Come join us for an unforgettable brown bear viewing adventure at the renowned at Pack Creek Bear Sanctuary. Your day kicks off with a breathtaking 25-minute floatplane flight to Pack Creek. Known as the "Fortress of the Bears," Admiralty Island holds the Tlingit name Kootznoowoo, and it lives up to its title with an impressive brown bear population of approximately 1,800. Upon arrival, you'll receive a warm welcome from the dedicated rangers of Pack Creek. Afterwards, you'll tread the same paths as the bears, exploring the shoreline and forest trails that lead to prime brown bear viewing spots. From the banks of Pack Creek, you'll have the incredible opportunity to observe bears in their natural habitat, whether they're engaged in salmon fishing or enjoying a nap in the tall grass. Brown bears are most active during mating season (late May - June) and annual salmon runs (late July - August). Kayaking is included in the tour from June 20th to July 20th due to limited bear activity.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 13.
Our warehouse location is available for luggage storage, bathrooms, and resources.
The Pack Creek Bear Sanctuary on Admiralty Island is home to the densest concentration of brown bears in the world. Come join us for exploring this "Fortress of the Bears" in remote wild Alaska.
The “C” Sign, located near the cruise ship docks directly between Mt. Roberts Tramway and the green Taku Smokeries building, is our centralized downtown meeting location for all clients in the downtown area, including the majority of cruise ship passengers. Clients staying at major hotels in the Mendenhall Valley may be picked up directly from their hotel. Clients with their own transportation need to contact our office to arrange a meeting location.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
Pack Creek Brown Bear Viewing Juneau lasts about 7 hours. The itinerary has 2 stops.
Prices start at $1,111 per person for this Juneau experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, with 8 departures a day between 7:30 AM and 12:30 PM.
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
Yes, pickup is offered. The “C” Sign, located near the cruise ship docks directly between Mt. Roberts Tramway and the green Taku Smokeries building, is our centralized downtown meeting location for all clients in the downtown area, including the majority of cruise ship passengers. Clients staying at major hotels in the Mendenhall Valley may be picked up directly from their hotel. Clients with their own transportation need to contact our office to arrange a meeting location.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 5 participants.
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 4.8 out of 5 across 34 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Above and Beyond Alaska.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
We had a wonderful day at Pack Creek surrounded by bears! Kayly took such good care of us, the weather was perfect and we learnt a lot about the coastal bears and how to interact with them. This was a trip that we had been looking forward to for a long time and Pack Creek delivered!
We're so happy to hear that you had a wonderful time at Pack Creek learning about and viewing the bears! Thank you for your kind words, hope we can host you again soon!
Kelsey our guide was very knowledgable, professional, friendly, and most importantly fun! We had a wonderful experience from the float plane flown by Bo to the guided bear viewing areas by Kelsey. We highly recommend the bear excursion as an activity while in Juneau, Alaska. Great job ladies!
Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear you had such a great experience. We'll be sure to pass along your compliments to our team. Thank you for choosing to explore with us, and we hope to welcome you back to Juneau someday!
I'm convinced that the guides knew in advance that we wouldn't see any bears. Or that, even if we did, they'd be too far away. They shouldn't offer this activity—which is so expensive—knowing that the chances of seeing bears during these months are so slim. But since the advertising on their website is so misleading, we fell for it like fools.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re truly sorry to hear that your experience at Pack Creek did not meet your expectations. Wildlife viewing is inherently unpredictable, and while we always hope for incredible bear encounters, sightings can vary greatly depending on natural conditions and animal behavior. We understand how disappointing it can be to invest in a special experience and not see the wildlife you hoped for. Our goal is always to provide an authentic and respectful opportunity to experience Alaska’s bears in their natural habitat, while being transparent that sightings cannot be guaranteed. We appreciate you sharing your perspective, and we’ll continue working to ensure our tour information accurately reflects the experience and the realities of wildlife viewing.
