We never thought much about making the trek up to Juneau, Alaska, but when the opportunity presented itself and we felt a touch of spontaneity, we hopped on a short flight schedule from Portland, and we are so glad we did. Juneau Alaska is surrounded by beauty—mountains, rivers, ocean, and ice collide in a beautiful and wild way. Though Juneau is located on a peninsula, it feels very much like an island, as it’s only accessible by plane or boat. You can only drive about an hour in any one direction into the wilderness before you can’t drive any further. It is so isolated and yet so full of culture, great food, and spirit! Juneau is one of the most underrated places we’ve ever had the pleasure to visit.

There’s so much to do and see in the area, we wanted to create a short guide of some of our favorite things. For those planning to venture to Juneau, make sure to also hit some of the other great spots in South East Alaska, such as Haines, Sitka, and Skagway.