Craft Brews & Epic Views: Juneau’s Brewery & Sightseeing Tour!

Juneau’s best brewery tour is also a useful little city tour. In less than four hours, you’ll visit three breweries, ride beyond the downtown core, and stop for Mendenhall Glacier and Juneau’s well-known whale statue. The beer gives the day its flavor, but the chance to see Auke Bay and hear local stories is what makes the outing feel like more than a bar crawl.

I like the mix of full tasting flights and sightseeing. I also like the small-group size, capped at 14, which gives guides such as Scott, Steve, Katie, and Derek room to answer questions and adjust a flight when they can. The main trade-off is that the glacier stop is brief and fairly distant, so this is not the tour to book if Mendenhall Glacier is your chief goal.

Key points to know before booking

• Three breweries in one afternoon: Visit Devil’s Club Brewing, Alaskan Brewing Company, and Forbidden Peak Brewing.
• A real taste of Juneau: The route reaches Auke Bay, an area many short visits miss.
• Flights are included: You receive one signature tasting flight at each brewery.
• Scenery breaks up the beer stops: The route includes Brotherhood Bridge, Mendenhall Glacier views, and Overstreet Park.
• Small groups matter: A maximum of 14 people keeps the outing personal and manageable.
• Plan your meeting carefully: The stated start is Elizabeth Peratrovich Plaza, but one account described meeting near Alaskan Brewing, so confirm the exact pickup details before setting out.

Three breweries, two viewpoints, one compact Juneau outing

At $159 per person, this is not a cheap way to grab a beer. It is a guided afternoon that bundles transportation, three brewery visits, three tasting flights, local commentary, snacks, and several sightseeing stops. If you already plan to visit one brewery on your own, the price may feel high. If you want a simple way to connect Juneau’s beer scene with its town and scenery, the value becomes easier to see.

The tour lasts about 3 hours and 45 minutes. That is long enough to leave downtown, reach Auke Bay, and return without using your whole day. You also avoid the work of arranging rides after drinking. That practical point matters in Juneau, where the most interesting stops are spread out.

The setting is casual. You are not signing up for a formal beer class or a polished food pairing. You are moving from taproom to taproom, tasting local beer, hearing about the brewing scene, and seeing a few places that do not fit neatly into a standard downtown sightseeing walk.

Devil’s Club Brewing starts the tasting

Devil’s Club Brewing Company is typically the first stop. It sits in downtown Juneau and is presented as one of the city’s newer and more creative breweries, with a friendly taproom that feels tied to the local community.

This is a smart first stop. You can get settled, meet the guide and the rest of the group, and begin with beer made in the heart of town. The 45-minute visit gives you time to enjoy the included signature flight rather than rush through a single sample.

The beer selection may include different styles and flavors, and the tour is a good place to try something outside your usual order. One flight included a sour beer that did not suit every palate, which is hardly a flaw in a tasting tour. Trying a style you would not buy by the glass is part of the point.

I would pay attention to the guide here. Steve is a brewer as well as a guide, and Scott has been praised for his stories, humor, and easy manner. The strongest part of this tour is not only the liquid in the glass. It is the chance to connect the beer with the people who make it and the town that supports them.

Alaskan Brewing brings a larger piece of Juneau history

Alaskan Brewing Company is the city’s best-known brewery and has been brewing in Juneau since 1986. Its purpose-built taproom sits outside downtown in a warm, industrial-style setting, giving you a different feel from the smaller downtown stop.

You receive another signature flight here. The pours have been described as generous rather than token samples, so pace yourself. Three flights in one afternoon can add up quickly, especially if you arrive ready to drink full servings.

This is also the stop where snacks are provided. Barnacle Foods chips and kelp salsa give you something salty to eat while you taste. That small addition has real value. Food helps slow the pace, and it makes the stop more comfortable for people who are interested in beer but do not want an afternoon of alcohol on an empty stomach.

Alaskan Brewing is the most established name on the route, so this stop may feel more visitor-oriented than Forbidden Peak or Devil’s Club. That is not necessarily a bad thing. It gives you a look at Juneau’s best-known brewing operation and helps put the city’s craft beer scene in context.

