered cancellation/refund policies support booking conversion, while marketing emphasizes organic channels — content/SEO, Instagram, Facebook, and review platform optimization — to capture demand without paying OTA commissions.
Juneau Tours firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Juneau Tours
- Legal name
- Juneau Tours and Excursions
- Website
- https://juneautours.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Juneau Tours is a family-owned, seasonal Alaska tour operator founded in 1998 that runs whale watching, glacier, and city excursions from Juneau and Skagway, serving approximately 90,000 cruise ship passengers and independent travelers each summer via a six-vessel custom fleet.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Juneau Tours industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Whale Watching and Glacier Tour Services
- NAICS
- Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (487210), Tour Operators (561520)
- SIC
- Water Transportation (4400)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Whale Watching & Marine Mammal Tours (THAAAIAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sightseeing & Scenic Boat Tours (Harbor, Sunset, Dolphin/Whale Watching) (THAJAJAA), Marine Wildlife & Coastal Nature Tours (Whale/Dolphin Watching, Sea Kayaking) (THAAAEAD)
Keywords
Where Juneau Tours is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Juneau
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Juneau Tours business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Guided Tour Tickets: Revenue from selling tickets to various tours including whale watching, glacier shuttles, city trolley tours, and combo tours. Tours are priced per person with different price points based on duration and inclusions. Main revenue stream serving approximately 90,000 guests annually.
- Private Charters: Private boat and bus charters for groups. Vessels available from 6-passenger to 49-passenger options. Vessels like Rochelle B and Chilkat feature bar areas for events including weddings, anniversaries, and corporate events.
- B2B/Group Bookings: Commissionable bookings through travel advisors, inbound tour operators, and group coordinators. Flexible payment arrangements for high-volume partners booking groups.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Mendenhall Glacier Shuttle Tour - 3 hour narrated tour |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Juneau Whale Watch & Mendenhall Glacier Combo - 5 hour tour |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Juneau Whale Watching - 3-3.5 hour tour |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | City Trolley Tour |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Private Bus Tour |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Private Whale Watching Tour - 24 passenger vessel |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Private Whale Watching Tour - 49 passenger vessel |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Juneau Tours product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Juneau Tours operates guided whale watching, glacier, and city sightseeing excursions in Juneau and Skagway, Alaska, primarily serving cruise ship passengers and independent travelers. The company offers scheduled group tours (whale watching, Mendenhall Glacier shuttle, glacier-whale combo, and city trolley) and private boat/bus charters using a custom fleet of six vessels and bus transportation, with a 100% whale sighting guarantee during the May 15 to September 15 season.
Product overview
Juneau Tours operates as a tour operator offering a portfolio of wildlife and sightseeing experiences centered on whale watching, glacier viewing, and city tours in Juneau, Alaska. The core product lineup includes the Mendenhall Glacier Shuttle Tour, the Juneau Whale Watch & Mendenhall Glacier Combo Tour, the Juneau Whale Watching Tour, and the City Trolley Tour. These are complemented by private versions of the whale watching and bus tour offerings for groups seeking exclusive experiences. The company operates a fleet of six custom-designed whale watching vessels (four catamarans and two jet boats) and coordinates ground transportation to serve cruise ship passengers and independent travelers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mendenhall Glacier Shuttle Tour
Quantifiable outcome
- 90,000 guests served per summer season
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Juneau Tours
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Juneau Tours technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Juneau Tours partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Bay WeldingminorHomer-based boat builder that constructed the Atlin vessel - a 48-foot Alaskan marine-grade whale watching catamaran with quad 350 HP Yamaha outboard motors.
- Coastwise CorporationsminorDesigned the Atlin vessel - custom whale watching catamaran built to order. Produced the striking design, layout and smart ergonomics expected in a custom vessel.
- NOAA FisheriescoreCo-sponsor of Whale SENSE program - voluntary education and recognition initiative for commercial whale watching companies in U.S. Atlantic and Alaska regions. Program developed in collaboration with the whale watching industry.
- Whale and Dolphin ConservationcoreCo-sponsor of Whale SENSE program alongside NOAA Fisheries. Organization dedicated to whale and dolphin conservation worldwide.
