Somehow, I managed to book the wrong tour. I thought this was a walking/hiking tour to look for…read morebears, but it turned out to be a three-hour drive in a van with limited space, windows that did not open, and was either too hot for some or too cold for others. The driver/tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable. Unfortunately, at best, some of us saw the rear end of a bear running off the road into the bush. The rest of us saw nothing. There were some eagles at a distance and a buck far, far away. We stopped several times and spoke to other van drivers, and it seemed like sightings that day were very infrequent. While it's not anyone's responsibility (tour company or cruise line), it would be helpful to guest comfort if we were reminded to bring bug spray with us when leaving the ship. After we took the tram to the waiting area, everyone was eaten alive while waiting for their next mode of transportation.

This was a great stop via an Alaskan cruise in Icey Strait Point in Hoonah! The walk is approx…read more30min to this shopping area. It was a really nice day to walk and enjoy. They have really nice gifts and customer service was definitely the best! I purchased a silver charm for my bracelet. You can also book tours and grab a bite to eat. Overall I do recommend a visit of your in the area.

Went on one of their tours. Best experience on our trip to Alaska. Stu - our guide - went out of…read morehis way to ensure we saw bears and other wildlife. He's brilliant in his knowledge of the area, the animals, the surrounding environment and the history of the area. Can't recommend highly enough!

We booked this tour rather than the bear tour through the cruise ship excursion. We spent ample…read moretime at the river where bears feed. There were still a few salmon but, apparently, it was too late in the season for bear activity as we did not see a single bear. Our guide, Stu Mills, went out of his way during the 3.5 hour tour to drive around to spots where bears might be found. Still no bears. However, Stu is a native of Hoonah and he educated us with endless stories about his life, family, native culture, local plants and vegetation used for medicinal purposes (the Devil's club ointment really works!). While the bears were disappointing, Stu's expertise made the trip very much worthwhile.

Hoonah, Alaska was one of our stops on our Alaska cruise trip. Before our private whale watching…read moreexcursion, we took the public bus into the small downtown area of Hoonah. We came across Misty Bay which offers lodging, a casual restaurant, and whale, fishing, and bear watching excursions. We had lunch at the order at the counter restaurant and had the following: (1) Fresh Halibut & Chips My fish was grilled & served with french fries. I must admit that I wanted my traditional battered & deep fried fish & chips. Although my halibut was fresh, it was also dry and just OK. (2) Cheeseburger &Fries Hubby and sonny boy both ordered the burger dish and both were satisfied. The Misty Bay Lodge restaurant offers a casual atmosphere, friendly service, and "A-OK" food. 3 Stars

We booked a whale watching tour with Misty Bay on our honeymoon to Alaska. Hoonah proved to have…read moresome great whale watching! We saw plenty of humpbacks, sea lions, orcas, deer and a pack of bears! We were so lucky to see the bears, according to the captain. He made sure to stop so we could snap some photos. It was worth every penny. After the tour, we returned to Misty Bay Lodge for lunch. They advertise what they are serving that day as a special, while they also serve whole pizzas and pizza by the slice. Hoonah is a small place, so your options are limited for dining out. It appears that locals and tourists eat here daily. Hope (the owner) was a great host. She answered all of our questions about the area. She suggested that we split an order of fish and chips (fresh halibut!) for lunch and she was right- it was plenty for both of us. We each enjoyed Alaska APA and amber ales. So good. And I'll admit it- I never watched Alaskan Bush People, but now that we are home we have watched a couple episodes just to see Hoonah and Misty Bay Lodge! Pretty cool.

We had a great day whale watching in comfort. The crew was always diligent for wildlife sittings…read moreand then getting us as close as possible. We saw 5 or 6 whales. Always from a distance. We saw one tail.

Absolutely an amazing experience and demonstrated respect by true stewards of nature!…read more For a couple of hours, the captain and crew treated all of us as welcomed family upon a pristine tour boat. His respect towards the competing tour companies was refreshing (not crowding them and working with them). It was obvious he is exceptionally knowledgeable and skilled on the area's wildlife as he positioned his boat perfectly to carefully allow his customers to witness nature without disturbing or harming! He was able to anticipate where a feeding whale would surface more than a few times! A tip, all should dress for the weather and be ready to be outside in the elements. While the cabin inside allows a great view, all will want time either on top or on the bow viewing area. The rest of the crew's enthusiasm and knowledge was evident in all they did. It's great to see people LOVE what they are doing and thrive on sharing what they know. This is a boat on deep cold water. The crew looks out for the passenger safety. USCG briefing is conducted and all looks very safe on this boat. The boat is very well maintained and that helps keep all focused on the Whale and Wildlife adventure and eliminates other concerns. This is a restroom/head on the boat. I highly recommend this company, captain, crew and boat! WELL worth tour cost and time.

