Icy Strait Exclusive Wildlife and Bear Search Tour

4.6
288 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.

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 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: 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

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.

 

Guest Reviews

4.6

288 total

73%
17%
8%
2%
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Ian M

On Sep 2025

This was a great trip where we did manage to see two bears. The first one was only fleetingly, but the other we saw fishing for salmon in the river for quite a while. Our guide was excellent!

Chris W

On Sep 2025

Enjoyed the bear search. While we did not see numerous bears, we did have the occasion to see one brown bear up close (within 100 feet). It was physically easy since most of the time was spent in a van riding around the back roads. Our guide/driver was excellent and would recommend this tour.

Cynthia A

On Sep 2025

We greatly enjoyed our tour! Our Guide was a local and very informative! We were able to watch a coastal brown bear feed in the creek for over an hour!

Linda N

On Sep 2025

Stu is a phenomenal guide and a wonderful human being. We saw humpbacks bubble feeding, a huge female brown bear grabbing salmon, and a pair of bald eagles - all in the same tour. In between, Stu shared a lot of Tlingit history and culture. I didn't think anything could top the 2017 trip but this one did.

Peter J

On Sep 2025

The scenery, the wildlife, and Stu, fantastic!

$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