Chilkoot Lake Nature and Wildlife Viewing - 6.5 hrs from Skagway
Skagway, USA
- 6 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Escape Skagway with a visit to Chilkoot Lake State Park in Haines. Board a high-speed catamaran in Skagway and fly through the water to Haines, admiring steep fjord walls and unnamed waterfalls along the way. Meet your naturalist guide at the park entrance, and discover a lake rimmed by snowy mountains, a river bursting with salmon, Tlingit cultural sites, and wildlife including bald eagles, brown bears, and harbor seals.
- Admire wildlife and natural landscapes in Chilkoot Lake State Park
- Expert naturalist guide
- Incredible photo opportunities
- Lunch and round-trip transport included
What's Included
- LunchLunch consists of a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread, fruit, freshly baked cookie and water. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are available with 48 hours advance notice.
- Driver/guide
- Transportation and Fare on Haines/Skagway Fast Ferry
- Port pickup
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Pick-Up Instructions – Please Read Carefully To join your tour in Haines, you must make it to the ferry on time. - The ferry begins loading 15 minutes before departure. - The ferry leaves on time and does not wait. - To be considerate of other guests and the prompt ferry departure, we cannot always wait for late arrivals. - Your guide will be holding a Rainbow Glacier Adventures sign with a large rainbow logo. ---Cruise Ship Guests--- *Railroad Dock* (next to the rock cliff/landslide area): - If you are tendered (small boat), walk up the ramp and wait by the “Small Boat Harbor” sign to meet your guide. - If you are shuttled by bus, stay at the Ship Shuttle drop-off area to meet your guide. *Broadway Dock* (center of town): - Walk to the end of the pier, in front of your ship, near the start of the train tracks. - Your guide will meet you at the greeting area there. *Ore Dock* (by the helicopters): - Walk up the ramp and just past security to the greeting area. - Your guide will be waiting for you. **Important: If you do not immediately see your Rainbow Glacier Adventures guide, stay and wait at the greeting area. DO NOT WALK TOWARDS TOWN.** If you do not see the guide by 15 minutes prior to the tour, please call the tour operator. ---Hotel & B&B Guests--- - Pick-up is directly in front of your lodging. - Watch for the van with the Rainbow Glacier Adventures logo. - If you do not see the guide by 15 minutes prior to the tour, please call the tour operator.
Itinerary
1
Haines Skagway Fast Ferry
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
2
Haines
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Tanani Point
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Chilkoot River
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
5
Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Area
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
6
Nukdik Point
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Fort William H. Seward National Historic Landmark (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Not wheelchair accessible
- A minimum of 2 people is required for tour to run
- Stroller accessible
- At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the name of their cruise ship and Hotel guests must provide the name of the hotel or B&B.
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Most travelers can participate
- Not accessible to motorized wheelchairs.
- Your tour includes a portable lunch. It consists of a turkey sandwich on organic whole wheat bread, fruit, freshly baked cookie, and bottled water. Vegetarian and gluten free options are available with 48 hours advance notice.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Jeanette, our tour guide in Haines, has a great story of her move from Grants Pass, OR to Haines and was an excellent and engaging guide. She took us up the Chilkoot River to Chilkoot Lake and then up the Chilkat River before showing us around Haines and Fort Seward. We saw a mama bear and three cubs, many Bald Eagles, and an otter. The ferry from Skagway to Haines was very educational and the views of the Fjords were magnificent. Highly recommend this tour.
Reviews
3.9
based on 92 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Kat was an excellent guide, knew her bears, and took us to some beautiful spots for eagles and pictures.
We did not feel this excursion was worth the money. While our guide was friendly and knowledgeable, the tour mostly consisted of driving up and down a single road looking for wildlife. We never spotted the mother bear and her cubs, though seeing two sets of bald eagles was a highlight. The provided snack was disappointing—there were no options for guests who requested gluten-free or vegetarian items in advance, and the included drinks were just jugs filled from a roadside spring. We would not recommend this tour.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
I am so sorry to read that you felt this tour was not worth the money. I can understand how you feel, though. If I paid for a tour expecting to see bearsand did not see them, I, too ,would be disappointed. That is why we are very careful to emphasize that we do not guarantee wildlife on our tours. We try hard to manage our guests' expectations and let them know that these are wild creatures who do not come out of the woods on demand.
We drive up and down that single road looking for bear because that single road is where we are most likely to see bears. It goes along a salmon stream and bear are seen there regularly. It wouldn't make sense if we were trying to find bears to drive up and down a road with no bears! So I don't really understand that comment.
Regarding our lunches, we do provide gluten -free and vegetarian options. But they must be requested in advance.
Regarding the jugs filled with water: We decided several years ago to stop serving water in individual plastic water bottles. This is in the interest of reducing plastic pollution. We provide tasty water and use compostable cups for those who do not bring their own, refillable water bottles.
Excellent and very smooth experience. Beautiful scenery! Eagles everywhere and we got very lucky to see a family of bears!
We enjoyed this excursion tremendously. Our tour guide, Katt, knew a lot of history about the area, was very personable, and added funny stories to make our adventure enjoyable and memorable. Saw white swans, eagles, and momma bear lu lu with her four cubs.
The company was fantastic. We were well taken care of. Our guide Lydia is native to Haines and she gave a unique perspective about the area. Shares a lot of information. Didn’t see any bear but she tried and the guides communicated with each other so I fell if there had been one around, we would’ve seen it!! Definitely recommend!!
We had a wonderful day with our lovely tour guide. He was very friendly, gave us lots of information, and showed us the most beautiful spots in the Haines area. The sunny weather made it even more enjoyable, allowing us to fully appreciate the stunning scenery. Since the salmon weren`t yet in the rivers, it was too early for bear sightings. However, we did see bald eagles with their young. Along the way, our guide also treated us to a delicious snack. Highly recommeded!
This tour was a bit of a mis match. Met off cruise ship by member of tour company. Five minutes later he left us as he didn't accompany us on ferry. Met on other side of ferry trip by another member of staff who didn't know how many people where on our tour! She took us to various viewing places. But they have not seen any bears this summer for reason unknown. Lunch was a unedible sandwich and cookie with water provided. We were returned to ferry at 1pm. Guide left us on the ramp to the ferry. She just walked off without even a goodbye. On return to Stagway we had been given tickets at the start of the tour for the shuttle bus and to make our own way back to pick up point. Apparently the company where unable to meet us. The Tour company was Rainbow Glasier Adventures.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
I am so sorry to read this review. Yes we are named Rainbow Glacier Adventures and I am proud of our reputation. Some of the interactions you describe do not sound like our company. Regardless, we take all comments seriously and provide additional training if we see areas we can improve. It is important that our guests understand how our operation works. The geography in Haines and Skagway is a bit complex. The two towns are only 20 miles apart, but to get from one to the other is a 300 mile drive. But the towns are connected by a Fast Ferry service which operates in the summer months. . Haines is much less crowded than Skagway, and tends to have better wildlife viewing. For that reason, we offer tours to Haines from Skagway. SInce Skagway has several docks and is very busy, it can be confusing to walk off the cruise ship and figure out how to get to the Fast Ferry dock for the trip to Haines. That is why we provide meet and greet service and transfers in Skagway. Nothing in our tour descriptions implies that our staff join our guests on board the Fast Ferry. The Fast Ferry has their own professional guides and staff and provide narration between the two towns.
Once the Fast Ferry arrives in Haines, our guests are met by our guides and broken into groups for our tours. Unlike other companies that put 40 people in one bus, our maximum group size is14 guests. Sometimes we have lots of guests coming over from Skagway ane it can take a bit of time to get everyone situated into the proper vehicles. Our main objective is to make sure everyone gets on tour, and no one gets left at the dock. I’m not sure exactly what happened on your tour at the dock in Haines, but our goal is to make all the various transitions on our tours seamless and smooth.
Your comment that “they have not seen any bears this summer for reasons unknown” is simply not true. If you look at the reviews from earlier this summer for this tour you will see that we have had plenty of bear sightings this year. We are careful to advise all our guests that reliable bear viewing doesn’t happen in Haines until early August when the pink salmon start to run. But we have had great success this year finding bear in the early season. Y
You describe our sandwich as “inedible”, and yet we serve thousands of sandwiches each summer. Why would we serve an “inedible” sandwich? And if they were inedible, wouldn’t we see this negative comment on practically every review?
Upon return to Skagway, our protocol is clear. The guide who provides the morning meet and greet gives clear instructions and hands out the tickets for the return shuttle. We do not provide staff to meet our groups upon return to Skagway. In order to have staff meet every boat when it returns to Skagway would require us hiring an additional staff person in Skagway. The price of our tours would have to go up to cover the additional cost, and we make every effort to keep our prices affordable.
Got to see things you don't see without exploring. The guide was knowledgeable and tried his best to find bears and other animals.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thanks for your comments. We try to maximize your time by doing the exploring in advance of the tour, and taking you to the best places for that particular day, time and group.
Tour consisted of driving around a populated area in a van supposedly looking for wild animals. Saw a couple bald eagles in the distance.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
So sorry to see this review. We would never try to rip anyone off. We have been in business for over thirty years and our company, Rainbow Glacier Adventures, and this tour have hundreds of five-star reviews. I wish you had been more specific about what part of the tour did not meet your expectations. If I knew more and your complaint made sense to me, I would modify our tour description. We are very careful to say 1) that this is a driving tour and 2) we do not guarantee sightings of wildlife. We also note that, starting in August, the pink salmon begin running up the Chilkoot River and the odds of seeing brown bears increase. The run peaks in September and the chances of seeing brown bears increases right up to the end of the season. Before the salmon run begins, spotting of brown bears are sporadic. This year, there have been excellent sightings of bear feeding on grass, dandelions, and along the tidal margins in and around Haines.
The tour focuses on the Chilkoot River and Chilkoot Lake. This is an area managed by Alaska State Parks. There is a campground and the road goes right along the river. It is a great area to look for wildlife and it is not a populated area. No one lives there. The tour does start at the cruise ship dock in Skagway (population 800) and the Fast Ferry takes you to the town of Haines (population 2.500). So, you are correct, these are “populated” areas.
Some folks prefer a true wilderness experience for wildlife viewing. There are bear viewing tours in other parts of Alaska like Brooks Falls, McNiel River, Katmai National Park, and Pack Creek (Admiralty Island). Access to those locations require bush plane flights. Some of these locations are restricted to the number of visitors per day, and some have a lottery system because of the high demand. The price differential between our tour and a tour like that is huge. But they do not go to “populated” areas.
We only saw eagles and we had a tour guide who usually did photography tours . The scenery was beautiful but in no way possible was it worth what we paid . People fell asleep on the tour
Response from Host, Jul 2026
So sorry to see this review. We do not guarantee sightings of wildlife. We are careful to say that, starting in August, the pink salmon begin running up the Chilkoot River and the odds of seeing brown bears increase. The run peaks in September and the chances of seeing brown bears increases right up to the end of the season. Before the salmon run begins, spotting of brown bears are sporadic. This year, there have been excellent sightings of bear feeding on grass, dandelions, and along the tidal margins in and around Haines.
I don’t think it is a disadvantage that your guide is a photographer as well as trained naturalists. This is a plus for a few reasons. 1) Photographers have to understand wildlife and their habits in order to find the animals they want to photograph 2) Our photography guides can give tips to anyone, even those with iPhones, on how to capture compelling images.
As far as people falling asleep on tour, that has happened to me before, and I am an expert guide and photographer with over forty years experience. When I asked about it, the guests told me they were up late on the cruise ship drinking, dancing and having fun!!
WOW. I understand it's the luck of the draw with Wildlife, but we saw seals, numerous birds, whales and a juvenile grizzly! A humpback breached about 10' from our bow as we left the dock.
Lidia,our guide, was born and raised in Haines so she peppered the tours with little anecdotes.
We we also able to watch local tribal members hand carve a totem replica for an upcoming ceremony.
I highly recommend!
Response from Host, May 2026
Thanks for this great review. You are correct, there is a certain amount of luck with a wildlife tour. But there is also our guide who knows the area well. They know where to go and when to go there to increase your chances of seeing wildlfie As you mentioned, Lydia was born and raised in Haines She possesses a wealth of knowledge and just completed her master's degree at University of Alaska in Fairbanks. Additionally, since we run small tours, we typically have numerous vehicles out simultaneously at different locations looking for wildlife. If one our our guides sees some wildlife, they can share the information with our other guides via our proprietary radio frequency.
This tour is a chance to escape the crowds and be shown the incredible beauty of alaska. Wildlife is all around. My tour guide, Katt, was fantastic and showing the area and finding wildlife. Lunch was delicious. A day i'll remember forever.
Response from Host, May 2026
I am so happy to read that this is a day you will remember forever. Making lasting memories is one of our goals with Rainbow Glacier Adventures. Katt is a fantastic guide and it sounds like you had a great day. Thanks for this positive review!
Very informative tour. Our guide Davey had a lot of information to share and was out going and friendly.
He made it a priority for our group to see as much wildlife as possible.
It started out a bit slow, but picked up and boy did we see a lot.
We saw a lot of bears and eagles.
We were able to take a lot pf pictures.
Really enjoyed the ferry ride over to Haines, AK
No issue finding the tour rep at the cruise port or once we got to Haines.
My only con of the whole trip was the lunch. While the sandwich and cookie were excellent, I'm not sure why we had to eat while riding on the bus. Once we were in the park, Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site (I believe that was the name) there were many places with picnic tables with outstanding overlooks where we could have had lunch. Trying to eat on a bus was not the most desirable way.
Overall, I would love to do this tour again since it was very good.
Jeanette, our tour guide in Haines, has a great story of her move from Grants Pass, OR to Haines and was an excellent and engaging guide. She took us up the Chilkoot River to Chilkoot Lake and then up the Chilkat River before showing us around Haines and Fort Seward. We saw a mama bear and three cubs, many Bald Eagles, and an otter. The ferry from Skagway to Haines was very educational and the views of the Fjords were magnificent. Highly recommend this tour.
Our guide was great. Very informative and passionate about the wildlife and environment on Haines. She had a scope that was amazing to view wildlife and also used it to take the best photos. Lunch was good. Sat by a lake for picnic lunch. All in our group enjoyed our day.
This was a great day to explore wildlife. We saw a bear!! We were so excited. Thank you to our guide who was familiar with the area and patient.
Not so successful at seeing any wildlife. Tour guide was pleasant and tried really hard to get us a view of bears but to no avail.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you for sharing your feedback. While wildlife can sometimes be elusive, we’re glad to hear your guide worked hard to create opportunities to spot bears. Our guides know the best viewing areas throughout Haines and do their very best to give guests the highest chances of wildlife encounters. As noted in the tour overview, sightings are never guaranteed, but we take you right into their natural habitat where those chances are greatest.
That said, one of the things we love most about this tour is that, even on days when the animals are shy, guests can still experience the beauty of the Chilkoot—the peaceful river, glacial lake, stunning mountain views, and the incredible landscapes that make Haines so special.
Karla was exceptional .. we saw mama bear with cubs and a solo bear for quite some time .. thank you karla
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you for your review! We’re glad to hear Karla made your day exceptional. Watching a mama bear with her cubs and a solo bear for an extended time is an amazing experience — we’ll be sure to share your kind words with her!
Seen only 2 bears from bus. Did not allow us to step out for pictures as others did. Very blend tour not worth the cost
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you for providing this review. I want to assure you and anyone who reads this review that safety is our top concern. Sometimes, it is not safe to step out of the bus, even if "others did.” We do not base our safety protocols on what others do. Our guides make their decisions based on the situation at the time. We have to follow State Park guidelines and protocols that other, independent travelers, should, but do not always, follow. It would be a tragedy if someone gets injured, or worse, from a negative encounter with a bear.
I am glad you got to see two brown bears feeding on salmon in a beautiful, wild river setting in pristine nature. That is so much better than seeing bears in a zoo or other type of captive situation.
Our tour day weather was typical Alaska. A wet, cold rainy day. Although we didn't see bears, the landscape and the river was a once in a lifetime experience. Watching folks Salmon fish the small river, watching the gentlemen employed to "count" the salmon, seeing so many eagles we lost count, seeing Trumpeter Swans, seeing the small, rich in history small town of Haines through the eyes of our full time resident, Jeanette's eyes and prospective was amazing. She truly loves this place and the people. Easy to see why.
Pick up was simple, ferry was fun and informative as well. We did miss a bear by seconds. A resident mama and her FOUR cubs.
Even if you don't see bears and you love the diversity of the Alaskan landscape like we do, it's worth it.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
We truly appreciate your review! Summers in Alaska are different than what you might experience in the lower 48 — cooler temperatures and plenty of rain are often part of the adventure. It makes us so happy to hear you embraced our true Alaskan weather with such optimism and joy. We also love that you enjoyed your time with Jeanette! She’s such a gem, and we’re glad you were able to spend the day with her. She’ll be thrilled to know her love for this place helped make your experience so memorable. While bears are always an exciting highlight, it sounds like you had a wonderful day with the stunning landscapes, countless eagles, swans, and even watching the salmon fishers and counters at work. As you said, the beauty and diversity of Alaska always shines through — rain or shine, bears or no bears. Thank you again for joining us and for sharing your experience!
Our guide was amazing super sweet. We really enjoyed the tour. We saw salmon, eagles, a bear and her four cubs.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you for the review! We’re so glad you got to see some of the incredible wildlife that call Haines home. We truly appreciate your kind words about your guide and are so glad you shared this special moment with us.
We were all very disappointed with our wilderness and wildlife viewing tour. We were taken on a 5 minute ride on a disorganised bus tour to a popular tourist spot by a lake, where we stood in the car park with hundreds of other people and looked at a lake where the river ran in, the lake was lovely as was the scenery, but all the scenery in Alaska is lovely. We then got back on the bus and took another 5 minute drive back down the road we came in on, and stopped the bus at a spot where a bear and her cubs had been frequenting recently. The reason the bear was visiting the spot was to catch salmon for her Cubs, the spot was a man made salmon weir, where the salmon are held back and can only go up river via one small gateway, where a man counts each one that passes through. The bear did show up at the weir several times, but was chased off with a stick and an air horn by the fish counting man as part of his job. So yes we briefly saw a bear from a distance, but as soon as it showed up, it was deliberately chased away! Why on earth take us to spot wildlife here??
We then hopped back on the bus and taken to a small stream that passed under the road via a man made tunnel. Where we witnessed salmon pushing their way up the river to spawn. We were pleased to see this sight. However not one single part of the trip could be described as wilderness.
The guide was nice lady in herself. But over £1000 for a family of 5 left us all very disappointed and feeling a bit ripped off.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
I am so sorry to read this review and hear of your disappointment. Our goal is to provide a high quality experience that, at the very least, matches your expectations. So it is important that our guests' expectations are reasonable. In this case, I think the problem is with our use of the word “wilderness.” With a “wilderness tour”, you would not expect to see man-made features such as roads, culverts or a salmon-counting station. You would expect a completely roadless experience. And those types of experiences are possible in Alaska. For example, you can travel to Pack Creek on Admiralty Island, or go to the McNeil River, or to Brooks Falls. In those locations, you can watch bears feeding on salmon along a pristine river with no crowds.
In order to keep the wilderness feel of these places, there is limited availability. In some cases, there is a lottery system because of the demand. Access requires a float plane or small boat trip. These trips, if you can get a reservation, are extremely expensive. While you mention the price of our tour, it is quite reasonable compared to these other trips.
Based on your comments, I am going to request that Viator change the name of the tour from Chilkoot Wilderness and Wildlife Viewing Tour to Chilkoot Nature and Wildlife Viewing Tour.
First of all, Chilkoot is breathtaking. We understand you can't 'plan' to see wildlife, but it should be clear what weeks of the summer or fall are optimum vs taking a chance on seeing 1 bear and cubs, possibly. It was not stated that the bear are being counted and stay away when this is happening. Seeing the salmon run in the creek was good as was the scenery. Lunch was plentiful. Otherwise most time was spent in vehicles being transported. The guide was gracious and full of information but had we known there was no trail to walk or unable to walk around town at all, as alternatives, I'm not sure we would have booked the tour. A few eagles and not much else was scene. Guide very well informed.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you for joining us and for taking the time to share your thoughts. I’m sorry to hear parts of the experience did not meet your expectations. Our goal is always to provide a high-quality tour that delivers on what guests anticipate, so it’s important that expectations are as clear as possible from the start.
While wildlife sightings are one of the most exciting parts of this tour, they can never be guaranteed. Bear activity changes day-to-day and season-to-season based on many factors—food availability, weather, and salmon run timing among them. I would like to clarify though that it is the salmon that are counted at the weir and not the bears. This monitoring is an important conservation measure that helps manage the fishery and ensure healthy salmon runs for years to come. During certain periods, bear activity may be lower in that area. In our tour description we do note when the best opportunities for bear viewing tend to occur so guests can plan accordingly.
This tour is designed to focus on the natural scenery of the Chilkoot area, opportunities to view a variety of wildlife, and education about the ecosystem. It does not include town exploration or long walking trails, which is why we encourage guests to review the tour description in detail before booking. Most travel is by vehicle between key viewing and scenic stops so we can cover more ground and increase the variety of what we see.
We’re glad you enjoyed the scenery, salmon run, plentiful lunch, and your guide’s knowledge and graciousness. We’ll continue to refine our descriptions so that future guests have the clearest picture possible of what to expect.
This was an amazing experience personalized by our knowledgeable and experienced guide, Karla. We saw bears and Eagles and harbor seals. This place is like walking around in a postcard.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
We’re so glad you had an amazing time with Karla. She has a gift for turning a tour into something special. Bears, eagles, and harbor seals? That’s a dream day! It means a lot to hear that it felt like walking through a postcard. We feel the same way about our home. We’ll be sure to pass along your kind words — she’ll be thrilled to know she made your experience so memorable.
You hope to see wildlife but it doesn’t mean you will. We did see a bumper crop of eagles, and even though we were here at the peak of sockeye salmon run…..unfortunately no bears in sight.
HOWEVER Janette our guide was a truly lovely person who clearly loves what she does and the community she lives in year round
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you so much for your kind review! We’re not at all surprised to hear how much you enjoyed your time with Jeanette. Not only is she a fantastic guide, she’s an incredible human through and through. This is her first season with Rainbow Glacier Adventures and we feel so lucky to have her on the team.
As for the wildlife — thank you for your understanding. Our wildlife is wild, and that’s part of the magic. While we can never guarantee sightings, we always bring guests into the areas where they’re most often seen in their natural habitat, giving you the best possible chance. However, it sounds like the eagles definitely showed up for you! Thank you again for the review!
The Chilkoot Wilderness tour on July 20th was very good! We were staying in Skagway and transportation arrived at stated time to pick us up for the ferry departure to Haines. Upon arriving our guide was there to meet us. Jeanette gave us an excellent tour of the area and provided lunch and history along the way. Although we didn’t see bears and moose (which were on our list to see) we thoroughly enjoyed our time touring this beautiful area. We were delivered back to the ferry on time and the experience was enjoyed by all.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for your 5 star review! We're so happy to hear your day went smoothly from start to finish. Seamless transportation and a great tour experience are exactly what we aim for. Jeanette is truly the best and will be thrilled to hear your kind words. Her deep knowledge and gift for storytelling make every tour special, and we’re glad she helped make your day memorable. Thank you again for choosing to spend part of your Alaskan adventure with us!
The ferry ride R/T to Haines worked out fine although the rain diminished the visibility of the waterfalls along the way. We knew we were going to be a bit early in July for bear which held true since we never saw any. We spotted some bald eagles in the trees and fishermen in the river. The biggest disappointment was the provided lunch. First the guide said they switched lunch from another tour so ours included gluten- free sandwiches. None of us were gluten- free and these sandwiches were very dry. We were surprised by this because we were never offered the ability to make a selection. The worst part was there were no beverages on the tour to wash down the sandwich or cookie. No water! Our guide was Katherine. She was nice but did nothing to deserve five stars.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thanks for this review. Our aim is to provide a high-quality tour experience. Part of our mission is to give our guests accurate information in advance of the tour so that they come with reasonable expectations. It's nice to hear that you realize that we have no control over the weather. I’m glad that you were not disappointed about not seeing a brown bear because we provided accurate information about the chances of seeing bears on this tour in July.
Your comment about the lunch is well-noted. We do our best to provide a high-quality lunch, and that includes offering gluten-free options for those who request them. We also provide vegetarian, dairy-free and vegan options. These must be requested in advance. Sometimes on tour, either the guides or guests grab the wrong lunch. We label the gluten-free lunches as gluten-free and usually the mistake is caught before someone starts eating the lunch. But not always. I’m sure you understand that once someone starts eating the lunch provided, we cannot switch. I am sorry that this happened on your tour.
As far as water goes, I think there was some type of misunderstanding. Some tour companies provide bottled water on tour, and perhaps you were expecting a bottle of water.
We stopped providing water in plastic bottles years ago in an effort to reduce plastic waste. We bring a large cooler filled with water for those who want to refill their water bottle and we provide compostable cups for those who did not bring a water bottle.
Katherine is an excellent guide, she is very experienced and has a passion for the Alaskan wilderness and the Alaskan lifestyle. She has done her research and has plenty to share about the natural and human history of the local area. Even though she has an MBA and we tried to get her to work in our office, she prefers to spend her time outdoors guiding!
The tour guide started by saying “it’s too sunny, we won’t see any animals today.” This was extremely discouraging after the price we paid for the tour. The whole rest of the day he proceeded to keep making these comments and it was very frustrating. It felt like he was not trying to drive too far to find anything cause he had already given up. The reason I still gave a star is because the sandwiches and cookies were good.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thanks for this review. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the cookies and sandwiches. Hot and sunny days are challenging days for bear viewing. Imagine if you weighed close to 500 lbs and had a heavy fur coat on. You'd probably be in the shade. Our guide was trying to manage your expectations and provide factual information.
The good part about sunny days is that the views in and around Haines are incredible. All the mountains are clearly visible, and then vistas go on forever. When it is not raining or windy, you can spend more time out of the vehicle enjoying nature.
Please remember that a significant part of what you paid for was the round trip ferry ride from Skagway. That allowed you to get away from the Skagway crowds and visit some beautiful locations.
Our guides know the best places to find wildlife. It might appear that they are not driving a great distance and that could be the case. Wildlife are not randomly distributed in our Valley. Bear tend to congregate in areas where food is available. It is often better to make two or three passes along an area where wildlife is likely to be seen, rather than driving a long distance to an area where wildlife is rarely spotted. Our goal is to provide a quality educational experience regardless of whether or not you see a bear. We never guarantee wildlife
Outstanding wilderness experience with numerous scenic views and bird sightings. Our guide plus three trainees were a real pleasure. Lunch was delicious.
Response from Host, May 2025
Thanks so much for the great review! We're glad you could spend the day with us in Haines along the Chilkoot, taking in the stunning scenery that surrounds us. It's wonderful to hear that all of our guides were a pleasure to be with as well!
The tourguide was really kind, but this was the only positive aspect of this tour.
In the description of the tour it is clearly stated that you go to a famous dam where there are a lot of bears untill the end of September.
After we got of the ferry and got into the bus with the tourguide; he immediately said, we won't go looking for bears, there are no bears here anymore since pieces of the dam were removed because of decreasing salmon. This was known in advance of our tourdate. Many months before actually. This was a huge disapointment, because this was our only reason to book the tour.
When we would have known this in advance we would have booked another tour. It seems to me that the company and the tourguide waited to mention this at the last moment, When you are in the van, to get customers that can't leave or book anything else.
The tourguide didn't even make an effort to go look for bears and we spend our time just looking at some plants and one mountaingoat through a binoculair.
The tour wasn't at all what is stated in the description and is very misleiding. The fact that the company chose to not inform us, about the fact that we wouldn't go see or look for bears is even worse. If we had known beforehand we would have booked something else. The day was a waste for us.
Do not book this tour, it's misleading and they don't inform you beforehand if something changes!
You will not see or try to look for bears, he will park you at several plants and duck for hours. Be aware of that these plants and duck are everywhere you can see them yourselves.
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Thanks for providing this feedback. We have been in business for over thirty years, and we pride ourselves in offering quality tours with integrity. I encourage you to read the close to 1,000 reviews that we have posted on TripAdvisor. We would never try to mislead our guests. No tour description that we have written nor provide to any our vendors mentions a "famous dam." There is no dam on the river. There is a weir where technicians count fish as they go upstream. We see bear travel up and down the Chilkoot River regardless of whether the weir is operational or not. The main attractant for the bears are salmon. In August and September, the Chilkoot RIver is filled with pink salmon. Bears travel up and down the river looking for fish. They do not need a fish weir in order to find or catch fish....these are wild bear! On any tour, our guides do their best to explain the behavior of any animals sighted, and also to explain the entire ecosystem and how it fits together. The guide you had that day has a master's degree in fisheries biology and worked in Glacier Bay National Park for over twenty years. He is competent, interesting and does a great job. But he cannot produce bears when they are not there. There are many factors that determine whether or not you see a bear on one of our tours. That is why we never guarantee bear. I want any future guest considering this tour to understand that bear sightings are not guaranteed! But it is a fascinating, stunningly beautiful area away from the crowds in Skagway. If guests come with an open mind ready to learn and enjoy whatever nature presents during the tour, I am confident that they will be more than satisfied with their tour with Rainbow Glacier Adventures.
From $283.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Chilkoot Lake Nature and Wildlife Viewing - 6.5 hrs from Skagway
92
6 hours 30 minutes
Free Cancellation
From
$283.00
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
- Sporting Events
- Half-day Tours
- Shore Excursions
- Extreme Sports
- Nature and Wildlife Tours
- 4WD Tours
- Tickets & Passes
- Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises
- Outdoor Activities
- Private and Luxury
- Private Sightseeing Tours
- Skagway
- Sporting Events - Haines
- Half-day Tours - Haines
- Shore Excursions - Haines
- Extreme Sports - Haines
- Nature and Wildlife Tours - Haines
- Sporting Events - Juneau
- Half-day Tours - Juneau
- Shore Excursions - Juneau
- Extreme Sports - Juneau
- Nature and Wildlife Tours - Juneau
- 4WD Tours - Juneau
- Sporting Events - Whitehorse
- Half-day Tours - Whitehorse
- Extreme Sports - Whitehorse
- Nature and Wildlife Tours - Whitehorse
- 4WD Tours - Whitehorse