Great experience, first time in a float plane and seeing the landscape at altitude <1,000 feet was amazing. Guides are very knowledgeable and friendly. Would add this to your itinerary for sure. Only saw 1 bear from a distance, but that’s nature for you. Some others on a separate trip saw many more and closer.
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so glad you enjoyed your first float plane experience and had the chance to take in the incredible Alaskan landscape from above. We appreciate your kind words about our team and their knowledge and passion for the area. Wildlife sightings are always unpredictable, but we’re grateful you were able to experience a glimpse of these amazing animals in their natural habitat. We hope to welcome you back to Alaska for another unforgettable adventure!
It's better to go when the salmon are running and you can see more bears, but our awesome and extremely knowledgeable guide Kelsey made the trip worthwhile. I'd also like to give a shout-out to all the AK Fish & Game and NFS staff that help keep Pack Creek safe for us and wild for the bears.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful review! We’re glad to hear that your experience was made special by our team’s knowledge and passion for Pack Creek. Wildlife encounters are always unpredictable, and we appreciate your understanding that every visit offers a unique experience. We also appreciate you recognizing the incredible work of the Alaska Department of Fish & Game and U.S. Forest Service staff who help protect this special place and preserve it. We hope to welcome you back to Alaska for another unforgettable adventure!
We had Kelsey Clark as our guide. All the details of the tour were well organized. We didn't see many bears but learned a lot about the ones we have seen. Would do the tour again but during salmon season.
Thank you for your thoughtful review! We're so glad to hear you enjoyed your experience and appreciated the care that went into making the tour well organized and informative. While wildlife sightings can always vary, we're happy you were able to learn more about the bears you encountered and enjoy the experience. We’d love to welcome you back during salmon season for another incredible adventure!
Phenomenal! Absolutely amazing! Our guide Miles was overflowing with information…he’s wonderful…the Best: we watched 2 mommas and 2 cubs eat for an hour or more then one female chased the other, right in front of us! It was the most beautiful & exciting experience I’ve had. Worth every penny!
Thank you so much for your incredible review! We're thrilled to hear your bear viewing experience was so memorable, and glad to hear Miles shared so much information. Watching two mothers and their cubs, along with such fascinating natural behavior, is truly unforgettable. We're so glad your adventure was worth every penny, and we hope to welcome you back to Alaska for another amazing experience!
Kelsey was by far one of the best guides we’ve ever experienced. She was passionate about this outing, interested in us, interested in sharing her knowledge and of course brought her best luck for a fantastic viewing of 6 bears! Great great trip, not to mention the plane rides there and back.
Thank you so much for your kind review! We're so glad you enjoyed your time with your guide, and we will surely pass along the positive feedback to Kelsey! We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and hope to welcome you back to Alaska for another adventure in the future.
This was my trip of a life time. Topped off my bucket list. Miles was a fantastic guide. He was helpful and very observant about all that was going on. Thank you for making this part of my trip unforgettable.
Thank you so much for your heartfelt review! We're honored to have been part of such a special bucket-list experience. We hope to welcome you back to Alaska one day!
The entire experience was professional and fun. Miles, our guide, did a great job. Informative, fun, safe, and went out of his way to flex his style to our group.
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so glad to hear you had a professional, fun, and safe experience. It means a lot to know our team helped make your adventure both enjoyable and memorable. We hope to welcome you back to Alaska again someday!
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pack Creek Brown Bear Viewing Juneau | 7 hours | 4.8 (34) | $1,111 | |
 Private Bear Viewing at Waterfall Creek | 5h 30min | 5.0 (5) | $3,840 | View |
 Private Bear Viewing By Seaplane | 6 hours | 5.0 (10) | $2,500 | View |
 Waterfall Creek Brown Bear Viewing Juneau | 6 hours | 5.0 (7) | $1,111 | View |
 Pack Creek Bear Viewing | 5h 30min | 5.0 (12) | $1,299 | View |
 Bear Viewing at Pack Creek | 6 hours | — | $2,100 | View |
 Bear Viewing at Waterfall Creek | 5h 30min | — | $1,399 | View |