Packing list
Alaska Cruise Packing List
Juneau runs from -3 °C (26 °F) nights in February to 18 °C (65 °F) days in June, and January is the wettest month, with about 20 days of rain. For your own dates, trip length and group, use the packing list generator.
What should you pack for Alaska?
Counts are per person for a 7-day trip. Weather gear depends on the month, so it is in the table below the list; the download adds it, marked with the months that need it.
Documents & Money
Check in online and save your boarding passes offline
Keep a backup card and emergency cash apart from your wallet
Check your cruise line's document rules: a passport is safest, even on a round-trip US cruise
Leave your itinerary, emergency contacts and a passport copy with someone at home
Wallet with ID, driver's licence, health insurance card and payment cards
House and car keys, in your carry-on
Small bills for tips and porters
Clothing
Underwear ×8
Per person
Socks ×6
Per person
Tops ×6
Per person
Trousers, skirts or shorts ×3
Per person
Comfortable walking shoes
Light layer (sweater or hoodie)
Sleepwear
Change of clothes in your carry-on
Flip-flops or shower sandals
Swimsuit
Sunglasses
Formal-night outfit
Belt
Light scarf, shawl or travel blanket for cold planes and buses
Compression socks
Outfit for the ship's theme night (a pirate night, a white party)
Tech & Accessories
Check in online and download your cruise line's app
Install local apps: Uber, Lyft
Check your line's power-strip rules: surge protectors are banned on most ships
Phone charger, with USB-C and USB-A cables
Power bank, in your carry-on (never in a checked bag)
Headphones or earbuds (noise-canceling for flights)
Laptop or tablet and charger (if you bring one)
Multi-port USB charger or short extension cord
Camera with a spare battery and memory card
Luggage tracker (AirTag or similar) in checked bags
Health & Safety
Toothbrush, toothpaste and floss
Toiletry bag: deodorant, shampoo and conditioner, body wash, razor
Clear quart bag for carry-on liquids (100 ml / 3.4 oz each)
Prescription medication and daily vitamins (with a copy of the prescription)
Glasses or contacts, solution, eye drops and a spare pair (if you wear them)
Hairbrush or comb, and hair products
Face wash and moisturizer
Makeup and makeup remover (if you wear it)
Basic meds: pain relief, antidiarrheal, antacid, antihistamine, cold medicine
Small first-aid kit
Hand sanitizer
Travel wet wipes
Earplugs
Sleep eye mask
Lip balm with SPF
Nail clippers, nail file and tweezers
Period products (if you need them)
Contraception (if you use it)
Blister plasters and anti-chafe balm
Sunscreen (SPF 30+)
Seasickness patches or tablets (ask a pharmacist which suits you)
Perfume or cologne (if you wear it)
Gear & Activity
Boarding-day bag with swimsuit, medication and documents (checked bags reach your cabin hours later)
Reusable water bottle
Daypack
Zip bags in a few sizes
Packable tote or shopping bag
Laundry bag for dirty clothes
Luggage tags and a lock
Lanyard for your cabin key card
Packing cubes
Small flashlight or headlamp
Extras
Travel neck pillow
Snacks and gum for the journey
Book or e-reader
Magnetic hooks for the cabin walls
Over-the-door organizer for the cabin
Leave at home
Beach towels
The ship provides them
Valuables and jewelry you will not wear
Nothing to lose, or to guard
A charger per device
One multi-port charger covers them all
Download or print this list
Weather gear by month
A tick means at least one city on this route meets that weather in that month: 8 or more rainy days (snow in a month below freezing on average is not rain), nights at 8 °C (46 °F) or colder, or days at 24 °C (75 °F) or warmer; sun protection also marks every month in a city 2,500 m up or higher. Bug protection marks a month that is both hot and rainy, or every month where malaria or dengue is a risk.
| Month | Rain gear | Warm layers | Sun protection | Bug protection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| Feb | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| Mar | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| Apr | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| May | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| Jun | ✓ | · | · | · |
| Jul | ✓ | · | · | · |
| Aug | ✓ | · | · | · |
| Sep | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| Oct | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| Nov | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| Dec | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
Rain gear
- Packable rain jacket or travel umbrella
Warm layers
- Warm insulated jacket
- Warm hat and gloves
- Thermal base layer
Sun protection
- Electrolyte powder packets
- Sunscreen (SPF 30+)
- Wide-brimmed sun hat
- After-sun or aloe gel
Bug protection
- Insect repellent (DEET or picaridin)
- Light long sleeves and trousers for evening mosquitoes
- Bite relief cream
What should you wear in Alaska?
