Alaskan Bear Encounter by Land & Sea
Overview
4 hours 45 minutes
Mobile ticket
The Neets Bay Bear Observatory is closed to the public without a permit. Our company has the exclusive rights to the permits which means that only a select number of guests will get to experience this.
Guests will experience something few people ever will being in safe but close proximity to bears in the wild.
Additional Info
Service animals allowed
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Snack
What To Expect
Ketchikan
You will enjoy a fully narrated coach tour from downtown Ketchikan (or Ward Cove dependent upon your ship) to Clover Pass Lodge, the oldest operating fishing lodge in the state of Alaska.
Upon arrival you will board our comfortable boat, fully enclosed and meet your Captain and crew. You'll be whisked away into the wilderness for a one hour exploration of the wild and wonderful Tongass National Forest, all from the comfort of your boat.
Options
Alaskan Bear Encounter by Land & Sea
Reviews
71 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great trip
karen p,
Oct 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00AJ was fantastic . His knowledge of the area and the stories he told were great. Nate was really good about finding the whales and taking time to let us see them. Bear encounter was really good to see them in their own environment and so close! Loads of whales and we saw the bubble feeding which was amazing. It was great to get AJs historical perspective on how the area has changed and how life has changed. Weather was great which helped!
Ketchikan highlights
peter colliver,
Oct 3, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Definitely one of the highlights of our Canada/Alaska holiday. AJ & Captain Nate were fantastic. AJ’s stories and poetry were great. Got to see Humpback Whales up close, Sea Lions in their own little colonies and bears feeding in the hatchery. Also saw Mamma and baby bear running and playing in the water. Definitely a must if you visit Ketchikan.
AJ is the man.
nicholasrT6376OC,
Oct 2, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Being able to see the wilderness of Ketchikan from a first hand view point was incredible. Our guide AJ was an amazing help and guide. The stories he had and being able to hear first hand experiences and learn from someone who actually lives on this land and knows it so well was a wonderful experience. It was worth every penny and I recommend this to everyone.
Amazing Experience!
Amy01886,
Sep 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00An amazing experience. With only one chance to do an excursion based on a shorter stop in Ketchikan, we were thrilled with this choice. It truly made our trip to Alaska. While the boat trip is an hour out and an hour back, it has beautiful scenery, an opportunity to learn a lot about this area of Alaska, and to learn about wildlife. Once in Neets Bay, we saw sea lions, seals, eagles, and of course, luckily, when we landed and walked inland....bears! The Hatchery is also fascinating...and learning about the life cycle and importance of salmon.
Highlight of our holiday
607kathk,
Sep 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a fantastic experience and one of the highlights of our trip to Alaska. From start to finish we were looked after by all the staff, who were all knowledgeable and very informative: Evelyn the coach driver, Captain Nate on the boat to Neets Bay with Gavin the tour guide and Connie at the site. We saw Steller sealions on the way, many bald eagles at the site, 3 bears (2 catching salmon in the river) and American mink on the shore. We were very close to all the wildlife, which made this an unforgettable experience. The time allotted for the tour is appropriate to allow for journey times to and from Neets Bay and plenty of time for viewing the wildlife. I would thoroughly recommend this tour to anyone travelling to Ketchikan. Thank you!
A tour packed with wildlife and multiple photo opportunities
Akthom,
Sep 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I was pleasantly surprised to find very comfortable boats with lots of windows that you could open if needed to take pictures, or the option of going outside in the back of the boat. Five minutes into it, our excellent Captain Trevin finds a couple of humpback whales. We gets lots of pictures of that and some eagles. The ride is about an hour in. The guide, (I forgot her name but she was excellent) told us about everything we were seeing and answered any questions. There's a beautiful, easy hike in through the rain forest. There was a great viewing area, very safe, and we saw two black bears looking for fish. We saw a very small island full of sea lions laying around. More great photo opportunities. I would highly recommend going on this tour! loved it!!
Amazing bear experience
EmilyK322,
Sep 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We sailed in on the Norwegian jade today and took this tour. It was fantastic! So much great information, and we saw black bears, bald eagles, sea lions and more. The guide and boat driver were fantastic. A great experience! Thank you!
Bears up close!! AMAZING
S5474QPalexandraj,
Sep 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Amazing experience! Saw bears so close up, the guides were super knowledgeable. Soooo worth it, had the best time and a super intimate experience with a bear!
Awesome experience
Passenger42137981990,
Sep 16, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great experience with Gavin, Captain Kay and Connie. Saw 2 bears. Stellar sealions and lots of bald eagles. Would thoroughly recommend this trip. Thank you for the snack and gummy bears....
Black bear, Sealion, Salmon and Bald Eagles
gillayres,
Sep 15, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Absolutely fantastic. Really knowledgeable guide A. J. And pleasant driver. We saw Black bear catching and eating Salmon, Sea Lions, Hump backed whales and Bald Eagles and Salmon returning to spawn. Wonderful experience.
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Operated by Adventure Ketchikan Tours