Historic Gold Mining and Panning Adventure
4.4

Historic Gold Mining and Panning Adventure

By Alaska Travel Adventures
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Ages 0-99, max of 50 per group
Duration: 1h 30m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More

Highlights

  • All necessary equipment
  • Guide
  • Transportation
  • Worry-free Shore Excursion Guarantee
  • Entry/Admission - Last Chance Mining Museum
What's not included
  • Gratuities


Start:
  • Mount Roberts Tramway, 490 S Franklin St, Juneau, AK 99801, USA
    JUNEAU MEETING PLACE: On the sidewalk, under the cables of the Mt. Roberts Tram. When you arrive at the meeting area, look for the Alaska Travel Adventures tour representative. They will be wearing a red jacket/shirt and a red hat. Look for our distinctive Caribou logo.
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: 5474PRTJNUGOLD

    • 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 experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
    • 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: 5474PRTJNUGOLD

    From
    $99.00
    per adult
    Select date and travelers

    Similar experiences

    Itinerary
    • 490 S Franklin St, Juneau, AK 99801, USA
      JUNEAU MEETING PLACE: On the sidewalk, under the cables of the Mt. Roberts Tram. When you arrive at the meeting area, look for the Alaska Travel Adventures tour representative. They will be wearing a red jacket/shirt and a red hat. Look for our distinctive Caribou logo.
    • 1
      Catch “gold fever” and experience what it was like to seek your fortune during Gold Rush days! Learn to pan for gold and keep all you find! Discover Juneau’s colorful mining heritage for yourself. Head out with your prospector/guide for a historical tour of Juneau, including the state capitol. Then, turn up the road to Gold Creek and “Last Chance Basin,” where Joe Juneau and Richard Harris struck gold in 1880. In a beautiful, secluded setting near a waterfall alongside Gold Creek — only accessible for groups under our tour’s special permit — your prospector shows you how gold panning is really done. Then, it’s your turn, as you expertly work the pan with helpful tips and advice in the creek, or in the waist-high demonstration trough. People of all ages and mobility limitations can learn how to pan and capture the full gold-rush experience. You’re guaranteed to find gold, and all that glitters is yours to keep! See the remnants of the original buildings of the Alaska-Juneau Mining Company all around you. At the height of production, it was the largest operation of its type in the world. You’ll learn about the mining techniques used, and the quest for gold that is such a major part of Alaska’s history. Take home a souvenir Orelove Brothers Gold Claim Certificate, all the gold you find, and an appreciation of what it was like to seek your fortune in the wilds of Alaska more than a century ago.
    About the operator
    Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
    • Alaska Travel Adventures
      4.7 of 5 bubbles1,789
      Juneau, Alaska
      Joined in June 2013
    • Emma F
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      The Alaskan Cruise experience!
      This was a once in a lifetime trip that not everyone gets to experience! It was a Cruise to Alaska and great sights to see and experience nothing like I’ve ever seen it was breathtaking views and wonderful experiences.
      Written January 14, 2025
    • 366uliaw
      0 contributions
      1.0 of 5 bubbles
      Waste of money
      It was HORRIBLE experience! Excursion started 30 min late. Bus driver was talking without microphone about half of the way, We were promised to see a whale but all our time on the water we were chasing a little glimpse of them. Claire., the guide put a lot of excitement out there for nothing and it was HUGE disappointment for me and my family.. They told us that whales are moving to Hawaii during October but nothing like that was mentioned in the description of the tour. We saw nothing like advertised on those pictures. Don’t waste your money with this tour!
      Written October 7, 2024
    • F4203GYjohnc
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      An experience to remember
      We were sailed by Captain Lee. He is an excellent ship captain, He followed all protocol and made us feel comfortable in his ship. Our tour guide was a very attractive, charismatic woman named Claire who has a BS degree in zoology who educated us about the marine wildlife and glacial mountains. As we approached the whales the sky cleared up and we may have identified a new whale that they did not recognize. We arrived back safely. I would recommend this to anyone who loves nature with a little bit of zest and excitement .
      Written October 7, 2024
    • Trip49142096098
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great Trip!
      Amazing trip! Jackie and Claire were great. Saw a super pod of orcas and plenty of humpbacks. Highly recommend if you’re in Juneau for any stretch.
      Written October 6, 2024
    • jimwdi2000
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Amazing kayaking experience!
