Worst tour EVER. Do not recommend at all.
Though my tour was scheduled for 8:30am, when I got to the shop I was told that "they" decided to move it to 8:45am - with no notice to the customer. The tour was also $11 cheaper than what I paid on Viator or the same price (if you wanted to add the Totem tour as well).
Instead of embarking on my tour as scheduled, we got to stand with another tour gentleman and listen to him talk nonstop for 30 minutes (not 15) as the bus didn't arrive until closer to 9:00am.
Once on the bus, the "city tour" told you nothing and took you nowhere you couldn't easily walk to for free from the ship port. All of the information provided was also information that was provided in the free visitor center brochure.
As for the wildlife tour, you drive out on a less than scenic route that does NOT include a mountain top stop with photo ops to Herring Cove. There a bunch of other tours are standing around. Now, if you know ANYTHING about wildlife viewing, especially for seeing bears, you know that the last thing you should do if you want to see them is talk loudly. For the entire 30 minutes we were there, 1 newly arriving tour guide after another would talk loudly about various things about the area. It was noisy, crowded and hardly had any salmon - maybe 10!
It gets better. Our tour guide actually tells us 2 very important facts during this tour:
1. That they are closing the hatchery in the area as "salmon don't really come here anymore". In fact, the following season, they "would probably be moving the wildlife portion of the tour to the city area instead". The same city area you can easily see for free on your own.
2. That the "bears usually only come out early in the morning at around 7am or in the evening".
This means they take you to a "wildlife viewing" area where they KNOW FOR A FACT you will likely see little to nothing. In fact, the only thing we saw besides a few pitiful salmon was the eagle that *I* pointed out.
Sad waste of time, energy and money.
My advice? Exit the ship and walk along the pier to the visitor's center (visible from the ship) where you will pick up your maps and info. Next walk along the dock to Mission Street. Turn left onto Mission and walk down to Creek Street.
Using the information provided for free by the visitor's center, you will get more and better information than provided in the tour including info about the former red light district and shops on Creek Street (that are dirt cheap as compared to those near the docks). If you hang out near the 1st bridge over the creek (where the Creek Street arch is) you will see salmon, gulls and if you're lucky (as I did around 10:30am) harbor seals hunting salmon. Walking around on my own on Creek and Park streets, I saw thousands of salmon, seals, spiders and other bugs, tons of gulls, robin.
If you cross the initial Creek Street bridge and walk to your left you will come to a small waterfall as well as the Salmon ladder. If you turn right at Park street and continue up, you will have more views of the hundreds/thousands of salmon and the creek. If you keep up Park street you will hit the hatchery or you can turn right on the road next to the hatchery and also hit the Totem Pole Museum. It's all very close with about 15 minutes to creek street from the dock and about 15 minutes from Park & Creek to the Totem museum.
You really want to go to Saxman Totem village or Herring Cove? Take a taxi. It'll be cheaper, you can stay as long as you want and you likely can get down there when there is actually a likelihood that you can avoid the tour groups or will see wildlife. read more
