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Icy Strait Exclusive Wildlife and Bear Search Tour

4.6
322 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. 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 journeying through the forest on dirt paths, 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. Wildlife is not guaranteed but your guides will do their best to point out any sightings.

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.

This tour is typically available from April through September. Our excursions were designed for cruise ship passengers but are available to everyone.

Things You Need to Know

Inclusions:

  • Roundtrip guided transportation from Icy Strait Excursions Hub to the wildlife viewing locations through the Icy Strait terrain including dirt paths through the forest and island.
  • Bottled water

Requirements:

  • There are no additional requirements for this excursion.

Duration: Approximately 4 hours (Roundtrip from the Excursions Hub)

  • 4 hours - narrated scenic drive around the island

Meeting Instructions:

  • This tour meets at the Excursion 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.

    • Fully Wheelchair Accessible: No
    • Limited Mobility Accessible: Yes
    • Stroller Accessible: Yes
    • Collapsible Wheelchair & Stroller Storage Available: Yes

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

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.

Tour van size can vary from 12 to 14 passengers.

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.

Weather depending, you are encouraged to wear gloves and light layers. The weather in Alaska can be highly unpredictable.

For more detailed packing tips for your Alaskan vacation, check out our What to Pack for Your Alaskan Cruise guide.

 

Guest Reviews

4.6

322 total

73%
17%
7%
2%
1%

April M

On Sep 2026

We highly recommend the bear search tour in Icy Strait. Mike was a great tour guide and offered lots of educational history. We saw 10 brown bears and a couple humpback whales.

Hayley B

On Sep 2026

We enjoyed our tour guide. He knew a lot about the area & he pointed out different buildings through the downtown area. He stopped for us to see whales on our way out of town. We did see at least one bear from very far away in the river. We saw another bear crossing the road when we were on the bridge.Over all we enjoyed this tour.

Barb K

On Sep 2026

All I can say is WOW. Our guide was great. We were hoping to see bears fishing for salmon and were certainly not disappointed. At our first stop, as if on cue, after a couple of minutes at the river, a sow and two cubs came out of the bush and into the river to play and fish. We watched for a while and then moved onto another spot that was even more amazing. As we exited the van, there was a bear in the understory watching us and another in the river fishing. In about an hour there, we watched over a dozen bears fishing, and one sow with three Coy(cubs of the year) came up on the road by our vehicles and walked away. You could not have asked for a better experience. The guide was knowledgeable and readily shared info about the bears and the area. It was a small tour with only 12 people/van. Definitely would recommend this company to fellow travelers.

Stacy S

On Aug 2026

This was an amazing tour! Our guide was great and very knowledgeable about Alaska, the surrounding area, and bears!!! We had a fantastic time! If you're looking for a tour when in Alaska, this is it!!!

Kevin G

On Aug 2026

Once again, very courteous and knowledgeable. We saw 9 bears, and to be honest, I would have been content with that. I didn't want the tour to end.

$150.00

Best Price Guarantee!

$150.00

Duration: 4 hours

Best Price Guarantee!

Duration: 4 hours



Adult (16+): $150.00

Child (6-15): $75.00

Infant (5 and Under): $0.00

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