I cannot say enough great things about this experience. Captain Joardan was amazing at getting us…read moreclose to humpback whales and 2 Orca whales. Lots of other wildlife was seen as we cruised out along the coastline. His better half picked us up to take us the short ride to his boat. She happens to be an amazing baker and had fresh blueberry muffins made with wild blueberries they pick! Our boat had 6 of us so allowed us to move freely. I get motion sick and it was super smooth as to not cause me any concerns! Book directly with them vs thru second party. I have sent many people their way and would definitely book again if ever back in Alaska.

I found Hoonah Whale Tours on TripAdvisor and using Google. When I read they only took 6 people, I…read morewas immediately intrigued. I knew after some research that the cruise ship excursions would take dozens to more than a hundred. I read the many great reviews Hoonah already had. We chose them to be our only whale watching tour on our 11-day cruise. Jordan's wife found us easily and picked us up in their van and brought us directly to Jordan on the pier. Jordan was an excellent guide, and he found us nearly 50 whales, even some that were bubble net feeding. We were stunned and were able to sit inside the boat or go outside and felt safe doing so. Jordan went past our tour length because it was just so exciting; I think he loved it and didn't want to miss out on the action. We took so many photographs and videos. The blueberry muffins are real and delicious. Jordan really cared about giving the whales space to move. If you are reading this review and are wondering if this tour is for you, it is most definitely for you, and it's more than worth it. It's a glorious experience and is so worth the memories. Hands down, this was our family's favorite shore excursion. Hoonah Whale Tours delivered!

Absolutely recommend doing your whale watching tour with Catch of the Day!…read more They take smaller groups which allows you to get some really great photos and to chat with the knowledgeable crew about the area. We got to follow a humpback right away and also saw some bears on the shore which gave us bragging rights when we got back. Plus they pick you up in a LIMO! What a fun extra touch. I get sea sick very easily on smaller boats and I didn't have any problems on this ride. Thanks so much to the Catch of the Day team for such a memorable experience!

Captain Dennis was amazing as well as first mate Bill. He maximized our time, we saw whales almost…read morethe whole time with an Orca so close we could almost pet it. Also several Humpbacks with tail slaps and Breaches. Great personalities as well. Excellent day. Small boat 38' and very personalized.

THIS IS THE TOUR TO TAKE! LOCALLY owned and operated! They…read moreare natives and know the land in and out and where to go and not to go. They know the history in depth, they grew up here! We had the most amazing time and my kids have been non stop talking about the whole experience. They took use to get local berries, we saw grizzlies and the most amazing views. They are the nicest couple and I wish they lived closer so we could have them over for dinner. You don't find people like them anymore. If you are going to spend money on a tour, look no further, please, this is the one! 10/10 ! We will be back and we will do it again!

This was the absolute most amazing excursion we did while on our Alaskan cruise. John and Marilyn…read moreare natives of the island and could not have been more knowledgeable about where to go and what to look for. They are true EXPERTS of Hoonah. They gave us so much information during the excursion that we left with not only seeing multiple bears, it also with so much new knowledge about Alaska, their culture, the wildlife, the history of the land, and everything in between. They brought us to eat wild berries, took our pictures, and most important put on the bears! We felt 100% safe with them. My one animal I wanted to see was Bear and they made sure we did it! They went above and beyond and I could go on forever.

Captain Seth bent over backwards to show our small group. 6 passengers Max, hospitality, and as…read moremuch local aquatic, and land wildlife as he possibly do during his tour on his very comfortable boat. We saw whales, Humpback, and Orchas, sea birds, including Puffins, Sea Otters, Moose, Brown Bears, Seals, and Sea Lions. You will never go hungry when you sail with Captain Seth. He stocks his gally with all of the snack food, and drinks you could ever want at no extra cost. It is very important to Captain Seth that his guests have great Alaska Wildjife viewing adventure.

Such a fantastic time on this cruise excursion! Surreal experience every time. I can't wait to…read morereturn next year!!

Greg is great! It is clear that he knows the area and cares about the bears. We were lucky enough…read moreto see a mom and her 3 cubs and another adult fishing for Salmon in the evening on 8/27/25. We loved being able to be a part of a smaller tour group too!

From the owner: This is your rare chance to view Alaska Brown bears on the remote road system just outside of the…read moreVillage Hoonah Alaska.