By the average daytime high in Juneau.
Jun–Aug: highs 64–65°F (18°C)
Layers: long sleeves or a light sweater, and a light jacket for the evening.
Apr–May, Sep–Oct: highs 47–60°F (9–16°C)
A warm sweater and a mid-weight jacket; closed shoes.
Nov–Mar: highs 35–40°F (2–4°C)
An insulated coat, hat and gloves, and a thermal layer underneath.
Alaska weather by month
Average daily high and low, and days with rain or snow per month (a snowflake marks snow). Source: Rain: contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Temperatures: TerraClimate (Abatzoglou et al.), CC0.
Juneau
| Month | High | Low | Rain or snow days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38°F / 3°C (cold) | 29°F / -1°C (cold) | 20 |
| Feb | 36°F / 2°C (cold) | 26°F / -3°C (cold) | 16 (snow) |
| Mar | 39°F / 4°C (cold) | 28°F / -2°C (cold) | 15 |
| Apr | 47°F / 9°C | 33°F / 1°C (cold) | 16 |
| May | 60°F / 16°C | 42°F / 6°C (cold) | 14 |
| Jun | 65°F / 18°C | 49°F / 10°C | 17 |
| Jul | 65°F / 18°C | 51°F / 11°C | 18 |
| Aug | 64°F / 18°C | 51°F / 10°C | 19 |
| Sep | 57°F / 14°C | 45°F / 7°C (cold) | 19 |
| Oct | 49°F / 9°C | 39°F / 4°C (cold) | 20 |
| Nov | 40°F / 4°C (cold) | 32°F / 0°C (cold) | 19 |
| Dec | 35°F / 2°C (cold) | 28°F / -2°C (cold) | 19 (snow) |
Ketchikan
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43°F / 6°C (cold) | 34°F / 1°C (cold) | 21 |
| Feb | 42°F / 6°C (cold) | 33°F / 0°C (cold) | 16 |
| Mar | 44°F / 7°C (cold) | 33°F / 1°C (cold) | 17 |
| Apr | 49°F / 10°C | 37°F / 3°C (cold) | 17 |
| May | 58°F / 14°C | 44°F / 6°C (cold) | 13 |
| Jun | 62°F / 17°C | 49°F / 9°C | 15 |
| Jul | 65°F / 18°C | 53°F / 12°C | 14 |
| Aug | 65°F / 19°C | 53°F / 12°C | 17 |
| Sep | 60°F / 15°C | 48°F / 9°C | 17 |
| Oct | 51°F / 11°C | 42°F / 5°C (cold) | 20 |
| Nov | 46°F / 8°C (cold) | 36°F / 2°C (cold) | 21 |
| Dec | 41°F / 5°C (cold) | 33°F / 1°C (cold) | 19 |
Skagway
| Month | High | Low | Rain or snow days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33°F / 1°C (cold) | 23°F / -5°C (cold) | 19 (snow) |
| Feb | 33°F / 0°C (cold) | 20°F / -6°C (cold) | 14 (snow) |
| Mar | 37°F / 3°C (cold) | 24°F / -5°C (cold) | 14 (snow) |
| Apr | 47°F / 8°C (cold) | 30°F / -1°C (cold) | 14 |
| May | 58°F / 14°C | 39°F / 4°C (cold) | 12 |
| Jun | 67°F / 19°C | 48°F / 9°C | 15 |
| Jul | 67°F / 19°C | 51°F / 10°C | 16 |
| Aug | 64°F / 18°C | 48°F / 9°C | 18 |
| Sep | 57°F / 14°C | 43°F / 6°C (cold) | 19 |
| Oct | 48°F / 9°C | 35°F / 2°C (cold) | 19 |
| Nov | 35°F / 2°C (cold) | 25°F / -4°C (cold) | 17 (snow) |
| Dec | 33°F / 1°C (cold) | 24°F / -4°C (cold) | 18 (snow) |
Frequently asked questions
Yes, all year: every month at least one of the cities here averages 8 or more days with rain.
In Sep–May, yes: nights average 8 °C (46 °F) or colder somewhere on this route, so pack an insulated jacket, hat and gloves.
Uber, Lyft.
Next: the trip itself
Going to Alaska for 7 days? Get the day-by-day plan too.
Timed activities, restaurant picks, a budget that adds up, and a map for every day. What you told us is already filled in. Free, no sign-up.
Plan my Alaska trip →Cruise essentials on their own, as one checklist: Cruise Essentials Checklist.
More packing lists
Weather: Rain: contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Temperatures: TerraClimate (Abatzoglou et al.), CC0. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Updated October 19, 2026.