Kayaking in Alaska is an experience unlike anywhere else, with views of glacier-carved inlets, snow-capped mountains, old-growth shorelines and marine wildlife that sometimes surfaces just feet from your kayak. You might be surprised how easy and accessible a guided sea kayaking excursion can be, even if you have no prior experience on the water. Princess Cruises® guests can book a guided tour of the local waterways at several Alaska port stops. You don’t need to be in Olympic-athlete shape either, as kayaks move easily across the water with just a little basic instruction from your experienced guides. Sea kayaking is one of the best ways to experience the wonders of the Alaska coastline.

Key Takeaways

Alaska’s Inside Passage and protected coastal waters offer some of the most rewarding sea kayaking on earth, with glacier-carved inlets, wildlife-rich bays and old-growth shorelines accessible from Princess Cruises port stops.

The Alaska cruise season runs May through September. June through August brings the longest daylight hours and most settled conditions for kayaking.

Guided excursions are the recommended choice for guests new to sea kayaking. Local guides manage tides, gear, currents and wildlife encounters so guests focus on the view, with no prior kayaking experience required for most excursions.

Why Alaska is one of the world’s great kayaking destinations

Alaska’s coastline is one of the most kayak-friendly on earth, with protected waterways, minimal boat traffic, exceptional wildlife density and glaciers that calve directly into bays you can paddle through. Including inlets and islands, Alaska accounts for about a third of all of the coastline of the United States, over 33,000 miles worth (the US’s total coastline including all inlets and islands is around 95,400 miles). This massive total comes from Alaska’s countless islands, deep bays, fjords, and complex peninsulas, all of which adds to the magic of sea kayaking in this area.

The lush, deep-green forests, the turquoise blue glacial ice, the glass-smooth stillness of a protected cove, the potential for whale sightings (or maybe even a bear) and the call of sea birds combine to create sensory perfection for kayakers. 

The Inside Passage is a famous route running over 1,000 miles from Washington state up to Southeast Alaska through a network of islands and fjords that often shelter paddlers from open ocean swells. Obviously, kayaking the entire passage is an epic adventure and takes two to three months, but even day-trip kayakers in Alaska’s waters can get a taste of the experience.

Best places to go kayaking in Alaska

Each of these kayaking destinations is accessible via a Princess Cruises shore excursion. You arrive by ship and either paddle directly from the port or from a nearby launch point after a short drive or boat ride.

Kayaking in Juneau

Mendenhall Glacier is one of Alaska’s most accessible active glaciers, and kayaking near it offers a perspective no road travel can replicate. The Juneau cruise port offers two distinct guided kayaking experiences to fit your individual preferences. The first takes you along the coast for a sea-based view of the glacier (weather permitting) as well as the coastline around the wetlands and state game refuge. For the second excursion option, your guide will drive you 30 minutes inland so you can kayak the icy blue waters of Mendenhall Lake for seriously close views of the glacier and the thundering Nugget Falls. After your trip across the lake, enjoy a traditional all-you-can-eat salmon bake. Guests enjoy the glacially colored water, forested shorelines and frequent bald eagle sightings.

If interested, check out our list of the best Juneau tours and excursions, or read more about the top 10 attractions in Alaska.

The bow of a red kayak points across a glassy lake toward Mendenhall Glacier, framed by forested hillsides and snow-covered mountain peaks under a clear blue sky.
Your front-row seat to Mendenhall Glacier is waiting.Caption: Your front-row seat to Mendenhall Glacier is waiting.

Kayaking in Sitka

Sitka Sound is sheltered, dotted with islands and rich with marine wildlife, including sea otters, harbor seals, Steller sea lions and both humpback and gray whales are frequently sighted as well. The surrounding Tongass National Forest, the largest temperate rainforest in the United States, lines the shoreline. Kayakers have two excursion options: a wilderness sea kayaking adventure where you follow a knowledgeable guide through tranquil waterways while learning about the spectacular marine environment that surrounds you. You paddle through mazes of reef and kelp forest filled with colorful marine life, and glide past lush, coastal rainforest to view the area’s abundant flora and fauna. You may spot playful sea lions, soaring eagles, brown bears or even the Sitka blacktail deer. 

