Skagway Chilkoot Lake Wildlife Viewing Tour to Haines

4.4

19 reviews

Excursion Overview

Fully immerse yourself in Alaska's natural paradise

Your tour begins with a high-speed catamaran ride along the steep-walled fjords that connect Skagway to Haines. Over a dozen unnamed waterfalls drop hundreds of feet from both sides of the boat. Bald eagles and harbor seals are often seen on this journey.

Upon arrival in Haines, meet your knowledgeable guide for a drive to Chilkoot Lake State Park. This park has it all: a turquoise lake surrounded by snowy mountain peaks, a salmon-filled river flowing into the sea, and important Tlingit cultural sights. Bald eagles, harbor seals, and brown bears are often seen here.

May, June, and July feature wildflowers and eagles. Beginning in August, pink salmon - the smallest and most abundant of the Pacific salmon varieties - begin their run up the Chilkoot River to spawn. This is the best opportunity to see brown bears as they are often witnessed feeding along the banks of the river. When bears are present, every effort will be made to give you safe bear viewing. Please be advised that while bear sightings are common, they cannot be guaranteed.

As you drive through the park, your guide knows the best places to stop for scenery and the possibility of wildlife spotting. Your guide is equipped with a powerful spotting scope to bring the wildlife in close, and explain how the animals fit into the Chilkoot's complex ecosystem.

Make sure you bring your camera to take advantage of the numerous photo opportunities.

Things You Need to Know

Inclusions:

Fast Ferry fare to and from Haines on public service Catamaran Ferry
Use of spotting scope
Lunch: turkey sandwich on organic whole wheat bread, fruit, freshly baked cookies, water in paper cups (vegan and gluten-free options available upon request)

Requirements:

Minimum of 2 passengers required to book

Duration: 6.5 hours (Roundtrip from cruise ship terminal.)

45 minutes - fast ferry to Haines
4-5 hours - nature tour through Haines, Chilkat Valley and Chilkoot State Park
45 minutes - fast ferry to Skagway

Meeting Instructions:

This tour meets on the cruise ship dock. 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 bus and they need to be able to walk up and down gangways that vary depending on the tide. Guests can choose to remain in the vehicle at all stops during this tour. There is limited space for collapsible wheelchairs and walkers. The ferry to and from Haines is NOT wheelchair accessible. There is no storage available for motorized scooters. Please leave a comment during checkout if you plan to bring accessibility equipment on this excursion.

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

Yes. There is a minimum of 2 guests and a maximum of 14 guests per departure.

Tours typically leave in the morning but vary due to the Fast Ferry schedule.

Yes, a representative will meet the guests just past security.

Vegetarian: avocado and cheese sandwich on organic whole wheat bread

Vegan: hummus, onion, and spinach sandwich on organic whole wheat bread

Gluten-free bread and cookies are available for any meal option upon request.

No. We do not have a wheelchair lift in any of our vehicles.

We recommend that you dress in layers. It can be cold enough that you want a wool cap, gloves, and a jacket, or it could be so warm you will be in a T-shirt with sunscreen and sunglasses. The weather can change quickly.

Our maximum group size is 14. Our typical tour has around 6-8 guests at one time. We can charter large buses for large groups with advance notice.

Depending on the size of the group and the tour, we utilize everything from an SUV like the Toyota Sequoia or Sienna to the 14-passenger Ford Econoline Van to the 14- passenger Airporter-style bus.

Please advise, car seats are required for children under 4, and boosters for children 4-7. Please indicate if you will need either during checkout.

Due to environmental considerations, we no longer provide water in plastic bottles. Please bring your own water bottle. You can fill it up during our tour. If you do not have a water bottle, we provide disposable paper cups.

Guest Reviews

4.4

19 total

Karen S

On Aug 2023

Nice trip to Haines ...guide was informative and nice ... we saw nice wildlife but missed out on the bear!

Paul H

On Sep 2022

Excellent tour, with the highlight being seeing bears fishing for salmon and in particular seeing a mother bear feed her cubs. The scenery was also outstanding, especially as we had wonderful weather on the day of our excursion. The guide was very well informed and good at sharing information. The transportation was also good and with the small group size of 10, it felt like this was a personal tour.

Mike N

On Aug 2022

This was a great tour! Our tour guide, Jen was an amazing woman who shared stories of living in Alaska and made a point to know each person's name on our tour van. It was a small enough group that it felt like a private tour.

Brianna H

On Jul 2022

Ended up being just our family. Loved our guide. Beautiful scenery. Perfect stops.

Richard F

On Sep 2019

Our tour guide Jenn spotted us several different sightings of bears in the wild catching salmon in the river, then foraging along the shore which resulted in awesome photos and enjoyable moments simply observing wildlife in its rightful place. Beautiful place to visit for sure!

$262.50

Best Price Guarantee!

$262.50

Duration: 6.5 hours

Best Price Guarantee!

Duration: 6.5 hours

Select Date & Time *

Number of Passengers *

Minimum of 2 Required to Book

Adult (13+): $262.50

Child (2-12): $228.75

Infant (Under 2): $25.00

Skagway Chilkoot Lake Wildlife Viewing Tour to Haines

Excursion Overview

Fully immerse yourself in Alaska's natural paradise