Icy Strait Point, Alaska: Cruise Port Guide & Best Things to Do

Welcome ashore. You've just stepped off the gangway at Icy Strait Point, a privately owned cruise destination beside the Tlingit village of Hoonah, and the wildest few hours of your Alaska cruise are about to begin. Humpback whales are feeding in Icy Strait a short boat ride from the dock, brown bears are working the salmon streams of Chichagof Island behind you, and a living Native community sits a mile up the road. This guide walks you through the best things to do in Icy Strait Point Alaska has waiting for you.

Welcome to Icy Strait Point

Icy Strait Point is a different kind of Alaska port. Instead you get a restored historic salmon cannery, spruce forest running right down to the waterline, and mountains across the strait that look close enough to touch on a clear day. It's quieter than Juneau, Skagway or Ketchikan, and wild Alaska starts the moment you step off the gangway.

A few names to get right before we go further. Icy Strait Point is the cruise destination itself, developed and operated by Huna Totem Corporation on the grounds of the old cannery. Hoonah, Alaska is the town about a mile and a half away, and Icy Strait is the body of water where the whales feed. Our tours are independent excursions that depart from Icy Strait Point rather than part of the port's own attractions.

Icy Strait Point, Icy Strait and Hoonah: Getting Your Bearings

You're standing on Chichagof Island, which has one of the densest brown bear populations anywhere on earth. Across the water, Icy Strait links the Inside Passage to the Gulf of Alaska, and the currents pouring out of Glacier Bay carry the krill and herring that keep humpback whales fed all summer.

Hoonah is the largest Native Tlingit village in Alaska, home to a community that has fished these waters for centuries. Look up Hoonah Alaska on a map before your cruise and you'll see the town sitting on Port Frederick about a mile and a half from the port, with nothing but forest and water beyond it. Every road our vans take and every cove our kayaks explore sits inside that homeland, which is why the wildlife and the culture here feel authentic rather than staged.

Planning Your Port Day

A few things to know before you step off. Ships tie up at one of two docks at Icy Strait Point, and most of our tours meet at the Excursion Hub a short walk from the gangway, so there's no scramble for taxis.

The cruise season runs roughly May through September. Early season brings bears to the shoreline as they emerge hungry, midsummer is peak humpback time, and late summer is when the salmon runs crowd the streams and the bears follow them. Expect cool temperatures, mist and frequent rain. Rain jackets are the official uniform of Southeast Alaska, and nobody will judge yours. Pack a waterproof shell, a warm layer, closed shoes you don't mind getting wet, binoculars and a camera with a dry place to stash it.

Top Things to Do at Icy Strait Point

Here's the menu of things to do, and we've done every item on it. Our Icy Strait Point shore excursions cover whale watching in Icy Strait, brown bear viewing on Chichagof Island, small-group wildlife van tours, a guided sea kayak paddle, and time to explore the cannery grounds and the shoreline or walk into Hoonah.

• Whale watching is the flagship Icy Strait Point attraction and the right pick for a first visit.
• Bear viewing suits anyone who would rather be in the forest than on a boat.
• Wildlife van tours are the easy option for families with small kids or anyone with limited mobility.
• Kayaking is for active travelers who want the ocean at eye level.
• Hoonah and the cannery grounds fill the hour before or after your tour.

Whale Watching in Icy Strait

The waters off Point Adolphus are among the most reliable humpback feeding grounds in Alaska, which is what makes whale watching Icy Strait Point's signature experience. The whales come here to eat, and when a group of them bubble-net feeds, blowing a curtain of bubbles to trap herring and then surging up through the middle with mouths open, you're watching behavior that only a small number of humpback whales on the planet know how to do. Keep an eye out for Steller sea lions, sea otters, Dall's porpoises, bald eagles and the occasional orca while you're at it.

Our guaranteed whale watching adventure runs about three hours from pickup to drop-off, with roughly two and a half hours on the water aboard a heated, fully enclosed boat with a local Native captain. It's rated 4.78 stars from 489 reviews and carries a whale sighting guarantee. The Guaranteed Whale Watching Catamaran Cruise covers the same waters from a large custom catamaran built for panoramic viewing, also with guaranteed sightings. If you'd rather a smaller group, the premier whale watch tour leaves from Hoonah's commercial dock aboard a custom vessel with a heated cabin and an open-air deck, rated 4.81 stars from 487 reviews. And our Whale and Drone Tour, rated 4.97 stars from 518 reviews, launches a live drone so you see the whales from the surface and from above at the same time. The first time you hear a humpback blow across still water, you'll understand why people cross the world for this. For the bigger picture across every port, read our Alaska whale watching guide.

Bear Viewing on Chichagof Island

Chichagof Island is brown bear country, full stop. Our bear tours drive out of Icy Strait Point, through Hoonah and into the old-growth Tongass National Forest, stopping at salmon streams, clearings and known bear corridors where sightings are most frequent. Your guide tracks that week's bear activity, adjusts the route, and keeps the group quiet and at a respectful distance.

