Icy Strait Point, Alaska
A restored salmon cannery on Chichagof Island, owned by the Huna Tlingit people, with humpback whales offshore and one of the world’s biggest ziplines overhead. Here’s how to make the most of your day ashore.
Alaska, Tlingit style
Icy Strait Point sits on Chichagof Island, about 1.5 miles from Hoonah, the largest Tlingit community in Alaska. It’s owned by Huna Totem Corporation, the Alaska Native corporation for the Huna Tlingit people, and many of the people you’ll meet here are from Hoonah. The heart of the port is a restored 1912 salmon cannery, now home to a free museum, local shops and waterfront restaurants. Point Adolphus, one of Southeast Alaska’s best-known humpback feeding grounds, is just across Icy Strait, and the island is famous for its brown bears.
It’s a quieter, small-town stop compared with Juneau or Ketchikan, and that’s exactly what guests tell us they love about it. Whale watching is the tour we’re asked about most, and the one guests come back raving about. The ZipRider is a close second. Below are the excursions we’d book, what the cruise lines sell and the details that keep the day easy.
Which pier you’ll dock at
Icy Strait Point assigns piers ship by ship, and the same ship can land at a different spot from one week to the next, so confirm yours on your itinerary a few days before you arrive.
Ocean Landing
The original cruise pier, opened in 2016 and sometimes still called Adventure Landing. You step off near the Adventure Center, the Duck Point Smokehouse and the ZipRider landing zone, and the historic cannery, shops and museum are a short walk from the pier along the waterfront boardwalk.
Used by: Holland America, Celebrity, Disney, Royal Caribbean, Princess, MSC, Silversea, Seabourn, Cunard, Viking, Windstar, Virgin Voyages and Crystal.
Wilderness Landing
The newer, deep-water pier, opened in 2021 for the largest ships and built with Norwegian Cruise Line, which has priority here. It sits in the forest about half a mile from the main port area. The green Transporter gondola links it to the Adventure Center in about five minutes, and a gravel nature trail takes about 15 to 20 minutes on foot. The mountain gondola up to the ZipRider also starts here.
Used by: Norwegian, Celebrity, Princess, Holland America, Regent, Oceania, Seabourn, Royal Caribbean, MSC, Viking, Azamara and Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection.
Anchored offshore
When both piers are taken, some ships anchor in Port Frederick and run tender boats to the landing. The ride is short, but lines can build at peak times, so leave a cushion before your tour and before all-aboard.
Used by: Princess, Norwegian, Oceania, Viking, Azamara, Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Cunard, Silversea, Crystal and Virgin Voyages.
The ZipRider & gondolas
Icy Strait Point bills its ZipRider as the world’s largest: six side-by-side cables running 5,495 feet down Hoonah Mountain, with a 1,330-foot drop and speeds up to about 60 mph. You ride seated in a harness, so friends and family can race each other to the bottom, which lands right in the port.
It’s one of the most requested things we book here, and it sells out, so reserve it as soon as your cruise planner opens. Riders must weigh between 75 and 275 pounds, riders 16 and under need a parent or guardian on hand, and it isn’t suitable for expectant mothers or anyone with back or neck injuries.
Used by: guests of every line that calls here, including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian, Princess, Holland America and Disney.
- Included. The cannery museum, the waterfront boardwalk and the forest trails near the pier.
- Extra charge. The ZipRider, which includes the ride up the mountain gondola to the launch platform.
- Extra charge. The mountain gondola on its own, for views across Icy Strait toward Glacier Bay National Park on a clear day, plus guided forest tours at the summit.
Excursions we’d book
Hand-picked shore excursions from local operators, bookable through our partner Project Expedition. Every tour here carries Project Expedition’s Back to Ship Guarantee. Prices are per person and can change; check the live price when you book.
Small Group Whale Watching Shore Excursion
Three hours on a 38-foot catamaran that carries no more than 14 guests, searching the waters toward Pleasant Island for humpbacks, sea otters, sea lions and seals. Coffee and snacks are included, and the pace is easy.
