Kenai Fjords tour in Seward or Hoonah whale watching Icy Strait

We can only do one next May. Which would provide the most beautiful scenery and wildlife experiences?

Kenai Fjords is varied wildlife. Hoonah is humpbacks the most likely, maybe some sea lions.

Just a suggestion- being you are looking at next year, a possibility may be,to forgo holiday gifts? and if friends/family ask a fund could be an option? Skipping a few meals out, stops at gas stations mini marts etc can add up.

Forgive me, for some assumptions that may not be your case. But sometimes with the "can only do one", it could be funds. Just some suggestions only.

It is budget related, and we are trying to get the most out of our budget. I already have cars rented at all ports so we can do our own thing as much as possible. We both are more nature than anything, but am weighing each of these tours. I do have Glacier Winds booked in Hoonah, but we stay a day in Seward overnight after cruise and if we don't do Kenai Fjords, are there other must see things in this area? Thank you in advance Budget Queen. I respect your opinions. My husband is a conservative spender, so I have to respect this. We already stopped giving gifts to each other so we can travel more. So far I have floatplane trip booked too through Southeast Aviation.

Seward (Kenai Fjords) and Glacier Winds in Hoonah are my two "must dos" if my itinerary permits.

I think the scenery and wildlife variety are a little better in Seward. On the other hand, I have had fantastic humpback and orca sightings with Glacier Winds.

Thank you. Are whales readily seen in May? Or is that too early to see them easily? It could affect my decision too if they are difficult to find, as then I would pick the scenery over a hunt for whales that is not very productive .

We did both Glacier Winds in ISP and Kenai Fjords in Seward in May. If I had to pick one, I would choose the longest tour you can afford and have time for in Kenai Fjords. You should have the opportunity to get very close to glaciers, see wildlife and potentially see whales along the way. That is as long as the weather cooperates, but May generally has good weather.

Also, we saw whales bubble net feeding all around the ship and the walking trails at ISP in May. I realize we were fortunate to be there at the right time, but it was in May, so you may get lucky next year as well.

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Kenai Fiords would get my vote. Yes -there are plenty of things to do in Seward if you choose to not do this tour. Also, the drive or train ride from Seward to Anchorage is great for scenery.

That is a hard choice and I can understand being budget conscious. We certainly had to be when we traveled to AK this past summer! We did do both of these experiences and they were wonderful- you really can't go wrong. Others have shared the differences well. One tip for you: we were able to book our Major Marines Kenai Fjords tour around President's Day weekend in February at a significant discount - I believe it was 35% off.

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I'd vote for the Kenai Fjords tour. The scenery is breathtaking from the water. We saw orcas, sea lions, puffins, glaciers and a whole lot more when we went in late May. We did see some breaching humpbacks too.

Seeing humpback whales isn't a guarantee on any tour.

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Seeing humpback whales isn't a guarantee on any tour.

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Out of Juneau and Hoonah, it's been 100% for the past 20+ years. :)

Out of Seward my averages are much lower, I've edged up to about 60% of my trips with taking at least 4 per year. Not the best odds, but the varied wildlife and glacier viewing is remarkable.

Tough choices indeed. :)

I'd vote for the Kenai Fjords tour. The scenery is breathtaking from the water. We saw orcas, sea lions, puffins, glaciers and a whole lot more when we went in late May. We did see some breaching humpbacks too.

 

Seeing humpback whales isn't a guarantee on any tour.

 

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I thought it is the other way around. Seeing humpbacks is very common out of Alaska ports, orca sighting is less common. All our humpback sightings were backs and tail flips, breaching is less common and we weren't fortunate enough to see that.

Harv and Marv's website says that they have had humpback sightings on 100% of their Juneau tours from 2004 to 2016.

I think we are leaning toward Kenai Fjords now, especially if it's possible to see whales right on shore near Hoonah. However, I will continue to research but like the idea of the variety of wildlife and scenery with the Fjords tour. Thanks for all who are responding.

You might see Orca's or Killer whales, Sea lion, seal, porpoise, Salmon jumping, various birds, Sea Otter. Maybe see a bear walking the beach or maybe some Sitka Black tail deer and spectacular beauty if you chose ISP. But one thing is for sure, you will see a humpback whale if you choose to go on a whale tour without a doubt.

In the mean time on land and air, ISP has the WORLDS most incredible zipline. Where else can you drive to the top of a mountain and zipline back down to sea level? No where but Hoonah, Alaska.

I think we are leaning toward Kenai Fjords now, especially if it's possible to see whales right on shore near Hoonah. However, I will continue to research but like the idea of the variety of wildlife and scenery with the Fjords tour. Thanks for all who are responding.

