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Icy Strait Exclusive Wildlife and Bear Search Tour

4.5
226 reviews

Excursion Overview

Discover the secrets of Icy Strait on this exciting wildlife search!

Chichagof Island has been named "Bear Island" by National Geographic because it has the highest concentration of bears in the world at 1-2 brown bears per square mile, making it a great destination for bear watching from Icy Strait Point. This Exclusive Wildlife and Bear Search small group tour will give you a flexible, up-close experience that large group tours simply cannot offer.

On this 4-hour van tour, there are many exciting things to see, such as the scenic view of muskeg, some of the ten varieties of edible berries found on the island, viewing an old-growth forest, and potential sightings of the king of the island: brown bears.

Based on current bear movements, feeding habits, and daytime temperatures, there are short stops in key locations to scope out a magnificent view of these captivating creatures - and your wildlife guide knows them all! They will also share information about the area and the Tlingit Native population.

There is also a host of other wildlife that are quite frequently spotted during excursions, including mink, marten, red squirrels, otter, beaver, ducks, sea birds, Sitka black-tail deer, and plenty of bald eagles. So be sure to bring your camera.

Please note: Your departure time for this tour can start 30 minutes (or more) after your cruise ship's arrival to Icy Strait. Wildlife is not guaranteed.

Things You Need to Know

Inclusions:

  • Roundtrip guided transportation from Icy Strait Excursions Hub to the wildlife viewing locations.
  • Bottled water

Requirements:

  • There are no additional requirements for this excursion.

Duration: 4 hours (Roundtrip from cruise ship terminal.)

  • 4 hours narrated scenic drive around the island

Meeting Instructions:

  • This tour meets at the Icy Strait Excursions Hub. Fully detailed instructions are included on your finalized ticket vouchers.

ADA Accessibility of Tour:

  • This tour is limited mobility accessible. Guests must be able to climb 4 steps into and out of the van. There is limited space for collapsible wheelchairs and walkers. There is no storage available for motorized scooters. Please leave a comment during checkout if accommodations for collapsible equipment will be required on tour.

Refund Policy:

  • You may cancel for any reason up to seven (7) days prior to the date of the tour for a full refund.
  • Please see our Refund Policy Page for complete details.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tour van size can vary from 12 to 14 passengers.

Our success rate for seeing bears is very high, however, wildlife cannot be guaranteed. Our area has more bears per square mile than any other place in Alaska with 1.7 bears per square mile.

A large male brown bear can be over ten feet from tail to nose and weigh up to 1800 lbs.

Yes, we have one car seat available upon request. Please leave a note at checkout if you will require a car seat.

We have one car seat available and you are more than welcome to bring your own car/booster seats with you. Our vans have seatbelts.

 

Guest Reviews

4.5

226 total

69%
19%
8%
3%
1%

Julie H

On Oct 2023

We loved this trip. Daylan was such a great guide. He is a native Alaskan and knows everything there is to know. We saw a mother and baby bear together with deer and eagles. The scenery was stunning. We had stops along to way and we were told so much about the forest and surrounding areas. We learnt a lot! Thank you. We will certainly book again when we visit in 2025.

MARCOS D

On Sep 2023

Amazing Tour! Loved our guide, he gave us a lot of facts and history about the tribes and culture. And the best part is that we got to see 5 bears on the way back! it was awesome!

Andrew G

On Sep 2023

Although no bears were seen on our tour the guide could not be faulted for trying to locate these shy creatures. We were fortunate to be guided by a senior figure of some standing within the local community who imparted his local knowledge with both pride and feeling.

Wendy S

On Sep 2023

Our tour guide was amazing! We didn't see a bear but he still made the excursion well worth the money. He was a local with great information on the area.

Anthony D

On Sep 2023

Enjoyed it! Tour was led by a local, we decided to book a tour not through our cruise ship & we're so glad we did because the people who booked through the cruise ship saw nothing on their tour and we saw 9 Bears! Additionally, having a local do our tour he knew so much about the area and where the good viewing spots were. We were picked up on time, guide was wonderful and even gave us a little extra time since no one had to be back to the ship yet. There is nothing to do in Icy Straight Point, so this was definitely worth it to take this tour!! Definitely book with Alaska Shore Excursions

$150.00

Best Price Guarantee!

$150.00

Duration: 4 hours

Best Price Guarantee!

Duration: 4 hours



Ages 16+

Adult: $150.00

Child (6-15): $75.00

Infant (5 and Under): $0.00

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