Chichagof Island Tour: Brown Bear Search
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About
Look for brown bears in their natural habitat on a bus tour of Chichagof Island. The dense population of bears on the island makes this an ideal trip for tourists hoping to spot bears in the wild. Plus, traveling with a guide who knows the region and bear patterns increases your chances of spotting a bear and provides security and education you don’t get if traveling on your own.
from per adult
£127.44
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 13-99, max of 10 per group
Duration: 3h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Live guide: English
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Highlights
- Tour Chichagof Island on a bear-searching mission
- Learn about the wildlife and landscape from your guide
- A small-group is better for spotting bears than a larger tour
- Relax with the security of a guide
- Picks Up & Drops Off at Icy Strait Point
- All individual seating in van, no bench seating
- Small Group Tour - Max of 10
- Local Native guide
- National Park fees $5.40
What's not included- Gratuities (Never expected always appreciated)
- Start:Traveller pickup offered.
- 3ʳᵈ party Excursions Hub, 108 Cannery Rd Excursion Hub, Hoonah, AK 99829, USADO NOT USE THE 108 CANNERY ROAD ADDRESS ON GOOGLE TO FIND THE PICK UP POINT. IT IS NOT CORRECT IN GOOGLE AND WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THAT!! We meet guests at the Icy Strait Point Excursions Hub. the Excursions Hub is a short 5 minute walk from where the ships dock or tender in to.
Pickup details- PLEASE ARRIVE 15 MINUTES BEFORE YOUR TOUR IS SCHEDULED TO DEPART, OUT OF COURTESY TO OTHERS WE LEAVE ON TIME. If your ship is docked at the Adventure Dock, proceed ashore to the Icy Strait Point Adventure Center. Once inside the Adventure Center walk through the building and exit through door number “2”. (This is clearly marked). Follow the signs on the gravel path to the Excursion Hub. The total walking time is 6-8 minutes, please allow extra time if you are not a fast walker. We ask that you check in for your tour 15 minutes early and we leave on time. If your ship is docked at the Wilderness Dock, walk up the ramp and to the right. Ride the FREE Green Transporter Gondola(4 minute ride) to the Adventure Landing. Exit the Gondola to the Left and follow the signs to the Excursion Hub, a 3 minute walk. Please check in with our Representative in the Blue Shirt/Jacket when you arrive at the Hub! If you are arriving via AK Seaplanes or AK Marine Hwy please call us before your trip to make other arrangements.
Port pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included ports.- Icy Strait Point, 108 Cannery Rd, Hoonah, AK 99829, USA
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 14707P3- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Tour Time is Departure time. Please meet 15 minutes prior at the Icy Strait Point Excursions Hub
- Each Child on tour must be accompanied by an adult
- No Smoking
- At time of booking, cruise ship passengers must provide ship name
- Most travellers can participate
- Children Under the age of 8 are not permitted on this tour
- While we endeavor to find bears on this tour we cannot gurantee sightings
- This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 14707P3
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- Sheila R0 contributionsGreat Whale watching excursionExcellent tour with very knowledgeable local Captain. Well run organization with roundtrip transportation. Saw a lot of whales and got up close.Written 4 September 2024
- Y2523ZMpaulal0 contributionsGreat day for watching and more!Great time with knowledgeable locals and we got to see humpbacks and orcas! We also spotted some black bears in the woods near the shore! Also got to see some sea otters and lions.Written 27 August 2024
- karenkO1723IO0 contributionsBeautiful day in Hoonah whale watchingThis was a terrific whale, watching tour with plenty of sightseeing. We saw bears off in the distance, a floating otter, killer whales that we watched for a good 20 minutes and giant humpback whales. We got up close and personal. It was better than expected. The captain is also very knowledgeable about all things. Very comfortable ship to watch From as wellWritten 27 August 2024
- CatNorman0 contributionsIncredible Small Group Whale WatchingWe researched whale watching in Alaska at the ports our cruise ship would stop. We did not want one of the tour bus experiences with a large group. Hoonah was rated better than Juneau for whale sighting, so we looked at Hoonah Travel Adventures. WOW!! This experience was awesome. Smaller boat, but plenty of space to take photos. Smaller group, so you weren't crawling over each other. Paul, our captain, was so knowledgeable and had incredible stories to tell of his own experiences, and his kids growing up in the area. (With photos to boot.) Everyone had the opportunity to ask questions. We would absolutely recommend Hoonah Travel Adventures. P.S. My first posted review incorrectly mentioned Patrick as captain, he was the assistant, Paul was in command. Sorry Paul.Written 21 August 2024
