Overview
Available languages
3 hours
Mobile ticket
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.
Additional Info
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
What To Expect
The Shops By HTA
Shop at Hoonah's #1 Gift Store! Gifts, Snacks, Drinks!
Options
Tour
Small-group, 3-hour land based (Van) tour of Chichagof Island. Chichagof Island has the highest concentration of brown bears of any place on Earth. Pickup included
What‘s Included
Picks Up & Drops Off at Icy Strait 3rd Party Excursions Hub
Local Native guide
Small Group Tour - Max of 10
All individual seating in van, no bench seating
USFS $7.00USD Park Entrance Fee
Gratuities (Never expected always appreciated)
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
182 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Getting to and from this activity was difficult
Don L,Jun 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00No one on cruise ship or locals could give directions to starting place listed on confirmation. Dropped off for return at handicap assist transport bench - no assistance transport vehicle ever showed up making it difficult to get back to ship
No Bears, Just Scat
Rebel2020,Jun 7, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00Nice van tour of the island and area. We booked the tour in hopes of seeing bears or other wildlife as that is the focus of the tour and the area. Saw 2 deer and a snow bunny on the 3 hour tour. Other than scat, no sign of a bear or anything of interest. Driver/Guide did not seem that surprised we did not see bear, which surprised us. Maybe you will get luckier but temper any expectations, at least early in the season.
A 3 hour bus ride
Ivor L,May 27, 2026
- Review from Viator
2.00We ended up riding in the bus for the entire time with only a ten minute stop. No bears. I know that’s not guaranteed but maybe we could have seen something else?
Great tour with excellent customer service
Jared W,May 15, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00The customer service was outstanding and fixed our trip to Hoona. Our ship delayed our arrival to Hoona making us miss our search tour. I called Angie and she not only got us scheduled with another tour, but also due to the circumstances,. It turned into a private tour where we were the only ones in the search party. We did not see any bears but that’s not the tour guides fault and he was very knowledgeable of the area and of bear tracking. We would do the tour again!
Great experience!
Experience453585,May 13, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We spent the morning with Cora! She provided a lot of history about the area from a personal perspective. We saw 2 bears and were able to observe them for a while. I’d highly recommend this tour and Cora was fantastic!
The BEST part of our cruise
abaddon1323,Oct 6, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was the BEST part of our cruise to Alaska. We had the best guide Mrs. CORA. She taught us how to track bear she was GREAT
Take A Drive Through Nature With A Local!
Kenneth C,Sep 20, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00This tour was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon and experience nature in Hoonah, Alaska aka Icy Straight Point cruise ship terminal. Our guide, Cora, was truly a local as she and her mother were both born and raised in Hoonah. Her knowledge and hometown perspective made the tour extra special. We were lucky enough to see a bear with her cub, watching them walk down the road and then climb a steep hillside to snack on berries. The drive through nature was amazing, with salmon moving upstream to spawn adding to the experience. The tour was easy to access, just a short walk from the cruise ship, with staff waiting at the pickup point to greet us and make sure we were in the right place. This excursion takes you off the beaten path and offers an authentic look at Alaska’s wildlife and community. Highly recommended!
Disappointed
kathygQ2035PH,Sep 10, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Our driver was very nice and knowledgeable. But very disappointing trip. We saw no bears on the tour. I realize they cannot control this but I would love to see what percentage of time they actually see bears. It was an expensive trip to ride on a gravel road for 3 hours. It was beautiful scenery.
Not impressed either with Viator or Hoonah Travel Adventures
Anu E,Sep 4, 2025
- Review from Viator
1.00Our tour was cut short once we were already in the tour van because the other 5 participants told the guide that they needed to be back before our tour ended due to a conflict with another tour that they had booked. Our guide noted that he would have to shorten the tour because of the time conflict for the 5 other guests (but what about us who had expected the full tour?). As such we were rushed thru bear sighting stops and missed the return to our first stop where bears were most likely to be sighted. I contacted the tour company (Hoonah Travel Adventures) immediately upon return by messenger (as suggested on the Viator website) but received no response. The next day I contacted Viator who told me that it was no longer their issue because the tour was over and to contact the tour provider (which I had already attempted without any success). I kept pushing back with Viator via messenger and after too many back and forth got transferred to another person who said she would look into it. I next got a message from this person at Viator asking what I wanted... basically a refund of the percentage of the tour that had not been provided (11%,). Viator then contacted the supplier who agreed to the proportional refund. There are a number of issues here including Viator trying to absolve themselves of all responsibility for what they sold and leaving the onus on me to try and resolve the issue. I should note thst until today I had used Viator many times without any issues but this experience leaves a bad taste.
Didn't see any Bears, I...
Sue M,Aug 27, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Didn't see any Bears, I guess to warm for them. We did see deer and lots of Salmon. A very nice tour Cora our guide was very informative. This is a good tour
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Operated by Hoonah Travel Adventures LLC