Juneau gave us one of the genuine bucket-list experiences of the whole trip: nine dogs, a musher's camp, ridiculous speed and puppies at the finish. Then we headed into town for shops and the Red Dog Saloon.
Because we had a long day in port, we could spend a substantial part of it at the Musher's Camp without sacrificing the chance to see a little of Juneau itself afterwards.
We disembarked in Juneau and were whisked away for our Dog Sledding Discovery Tour — talk about bucket list stuff! Our journey took us to the Musher's Camp, and if I could describe it in one word: EPIC. The adrenaline rush of being pulled by 9 dogs was something else. The speed? Insane. The control? Honestly, a little iffy at times!
After our high-speed mush, we had a lecture on mushers, their dogs, and the legendary Iditarod race — like the Olympics of dog sledding. Then came the pièce de résistance: the PUPPIES. So fluffy, so soft, I could've spent the entire day cuddling them. 🐶
Once we reluctantly pried ourselves away, we were dropped back in Juneau — Alaska's capital. After a browse of the shops, we made our way to the infamous Red Dog Saloon. If you're in Juneau, you've GOTTA try the Duck Fart Shot. It's a local specialty and, I'll be honest, delicious! 🍸
Our Juneau dog-sledding reel — including the stars of the show. 🐶
Some context for the city itself — because Juneau isn't quite like any other US state capital. A few facts that make it stand out:
That "no road in or out" fact is a big part of Juneau's character. The city is walled in by mountains on one side and the sea on the other, so every visitor — cruise passenger, local returning home, or state politician — arrives by plane or boat. It's part of why the harbour is such the heart of the city, and why the atmosphere in summer feels so cruise-driven.
One thing the page probably didn't make clear enough is just how much of our Juneau day was devoted to the Musher's Camp. This wasn't a five-minute novelty ride before being bundled back onto a bus — we spent a good chunk of the day there, and that was a huge part of why we loved it so much.
The setting itself was lovely and the whole experience felt properly immersive. We got to see the working sled dogs, experience the excitement of being pulled by a team of nine dogs, and then slow things down afterwards to learn more about the mushers, the dogs and the famous Iditarod.
And then, of course, there were the puppies. That could quite easily have been the entire excursion as far as we were concerned. 😂 Being able to spend time around them rather than simply seeing them for a few seconds made the camp feel like a real experience rather than just another cruise excursion.
The dogs were the stars of the camp — energetic, enthusiastic and very clearly ready to run.
Nine dogs pulling us along at a speed that was far faster — and more exhilarating — than we'd expected.
Spending a substantial part of the day there meant we got much more than just the ride itself.
We learned about the mushers, their dogs and the legendary long-distance Iditarod race.
The ridiculously cute finale — and probably the hardest part of the day to drag ourselves away from.
Honestly, the whole camp. It was such a lovely experience and one of the standouts of the cruise.
The speed and energy of nine dogs pulling the sled was completely different from anything we'd done before.
Let's be realistic: once the puppies appeared, everything else briefly ceased to matter.
A fun stop after the excursion and our introduction to the wonderfully named Duck Fart Shot.
Juneau was the port where we were happiest we'd booked a substantial excursion — there was still time left afterwards to wander around town.
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These guides all come from the same eight-day cruise, so you can follow our route port by port.