The other option is a private island cruise-and-kayak excursion that combines a small boat journey with kayaking in the bay. You start aboard an expedition vessel, a one-of-a-kind, powered watercraft with a fully enclosed cabin and restroom. Enjoy a relaxing, narrated sightseeing cruise en route to the pristine Siginaka Islands, where your guides will present a fun and informative kayak skills/safety orientation. You and your paddle companions will then board your 2-person sea kayaks and launch from the island. While gliding quietly through the narrow passages, your guides will help identify a variety of marine life. You'll also learn a little about the area’s natural history, sacred to the Haida and Tlingit people, who still harvest the ocean’s bounty using knowledge passed down since the last Ice Age. Enjoy hot chocolate and cookies around a fire pit at the end of your paddle before returning to the ship.

A sea otter floats on its back among kelp and seaweed on the surface of calm Alaska waters, its wet fur and raised paws visible in close-up detail.
Sea otters make Alaska waters worth every paddle stroke.

Kayaking near Ketchikan

The Eagle Islands sea kayaking excursion offers a sheltered sea kayaking route through a cluster of forested islands in the Tongass National Forest. As the name implies, bald eagles nest throughout the area, and the well-loved raptors commonly appear overhead and in the shoreline treetops. For guests with no prior kayaking experience, the calm waters here make this a low-stress, memorable experience. For guests with more time to explore inland, Ketchikan is also the gateway to Misty Fjords National Monument.

Two red kayaks rest on a rocky pebble shore in Ketchikan, Alaska, with calm blue water, wooden dock posts, a distant sailboat and snow-capped mountains stretching across the horizon.
Ketchikan's waters are calling, all you have to do is launch.

Kayaking at Icy Strait Point

The waters around the private cruise port of Icy Strait Point meld with those of Glacier Bay National Park, and humpback whale sightings in the area are among the most reliable in all of Alaska. Seeing a humpback while floating at water level in a kayak is the kind of experience that gives you goosebumps and makes memories that last a lifetime. There’s simply nothing else like it. 

Additionally, the shoreline of Chichagof Island frames the kayaking routes, and the area is home to one of the highest concentrations of brown bears in the world. This potential for seeing large marine mammals and large land-based mammals in the same excursion, combined with the calm, protected inlet water conditions makes an Icy Strait Kayak Adventure one of the favorite choices for Princess guests. 

On this particular excursion, single-person kayaks are available for guests with more experience. You set off, led by a knowledgeable guide, who will teach you about the native culture of the Tlingit and the authentic Alaskan village of Hoonah as the excursion progresses. While paddling to beautiful Pitt Island and around the Hoonah waterfront, you will have the chance to view humpback and killer whales, seals, sea lions and other marine wildlife in their natural environment.

A humpback whale's tail fluke rises above the choppy dark waters of Icy Strait, Alaska, with a forested shoreline and snow-capped mountains stretching across the horizon under a cloudy sky.
Humpback whales are putting on a show in Icy Strait. Don't miss it.

Kayaking near Valdez

Guests visiting the Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge can take advantage of the Valdez Coastal Kayak Adventure excursion, which is a great way for new or inexperienced kayakers to be introduced to the experience of kayaking in Alaska. You board your 2-person kayak right on the dock in Valdez Harbor and paddle with your guide along a small chain of nearby islands well known for their nesting birds and resident harbor seals. Your guide will share information about the natural history of Valdez and highlight other points of interest including Prince William Sound, Thompson Pass and Worthington Glacier. As you learn about the local wildlife, keep your eye out for possible sightings of sea lions, sea otters and three species of local salmon (pink, chum and silver). 

Total time for this relaxing, introductory kayaking experience is around 2 hours, so it’s perfect for beginners and may even leave time for you to experience another of the dozen or more other curated shore excursions available while you’re in the area.

Three kayakers paddle through calm glacial waters between towering blue ice formations near Valdez, Alaska, beneath a cloudy mountain sky.
Kayaker explores the icy waters and towering glaciers near Valdez, Alaska.

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Wildlife encounters while kayaking in Alaska

Seeing various types of animals in Alaska is one of the main highlights for many Princess guests, and the nature of kayaking, with you sitting right at the water level, puts you closer to the area’s wildlife than any viewing deck or excursion boat. Common marine mammal sightings include humpback, gray and orca whales, Steller sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters and Dall’s porpoise. Lucky viewers may spot beluga whales, harbor porpoise and Pacific white-sided dolphins as well.

Bald eagles nest in old-growth trees along virtually every Alaska shoreline, and are frequently seen hunting or perched at the water’s edge. Brown and black bears are frequently visible along the shore, particularly near salmon streams in late summer. 

