Juneau Tours
Historic Gold Panning Adventure & Salmon Bake
4.5

Historic Gold Panning Adventure & Salmon Bake

By Alaska Travel Adventures
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About
Lowest price guarantee

Ages 0-99, max of 50 per group
Duration: 3–4 hours
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More


  • All necessary equipment
  • Guide
  • Buffet and Hot & Cold Beverages
  • Transportation
  • Entry/Admission - Juneau
What's not included
  • Gratuities
  • Alcoholic Beverages
  • Souvenirs (available for purchase)


Start:
  • Mount Roberts Tramway, 490 S Franklin St, Juneau, AK 99801, USA
    On the sidewalk, under the cables of the Mt. Roberts Tram. LOCAL PHONE #: (907) 789-0052 Please be at the designated location 15 minutes prior to departure time. Alaska Travel Adventures representative will be wearing a red jacket/shirt and a red hat. Present your voucher to the representative.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    • Not wheelchair accessible
    • Service animals allowed
    If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5474PRTJNUCOMBO

    • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
    • At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers MUST provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
    • Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
    • Children 13-17 must have a signed parental consent form to participate in the absence of a parent or guardian
    • Most travelers can participate
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travelers

    • All sales are final and incur 100% cancellation penalties.

    If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5474PRTJNUCOMBO

    From
    $139.00
    per adult
    Select date and travelers

    Similar experiences

    Itinerary
    • 490 S Franklin St, Juneau, AK 99801, USA
      On the sidewalk, under the cables of the Mt. Roberts Tram. LOCAL PHONE #: (907) 789-0052 Please be at the designated location 15 minutes prior to departure time. Alaska Travel Adventures representative will be wearing a red jacket/shirt and a red hat. Present your voucher to the representative.
    • 1
    • 2
    About the operator
    Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
    • Alaska Travel Adventures
      1,728
      Juneau, Alaska
      Joined in June 2013
    • barbaral404
      0 contributions
      3.0 of 5 bubbles
      Just so-so
      The guide was wonderful, the crew great. Waders are provided, but you will want some waterproof boots - or a change of socks. Your camera will most likely get wet, so have a waterproof camera or case for it. I did this same tour 5 years ago and it was stunning. Unfortunately, the glacier has receded quite a bit and due to flooding a couple of years ago, a lot of the vegetation along the river was destroyed. The rafting was fun - but I would have enjoyed a wildlife sightseeing trip more.
      Written September 12, 2024
    • Daniel M
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Outstanding guides
      We had a great time on the rafting trip, you start by the glacier and work your way down river, through some light rapids. Our tour guide Schylar was fantastic! He made the trip a lot of fun and was a really excellent guide. He kept us entertained and safe. We saw some cool sights and several bald eagles along the way. The drivers and the all the guides were truly wonderful. You can tell there are some issues going on with the upper management as the overall organization wasn’t great. We ended up leaving about an hour late, which for us wasn’t a huge deal because we weren’t on a time crunch, but would have been terrible if our boat was leaving earlier. You could get the sense that the guides didn’t get the support from management that they need, but that didn’t impact the product they delivered to us. We highly recommend this tour!
      Written September 11, 2024
    • Erik James V
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Claire and Lee are excellent!!
      Our Naturist (Claire) and boat captain (Lee) or terrific. They went through all the safety items very thoroughly. They were excellent at noting important markers on the trip like historical sites, glaciers, etc. They were also excellent at spotting pods of whales and getting us positioned to see them as quickly as possible, while maintaining a safe distance for the whales. We had an excellent excursion and they did an excellent job !!