Brotherhood Bridge offers the big view, with a limitation

The stop at Brotherhood Bridge is short, about 10 minutes, but the view is memorable. From here, you can see Mendenhall Glacier, the river, and the surrounding towers.

Keep your expectations in check. This is a viewpoint stop, not a glacier visit. You do not get an extended walk or close approach to the ice. The glacier can look distant from this location, and one useful suggestion from the tour feedback was to trade some brewery time for a closer look.

That does not make the stop pointless. It gives you a quick change of pace and one of the clearest scenic moments on the route. If you have already visited Mendenhall Glacier separately, this stop may feel less important. If you have not, it provides a worthwhile first look, just not a full glacier experience.

Bring a camera and be ready to move. Ten minutes passes quickly, and the tour has to keep to its schedule for the remaining brewery visits.

Forbidden Peak reaches Auke Bay

Forbidden Peak Brewing is the final brewery stop and, for many people, the most distinctive. It sits above the harbor in Auke Bay, outside the usual short-visit circuit. The setting gives you a glimpse of a local part of Juneau that many people never see between the cruise ship dock and downtown attractions.

The taproom is popular with locals, and that changes the tone of the afternoon. This is less about checking off a famous name and more about seeing where people in Juneau go for a good local pint. You receive the third included flight during another 45-minute stop.

Auke Bay is a strong reason to choose this tour over a downtown-only brewery walk. You are not simply tasting three versions of the same setting. You move from a downtown brewery to an established out-of-town operation and then to a harbor-area taproom with a more local feel.

The timing also works well. By the last brewery, you have had time to compare styles, ask questions, and figure out what you like. Guides have adjusted flights around personal tastes when possible, so tell yours early if you prefer lighter, darker, hoppier, sweeter, or sour beers. That does not guarantee a custom pour, but it gives the guide useful information.

Overstreet Park closes the day by the water

The final stop is Overstreet Park, home to Juneau’s whale statue. The public artwork was commissioned by local community leaders and completed in 2018. It has quickly become one of the city’s popular waterfront stops.

This is a good closing scene. After the brewery visits and the drive beyond downtown, you return to the water and see a recognizable piece of public art. The stop lasts about 10 minutes, so it is more of a photo opportunity and quick look than a long park visit.

The whale statue also gives the tour a little balance. You are not spending the entire afternoon inside taprooms. You get beer, mountain and glacier views, a harbor setting, and a waterfront landmark. That range is why the tour works for couples or mixed groups where not everyone is equally focused on brewing.

The experience ends back at the meeting point. You can then continue your Juneau day on foot or use nearby public transportation, though the exact meeting arrangement deserves attention before you book.

Guides are a major part of the value

The guides receive unusually strong praise, and I can see why. Scott is repeatedly singled out for being friendly, funny, patient, and well informed about Juneau’s history and daily life. Steve brings direct brewing experience. Katie has been noted for clear explanations and a good command of the beer selections. Derek is described as a local with useful insight and an easy personality.

That range matters because the route itself is fairly simple: three 45-minute brewery stops and three short sightseeing stops. A stiff or silent guide would make the drive feel long. A good one turns the spaces between stops into part of the tour.

You can ask about local history, brewing, the community, or the scenery. Guides have introduced visitors to brewery owners, and one stop included meeting the owner of a small brewery started with her husband. Those moments are not guaranteed, but they show the kind of personal contact this tour can offer.

The group limit is 14 people. That is small enough to keep conversation possible without making you feel as though you are on a private tour. It also makes loading in and out of the vehicle easier than it would be with a large coach group.

How much beer do you actually receive?

The inclusions specify one signature tasting flight at each brewery. In practical terms, you should expect three flights over the afternoon, not one tiny sample at the end of the tour.

The exact number of pours and serving size can vary by brewery. One account described about 10 tasters across the route and called the pours decent-sized. Treat that as a useful guide, not a fixed promise. You are tasting several beers, so drink at a measured pace.