View on Project ExpeditionWhale Watching Cruise
A family-friendly three-hour whale-watching cruise that meets at the port’s Excursion Hub, looking for humpbacks, sea otters and sea lions, and sometimes bears along the shore. Early departures leave plenty of day for the ZipRider or lunch.
View on Project ExpeditionHalf Day Icy Strait Point Fishing + Bear Watching
A drive through Hoonah and out old logging roads to a remote river in the Tongass National Forest, where you pull on waders and fish for salmon or trout. Watch for brown bears along the way. Moderate activity, about four hours.
View on Project ExpeditionThe Back to Ship Guarantee and refunds if your ship skips Icy Strait Point are covered by Project Expedition’s shore excursion terms. Your advisor can walk you through them.
Cruise line favorites
Book these in your cruise planner. Most tours here are run by the port itself and fill up fast, and the ship waits for you if a ship-sold tour runs late.
- Whale & marine mammal cruise. A naturalist-led boat trip toward Point Adolphus, where humpbacks feed all summer. Icy Strait Point guarantees a whale sighting on its whale tours, and it’s the tour we’d book first.
- Whales, wildlife & bear search. Whale watching in the morning, then a drive out to the Spasski River to look for brown bears. Bears are wild, so sightings aren’t guaranteed. Costs extra, and it’s a longer day.
- Seafood feast & culture show. A crab and shrimp boil with a view of Port Frederick, plus a Huna Tlingit song, dance and storytelling performance at the Heritage Center theater. Photography isn’t allowed during the show.
- Hoonah sightseeing & culture. A guided drive through Hoonah with stories of Tlingit life, fishing and the town’s history, then the cultural show back at the port. Easy and family-friendly.
Exploring without a tour
Prefer to explore at your own pace? These are the highlights to know, wherever your day takes you. Keep an eye on the clock.
The historic cannery
The 1912 Hoonah Packing Co. cannery has been restored into a free museum on Alaska’s salmon canning days, with about a dozen shops selling work by Hoonah and Alaska Native artists. The boardwalk, beach and short forest trails are a short walk from the pier.
Crab, halibut & smoked salmon
The Crab House cooks local Dungeness and other Alaska crab to order, the Cookhouse in the cannery is known for halibut and chips, and the Duck Point Smokehouse serves smoked salmon and brick-oven pizza on a covered deck. Guests often tell us the crab and halibut were a highlight. Meals cost extra.
Hoonah, next door
A working fishing town of a few hundred families, with a busy small-boat harbor and the warm, small-town feel guests remember. A Hoonah sightseeing tour is the simplest way to see it with a local guide and time to spare.
Before you go ashore
- Book early. The ZipRider and whale watching are the first tours to sell out here, and most excursions are sold through the cruise lines. Reserve as soon as your cruise planner opens, or ask your advisor to help.
- Know your hours. Some calls are full days, others are short evening visits. If you book independently, plan to be back at the pier an hour before all-aboard. Ships do leave without late guests.
- Itineraries can change. Cruise lines sometimes shift arrival times or swap Icy Strait Point in or out of an itinerary, which can affect tours you’ve booked. Your advisor can keep an eye on changes and help you rebook.
- Dress for rain. Summer days usually sit in the 50s and low 60s, and rain is common. A waterproof jacket, layers and shoes with grip for wet boardwalks matter more than anything else you pack.
- Traveling with mobility needs? The port’s main boardwalks are built for accessibility, and some tours are wheelchair-friendly while others aren’t. If you or someone in your party has mobility needs, tell your advisor when you book. Our accessibility specialist can help arrange the right support.
Sailing to Icy Strait Point
Many Inside Passage cruises round trip from Seattle or Vancouver call here, as do one-way Gulf of Alaska sailings between Vancouver and Seward or Whittier. Disney Cruise Line signed a 15-year agreement in 2026 to keep calling weekly through at least 2041.Find a cruisePlan with Harr Travel
Ready for a day at Icy Strait Point?
We’ll match you with the right Alaska sailing and help you book the ZipRider or whale watching before it sells out. There are never any booking or consultation fees.