- C4491SAjenniferp0 contributionsAmazing day with bubble feeding and breaching whales!Went with my husband and 2 adult children. We had an amazing time and experience! Our guide Paul was an Alaska native and extremely knowledgeable and informative during the cruise. We were lucky to have a beautiful day and were able to see multiple pods of whales, breaching and bubble feeding. It was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity!Written 19 August 2024
- 813LizL0 contributionsWe saw whales!We were able to see humpback whales bubble feeding and then opportunistically, 3 orcas as well (2 male, 1 female). Also saw an otter from afar. I appreciate the smaller boat, though only 6 people outside up front at a time. Still better than the bigger boats with everyone crowded imo. Captain Denise also sent shared photos afterwards for anyone interested.Written 18 August 2024
- jimmuller4020 contributionsExcellent experience, highly recommend!I had an amazing experience with HTA! Their gift shop had a good selection of items, with better prices than the Point shops. We left on time and had a great captain/guide (Paul) and deckhand (Patrick). Paul was full of information he shared about the wildlife and town of Hoonah. Within the first 15 minutes of leaving the harbor we saw a whale breach fairly close to our boat. Throughout the tour we saw several whales breach, groups of whales bubble feeding, and pectoral fin slapping. The views were amazing! We also saw a bear on the shoreline and sea lions. I would recommend to anyone looking to enjoy wildlife and very scenic views!Written 15 August 2024
- hannah b0 contributionsWhales GaloreWe saw so many whales and even an otter!!! Guide was very interesting and entertaining. This is a great tour & definitely recommend!Written 12 August 2024
- L1953QZleel0 contributionsGreat way to see the action with the whales.This was a great way to see the whales...lots of time on the water with a lot of opportunities to see the whales do their thing! We also saw some seals close up on the buoys on our way back to shore. Good times!Written 5 August 2024
- Guide214076196630 contributionsAwesomeBest experience I ever had too be that close to whales.the guide had a lot of great knowledge of the area and about the wildlifeWritten 3 August 2024
- Cosmopolitan3706410 contributionsHoonah whale watching with Captain Denise GrayExcellent experience with over 2 hours of continuous whale watching and even a bear sighting. Captain Denise Gray was outstanding in her extremely well informed explanations of the nature of the whales and other wildlife, use of audio devices to listen to the whale communication to find and interpret the coordinated "bubble feeding" that was constantly happening. Another highlight was her recounting of her native culture and the Hoonah area where she grew up. She told of the history of her people that was "authorized" by her tribal elder father to pass on to her passengers. The student micro marine biologist first mate on board was an excellent addition as well.Written 30 July 2024
- U4712MOsusanj0 contributionsAMAZING!Our party of eight enjoyed a fantastic whale watching tour with Captain Denise a couple weeks ago. She was a fabulous guide and shared stories about life as a local as well as from her native heritage. She also successfully found a pod of whales for us to watch. We were basically surrounded by whales that were breaching, playing and singing for us. It was AMAZING!Written 23 July 2024
- Scotlandmac0 contributionsMother and Calf right beside our boatBrilliant trip - Paul knew exactly where the Humpback mothers and calves come to feed every year and we made straight for that stretch of coast.Around a dozen whales in a small area with a mother and calf that came right up to our boat.I know that is just good luck but still, there were so many whales so close, that some sort of encounter or action (breaching etc) was bound to happen.The calf was showing off his/her tail flipping and generally having a great time.Stunning.Very interesting commentary too about the humpback migration, Paul's own observations on the whales after many years of visiting them locally.I was a bit worried that the boat was quite small and it would be difficult for everyone to access the outdoor area for good viewing but it seemed to work ok.You sit inside on the journey out and back as the boat goes at top speed.Written 22 July 2024
- kescun0 contributionsOutstanding cruise with Captain PaulWe booked this separately from the cruise excursion offerings based on the reviews we read, and are very glad we did. Captain Paul has an incredible depth of knowledge of the sea life, wildlife, and the geography of the area that he offers in a very entertaining and engaging style. His personal stories about life in Hoonah were also very compelling. This excursion really made us feel like we were in Alaska and gave us terrific insight into the local life style and culture. We saw whales, orcas, sea otters, a bear on the shore, all amid beautiful surroundings. This was one of the highlights of our whole trip - thanks to the crew, and thank you Captain Paul for a very fun experience!Written 20 July 2024
