Icy Strait Shore Excursions and Activities

Authentic Alaskan Adventures

Explore the Last Frontier
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Surround Yourself With the Natural Beauty of Wild Alaska

Welcome to Hoonah, AK. The home of Icy Strait Point Excursions. Let us show you an untouched Alaskan wilderness. We want to share the breathtaking sights, the wildlife, and the amazing people of Hoonah Alaska with you. Join us on a whale watching tour to see the enormous humpback whales. These gentle giants of the sea spend their summers right here in the nutrient-rich waters of Glacier Bay and Icy Strait. If you are longing to see bears while you are here, then we've got you covered. Our wilderness tour will take you to Chichagof Island, where the population of brown bears per square mile is the highest of any place on Earth. And don't forget the fishing. Many outdoor enthusiasts come to Alaska for fishing, and Hoonah won't disappoint. Our fishing tour is led by a locally raised Tlingit native. He will take you to his favorite fishing areas for the best halibut and salmon fishing around.

Adventures

Inspired by Nature

Duration
3 hours
Group Size
Up to 10

Wilderness Tour and Brown Bear Search - LEO, Military, Teacher Discount!

This Alaskan wilderness and bear search tour is offered on Chichagof Island, a one-of-a-kind location with the highest population of bears per square mile of any place on Earth. Depending on the season, catch the bears coming out of hibernation and looking for food; or later on in the season when the bears are mating and eating grasses on the tidal flats. Older males fight each other for dominance and mating rights with the females, who at times are not receptive and force the male to give chase. This is truly an experience for the books, and cameras.

Duration
3 hours
Group Size
Up to 30

Guaranteed Whale Watching Tours in Icy Straits - LEO, Military, Teacher Discount!

Join us for the best show in town, a 3-hour whale watching excursion (includes transportation time and approx 2.5 hours on the water) which begins when you board the bus that departs from the Icy Strait Point Excursion Hub, just a short 5-minute walk from your cruise ship. Travel just 1.5 miles through the picturesque landscape of Hoonah, Alaska. On arrival at the Hoonah Harbor, it's “All aboard!” and you’re off for the waters of Icy Straits and the ultimate whale watching experience. The area near Icy Strait Point, with its proximity to Point Adolphus and Glacier Bay, is home to one of the largest summer populations of humpback whales found in Alaska and the whale watching is second to none.

Duration
3 hours
Group Size
Up to 6

Saltwater Fishing Adventure

Join local maritime hero Captain Billy, a locally raised Tlingit of Hoonah, Alaska on this unforgettable fishing adventure. His knowledge of area waters is unsurpassed and his desire to share it with you is second to none! Southeast Alaska and Icy Strait in particular, is home to some of the best halibut and salmon fishing around. The biggest halibut on record was caught inside Icy Strait! Hoonah is just a stones throw from Icy Strait so no time is wasted getting to the fishing grounds and the hooks down!

Duration
3 hours
Group Size
Up to 12

Kayak Adventure

Your Kayak experience will take you into the peaceful waters of Port Frederick. Enjoy the serenity that can only be had while quietly gliding across the waters near Icy Strait Point enjoying the beautiful Alaskan scenery. Wildlife such as; eagles, seals, sea lions, Sitka black tail deer, whales, and even a bear on the beach are possible sightings. Take a journey into this serene kayak adventure on Icy Strait for an unforgettable experience!

Duration
3 hours
Group Size
Up to 14

Whales, Wildlife & Drones

This whale watching tour is personalized, as it takes out a maximum of 14 guests at a time. This allows for a great crew to guest ratio, ensuring your experience is personal. The areas we search near in Hoonah near Icy Strait Point and Point Adolphus are known Humpback whale feeding grounds. Josh has captained in this area for many years and knows the area well! He know how to find the whales! Add in the communication he has with other captains on the other boats, and it's a perfect whale finding system!

