Bears of Chichagof Island

Tour Highlights

AYT Exclusive!

Take a scenic 20 minute flight in the morning, with mountain lakes, and waterfalls seen from your window seat as a Cessna Caravan flies you to Hoonah.  Once in Hoonah, our trusty tour guide will pick you up and take you on a 3 hour bear trek on Chichagof Island.  You’ll be able to view bears and other Alaska wildlife from the comfort & safety of a passenger van (AND guide) – and there will be plenty of stops to get out and scope out the bears in their natural habitat.  While we don’t guarantee you’ll always see bears, there’s a REALLY high chance of it! Chichagof Island has the largest bear population per square mile than ANYWHERE in the world!  After your tour, you’ll have time to explore Hoonah before your flight back to Juneau.

This tour is located on the Tongass National Forest under special use permit from the Forest Service, USDA.

Key Destinations

Hoonah

Activities

Bear watching, flightseeing adventure, historic village of Hoonah

Availability

May 1 – September 15, 2022
Not offered every day.  By request on cruise ship days.

Pricing & Payment Options

Adult: As low as $445 + tax
Child: As low as $415 + tax
Deposit: $100 + tax 

Booking Requirements

Must be booked at least 48 hours in advance. Subject to availability.

Things you'll see

Brown Bear in Coastal Meadow, Pybus Bay, Alaska
Bears
See bears in their natural habitat on Chichagof Island, just west of Juneau. And from the comfort of a van with a trained guide.
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Hoonah
See the quaint village of Hoonah, which is also home of the Alaskan Bush People & also a new Netflix survivalist series, to be released this summer!
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Flightseeing
You'll have an opportunity to fly over the the beautiful Inside Passage & view waterfalls, mountain passes, lakes, and possibly a glacier or two!

What's Included

  • Scenic flight between Juneau & Hoonah
  • 3 hour bear trek with guide
  • 30+ minutes to explore Hoonah
  • Local guide in Hoonah
  • Pick up & drop off in Hoonah
  • Post travel support

Things you'll need

  • Transfers to Juneau Intl Airport
  • Meals & drinks not included
  • Tips for guides
  • Trip Insurance incase of anything!

Tours Included

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Flightseeing
30 to 45 minute flight on a Cessna Caravan (land plane) - keep your camera handy! You never know what you'll see from your window.
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Bear Excursion
3 hour trek on Chichagof Island on the search for bears in their natural habitat. You and others will be able to view bears from the comfort & safety of a van!

Itinerary/Schedule

Day 1: 8:00AM

Scenic flight from Juneau to Hoonah.  Be sure to check-in at least 30 minutes PRIOR to departure.

Day 1: 8:30AM

Meet up with your trusty guide from Hoonah Adventure Tours, who will take you on a 3 hour guided trek on Chichagof Island.  You’ll be able to view bears from the comfort of their van, and also have ample opportunities to stop and take pictures, as well as walk around. 

Day 1: 11:30AM

As the tour ends, your guide will drop you off in the village of Hoonah where you can explore this Tlinglit fishing & logging village.  

Day 1: 12:30PM

Scenic flight back to Juneau.

Transfers back to your hotel are not included.

More Details & Info

Coming soon – Map of Hoonah & Chichagof Island

All files are downloadable PDFs.

Sample Itinerary

Flightseeing Information

We highly recommend travel insurance for participants of this tour – including AYT’s own Save My Butt insurance.

Weather in Alaska changes by the minute, and there’s always a risk you might get stuck in Hoonah.  The airport can get weathered in, or even the seas might be too rough for the ferry.

In the event of a cancellation or delay, AYT will do its best to get you home, however meals, hotel, and other expenses are your responsibility.

Save My Butt insurance will cover the cost of a hotel and any change/cancel fees associated with getting you back to Juneau.  It does NOT cover lost wages or missed excursions/tours/flights.  AYT will advocate on your behalf to get those items rebooked, however.

Legal stuff

The booking engine, located top RIGHT, is where you will start.  The system will provide you an ESTIMATED cost of the tour based on your customizations and input.  The rates are based on availability & subject to change.  Should the final price not be acceptable, we do allow you a full refund, no questions, of the deposit!