Youth tickets do not include beverages. The tour is therefore a better fit for adults who want the beer component, though a younger participant can still join under the stated ticket rules. Gratuity for the guide is not included, so budget for that separately if you feel the service deserves it.

The included chips and kelp salsa are welcome, but they are still a snack, not lunch. Eat beforehand if you need a full meal. The tour information does not promise a restaurant stop or a substantial meal.

What the $159 price means for you

At $159, you are paying for more than the beer. The price covers three flights, transportation between downtown, the brewery outside town, Brotherhood Bridge, Auke Bay, and Overstreet Park, plus the convenience of having someone else manage the route.

I see the value most clearly for cruise visitors or first-time visitors with limited time. You can get a taste of Juneau’s brewing culture, see a glacier viewpoint, reach Auke Bay, and return to the starting point in one organized outing.

The price is harder to justify if you are staying several days and are comfortable arranging your own brewery visits. You could spend less by visiting a downtown brewery on foot, though you would miss the ride to Forbidden Peak and the guided sightseeing stops.

I would also compare the price with your priorities. If your main goal is Mendenhall Glacier, choose a glacier-focused outing instead. If your main goal is sampling Juneau beer while learning about the town, this tour makes better sense.

Who should book this tour?

I would recommend it to:

• Couples who want a relaxed afternoon with drinks and scenery
• Solo visitors who enjoy meeting a small group and talking with a local guide
• Cruise passengers looking for something beyond the standard downtown stops
• Beer drinkers who want to compare several Juneau breweries in one outing
• People who like local stories and public art along with their tastings
• Groups with mixed interests, since the route includes both breweries and sightseeing

I would be more cautious if you want a long glacier stop, a full meal, or a highly technical lesson in brewing. The beer information is useful and the guides add local context, but this is a social tasting tour, not a brewery production tour.

Before booking, confirm the meeting point. The official details give Elizabeth Peratrovich Plaza in Juneau as the start and end point. One account described meeting in the lot beside Alaskan Brewing’s taproom, and another noted some confusion about the location. That is easy to fix: check your confirmation and ask Alaska On Tap if anything is unclear.

Booking, cancellation, and practical details

The tour is offered in English and uses a mobile ticket. It normally runs about 3 hours and 45 minutes, has a maximum of 14 people, and is near public transportation. Most people can participate, though the information provided does not give a detailed accessibility description.

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time. Changes made inside that 24-hour window are not accepted, and late cancellations are not refunded. The tour also needs a minimum number of participants. If that minimum is not met, you are offered another date or experience, or a full refund.

The tour is often booked well ahead, with an average lead time of about 100 days. That makes advance planning sensible, especially if you are visiting Juneau on a fixed cruise schedule.

Should you book Brews and Views?

Book it if you want three well-chosen brewery stops, a small group, and a quick look at parts of Juneau that a basic downtown walk misses. The guides are the strongest part of the experience, and the combination of flights, snacks, Auke Bay, glacier views, and the whale statue gives you a lot in one afternoon.

Skip it if Mendenhall Glacier is your main reason for visiting Juneau or if you would rather explore breweries at your own pace. For everyone else, especially beer fans with limited time, this is a friendly and practical way to see more of the city while keeping a local pint in hand.

FAQ

How long is the Juneau brewery and sightseeing tour?

The tour lasts approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes.

How many breweries does the tour visit?

You visit three breweries: Devil’s Club Brewing Company, Alaskan Brewing Company, and Forbidden Peak Brewery.

What beer is included?

One signature tasting flight is included at each brewery stop. Youth tickets do not include beverages.

Are snacks included?

Yes. Chips and kelp salsa from Barnacle Foods are provided at Alaskan Brewing Company.

What sightseeing stops are included?

The route includes Brotherhood Bridge, with views of Mendenhall Glacier, the river, and the surrounding towers, plus Overstreet Park and Juneau’s whale statue.

Where does the tour start and end?

The stated meeting point is Elizabeth Peratrovich Plaza in Juneau, and the activity ends back at the meeting point.

How many people can join the tour?

The maximum group size is 14 people.

Can I cancel for a refund?

Yes. You can receive a full refund by canceling at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start are not accepted for a refund.