      The kayak to the glacier was amazing, the best thing we did in Alaska! Leann our guide was so much fun and made extra sure that each one of us were safe at all times. The lake had frozen over and we had to crack through ice to get to the glacier which added another layer of fun. The salmon bake afterwards was a great way to end it. I highly recommend this tour.
      Written October 5, 2024
    • I3480ERnicolem
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Cold, wet and a ton of fun!
      Gentry was an awesome guide! He was funny and his knowledge of the river and surrounding area was great! I highly recommend him and the tour. He made us feel confident in paddling ( let's be real, he had full control lol) and entertained us the whole way.
      Written October 2, 2024
    • X1704NWrossh
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great adventure. Great Value. Ask for Trent
      We did this tour as a shore excursion on the Sapphire Princess. Our tour guide, and oarsman, Trent, was fantastic. Very skilled. Great knowledge. Gave us a fantastic float trip. This tour was great fun, great scenery and excellent value. Highly recommend anyone visiting Juneau Alaska seek out this adventure. Definitely five stars.
      Written October 2, 2024
    • C4359VDrachelw
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Magical Whale Sighting
      Great time! Claire is charismatic and knowledgeable. Lee is a master navigator and whale identifier. Together they provided a fantastic experience that made our Juneau trip amazing!
      Written October 1, 2024
    • texasbekah
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      We saw whales!!!
      Had an incredible time! Definitely recommend! Hannah and Captain Lee were our guides. They found several whales for us to see and take pictures of. We loved the tour. The views are amazing!!
      Written September 29, 2024
    • M5501KZjodyb
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Whale watching
      Claire was a fantastic speaker and very knowledgeable and has great energy! Sid was a fantastic driver! They did their best to ensure we found whales and everyone could see!
      Written September 29, 2024
    • 457meredithc
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      fire excursion, ily claire
      i’m lowkey in love with claire she was super sweet and knowledgeable. captain syd was cool too was funny and drove the boat good. overall great excursion!!
      Written September 29, 2024
    • N5791WUnicoler
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Beautiful whale watching experience
      The whale tour guides Claire and Syd did an amazing job of tracking down the whales to make sure we saw them! We also got to see sea lions and seals. Our bus driver Mary was very sweet and shared many cute facts about the town as we drove to our destinations. Also the salmon at the cook out was delicious.
      Written September 27, 2024
    • Global67676906008
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Just do it
      Thanks to Schuyler we had a fantastic afternoon even in the rain! His personality was the sunshine! He worked hard on our trip but made it seem effortless. A great guide!
      Written September 27, 2024
    • AFisher82
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Stunningly Beautiful and So Much Fun!
      Captain Red Beard was the BEST! Seriously, he was excellent. He made sure we understood the possible safety commands he'd use and general safety of being on the raft. During the trip, he'd point out all the beautiful flora and fauna, told us how the crazy flooding changed the river, and did his best to maneuver us to take in the most breathtaking views! You could hear the passion and respect he had for environment and job during his narration...he was in his happy place for sure. I definitely enjoyed him introducing the front row to the "Glacier Facial"...lol Thanks for the core memories!! Oh, the photographers were excellent as was the cool dude who helped us safely get out of the raft at the end...he had such a warm smile and positive vibe! We'd definitely recommend this experience to anyone visiting...thank you!
      Written September 26, 2024
    • 957jillianr
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      YOU HAVE TO DO THIS!
      Wonderful tour saw so much wildlife! Orca, Humpback, bald eagle and stellar seal! Our guides were Claire and Max, were FANTASTIC!
      Written September 25, 2024
    See all 1,789 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

    4.4
    4.4 of 5 bubbles25 reviews
    Excellent
    16
    Very good
    5
    Average
    2
    Poor
    1
    Terrible
    1

    RCKCHKU
    Scottsdale, AZ106 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    If you’re looking for a good but short experience, this is a good one. Most of the two hours or so were consumed with taking a small bus up the hill and back. But that’s OK. Really didn’t know what to expect with the gold panning. Our driver and guide Garrett did a great job of everything. He spends time with every guest showing them how to do it after he gives his overall demonstration. I got a few flakes of gold and my six year old granddaughter did too. I would say your chances of getting something are probably pretty good. Take some bug spray. It was a sunny day and the flies were out in mass. Other than that, I would highly recommend this tour.
    Written July 28, 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.