      Written September 11, 2024
    • Katie B
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Whales galore!
      Hannah and Jackie were fantastic! We had a very lucky day and saw 8 different whales! It was breathtakingly AMAZING! They did a great job showing us the ropes and getting us to and from safely! Their knowledge was AWESOME!
      Written September 11, 2024
    • staceyw6532
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Amazing Whales
      Had a ball with Claire and Captain Jackie! We saw whales and Orca and got an awesome geography and zoology lesson! The glaciers were absolutely beautiful too! Top Notch!
      Written September 10, 2024
    • Catherine M
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Best whale watching tour ever! Beats Maine and Montauk!
      We have been on whale watching tours in Montauk, NY and Bar Harbor, Maine, this was by far the best tour we have ever been on. Our naturalist Hannah was knowledgeable, friendly and informative. Both Hannah and Captain Sid made sure everyone was safe, comfortable and that we all had a chance to see the abundance of whales. At one point our entire boat was surrounded by whales. I was pleased the tour company cared about the safety of the whales as well. The crews enthusiasm was contagious!
      Written September 10, 2024
    • V1077EVmikes
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great experience
      Claire, our naturalist, and Jackie, our Captain, were fantastic hosts. We saw dozens of humpbacks and even a pair of transient Orcas. It was quite a treat.
      Written September 10, 2024
    • marandao2024
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Once in a Lifetime Experience
      Claire and Jackie were a dream team. We had such a fantastic time on this excursion. They are very knowledgeable, humorous, and gave us an amazing once in a lifetime experience- getting to see Orcas, Humpbacks and a seal. 12/10 would love to go again with them.
      Written September 10, 2024
    • jessicafZ4591WT
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Amazing!
      Amazing whale watching trip with Claire and Jackie! We saw orcas and 15-20 hump back whales! They were so knowledgeable and friendly! We are so happy we booked this excursion!
      Written September 10, 2024
    • Excursion00790910094
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Awesome Whale Watching
      Jackie and Claire were amazing. This was my second trip with this tour company and they do not disappoint! Such an amazing trip
      Written September 10, 2024
    • michellehY4526OF
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Excursion you don't want to miss!
      Jackie and Claire were amazing! We were able to see 8+ whales on our tour. This was definitely an excursion worth every cent! Thank you for the experience!
      Written September 10, 2024
    • Z8232VGelizabethc
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great tour!
      Great trip and tour! Saw tons of whales! Claire and Jackie were great! They were very knowledgeable and entertaining! Would recommend!
      Written September 9, 2024
    • kendrab750
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Back to rafting
      This was truly a fun time with an amazing staff. The staff was very well organized and helpful. Being in our late 70s, we thought our rafting days were over. But Trent brought back the fun, adventures, and memories of past rafting trips. These were full class 3 rapids not some little ripples. Thank you for a great time.
      Written September 9, 2024
    • Odyssey51646093747
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Awesome
      Clare & Jackie = awesome. We saw numerous whales and learned lot of facts. FUN, FUN, FUN. I would do this again. Worth the time and money.
      Written September 9, 2024
    • I4808OKblakeb
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Excellent! Featured a Momma Flame Cameo
      What a wonderful time! Claire and Jackie were very kind and so helpful at answering all our questions on whales! Highly recommend and we were fortunate enough to have great weather with even some sun! We saw numerous humpback whales and even got some amazing pictures of the famous Flame (who’s the local momma)!
      Written September 9, 2024
    See all 1,728 reviews
    These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

    Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

    Popular mentions

    4.5
    4.5 of 5 bubbles28 reviews
    Excellent
    20
    Very good
    4
    Average
    2
    Poor
    1
    Terrible
    1

    SLSCalgary_AB_Canada
    Calgary, Canada107 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jul 2022
    We booked this excursion for our cruise stop in Juneau. If what you are looking for is another kitschy version of gold panning (standing at a trough shoulder to shoulder with seeded sand), then you will be happy with this experience. We were really hoping to be able to pan in the creek - but not this time.

    The salmon bake was okay. Whenever cooking huge amounts of food in an open air barbecue situation, it won't be amazing - but the salmon was tasty, and there was plenty to eat and drink.

    Our guide Jimmy did a decent job of explaining how to pan and providing the history of the area. Getting back to the ship was easy peasy with many buses going back and forth from the bake.
    Written August 5, 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    kay-cee-1138
    Houston, TX486 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Aug 2019
    Having signed up for ATA's gold panning and salmon bake combo, we met our guide right on schedule on a mid-week afternoon at the tramway station near the docks. Our guide was Garrett, and he provided an interesting running commentary as we drove through the old town up to Gold Creek. Your reviewer was impressed that he made the effort to note where to find the locally-owned businesses amidst the glitzy main shopping drag facing the port.
    He got everyone up to the creek and efficiently broke out the needed equipment and waded right in, literally, toward getting everyone set up with pans, dirt, and good instruction on the technique to use. Of course, the group was a wide range of ages and capability, and Garrett seemed to stay attuned to that, spending a bit more time with folks who needed some assistance at the panning tables, and just checking in now and then with those of us who had no problem sitting at the creek's edge with our pans and dirt. In the hour or so panning (I wish it'd been longer), we did indeed find honest-to-gosh gold flecks to carefully squirrel away in the small bottles provided. He was also glad to dig an extra shovelful of mud for folks who completed the initial pan's-worth and wanted to sift even more.
    Finally, time was up, and we returned to the van. After dropping off some of the folks back at the port, he drove the rest of us to the Salmon Bake location, which is an outdoor all-you-can eat dinner experience. At that point we bade farewell to Garrett (who, in this reviewer's opinion, ought to get a free pass anytime he wants to the salmon bake!).
    The bake was well organized and the food was tasty. Besides the never-emtpy grill full of two types of salmon (with optional glaze), there was also chicken, and a number of side dishes on hot tables, and lemonade. Blueberry cake was available at another table. Near the entrance was a booth ladling out excellent clam chowder (if no one's there at the moment, just ask one of the many other servers around). There was live music, which was okay, and a gift shop in the same small building as the kitchen. Rest room were around on the right side of the building.
    After dinner, we took a stroll down the path along the creek toward the waterfall, and took the opportunity to pan for a little more gold while there was still a little daylight, using the pans thoughtfully provided by a water-filled trough along the trail (although note some of the pans might be rusted through, and even a pinhole can allow your specks of gold to drop out of the old pan).
    Overall, an excellent experience: well-handled, informative, and fun, with a satisfying salmon dinner to top of the evening. Can it get any better?
    Written September 4, 2019
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    abk715
    San Diego, CA3 contributions
    1.0 of 5 bubbles
    Aug 2018 • Couples
    First of all our guide was awesome (drew) other than that this was a waste of time and money. Drew did a great job of telling us facts and showing us how to pan for gold. when you are ready to pan he gives you a tray with your first load of dirt in it that magically has gold flakes in it. its amazing how every one just happened to have 4-6 gold flakes in it. when you go to the OVER crowded creek to start panning yourself you find nothing. there was three tours there of at least a dozen people each and only maybe 20 feet of river bed to push through. personally i can buy the gold flakes in the gift shop. I would have been happier not finding anything but feel like i actually had a chance
    Written August 19, 2018
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thanks for sharing. Dale E Smith Director of Sales & Marketing
    Written August 20, 2018
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    JillBeth
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jul 2019
    Sterling was amazing! He was full of funny stories and really knew the history of the area. He obviously loves his job and people.
    The salmon bake was absolutely delicious and set in a beautiful forest setting complete with a waterfall!
    Written August 24, 2019
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thanks for sharing!!
    Written September 2, 2019
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Jim D
    20 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    The gold panning was fun but not in a great spot. There was not enough room for all the people that were there. It only lasted an hour.
    The Salmon bake was not so good. The Salmon was of poor quality and had very little taste. The rest of the food was not very good. My wife would not eat any of it.
    Written June 20, 2019
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Not certain what is considered "poor quality". We serve wild caught Coho salmon at the venue. Sorry, you were disappointed. Thank you for sharing. Dale E Smith Director of Sales & Marketing
    Written June 24, 2019
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Barbara H
    11 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    It was very educational and the salmon bake was delicious. They have ribs if you don’t like salmon. It would have been better if hadn’t been raining but obviously they can’t control that.
    Written August 28, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    rkcribbs
    Clackamas, OR72 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Aug 2023
    This was a true Alaskan adventure, from the zany bus driver/gold panning instructor, to the authentic gold panning experience along an overflowing Gold Creek, to the highly organized and delicious salmon bake, complete with an amazing selection of side dishes, desserts, even marshmallows for roasting! The highlight for me was a short walk from the salmon bake to the foot of a waterfall with hundreds of salmon attempting to jump the falls to reach their birthplace and spawning grounds.
    Written August 23, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Jennifer G
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jul 2023 • Friends
    Garrett was a great guide had a lot of fun. Very knowledgeable on history and how to pan for gold...
    Written July 20, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Jafflagger
    Fort Worth, Texas19 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We had a great time panning for gold with our tour guide Garrett. He taught us how to pan for gold and told us all about Juneau. The salmon bake was delicious.
    Written June 19, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Wanda C
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jul 2019
    Awesome experience. With the help of tour guide, I learned how to pan gold and found GOLD.....and enjoyed a wonderful salmon bake as well.
    Written July 30, 2019
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thanks for sharing! Glad you enjoyed it. Dale E Smith Director of Sales & Marketing
    Written August 2, 2019
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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