If you do have the fortune to hook a halibut, the boat company will ship it home to you. The restored cannery turned museum shop offers fine jewelry, warm fashions, canned sockeye salmon, and plenty more. To see a bear up close and in the wild, no better then that. Currently booked for shore excursions, I have Yukon Adventure & White Pass . . Icy Strait Point, sometimes called Hoonah after the native people who live in this area and run the cruise port, is one popular stop on Alaska cruises but it can be hard to decipher the marketing language to know which excursions will be worth your time and money. Photo credits: Icy Strait Point building (L) Moira Dunworth; Glacier Bay flightseeing (R) Joseph; salmon on grill Didriks; Tlingit tribal dance James Brooks; halibut fisherman Bryan Wilkins; all via Flickr. You might even catch them bubble net feeding! Who Offers This Icy Strait Point Shore Excursion? Wind along back roads in search of wildlife, including bald eagles, brown bears, and Sitka black-tailed deer, and enjoy spectacular views of the natural beauty that surrounds you along the way. Copyright 2023 Icy Strait Point Excursions. {{card.shipName}} of the Seas, We've circled the globe and couldn't find any sailings that match your search. No matter what kind of Alaska adventure youre craving, youll find it in Icy Strait Point. Josh has captained in this area for many years and knows the area well! Whats more, we 100% guarantee whale sightings on every whale watching tour (from May to September). From there, you can board a fixed-wing plane and soar over the massive national park, where you'll witness glaciers and animals from a first-class viewpoint from up above. the Excursions Hub is a short 5 minute walk from where the ships dock or tender in to. Among the huge number of excursions you can book in Juneau - and even on this list of nine - it's hard to choose the best one. Good to know. On this 3.5-hour charter, youll board a locally-operated boat and head out onto the waters of Icy Strait. You're in for an adrenaline rush of a lifetime as you fly above the treetops at speeds of up to 60 mph. Bear sightings are also more frequent during the summer, so plan your trip accordingly. , You will be led by an expert birder and naturalist who will set the stage by sharing the human and geological history of the area. Combo assemblies on tower 5. I looked at the number of cruise companies offering that excursion in 2022. We choose to make the short trip over to the actual town of Hoonah and truly enjoyed watching and speaking with two local men who were carving a totem pole. The home of Icy Strait Point Excursions. First and foremost, Icy Strait Point is truly surrounded by unspoiled Alaska wilderness. Our Icy Strait Point shore excursions are run by local guides who are eager to show you the real Alaskan Wilderness. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. We before they even had a pier and it was so different from the other ports. The Chichagof Island wilderness hike excursion is a good opportunity. Five stars arent enough to describe this wonderful production filled with colorful regalia, genuine ritual, deep spirituality, and a sense of humor and play (Raven was a trickster, after all). Brave the ZipRider, the worlds longest zip line, and enjoy amazing views of the forest as you race from a mountain peak at 60 miles per hour. Who Offers This Shore Excursion in Icy Strait Point? The next 2.5 to 3 hours, she'll drive you around to several good birding spots. View Details. Is our tour still on? Another popular shore excursion in Icy Strait Point is to search for brown bears on Spasski River. Thanks for reading, Helen! Fancies herself a bit of a . Step into an Alaska experience as you navigate your Jeep or ATV through the unspoiled wilderness of Chichagof Island's back roads. https://www.valisemag.com/guides/alaska/cruises/. To learn more about the people who call these lands home, I invite you to exploreNative Land. Icy Strait Point is owned by the Hoonah Tlingit tribe, so this is a chance to learn about the culture and lifestyle of the locals who are hosting you on their land. What tour co offers the cooking tour you mentioned. Things To Do In Hoonah / Icy Strait. In Icy Strait Point, this new excursion which includes both biking and hiking before beachcombing does the trick. I mean, you can zip-line in many ports around the world, so is it any surprise that theres an epic zip-lining experience in Alaska? Icy Strait Point is one tiny port that's big on Alaskan wilderness and Native culture. Agreed! My ship gets in at __:__. We promise to have you back to your ship on time. On May 