Early in the season you'll find bears on beaches and estuaries. Once the salmon runs begin in midsummer, the streams become the show, and a sow working the bank with her cubs while your group watches silently from above is the moment everyone talks about at dinner. Sightings are very likely but never guaranteed, because these are wild animals in a wild place. Our Wildlife and Bear Search is the longest option at about four hours, the Guided Passenger Van Wildlife and Bear Viewing Tour runs about three and a half hours in a van of no more than eleven guests, and the Wilderness Tour and Brown Bear Search is a three-hour deep dive into the forest. Browse all of our Icy Strait Point wildlife tours to compare them side by side.

Wildlife Tours, Kayaking and More Outdoor Adventures

Not every Icy Strait Point tour needs a boat or a long walk. The Guided Passenger Van Wildlife & Scenery Tour covers the quiet coastal roads and forest of Chichagof Island in two to three hours with a maximum of ten guests, and the Land-Based Wildlife Tour does the same with a sharper focus on bears, bald eagles and Sitka black-tailed deer. Both suit multigenerational families, anyone prone to seasickness, and guests who want to cover ground with little effort.

For active travelers who want a proper adventure, our Guided Kayak Tour spends about three hours in the protected waters near Hoonah, eye level with sea otters, harbor seals and eagles. No experience is needed, all the gear is provided, and the minimum age is twelve. It's rated 4.92 stars from 368 reviews, and yes, you may get a little wet. Pick the van if weather and comfort come first, the kayak if you want to earn your dinner, and a whale cruise if you only have time for one thing.

Independent Tours vs. Ship Excursions

Every cruise passenger weighs the same question: book through the ship, or book independently? Our Icy Strait Point tours run in smaller groups with local guides, on schedules built around your dock time, and they generally cost less than the ship's version of the same day. Whale watching here typically runs about $200 to $240 per person, bear and wildlife van tours about $135 to $175, and the kayak tour sits in between.

The worry we hear most is missing the ship. Our Back to Ship Guarantee covers that: our guides time every departure around your ship's schedule, and if anything ever runs late, you're covered. If your ship skips the port entirely, you receive a refund.

Tlingit Culture and Hoonah Heritage

The Huna Tlingit have lived around Icy Strait for thousands of years, and Icy Strait Point itself was developed by Huna Totem Corporation, a Native-owned corporation, around the cannery that once anchored the local economy. Walk or shuttle into Hoonah, visit the shops and local artists, and take in the totem carving and cultural presentations offered at the port. Spend your money locally where you can. Curiosity and respect go a long way here.

Local Seafood and Eating on Your Port Day

Hoonah has fed itself from these waters for a very long time, and the cannery you walked past at the dock is the reason this port exists at all. Wild salmon, halibut and Dungeness crab come off boats a few hundred yards from where you'll eat them, and seafood this close to the ocean tastes different. Eat a proper breakfast on the ship before a morning whale cruise, or take an afternoon bear tour and have a late lunch near the port or in Hoonah. Fresh halibut and a bowl of salmon chowder are a fair reward for a morning in the rain.

Planning the Perfect Trip

A few sample port days from our guides, matched to the kind of traveler you are:

• Wildlife lover: a guaranteed whale cruise first thing, then the cannery grounds and the shoreline.
• First-timer: a three-hour bear tour, then a walk into Hoonah for culture and a bite to eat.
• Family with small kids or grandparents: a wildlife van tour, then an easy stroll and seafood near the dock.
• Active traveler: the kayak tour, then a brisk walk to Hoonah and back.

Leave an hour of buffer around your all-aboard time, and don't try to stack two long tours; one adventure done well beats two done in a hurry. If this is your second Alaska cruise, make your Icy Strait Point trip different from the first: swap whales for bears, or trade the boat for a kayak. Our guide to when and where to see Alaska wildlife helps you pick the part of the season that fits what you most want to see.

Essential Tips for Traveling to Icy Strait Point

A handful of small things that make a big difference on an Icy Strait Point trip:

• Layer up and bring real rain gear. Southeast Alaska is a temperate rainforest, and the forest is this green for a reason.
• Waterproof footwear beats fashion. Decks and trails are wet.
• Bring binoculars and keep a lens cloth handy. A fast shutter speed helps with breaching whales.
• It's colder on the water than on the dock. A hat and gloves earn their space in your bag.
• Cell coverage is limited once you leave the port area, so download your tickets before you disembark.
• Arrive at the Excursion Hub about fifteen minutes before your tour time.
• For quieter moments, take the earliest tour of the day, or walk toward Hoonah while the dock area is busiest. The rain, at least, never has a line.

Your Alaskan Adventure Awaits

Humpback whales in Icy Strait, brown bears on Chichagof Island and a Tlingit community welcoming you ashore, all in a single port day. Our guides plan every Icy Strait Point tour around your ship, so the only decision left is which of these things you want to remember most. Peak whale and bear departures sell out weeks ahead in summer, so once you know your dates, compare our Icy Strait Point excursions, reserve early, and get back to packing that rain jacket.