What really makes this tour unique is the Drone imagery. Drones are able to see below the water surface and broadcast live video back to the boat.
View pods of orcas effortlessly gliding under the waves, on rare occasions, see humpback calfs playing with their mothers, on rare occasions, the amazing phenomenon of "bubble-net" feeding by groups of humpbacks is seen. Your personal view of the whales is not repaced with drones; just supplemented! You will experience seeing and hearing these amazing animals with your own eyes and ears, and then we take you to the next level with our displays onboard.

Duration
5 to 6 hours
Group Size
1 to 6

Great Alaskan Stream Fishing Adventure

Go Stream Fishing on National Geographics “Bear Island” & Experience Alaska Like Never Before!

Why choose us?

Our Local Guides Provide an Intimate and Authentic Experience

This is not a mass-market big bus tour. We are a family-run company based right here in Hoonah. Our Icy Strait Point shore excursions are run by local guides who are eager to show you the real Alaskan Wilderness. Our tours have been providing exceptional customer service for over a decade now. We keep our groups small, so we can take you off the beaten path, where the locals go. We want your port call in Hoonah, and our Icy Strait Point excursions, to be the highlight of your Alaskan cruise.

Local Guides

We care about our beautiful state and want to show it off in a genuine way while protecting and preserving the land and sea at the same time.  We are committed to keeping Alaska wild!

We care about our beautiful state and want to show it off in a genuine way while protecting and preserving the land and sea at the same time.  We are committed to keeping Alaska wild!

Authentic Alaska

Our experiences focus on the heart of Alaska.  From land to sea to sky, envelop yourself in the natural beauty of Alaska, and get close (but not too close) and personal with the wildlife, and the locals!

Our experiences focus on the heart of Alaska.  From land to sea to sky, envelop yourself in the natural beauty of Alaska, and get close (but not too close) and personal with the wildlife, and the locals!

Quality

We have been operating and improving our small group tours for over a decade. We are constantly evaluating ourselves, innovating, and improving to ensure that every customer gets an amazing experie...

We have been operating and improving our small group tours for over a decade. We are constantly evaluating ourselves, innovating, and improving to ensure that every customer gets an amazing experience from the first contact to the last touch.

Location

Icy Strait, Alaska

Cruising in Alaska Should Be On Everyone's Bucket List

Alaska is a paradise for animal lovers. Along the rugged coastline, you can spot humpback whales, brown bears, otters, seals, eagles. For the best wildlife viewing, check out our small group Icy Strait Point shore excursions

Since the arrival of cruise ship travelers, the Huna Totem Corporation has restored a former salmon cannery to support tourism in the area. The old cannery is now home to a museum, restaurants, and locally owned arts and crafts shops. The Tlingit tribe has called this area home for centuries, and they love to share their native culture. While you are here, you can even take a tour aboard a traditional hand-carved Tlingit dugout canoe!

Frequently asked questions

Most frequent questions and answers

We offer the lowest rates in Hoonah! That being said, if you call and book you will save the 6% fee the booking platform we use charges. And, we do offer discounts for groups of 4 or more on some of the tours!

Yes! Multiple families may join the same tour as long as adequate space is available and the maximum is not exceeded. Just let us know and we will make sure everyone is together.

Please don’t worry; we’ll know if your ship is delayed. We receive a constant stream of updates on the cruise ships’ timetables. Consequently, we will automatically adjust your schedule and factor in any delays against the timing of your tour. When you arrive at the port, just check in with a Hoonah Travel Adventures representative at the Icy Strait Point Excursion Hub. (Look for them holding a Hoonah Travel Adventures sign.) If your ship doesn’t make it to port for any reason, we will refund you in full without incurring any administration fees or penalties.

There are a few great reasons! As an established, local company with a Certificate of Excellence, we love nothing more than to enrich your experience while visiting the area of Icy Strait Point. Local knowledge is king, and having a fantastic team with a wealth of local expertise in our employ, gives us the confidence that we’ll leave you happy and wanting to return!