- Armstrong MarineminorBoat builder that constructed several vessels in the fleet: Chilkat (2015), L'ook (2013), and Rochelle B (2012). Armstrong Marine built spacious catamarans with various motor configurations.
- Bentz BoatsminorBoat builder that constructed K'eet (2012) and S'eek (2011) - jet boats for the fleet. K'eet is a 35-foot vessel for up to 28 passengers; S'eek is a 34-foot vessel for up to 26 passengers.
- Goldbelt Mount Roberts TramwaycoreStrategic partnership for meeting location. All tours meet downtown in front of the Goldbelt Mount Roberts Tramway, centrally located at cruise ship docks. Partnership enables convenient access for cruise passengers.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Juneau Tours competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Major Marine Tours: Kenai Fjords-area operator running glacier and wildlife cruises out of Seward. Direct product (custom-built sightseeing catamarans, narrated wildlife/glacier tours) but a different geography (Kenai Peninsula), serving itineraries that compete for the same Alaska cruise passenger dollar at an alternative port.
Broad incumbents
- Lindblad Expeditions: National Geographic-affiliated expedition cruise line that runs Alaska itineraries including whale watching, glacier visits, and Inside Passage routing. Comparable on the wildlife-and-glacier sightseeing product for cruise passengers, but a fundamentally larger and broader scale operator with ship-based rather than day-boat delivery.
Direct peers
- Phillips Cruises and Tours: Juneau-based tour operator running the 26 Glacier Cruise plus whale watching experiences with their own vessel fleet. Direct overlap in product (whale watching + glacier tours), geography (Juneau), and customer base (cruise passengers) makes this the closest comparable operator in the market.
- Allen Marine Tours: Established Alaska marine tour operator with itineraries spanning Juneau and Sitka, offering whale watching, glacier, and wildlife cruises out of multiple ports. Direct competitor on both the marine tour product and the Southeast Alaska geography, with a multi-vessel operation similar to Juneau Tours' fleet model.
- Auke Bay Adventures: Auke Bay (Juneau) operator running small-vessel whale watching and Mendenhall Glacier excursions. Direct overlap in boat-based wildlife tours and a closely matching product/customer profile, making them a same-port competitor for the same cruise passenger traffic.
- Harv & Marv's Outback Alaska: Juneau-based whale watching excursion operator running small-group tours in Auke Bay with custom vessels. Direct comparison on the whale watching product, the same harbor origin, and the same cruise ship passenger target segment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Juneau Tours social profiles
Digital presenceJuneau Tours financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Juneau Tours leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Juneau Tours funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Juneau Tours M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Juneau Tours
What does Juneau Tours do?
Juneau Tours operates guided whale watching, glacier, and city sightseeing excursions in Juneau and Skagway, Alaska, primarily serving cruise ship passengers and independent travelers. The company offers scheduled group tours (whale watching, Mendenhall Glacier shuttle, glacier-whale combo, and city trolley) and private boat/bus charters using a custom fleet of six vessels and bus transportation, with a 100% whale sighting guarantee during the May 15 to September 15 season.
Is Juneau Tours a public or private company?
Juneau Tours is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Juneau Tours founded?
Juneau Tours was founded in 1998. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Juneau Tours based?
Juneau Tours is headquartered in Juneau, United States, in the North America region.
How does Juneau Tours make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Guided Tour Tickets are the primary driver. The others are private Charters and B2B/Group Bookings.
Who are Juneau Tours's main competitors?
Major Marine Tours is listed as a regional player. Lindblad Expeditions is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Phillips Cruises and Tours, Allen Marine Tours, Auke Bay Adventures and Harv & Marv's Outback Alaska.
Does Juneau Tours have an API?
No public API is recorded for Juneau Tours.
What industry is Juneau Tours in?
Juneau Tours's product category is Whale Watching and Glacier Tour Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAAIAC, Whale Watching & Marine Mammal Tours, with a secondary code of THAJAJAA, Sightseeing & Scenic Boat Tours (Harbor, Sunset, Dolphin/Whale Watching). Its NAICS code is 487210 and its SIC code is 4400.