icy strait point

We came here on a cruise ship, and I would say over half the passengers were complaining during and afterwords This is a much more genuine experience with a local tribe, plenty of excursions, but shopping and port amenities are limited.

We loved quiet Icy Strait. The people are very nice. There are several trails to walk. We watched whales bubble feeding right from the beach. Best whale experience the entire trip! Eagles everywhere. Really wanted to do the zip line but ran out of time. The cluster of buildings here are here for the tourists, but it really didn't feel artificial to me.

We stopped in Icy Strait Point while cruising the Inside Passage. If you keep to the outside of the buildings, you can feel yourself slipping back in time. We visited at the end of May, the beginning of tourist season. It was chilly but they had large fire pits with benches available. The occasional bald eagle overhead, whales off shore, and knowing that you are a hundred miles from the next point of civilization, really adds to the atmosphere.If you go inside you will be swept up in the tourist trade, food and souvenirs. There are optional tours, but I didn't feel they added anything. Zip lining is pretty much the same everywhere up there and atvs are uncomfortable.

The small fishing village you enter is quaint and nice a good museum of the canning industry but the rest is typical tourist shops. took the local ATV tour sorry we did. You take a bus up the mountain and drive ATV down a wide dirt road which is like driving down a forest road no challenge at all. However the tour guide was a local lady who you could tell she loved her culture and her home. There was some good information she provided however If you are looking for a off road adventure this is not your tour for the price which I feel is very high your better off on some other tour

What an experience Very natural placeWent on a nature adventure with the locals and we heard about the island from locals Great learning experience met the chief of he Island and learnt about the history if the island

We arrived at the ISP and spent the morning kayaking. There is wild life and the scenery is absolutely gorgeous.

Even though this is a very small port, there are some fabulous things to do here - zip line, whale watching, tribal dancing. There are also a few shops here, but these few shops carry some pretty great merchandise. Cruise ships tender into this port, but it is worth getting off the ship for.

One of the highlights of Alaska for us. Took a kayak tour with Will and we were amazed by his knowledge of the environment. A whale played with a sea lion - all witnessed from our kayak. Met genuine and interested people doing a great job in the town. The town should be very proud of what it achieves.

We were on the last Alaskan Cruise for the Celebrity Century and I was so pleasantly surprised at how much I loved this port! The weather was perfect and the port is picturesque. Upon arrival we tendered to the dock and then on to another boat for a whale watch trip....when we returned it was early evening and we took a walk along the beach, by the fire pit and then back thru the forest to the dock on a very nice path. We felt like we were the only ones out there. The sun was setting and it was very romantic! Before we went back to the ship we spent time walking thru the museum and also enjoyed the shopping center. So nice and some original things in there. Really enjoyed Icy Point.

This excursion was offered through Norwegian cruise lines. I loved Icy Strait point, not only because of its ZipRider, but because it is a real, authentic Tlingit indian town. The commercialized portion is very small and tastefully done as a museum-like atmosphere in the gift shop and the ZipRider areas. They have small buses that take you into their town for a few dollars, and the town is the real deal. There is a Tlingit indian woodshop there (looks like a tin building) where they are hand-carving walls, totems and decorative pieces that will become the new Glacier National Park Visitors Center. The workmanship is unbelievable and a Tlingit man was working and explaining things to visitors as he did. I really enjoyed that this is their town and it has not been changed to cater to tourists.All the workers who do work at the tourist attractions are locals who live there and the Tlingit people own the whole thing. They have not, and will not, sell interests or shares to the cruise lines. The place itself is a gorgeous island in a very serene place. It is really a must see.

Typical tourist fare at Icy Strait Point. Skip it and head into Hoonah. The walk between the two is gorgeous and just over a mile.

So what that the "village" of Icy Strait Point is a collaborative construction of the cruise companies and the town of Hoonah? I think it's brilliant. To repurpose a closed fish cannery, to revitalize a failing economy, to provide jobs to the local people and bring to the cruise passengers a beautiful fun filled day of excellent shopping, local cultural experiences and outdoor adventure activities - where is the harm in that, it's a win/win! We had a fabulous day here. My recommendation is to partake in (purchase) as many of the adventures as you can.First, I want to say something explicitly that I never found was made clear before we arrived in Icy Strait - you CAN purchase tickets for the various activities ON SHORE - you do not have to buy them on the cruise ship. On shore, there are various booths and offices where you can book the excursions - and your seapass card is charged, you don't pay with cash when purchasing the activities on shore, your ship's seapass card is charged - pretty cool how this is all handled. This is good information because maybe that kayak adventure you booked in advance might not look so good to you if your day in Icy Strait is one of torrential rain. On the other hand, you run the risk of your chosen excursion being sold out. Nonetheless, I wanted to be sure that you knew this - if the activity is not filled, you can absolutely purchase tickets ON SHORE to everything - the native dance show, the whale watches, the zipline, the kayaking etc etc.We had prebooked the first zipline ride of the day, so we were on one of the first tenders to shore and we were on the first bus to the top of the mountain. The bus ride itself to the top is authentic - an old school bus driven by a local gentleman who shares local lore, history, pictures of his family - it's great! The zipline ride itself is lots of fun, great views. After that we thought, hmmm, ok, let's do something else, so we booked a 2+ hour kayaking adventure - we booked it onshore from one of the ticket sales booths - our seapass card was charged. We had loads of fun. Eagles swooping across the bow of the kayak, fabulous views, truly gorgeous. Our guide was a local man who told us many stories as we paddled gently along. We really got a great sense from him of what makes Alaska, Alaska - the close knit towns, the sense of community among the residents, how they all look out for each other - it was lovely. After the kayaking, we had a delicious lunch at the Cookhouse - I HIGHLY recommend the salmon BLTs!We did a bit of shopping, walked the nature path - very relaxing and scenic, a very nice day.

This is real Alaska at its best. No jewelry or diamond stores, no "cruise ship specials", just a great little town with wonderful people. There is not much to do here other than whale watching trips but I would highly recommend taking one. We spent 3 hours looking for whales ($165 per person) and had a great time and did get to see several whales. Would highly recommend this port for whale watching (humpbacks)

By the time the ships get to Icy Strait Point, one is ready for a day quiet, peaceful day and that is exactly what you will get here. Visit the historic cannery and the shops that sell far more than the t-shirts of Juneau. take a walk along the waterfront, stop and sit around the open beach campfire, walk through the majestic forest and smell nature at its best! Watch the folks zip down the zipline at 60 miles an hour (and about $1.50 a second for the 90 second ride - you do the math!). A great spot to experience fresh crab.

Tired of tourist towns? You wilI really enjoy this small village. The ship tendered into a large wharf area where trips excursions had desks and some better than usual quality gift shops. A short walk away was a restaurant at the end of a long zip line. We took the shuttle ($2 each way) into the small village of Hoohan, not touristy or commercial. The driver told us it is all privately owned-by the tribe so they plan to have it remain unchanged. The homes are small and old and private. We were invited to observe the wood carver in a plain shed. But when we we went in, he showed us fabulous traditional carvings such a totem poles and a wall he designed and is making for the new community center. Talked to us about the Tligket culture and his evolution in learning his grandmother's language and way of life. Everyone was very friendly. We ate at a small restaurant in town, the Office Bar. Very small and plain; the owners come by to talk to you. Basically their menu is Dungeness Crabs. But these crabs were fresh out of the water! Yum.Lots of sealife around the harbor.