For overnight & same day travel excursions, we will lock in any/all air or sea travel first, and secure hotel space if overnight was requested. Most tours & excursions will be confirmed at a later date, but not less than 20 days prior to departure.

AYT’s Travel Designers will monitor your flight schedules before and during your trip.  We will work proactively when there are schedule changes or issues – including weather or other issues. We’ll work with you and our vendors to ensure you have a fantastic vacation.

Any upgrades to packages components will require a reprice of the package.  Substitutions are allowed.

Final price is dependent on variables, such as airfare & hotel availability, and government taxes & fees.  Once the travel designer & you have confirmed the options, AYT will require an additional payment.

We HIGHLY encourage you to purchase travel insurance – either individually for this trip or an annual plan.  We can provide you a quote by clicking on the check-box in the booking engine.

This tour requires a $100 USD deposit per person, plus tax, to begin the process.  This deposit is fully refundable if we are not able to accommodate your package due to an increase in price or availability.

Once a travel designer has provided you with the confirmed package and pricing, we will need to process another payment.

Guests have the option to pay for your package in full or in two payments:

  • $150 USD per guest due now
  • 30 days before travel: Final Payment

We will automatically charge your credit/debit card based on this schedule, along with a text or e-mail receipt.  You can also opt to update or change your payment at any time.

Changes to your itinerary are subject to availability and MUST be requested on our booking portal.

Date changes must be completed at least 7 days prior to travel, or be subject to a $75 USD per guest rebooking fee.   Date changes within 7 days are subject to a $150 USD rebooking fee per guest.  No changes are allowed within 24 hours of travel.

We are NOT able to upgrade to the fast ferry once we have booked your standard ferry reservations. 

Name changes & fixes are subject to airline/ferry rules.  Name changes on some excursions may incur a $10 fee.  It is YOUR responsibility to ensure that you have provided accurate and legal names of all travelers.  Please verify the names on all receipts & itinerary. We are NOT responsible for any errors after airline tickets are issued, or 1st payment is made.

In the event of disruptions during your air travel or package, we will work with you and all vendors on adjusting dates as needed.  

Cancellation fees: 

  • 30 days or more from date of travel: 10% penalty per guest
  • 7 to 29 days before travel: 35% penalty per guest
  • Within 7 days of travel: non-refundable

If you no-show for any component of the tour, you are not eligible for a refund or rebooking.  This package has zero value after departure.

In the event of a weather delay out of Juneau, there is a risk of missing the tour – this is non-refundable, however we will offer a discounted tour with Klondike eBikes if we are not able to reschedule.  In the event of a weather cancellation out of Juneau, we are not able to refund the ferry portion – this is non-refundable.  We encourage you to purchase TRAVEL INSURANCE or our Skagway SoS insurance option.

Covid-19 remains a concern among all of us, however the State of Alaska no longer has any COVID-19 mandates or requirements.

We offer hand hankys, as a gift, to any of our guests who request them.  These are 2″ square fabric pieces that can be used to open doors and reduce your touchpoints while on a cruise or train – which significantly decrease your chances of picking up germs.

We do ask that you travel safely & smartly.  If you aren’t feeling well, stay home or in your hotel.  And of course, make sure you have proper TRAVEL INSURANCE.

Chichagof Island Bear Trek

Starting at: $445*

The AYT Difference

Even though we live in Alaska, we’ve got extensive travel to Belize, Hawai’i, and the world.  AYT uses ONLY vendors that we have used!

AYT has negotiated special rates that are lower than the normal rates you’ll find online.  Our buying power with TravelEdge also means travel tricks you can’t get from one of the “big guys”.

With over 50 years in the travel business, we know all the tricks to keep your vacation going smooth.

AYT has access to key systems & IT to provide you the BEST rates and provide REAL customer support.  This includes our online booking tool for tours & excursions – no need to wait on an e-mail.

Travelers can pay via our fully secure portal, and we accept American Express, Discover, Mastercard, and Visa