Our first Alaska port was quieter, wilder and far less polished than the bigger cruise towns — which was exactly the appeal. We came for a wild bear sighting. Alaska made us earn it.
Icy Strait Point instantly felt different to the larger cruise ports. Hoonah had souvenir shops, chowder and that quieter Southeast Alaska atmosphere — but our main reason for getting off the ship was the wildlife.
Landed and made our way to Icy Strait Point. Hopped on a gondola into Hoonah — a little village full of souvenir shops and chowder. Got the usual tourist tat: fridge magnets and key rings. Grabbed a bowl of shrimp chowder that was good, then headed off to the big event: bear watching.
When I tell you we spent 2.5 hours wandering through the woods in the lashing rain like weirdos — I'm not messing! Not a sniff of a bear. At this point I was convinced we'd been scammed.
Just as we were heading back, ready to throw in the towel — we spot one. A BEAR! Big lad. Pure majestic. On the side of the road! Back to Hoonah we went, high on adrenaline and chowder fumes. 🐻
Icy Strait Point isn't just another cruise stop — it has genuinely interesting context that most passing visitors never quite pick up on.
That backstory is a big part of why the place feels different from the bigger Alaska cruise ports. It's a working cruise stop for a Native Alaskan corporation, next to a Tlingit village, on the site of an old cannery — the setting has genuine roots rather than being a purpose-built shopping street.
One of the things we liked about this stop was that it didn't feel like one of the bigger, busier cruise ports. After arriving at Icy Strait Point, we took the gondola and made our way into Hoonah, where we had time for a wander before our bear-watching excursion.
We browsed the souvenir shops, picked up the obligatory fridge magnets and key rings and stopped for a bowl of shrimp chowder. It was a simple part of the day, but it gave us time to actually get a feel for the place rather than rushing straight from the ship onto an excursion.
Bear watching sounded wonderfully straightforward when we booked it. Go into the Alaskan wilderness, wait around for a while and presumably bears would appear. Reality was slightly different.
We spent around two and a half hours walking and waiting in absolutely lashing rain without seeing so much as a paw. As the excursion went on, our confidence dropped fairly rapidly. By the end, we were genuinely beginning to wonder whether we'd paid to spend an afternoon getting soaked in a forest.
And then, right when it looked like the whole thing was over, there he was — a wild bear at the side of the road. Suddenly the wet clothes and hours of waiting didn't matter. That final sighting completely changed the day.
Proper Alaskan rain. Waterproofs weren't optional on our excursion.
Wildlife sightings aren't guaranteed. We waited almost the entire excursion before ours appeared.
One big wild bear at the very end — and suddenly the entire excursion was worth it.
From "we've been scammed" to absolutely delighted in the space of a few minutes.
If we'd learned anything from our afternoon in the woods, it's that comfort matters far more than looking glamorous when you're standing around waiting for wildlife.
Not just a light jacket. If the rain comes down like it did for us, you'll be grateful for something genuinely waterproof.
Expect wet ground and plenty of standing or walking, depending on the excursion.
Wild animals don't necessarily appear conveniently beside you, so binoculars can make distant sightings much easier.
Probably the most important thing. Our bear waited until practically the last possible moment to show himself.
If bear watching, whale watching or the ZipRider is on your Alaska list, Icy Strait Point is exactly the sort of port where a guided excursion makes sense. Browse what's available:
Disclosure: If you book through this link we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
These guides all come from the same eight-day cruise, so you can follow our route port by port.