Seabirds such as tufted puffins, diving auks such as murres and guillemots and cormorants nest on island outcroppings throughout the Inside Passage. Birdwatchers may also spot various types of gulls, kittiwakes and majestic ocean wanderers like albatrosses and petrels.

Two orca dorsal fins cut through calm Alaska waters, with densely forested hillsides and massive snow-covered mountain peaks filling the backdrop under a partly cloudy sky.
Share the water with a pod or orcas.

The best time for kayaking in Alaska

  • Alaska cruise season runs May through September. Generally, peak kayaking conditions are experienced in June through August.
  • June through August also encompasses Alaska’s longest daylight hours (up to 18–19 hours in some areas) as well as featuring the most settled weather patterns and warmest water temperatures.
  • If you extend your potential dates to include May and September, you may experience fewer tourists at popular locations as well as lower precipitation in some areas. However, water and weather conditions can be more variable generally than during the prime summer months mentioned above.
  • Extended daylight is one of the defining features of a summer Alaska experience. Long twilight evenings while kayaking on calm water feel unlike anything else.

Guided kayaking versus going independently

If you’re a do-it-yourself type vacationer, you might wonder if it’s worth trying to secure a kayak rental on your own at one of the Alaska ports, and it’s certainly an option. However, for most cruise guests, the guided sea kayaking excursions available through Princess are by far the easiest, most practical, most relaxing and recommended choice. Benefits include:

  • All equipment provided; no gear to transport to and from the ship
  • Guides manage tide timing, currents and safety briefings
  • Permits and access are handled in advance and managed by guides
  • Routes selected by experts based on the day’s conditions
  • Water, snacks and possibly meals are provided, depending on the excursion you choose

For those interested in a longer Alaska kayaking trip, you’ll need serious advanced planning, permit applications in protected areas, bear-aware gear for multi-day trips and significant experience with tidal navigation and general ocean survival practices. A serious independent kayaking journey is obviously not something you’d want to attempt on a day in port as a cruise guest.

However, if you just want to try it out and see the water, shore, glaciers and wildlife from a perspective you can’t get any other way, a sea-kayaking excursion is a fantastic way to experience the magic of Alaska.

Safety on Alaska’s waters

Alaska’s coastal waters are cold year-round, despite being relatively warmer during the summer months. Cold water immersion safety awareness must be a priority for anyone on the water. Guided excursion providers may supply drysuits or wetsuits appropriate to the conditions, and of course life jackets should be worn at all times.

Alaska weather conditions can shift quickly and significantly. Curated excursions are led by local operators who are experts on weather and water conditions and can monitor forecasts and adjust routes to help ensure guest safety.

Southeast Alaska has significant tidal variation. Local guides will time launches and landings accordingly.

Navigation can be tricky, particularly with long, confusing inlets and fjords. The Inside Passage’s network of channels and islands requires local knowledge and expertise to travel safely. Cruise guests who book guided excursions do not need to navigate independently or worry about getting turned around or lost; they can just focus on enjoying the experience.

What to bring on an Alaska kayaking excursion

For shore excursion kayaking, most gear is provided by the guide. This typically will include rain gear, rubber boots, life jacket and spray skirt. They will likely ask you to dress warmly, in layers, and bring an extra pair of socks. Waterproof footwear is a good idea, as is bringing a change of clothes for afterward in case you get wet. But you should always consult the details related to the specific excursion you choose.

Guided tours will provide water and snacks (and possibly a meal, depending on the selected excursion). Verify with the specific excursion facilitator.

A waterproof, floating phone case is absolutely worth the trouble, or a waterproof camera with a good tether strap. Wildlife sightings happen quickly, and having a camera accessible is worth the preparation.

Note: Princess curated kayak excursions are generally not strenuous, but participants should be in good physical condition and able to paddle for around 2 hours, depending on the individual excursion (confirm with guide). Guests must weigh at least 40 lbs. and maximum weight is 275 lbs. based on waist size to fit in the kayak cockpit. Guests over 6'3" tall will not be able to use the rudders to steer and may be uncomfortable in the kayak due to limited leg room.

Princess is the #1 Alaska cruise line for good reason. Several Princess port stops offer guided sea kayaking excursions, allowing guests to experience Alaska’s remarkably scenic waterways up close, at their own pace, with expert guidance handling every logistical detail. Start planning your Alaska  adventure with Princess Cruises.

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