Morning · 6:00 am – 3:00 pm
Glacier Bay National Park
No excursions and no going ashore: the ship itself is the tour. National Park Service rangers board early near Bartlett Cove, narrate over the PA and in the lounges, help spot wildlife and run a mobile visitor center (bring your park passport for the stamp). A Huna Tlingit cultural interpreter shares the stories of their ancestral homeland. Everything is included in the fare.
- 6:00 amEnter the park. Rangers and the Tlingit interpreter come aboard.
- 7:30 amBalcony breakfast. Order room service the night before, and bundle up.
- Late morningTarr Inlet: Margerie and Grand Pacific glaciers, usually the turnaround. Expect about an hour in front of a calving tidewater glacier.
- MiddayDutch pea soup on the bow, a Holland America Glacier Bay tradition.
- Along the wayOften Johns Hopkins, Lamplugh and Reid glaciers. Watch for mountain goats, brown bears, sea otters and humpbacks.
- 3:00 pmLeave the park and sail to Icy Strait Point.
Our top three for Diane
If we only read one page
The Icy Strait Point call is a short evening, about 4½ hours ashore, so plan one 2–2½ hour tour or two short ones. These three are easy, memorable and fit the timing.
Whale Watch & Marine Mammal Safari
Point Adolphus is one of Alaska's richest humpback feeding grounds, often with sea lions and sometimes orcas, all in soft evening light.
Why for Diane: comfortable boat, whales guaranteed, and the same day as Glacier Bay.
Details & booking ