Icy Straits Point (ICP) - Is DIY Tour Possible?

[gatec1008]

We booked a last-minute Alaska cruise that includes ISP as one of the ports we'll be stopping for the afternoon.  Most of the excursions offered by the cruise line and local tour companies are sold out.  We're wondering if we can hire a taxi or rent a car to explore Hoonah/ISP for the day on our own.  What would be the tourist spots that we should visit?  If anyone has previously did a DIY tour, we would love to hear your experience or suggestions.

 

If this is not an option, we'll just walk around Hoonah and enjoy some local dishes 🙂

 

[Ashland]

You can take the shuttle bus to Hoonah it used to be approx $5.00...personally going into Hoonah wasn't worth it as there isn't much to see there. Stay in port and enjoy the cannery.

[Ferry_Watcher]

Try to get yourselves on a whale watching tour, or even put your names on a ship excursion waitlist for whale watching.  ISP is amazing for whale watching.

 

ISP is such a pretty place - just being out and about, soaking in the scenery is great.

 

[gatec1008]

We'll try to see if we can get on waitlist on ship or local operators for whale watching but just want to explore other options.  If we hire a taxi or car, we're thinking about driving to explore the wilderness area around ISP, not just Hoonah.  We know the scenery is amazing near the port and on the way to Hoonah.  We're just not sure if it's worthwhile and safe to explore other area on our own.

[Ferry_Watcher]

@gatec1008, I just haven't seen anything about private tours offered at ISP.  It's rather isolated, and that's why I always say that as Alaska port-of-calls go, it feels like 'real' Alaska.

 

Folks cancel cruises, and thus their excursions all the time, so I would encourage you to keep watching for excursion openings both on your cruise line's excursion page, and once on board at the excursion desk.

 

FYI, we were in ISP last September and due to a Covid outbreak in the community, neither the zipline or the gondola were operating.  The road to the village of Hoonah had a barrier across it requesting cruise passengers not to walk into town.  The woman at the information desk at ISP explained that the closures were to protect the community elders.  The whale watching boats were running though. 

[gatec1008]

3 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

@gatec1008, I just haven't seen anything about private tours offered at ISP.  It's rather isolated, and that's why I always say that as Alaska port-of-calls go, it feels like 'real' Alaska.

 

Folks cancel cruises, and thus their excursions all the time, so I would encourage you to keep watching for excursion openings both on your cruise line's excursion page, and once on board at the excursion desk.

 

FYI, we were in ISP last September and due to a Covid outbreak in the community, neither the zipline or the gondola were operating.  The road to the village of Hoonah had a barrier across it requesting cruise passengers not to walk into town.  The woman at the information desk at ISP explained that the closures were to protect the community elders.  The whale watching boats were running though. 

Yes, we'll keep checking for cancellations on whale watching tours.  Besides whale watching, we know wildlife and bear search tours are another option if we can find a taxi or car.  But we are not sure if it is safe and worthwhile. 

[AKStafford]

Here's the local operators: http://visithoonah.com/experiences/

[JT1962]

Glacier Winds and Hoonah Adventures are both excellent options for whale watching and should put you on a wait list, if you contact them. They both fill up quickly, but it never hurts to be on the waitlist, just in case. 
 

ISP is a beautiful place even if you just walk some of the trails near the pier, tour the cannery, have a great meal and just enjoy the scenery. Don’t miss the mini donuts at the stand behind the main building.  In May I saw bald eagles along the walkway to the cannery and numerous whales from shore.

[Ferry_Watcher]

53 minutes ago, gatec1008 said:

But we are not sure if it is safe and worthwhile. 

It's pretty much tribal members and some seasonal employees that live there.  As with many tribal ventures, the members are employed by the corporation operating the whale watching vessels, running the gondola and zip line, as well as the bear search hike, etc. .  The proceeds benefit the tribe, as well as funding improvements, both for business, and the village.  So I don't think you will find tribal members competing against their own tribe with independent tours.

[surreymum]

We did a kayak trip with Fairweather Kayaks which I booked through Hoonah Travel Adventures. We were given excellent instructions on where to pick up our shuttle and thoroughly enjoyed our trip. We were accompanied by a safety boat and they took loads of photos from that boats which they later emailed to us. One of our party is a non swimmer and he felt safe and secure at all times and had a fabulous time.

[Kathscof]

For our May cruise one excursion we had wanted for like 5 months became available 4 days before the cruise....don’t give up! 

 

There is a tribal dance demonstration, the cannery, some really neat shops, DOUGHNUTS (!!!!), restaurants and the gondola up the mountain you can do without advance reservations.....we did the nice walk into town to have lunch on our kayak leader’s recommendation to the Fisherman’s Daughter (oh my goodness SOOOOOO GOOOOD, one of the best meals of the trip!!!!! Fish tacos wow) and then a dole whip on the way back from a food “trailer” that sold Korean fried chicken I think?......there wasn’t much in town besides a shop or two and a totem carver we had to speed past, but it was a nice walk....if you did all those things, you could spend at least 3-4 hours....