Chichagof Island Tour: Brown Bear Search
Description
Embark on a small-group, 3-hour land based tour of Chichagof Island. The community of Hoonah, with a year round population of approximately 850, is located in the northern part of Chichagof Island. The vast majority of the island is pure, uninhabited, Alaskan wilderness teeming with wildlife! Chichagof Island has the highest population of bears per square mile of any place on Earth.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Shop at Hoonah's #1 Gift Store! Gifts, Snacks, Drinks!
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
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 Ocean Landing Dock, proceed ashore to the Icy Strait 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.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Tour Time is Departure time. Please meet 15 minutes prior at the Icy Strait 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
- 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
Reviews(197)
Cora shares enthusiasm and great stories about growing up and raising her family in Hoonah. We learned a lot about life in a small village and living off the land. She taught us how to spot bear and we were treated to two sightings. There was plenty of time to observe bears being choosy about which salmon looked the tastiest. A good experience.
I had an excellent day with Cora on our Wilderness tour. Although seeing bears are not guaranteed we were so thrilled to see 5 bears during our tour. Cora has spent her whole life in the Tongass National Forest, growing up in Hoonah and really knows the area well. She has a deep respect for all of the animals and nature. I enjoyed getting to know her and learn more about her beautiful village. I highly recommend if you are visiting Icy Strait to book this tour.
I had an excellent day with Cora on our Wilderness tour. Although seeing bears are not guaranteed we were so thrilled to see 5 bears during our tour. Cora has spent her whole life in the Tongass National Forest, growing up in Hoonah and really knows the area well. She has a deep respect for all of the animals and nature. I enjoyed getting to know her and learn more about her beautiful village. I highly recommend if you are visiting Icy Strait to book this tour.
The guide was great! She had a lot of history about the area and shared some personal stories which I thought put a personal flair to the tour. We did see a bear and a black tail deer and I loved how it was a smaller group. Definitely recommend to others if you are not adventuring out on your own.
Little more information what awaits the person on this bear hunt, and the fact that there are no specific spots where you’re guaranteed to see them
Great experience. Cora was excellent and we learned a lot about island culture and bears. We were able to see 7 brown bears, deer and eagles. Highly recommend
We drove around the island looking for bears. Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. At a few locations we spotted several bears ( mothers and cubs) feeding on fish from the local streams. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who enjoys seeing wildlife. The only criticism I have is that the meetup information was incomplete. We were instructed to “ meet at the cruise ship terminal.” We actually had to fine the “ Excursion Hub” in order to connect to their representatives. Fortunately we were able to ask around and hike the 100 yards or so to the Hub. Since I’m not walking so well these days I found it inconvenient.
Time of year and weather is important to be able to view Bears only saw 2 at great distance. Not worth the cost
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're glad you were able to see bears during your visit, although we're sorry they were farther away than you had hoped. Wildlife viewing is always unpredictable, and weather plays a significant role in what guests experience. Interestingly, beautiful, sunny days can actually make bear sightings more challenging, as bears often retreat into the forest to stay cool and avoid insects. Cooler, overcast, or rainy weather frequently results in more active bears along the beaches and streams. The time of year also has a major impact on bear activity and where they can be found. Every tour is different, and while we always do our best to locate wildlife, we can never guarantee how many bears will be seen or how close they'll be. We understand that your experience didn't meet your expectations, and we appreciate your feedback. We hope you'll have the opportunity to visit Chichagof Island again under different conditions, when the bears may be much more active and visible.
Best tour ever! We had the chance to see 3 giant brown bears . Our guide was great!
Our group consisted of 19 people, and we booked three Brown Bear Search tours (two morning tours and one afternoon tour). Unanimously, every member of our group agreed that this was the single biggest disappointment and worst value of our nearly two-week trip from Vancouver, Canada, to Anchorage, Alaska. Had we known the following before booking, we would have chosen a different excursion. • The majority of the tour consists of driving. You spend nearly the entire three-hour excursion riding in a van on gravel roads at approximately 30–35 mph. Because the vehicle is constantly moving, spotting wildlife and taking quality photographs is nearly impossible. • Heavy traffic significantly reduces the wildlife experience. The gravel roads are heavily traveled by numerous tour vans, buses, and private vehicles. With so many vehicles traveling the same routes, wildlife sightings are understandably very limited. If your primary goal is to observe brown bears or other wildlife, this tour is unlikely to meet your expectations. • Very little opportunity to leave the vehicle. Although the tour lasts approximately three hours, there is little to no opportunity to get out of the van. Two of our groups had a single stop lasting approximately less than five minutes. One of our other groups never stopped at all and remained inside the vehicle for the entire three-hour tour. For our group, this excursion represented a significant investment of both time and money, yet it delivered very little value in return. We genuinely wish we had selected a different activity while visiting Hoonah. On a lighter note, the experience was so disappointing that, for the first time ever, one member of our group attempted to write a review before the tour had even ended so that other travelers could avoid making the same mistake. Unfortunately, there was no cell service until after we returned. Based on our experience, we cannot recommend the Brown Bear Search Tour. There are many excellent excursions available in Alaska, and we believe your time and money would be much better spent on one of those alternatives.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're genuinely sorry to hear that your group was disappointed with the experience. We understand how frustrating it is when an excursion doesn't meet the expectations you had for your Alaska vacation. Because the bears and other animals are completely wild, we can never guarantee sightings. Some days guests are fortunate enough to see multiple bears, while on other days wildlife is much more elusive. The route requires driving because the bears roam a very large area, and remaining in the vehicle is both the safest approach and the method recommended by local wildlife experts. While we do make stops when conditions and wildlife activity allow, frequent stops or allowing guests to walk in bear habitat would not be safe. We're disappointed that your experience didn't reflect the memorable tours that many of our guests enjoy. We appreciate your comments, as feedback helps us continue evaluating how we set expectations and deliver the best experience possible. Thank you again for visiting Hoonah, and we wish you the very best on your future travels.