- JFoos0 contributionsWhales and TalesWow. This was an amazing whale watching tour. Our captain was Paul Comolli - and he was quite a character. He gave us so much information about the whales and Hoonah - and just told us a lot of amazing stories. We saw lots of whales - including humpback whales feeding in a circle, which is cool. We also saw sea lions playing. Three bears on shore. Which was all great. But his stories really made the experience. It was an experience that I won't forget.Written 18 July 2024
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4.0
67 reviews
Excellent
37
Very good
7
Average
8
Poor
6
Terrible
9
Kimberly C
3 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
The landscape was beautiful but there were no BEARS to be seen. You basically stand on 3 different platforms, You are definitely timed so if bears don’t come walking by within that time you are basically on a high priced nature walk. I also felt like our guide could care less if we saw a bear or not. Maybe give some kind of refund if you don’t see bears ….give the guides more incentive or label the tour differently. I basically felt like our guide was just going through the motions. First tour in Alaska we felt a little “hoodwinked”. We were on the 12:15PM tour on 8/29 booked through Princess Cruises.
Written 29 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Exploration615298
Knaresborough, UK1 contribution
Aug 2023 • Family
Whilst we completely appreciate that wildlife has a mind of its own, we paid an awful lot of money for what was essentially a mini bus ride in silence for the most part. We got some very interesting commentary on the local area and its culture for the first half an hour from our guide which we enjoyed, but after that nothing at all whilst we searched for bears that we didn't find. It was honestly the most disappointing day we have had in almost 2 weeks in alaska and the least amount of wildlife we have seen, even just driving around ourselves we have seen more. The guide implied that lunch time tours don't have as much success so not sure why they run them at that time if thats the case, my advice would be to not do the 11-2pm tour and choose another time in the hope you have more luck than we did.
Written 16 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Barbara P
3 contributions
Sept 2023 • Couples
This was a lovely excursion from Icy Strait; we took the free gondola from the terminal to the meeting place, located near the end of the gondola ride.
I'm sorry that we don't have our driver/guide's name, but she was based at the souvenir store near the waterfront. She was really pleasant and informative and did her best to find places where we might see bears. We spent some time at a lovely spot on a bridge above a river where there was evidence that bears had been, but, unfortunately on this occasion, it didn't happen. it was still a really nice trip tho' and I would thoroughly recommend. It was good to ride along logging trails and see the surrounding countryside and learn about life in this lovely little community. Chichagof Island was probably our favourite stop on the cruise. Hoonah is a lovely, unspoilt, laid back township, and the walk back to the cruise ship made even better by the appearance of whales in the nearby waters. Just hope that the residents don't allow it to become overtaken with tourism and get spoilt, like some of the other cruise stops.
I'm sorry that we don't have our driver/guide's name, but she was based at the souvenir store near the waterfront. She was really pleasant and informative and did her best to find places where we might see bears. We spent some time at a lovely spot on a bridge above a river where there was evidence that bears had been, but, unfortunately on this occasion, it didn't happen. it was still a really nice trip tho' and I would thoroughly recommend. It was good to ride along logging trails and see the surrounding countryside and learn about life in this lovely little community. Chichagof Island was probably our favourite stop on the cruise. Hoonah is a lovely, unspoilt, laid back township, and the walk back to the cruise ship made even better by the appearance of whales in the nearby waters. Just hope that the residents don't allow it to become overtaken with tourism and get spoilt, like some of the other cruise stops.
Written 2 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Meander291748
2 contributions
Sept 2024 • Couples
This borders on a rip off. We started our tour at 11. The first thing the driver says is the berries are gone, the bears only eat at the river early in the morning or late. She might have said you just threw your $166 a person in the mud. Then she had us standing in the rain on a bridge for a half hour, looking for nothing. The whale tours promise your money back if you don,t see a whale. No way that this outfit could do that, look at the other reviews. And this island has the most dense concentration of bears in the world
Written 4 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to review us. We do guarantee whales or we give $100 back. The bears are a little harder to find sometimes and we do have days where they just don’t come out. Mother Nature just doesn’t cooperate sometimes. If you come back to Alaska we will definitely get you back out and make it up to you by putting you on bears!!
