Wilderness Island Tours, LLC 429 Garteeni Highway, Hoonah, AK 99829

"We had the best day of our vacation on our tour! It was so relaxed and up close with Alaskan land and animals and culture. We saw such beautiful scenery and so many animals. Only these truly local guides could take us on the back roads away from the typical tourist spots and into the real Alaska. This is a real experience with real people and real history. We highly recommend!"

"For cruise passengers with just one day at Hoonah, we came away with a far deeper Alaska experience than we deserved, thanks to this incredible excursion. While fellow shipmates zip-lined and ate cotton candy at the cruiseline's "wilderness" park, we were in the actual wilderness, seeing 4 wild bears in 4 different locations, hiking off-road along the estuary, and gaining a rich oral history of the Tlingit people of Glacier Bay and Chichagof Island. The van was new and modern with big windows, and we stopped to get out about 10 times, including all 4 times we found bears. Before the trip, I did some advance research to find out that Wilderness Island Tours was by far the best, and the research paid off. We went in late July. Choosing this excursion was a home run."

"We booked our afternoon with Wilderness Island Tours on a whim from our home in the UK. We have very little information other than the website but we thought it was worth a try and much cheaper than cruise boat excursions. We were so glad we did! John and Marilyn could not have gone to more trouble to make sure that we had a fantastic time. They found us a bear - see picture which spent an age wandering past the van - an experience that I will never forget. But then they took us to so many places and showed us so much. The 3 hour schedule quickly went out of the window - we had much longer and saw some great sites. Definitely one of the holiday highlights for me."

"We didn't plan to take any organized tours in ISP, but ran into John and Marilyn's van outside a cute shop in Hoonah - we decided on our walk back to the ship to turn around and take their tour, and we're so glad we did! John and Marilyn were lovely hosts, and gave us so much valuable insight and information on Hoonah and the island. In addition to showing us all around their home, we found deer, bear, eagles, and the cutest little martin. They shared a little about their backgrounds and culture, and we left them feeling a little more aware and so grateful that we chose their tour. Thank you, John and Marilyn, for an excellent day!"

"We were spoiled and happened to be the only guests who booked a tour with John and Marylin on the day we were at port in Icy Strait Point--it also happened to be their last tour day for the season. What a treat for us! We thoroughly LOVED hearing the stories and seeing the sights that John and Marylin shared with us. They are so knowledgeable about the area, the animals, the flora and fauna, and the local history--being longtime locals themselves. We saw a juvenile brown bear, several Sitka deer, many squirrels and birds, and the GORGEOS scenery all around! Being with John and Marylin was so comfortable--like being with relatives you forgot you had! We cannot recommend this tour and these amazing guides enough. Do it! You won't regret it!"