If you want to see whales from a cruise ship, you have to invest a LOT more time then just waiting until you are in port. You may get lucky in Hoonah but your feeding can be anywhere in Icy Strait. ( the name of the waterway, there is no "port") Necessary is a good pair of wide angle binoculars and knowing likely areas.

In the mean time on land and air, ISP has the WORLDS most incredible zipline. Where else can you drive to the top of a mountain and zipline back down to sea level? No where but Hoonah, Alaska.

Having done both of the tours (Glacier Wind in Hoonah and the all-day Kenai Fjords Tour) I would be hard pressed to pick which one was best. Having said that, although both tours would be exceptional anytime, having perfect weather for both tours is part of the reason that we had such great experiences. Also...the whales were putting on quite a show the day we were in Icy Strait Point and we saw breaches and bubble-net feeding over and over. Had the weather been nasty or the whales uncooperative, I'm sure our experiences would not have been near as positive. (Just a reminder to remember that many things will color a person's review of an activity.)

I think if I had to make a recommendation of just one or the other, it would be the Kenai Fjords tour. If you are diligent and spend a lot of time looking, you "should" be able to see whales from the cruise ship. The wildlife you will see on the Kenai Fjords tour will not easily be visible from the ship. Also, the scenery in Kenai Fjords is spectacular and you will get much closer to a glacier.

I have blog posts with lots of photos from each of these tours. Here are links if you are interested:

Kenai Fjords Tour (click on links below)

Whale Watching Tour

Good luck in your planning! Although choosing between one tour or the other is hard, there really is no BAD choice. And if you are like us, the "once in a lifetime trip" to Alaska was so great that we had to return!

Thank you. I may consider both based on everyone's opinions, We are not foodies, and the cruise will be sufficient for our meals, so will continue to save. If I pre-book though, is there a substantial savings for the tours? I would be less likely to want to spend either tour in the pouring rain, so if the savings is not great, would consider waiting until the day of for Kenai Fjords. If that is too risky and might miss making a tour, please let me know.

As a forty-five year resident of Alaska and a geography teacher as well, I've done both and would recommend the trip into Kenai Fjords National Park. The trick is you must go on the longer trips that actually take you into the park (either Aialik Bay or Northwestern Fjords). We saw lots of wildlife this summer on our early June Northwestern Fjords trip including humpback whales and a large pod of orca. The viewing in Northwestern Fjord including lots of calving at the Northwestern Glacier.

A warning. The seas in open water can be rough and often windy so dress warmly and take some precautions for seasickness if you are prone to it. To compliment the boat trip, pay a visit to the excellent Alaska Sealife Center which is a research center dedicated to the area.

Thank you. I may consider both based on everyone's opinions, We are not foodies, and the cruise will be sufficient for our meals, so will continue to save. If I pre-book though, is there a substantial savings for the tours? I would be less likely to want to spend either tour in the pouring rain, so if the savings is not great, would consider waiting until the day of for Kenai Fjords. If that is too risky and might miss making a tour, please let me know.

There was a significant early booking discount on our Major Marine tour when we booked (January I think). The boat on our tour was about half full, but that was on a Tuesday. Our 1000 passenger ship was in port that day, a smaller ship the next day and no ships on Monday and Thursday. The boats might be more fully booked closer to when a big ship or two are in port.

You could check the Major Marine and Kenai Fjords websites each week to see if they run a special that drops the price.

If I pre-book though, is there a substantial savings for the tours?

Thank you. I may consider both based on everyone's opinions, We are not foodies, and the cruise will be sufficient for our meals, so will continue to save. If I pre-book though, is there a substantial savings for the tours? I would be less likely to want to spend either tour in the pouring rain, so if the savings is not great, would consider waiting until the day of for Kenai Fjords. If that is too risky and might miss making a tour, please let me know.

IF the weather is a concern for you, then don't book ahead. BUT then you must be fully accepting of not going, due to sold out vendors. Especially in Hoonah- walk up is difficult to get with independent whale watches. Allen Marine would be available through the ship contracts.

There is NO way to predict any weather in Alaska. You may want to rethink this thought and instead, just plan for proper attire. My opinion only, you state "budget" being an issue- so why would'n't you take advantage of this trip and savings having reservations in place? How long will it take you to return? In other words- foul weather is insignificant compared to the scenic opportunities in Alaska.

I hear you all. If we only do one, I think it will be the Kenai Fjords. Loved your pictures Arymay. The opportunities in the Kenai Fjords look right up our ally. I am still keeping our Hoonah tour booked for now. I will continue to watch for discounts and did sign up for Kenai Fjords newsletter