We shape and time all of our tours and excursions around the cruise ships’ schedules relieving you of any stress before you dock into port. What’s more, we 100% guarantee whale sightings on every whale watching tour (from May to September). Or, in the unlikely event you don’t sight a whale, we’ll refund you $100. In fact, our captains, naturalists and guides live to love whales, so it pleases them to no end to leave you wide-eyed on whales! We know where all the wilderness hotspots are. It’s always an honor to share the backyard beauty in our mist-shrouded rainforest and our coastal city, steeped in history and Native Southeast Alaska culture alike.

One of our favorite FAQs: The cruise industry wants ALL of your money so they try and scare you with that line. If our guests missed their ships we would not be in business. It is totally safe! And completely reliable. As a company that has been in the business of offering small group shore excursions in the Icy Strait Point area for over a decade, our tour schedules are mindfully constructed around the cruise ships’ arrivals and departures! We can guarantee you will be back to board your ship in plenty of time. Best of all, we’re able to offer more competitive rates than the cruise ships because you are booking locally. Companies that book through the ships have to pay the ships very high fees to do that. Moreover, our small group tours are purposely smaller than those offered by the cruise ship, giving you a more intimate experience, at a better rate, while visiting Hoonah near Icy Strait Point.

Yes! Our tour times are built around your ship schedule. So long as you select a tour that ends 1 hour before your ship's departure you will be fine.  We promise to have you back to your ship on time. 

Yes! Our tour times are built around your ship schedule. All tours offered on the day you are in port work with your ship schedule. We promise to have you back to your ship on time.

We have guests that book up to a year in advance as our tours typically sell out well before their departure date.

If your ship is docking at the Adventure Dock, after exiting your cruise ship, disembark and proceed up the ramp to the Icy Strait Point Adventure Center. Once inside the Adventure Center, walk through the building and exit through door number 2 — this is clearly marked. Once outside of Door #2, follow the signs to the Excursions Hub where you meet your Hoonah Travel Adventures Representative.

If your ship is docking at the Wilderness Dock, you will disembark and walk up to the Gondola. Board the Gondola for a 4 minute ride through the forest toward the Adventure Center. Upon disembarking the Gondola, look for, and follow the signs to the Excursions Hub where you meet your Hoonah Travel Adventures Representative.

For guests with mobility concerns, the following information will help you decide if you will be able to join our tours. Guests must be able to climb in and out of a 15 passenger van. If on a boat tour you will have to walk approx 100 yards from the van to the boat. You will have to walk up and/or down a potentially steep ramp depending on the tide to access the floats where the boat will be. We do NOT have space to store wheelchairs or walkers on then van/bus or aboard the boat during your tour, even if they are the folding type. A CareCart is available to people who cannot make the 300 yard walk from the cruise ship dock to the excursions hub where we meet you. There is a high demand for the CareCart which often presents you with a delay to meeting at the prescribed time.

Gratuities/Tips are never expected, but our crew work hard to make sure you have a great experience and a “Thank you” tip is always appreciated!

The only thing you can count on in Hoonah, and the area near Icy Strait Point is that you can’t count on the weather. With that in mind, prepare for the worst and hope for the best! Even waking up to warm, sunny skies can turn cool and rainy. We recommend layers of clothing, which are easy to don and easy to remove. Typically a short-sleeve and long-sleeve mid layer and a waterproof jacket, long pants and sturdy shoes you don’t mind getting wet. It can get chilly and rainy in our temperate rain forest, although summertime often sees our coastal city enjoy mild temperatures.

We rarely cancel on our guests as the weather is typically pretty stable. Not only that, our sturdy fleet of boats in conjunction with our experienced captains at the helm, and guides at the wheel of the vans, are more than capable of coping with the conditions. We ensure your safety aboard our boats and tour vans. In the unlikely event we do cancel the tour, we will provide you with a full refund.

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