18th we came into port at Icy Strait Point in Hoonah, Alaska. Celebrity, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess, and Royal Caribbean. As you pedal along, the views will be spectacular . " + cards[0]['totalGroups'] + " Itineraries" : "" }}. Icy Strait Point Premier Whale Watching Tour, 212 Admiral Way Ste. Don't miss our unique shopping center, a free museum, walking trails, etc. I try to include a food tour in every one of the posts in this series; I believe food is one of the best ways to experience the culture of a place including Alaska. Look for jewellery made from fine gold nuggets, handcrafted objects and warm winter fashions. If you have questions about tours prior to booking, please email [emailprotected]. Image Courtesy: Cunard Line. 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. 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. But young toddlers have to just walk and look around. 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. Royal Caribbean Group. Duration: 4 hours (Roundtrip from cruise ship terminal.) Icy Strait Point is home to the world's largest zipline, the ZipRider. Holland America, Norwegian, Princess, and Seabourn. Longest Zip Line, Icy Strait Point, Alaska. One of the most exciting prospects when booking an Alaska cruise is choosing your Alaska cruise excursions in each port. Please send an email to [emailprotected] letting us know which tours you would like to cancel as we must have all cancelation and change requests in writing. 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. This May 13 cruise has a long stay in ISP, something absent on most itineraries. We did the Spasski River Wildlife and Bear tour. Our small group experiences offer a unique and thrilling memory of the pristine natural beauty around Icy Strait, Alaska. The full cancellation policy can be found here. Good Value. It's operated by a native corporation but the charter of ISP dictates only one ship at a time. From the top of the mountain, it's just a short walk (400 meters) through a pristine stand of old-growth rainforest to the ZipRider tower. Unfortunately, only one cruise company offers it which handicapped it in the rankings for 2023. The gondola and zip line are just outside this building. 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! These cruises are selling out fast, get them while you can. Town is very small with nothing more than a few shore excursions to choose from. TO BOOK A TOUR AT ICY STRAIT POINT PLEASE REACH OUT TO YOUR CRUISE LINE. Youll be provided with binoculars and other gear you might need. Local knowledge is king, and having a fantastic team with a wealth of local expertise in our employ, gives us the confidence that well leave you happy and wanting to return! 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. Will I make the __:__ tour? Since I already pointed out that Icy Strait Point is a unique cultural destination, what better way to experience it than on a cooking class excursion? If youre struggling to choose between Icy Strait Point shore excursions, Im here to help. Drive old logging roads to a picnic spot. The buildings that once was a cannery provided a very nice historical perspective of how it really use to be. So long as you select a tour that ends 1 hour before your ship's departure you will be fine. My eBook, Alaskas Best Cruise Excursions, will help you wade through all the excursions in each port to make the best choice for each stop on your Alaska cruise itinerary. Least Favorite Port but Still Pretty Cool, Rainy and cold the day we visited, which changed our excursion plans from kayaking to walking from port to town. This gondola was build alongside a second cruise ship pier as part of a major expansion to Icy Strait Point. And don't forget the fishing. Companies that book through the ships have to pay the ships very high fees to do that. If you are longing to see bears while you are here, then we've got you covered. The Tlingit people have lived in Southeast Alaska for many centuries in what is now Glacier Bay National Park. Hi Everyone! An Alaska cruise isn't complete without exhilarating shore excursions. Foodie cruisers, this ones for you! However having a tough time booking things. This is the most popular year in Alaska ever, so it doesnt surprise me that things are sold out. Icy Strait Point, Alaska While Celebrity Cruises doesn't sail directly to Glacier Bay, there are flightseeing excursions available from Icy Strait Point . Icy Strait Point is one tiny port thats big on Alaskan wilderness and Native culture. Paste as plain text instead, At the end of the day, you can take in forest views