Written 5 September 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ramona G
3 contributions
Sept 2022
Wonderful excursion led by Cora, a native of Hoonah. She found a bear within the first half hour of the excursion. It was a magical experience; we were the only tour bus there so there were maybe 8 people total. We safely observed the bear from a bridge and watched her catch a fish then she ambled away. We saw one other bear toward the end of the trip but from much farther away. Bring binoculars!!
Written 10 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
daddyo-2
Westchester County, NY172 contributions
Nice afternoon out with Gary searching for brown bear. He was super friendly and knowledgeable about bears, the island, it’s history and the native tribes. He grew up here and it was very interesting to hear his stories. We were in a comfortable sprinter van with 2 other couples. Beautiful scenery, lots of signs of bears ie bear poop - but no bears. We checked out a bunch of spots. Luck of the draw i suppose - because they are definitely out and about! Would try again!
Written 8 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Passport31150787281
20 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
We did this tour with Braidon as our guide. He had very expansive knowledge of the floors and fauna of the area ands as good sense of humour. He gave a great insight to the local Hoonah community.
We were able to watch five bears in the river hunting for salmon which was amazing to see.
We would highly recommend this tour.
We were able to watch five bears in the river hunting for salmon which was amazing to see.
We would highly recommend this tour.
Written 19 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mike B
2 contributions
Jul 2024 • Friends
Disappointing. This was wildlife viewing without wildlife. I'm pretty sure they knew we wouldn't see anything because they started making excuses as soon as we got on the bus. They should be ashamed taking money for nothing. The excursion is not worth the price. I felt ripped off. No photos to add because all we saw were trees and a small stream. They claim 70% of visitors see something but I feel it is much less.
Written 25 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
giely
Chicago, IL22 contributions
Aug 2022
Amazing experience, nice and knowledgeable tour guide/driver. She took us to a bridge from which we saw a few brown bears getting into the river to catch fish. Awesome experience. We saw a couple of deer too. I only wish we had had more time.
Written 6 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rachel F
Herndon, VA14 contributions
Had a great drive to the river area with Cora! (Kora?) She had a great sense of humor and was incredibly knowledgeable about all the creatures we saw. We got to see three bear sows (females) and tons of jumping salmon! I wasn’t expecting to see any bears but was really excited to get a glimpse of a few. I would definitely recommend the experience!
Written 31 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
El barco llega a las 12, tendrán un horario de 1.00 pm para poder hacer la excursión ?
1o. junio visita a la isla chichagof
Written 3 April 2022
We will be arriving on NCL Joy August 21 st 7:00 am. I would love to take your Chichagof Island Brown Bear Search leaving at 7:30 but have concerns that we would miss tour if ship arrives late. Would it be possible for us to take the later tour if the ship was late?
Written 2 August 2019
I agree with bowlmeova…… our cruise ship was never late getting into port. Different times of year are better for bear viewing; check local postings for bear sightings. One thing our guide admitted is the dump is the best place to see bears in action :)
Written 4 August 2019
Our ship (Viking Orion) is at Icy Strait on Sunday 18th August. Viking's wildlife tours are all sold out and although its not showing up on your calendar, will you be operating a tour on that date?
Written 15 June 2019
We set up all our tours through viator, who uses locals.
Just go to their website and you can filter by the date and port
Written 15 June 2019
What time does the tour start? Listed as 7am. I will be on Celebrity Eclipse, arriving at 3:30pm...
Written 30 May 2019
If a tour is available it leaves at 4pm. What day are you arriving? It may be sold out if it is not showing available.
Written 16 June 2019
Chichagof Island has the highest concentration of brown bear of anywhere in the world. Sightings all really depend on many factor. Weather, time of year, and the availability of certain food sources. That being said, your best chance of seeing bears in SE Alaska on a tour that does not cost over $500 is in Hoonah!
Written 22 May 2019
We are arriving at icy straight point on the celebrity millenium on 21st may 2019. can the collection point be near the cruise port please
Written 23 April 2019
Yes, we pick up at the Excursions Hub which is a short 6 minute walk from your cruise ship!
Written 22 May 2019
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
