Mendenhall Glacier on Your Own 4 Self Guided Audio Walks

20 min – 2 h 30 min Free cancellation Private tour

Mendenhall Glacier on Your Own 4 Self Guided Audio Walks, photo 2 — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

See Mendenhall Glacier on your own schedule: four self-guided audio walks — the glacier overlooks, Nugget Falls, the Trail of Time, and the East Glacier Loop — 43 GPS story stops. One purchase plays from one phone as your group walks together; stories by a born-and-raised Southeast Alaskan trigger automatically, hands-free, fully offline.

To be clear: this is an app experience on your own phone — no live guide and no paper ticket. Get there by bus, shuttle, or rideshare and explore at your own pace.

Walk to Nugget Falls and hear the legend of Romeo the wolf. Find the tunnel blasted through solid granite on the East Glacier Loop. Stand where the ice reached in 1937 on the Trail of Time. In salmon season, watch black bears work Steep Creek. No date, no time limit, no expiry.

Setup takes about 2 minutes — full steps are on your Viator ticket and in your confirmation email (check spam). In the app, your pass appears as "Mendenhall Glacier Explorer Pack."

Hiking Tours Private and Luxury Private Sightseeing Tours Audio Guides Historical Tours Walking Tours Nature Walks Additional fees

At a glance

Duration: 20 min – 2 h 30 min
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–15
Audio guide: German, Japanese, English, Chinese, Italian, Spanish
Written guide: German, Japanese, English, Chinese, Italian, Spanish
Operated by: Alaska Audio Guide

What is included

Included

Included: Unlimited lifetime access — use it as many times as you like, on any trip or to replay at home
Included: GPS-triggered audio that plays automatically and hands-free as you walk or hike
Included: Access to all 4 self-guided audio tours of the Mendenhall Glacier Area
Included: In-app maps showing parking, restrooms, Wi-Fi, and landmarks
Included: Written transcripts for every stop, plus multilingual translations
Included: Fully offline — audio and maps work with zero cell service once downloaded

Not included

Not included: Private transportation: Transportation to and between the tour starting points
Not included: Entrance fees: Optional Glacier trail fee (only applies to specific trails, most are fee-free, Steep Creek, Photo Point and Visitor Center are $5)
Not included: Smartphone — you use your own device
Not included: Headphones or earphones
Not included: In-person or live guide — this is a self-guided audio tour
Not included: Cellular data or Wi-Fi

Itinerary

Mendenhall Glacier

45 min

Juneau's most famous sight, a glacier you can walk right up to. As you arrive, a GPS-triggered audio story plays automatically through your phone, covering the ice's dramatic retreat, the lake it carved, John Muir's 1879 visit, and the rock flour that turns the water that milky blue. Hands-free, at your own pace, fully offline.
Nugget Falls

45 min

A short walk leads to Nugget Falls, where water plunges hundreds of feet beside the face of Mendenhall Glacier. GPS-triggered audio plays as you reach the falls, telling the story of the glacier's retreat, the icebergs on the lake, and the Arctic terns overhead. No guide, no schedule — just press play and walk.
Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center

30 min Admission not included

Trailhead hub for two of the pack's walks: the Trail of Time (9 stops — stand exactly where the ice reached in 1937) and the East Glacier Loop (16 stops — find the tunnel the Treadwell Mining Company blasted through solid granite).
Steep Creek

Passing by

A short loop near Mendenhall where, from July to October, black bears fish for salmon and eagles gather overhead. GPS-triggered audio plays as you walk, explaining the salmon run and the food web in motion. Explore at your own pace.

Meeting point and pickup

Everyone meets at the meeting point.

Meeting point

Self-guided audio tour you play on your own phone — no host meets you here. This is just a recommended start; there is no set start time. Includes 4 tours, each starting at its own location in the app. Download before you go (much of Juneau has no cell signal); explore at your own pace.

End point

Self-guided audio tour you play on your own phone — no host meets you here. This is just a recommended start; there is no set start time. Includes 4 tours, each starting at its own location in the app. Download before you go (much of Juneau has no cell signal); explore at your own pace.

Using your ticket

Your one-time code is on this Viator ticket. To unlock your tours:

To unlock your Alaska Audio Guide tours: go to alaskaaudioguide.app, enter your booking confirmation code (shown on this voucher) and the last name on this booking, then sign in or create an account (Google, Apple, or email — Google/Apple is fastest). This unlocks the tours on your account. Then download the Alaska Audio Guide app from the App Store or Google Play and sign in with the same account — your tours appear automatically.

Tip: Codes can only be redeemed on the web, not inside the app — it's a one-time step. Download your tours over Wi-Fi before you set out; they work fully offline, so you won't need cell service on the trail.