while soaring high above the trees on the longest zip line in the world. Its 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. Whale watching is one of the most popular activities in Icy Strait Point. We ensure your safety aboard our boats and tour vans. This one, which broadly incorporates a helicopter tour, glacier landing, and dog sledding depending on the tour operator and . See the amazing humpback whales that call the waters of Icy Strait Point their home. But I feel confident that this list is both impartial but also informed by my expert advice. View All Cruises, We're having trouble retrieving these cruises. Now lets dive into each one! There is a high demand for the CareCart which often presents you with a delay to meeting at the prescribed time. Required fields are marked *. Retired after 10 years as a college professor to focus full-time on her primary research interest: travel. $1,510. Many outdoor enthusiasts come to Alaska for fishing, and Hoonah won't disappoint. Then walk along the Seawall, with the downtown skyline as your backdrop. {{card.portName}}, Onboard To break ties, I used top Uniqueness score, since I want to encourage you to try new things in Alaska. Visit the Tlingit carvers and walk about to appreciate the totem poles in town. I really like ISP. Generally speaking, Carnival will be the least expensive and Disney will be the most expensive, with Royal Caribbean and Norwegian at the lower end and Princess, Holland America, Celebrity, and Cunard at the upper end. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. In years past, I used to call out Icy Strait Point as the gateway to Glacier Bay National Park; this year, my research showed that the major cruise companies seem to be visiting Glacier Bay as part of their itineraries and there are no excursions that take you into the park anymore. My wife and I used them and when we go back we'll use them again.. When comparing all of the Alaska cruise excursions in Icy Strait Point, theres one that stands out as truly special: the Hoonah Sightseeing and Tribal Dance offering that almost every cruise company provides. . I really enjoyed reading about all the fun stuff to do on our crusie through alaska. Please send an email to [emailprotected] letting us know which tours you would like to cancel as we must have all cancelation requests in writing. Only Holland America offers this one. Enjoy the serenity that can only be had while quietly gliding across the waters near Icy Strait Point enjoying the beautiful Alaskan scenery. I now know August is the peak of the rainy season. We are located 7 miles from downtown Juneau independent travelers either come by taxi Uber or the city bus. We were left doubting her sincerity and actually had the best interaction with the armed woman, accompanying us for protection, who lives in Hoonah. We too the free shuttle back into the port area and walked through the old cannery, the museum and gift shops, which were all cool. Our fishing shore excursions are offered in Juneau, Ketchikan and Sitka. Alaska-Sized Adventure Want to know more? As a souvenir, youll get recipe cards so you can try to prepare these meals once you return home. The gondola is fairly new (expensive investment) but the ride only lasted for about 5 minutes. Excursions by boat or vehicle to the Spasski River provide opportunities to spot bald eagles, woodpeckers . Breathe in the 1,000-acre greenspace of Stanley Park, one of the largest urban parks in North America. We decided to switch from Jayleen's Alaska in Juneau to another small boat tour group that I heard good things about, Glacier Wind Charters in Icy Strait Point. Ocean Stateroom. In the unlikely event we do cancel the tour, we will provide you with a full refund. You can potentially also see bald eagles, Sitka black-tailed deer, and otters. 1. We receive a constant stream of updates on the cruise ships timetables. Since the arrival of cruise ship travelers, the Huna Totem Corporation has restored a former salmon cannery to support tourism in the area. IMO your best bet is to hike the short nature trails and take the cable car up the mountain for more hiking and scenic views. Visiting from {country-flag} {country-name}? This Icy Strait Point excursion is a good value and widely offered, which is why it ranks so highly on my list for 2023 Alaska cruises. And don't worry, a safe, brake-activated landing awaits at Icy Strait Point. In May I spent an amazing week with Princess Cruise Lines aboard the Island Princess. This is truly an experience for the books, and cameras. Until then Alaska excursions do tend to run more pricey compared to Caribbean cruises.