    Colorado Explorin
    3 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jun 2023 • Family
    The guide was entertaining and spent a lot of time working with people to pan out their gold. The pans came with dirt that seemed to be seeded with some gold and everyone walked away with a vial and a bit of color. The scenery and waterfalls were beautiful. My family prospects for gold at home in Colorado and we were a bit disappointed to not find much gold in the creek itself. Nice that we were allowed to test pans out of the creek.though. Something like one gold color -100 mesh per pan. So downgrading a star for that. Overall its a fun experience and they certainly try to make it entertaining.
    Written June 29, 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.

    littlejet
    Louisiana412 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Had fun with this excursion! Although our driver wasn’t dressed in period-costume, she gave us a nice history of the area. She was driving and narrating though. Wish someone else drove so she could give us her full attention. When we arrived at gold creek, she used the standing up test box to show us how to pan. Each of our pre-arranged pans had some flakes of gold in it which we put in tiny 1-ounce vials she gave us. Then, if you wanted, you could walk to the creek and do more panning for gold.

    Afterwards, she dropped us off at the salmon bakery. Panning for gold was one of my teenage son’s favorite parts of our trip!
    Written August 15, 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.

    travelguy48
    san diego4 contributions
    1.0 of 5 bubbles
    Aug 2023
    We booked the gold panning only but were on a bus with several families that also booked a salmon bake. We were picked up in town around 11:45. The guide informed us we would get cheated out of about 20 minutes because he had to get them to the salmon bake. Then another family informed the driver they had to be back onboard their cruise ship at 1pm and he said that was fine. We got to the river and the gold panning was very fun. My girls loved it but almost as soon as it began we were told we had to rush back to the bus. There was about 50 minutes of driving total so we got maybe 15 minutes of gold panning. My girls were so disappointed and we felt ripped off. I ended up booking a last minute dog sledding tour for an outrageous sum.
    Written August 14, 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.

    Eleshia Q
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jul 2023 • Family
    Our favorite parts:
    Tour guide Garrett did an excellent job of explaining the history of the Alaskan Gold Rush. He also did an excellent job of showing us how to pan for gold.

    Scenery was beautiful!!!
    Written July 29, 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.

    jcbtexas
    Montgomery, TX66 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Raining and cold, but bus ride and narration was enjoyable. Driver looked the part and explained the process well. Would have been nice to find more than a few tiny flakes or to let the kids get another pan to sift through, but a good opportunity for first time “miners” to learn the process.
    Written July 26, 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.

    Graciela V
    72 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Our family had a great day watching dad panning for gold at Gold Creek. It was a bucket list issue for him. We are glad he had such a good time. Our tour guy was very knowledgeable and he was very good at making our day full of fun. Highly recommend this tour is worth every penny
    Written June 26, 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.

    TheSchu's
    Ontario277 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Aug 2024 • Family
    We had a lot of fun in the rain trying to pan for gold. The pay dirt paid out, but finding it on our own was a lot harder and challenging. We had a lot of laughs with our guide/bus driver. He was full of info and great tips on finding some naturally. I would recommend this experience to any and everyone.
    Written August 25, 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.

    punkhim
    Seattle, WA28 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We had a great time panning for gold in a beautiful environment. The spot you are taken to is on gold creek next to a beautiful bridge surrounded by waterfalls in the mountains. There is also a few abandoned train cars that were historically used to bring miners to work.

    Jeff was a great guide. Very entertaining and professional. What I appreciated most was his genuine interest in the activity and the gold mining period in the area. He also was excited to see how our pans were doing, and repeatedly offered help.
    Written September 8, 2021
    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.

    EDHall
    Baltimore, MD3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jul 2019
    Sterling was our guide for this excursion! Great Job!! Happy person who made trip fun with his great personality. Taught us the method to pan for gold. Thank you Sterling!!
    Written July 21, 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.
    I'll pass along your kind words! Glad you enjoyed. Dale E Smith Director of Sales & Marketing
    Written July 23, 2019
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Showing results 1-10 of 25
    *Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

    Historic Gold Mining and Panning Adventure provided by Alaska Travel Adventures

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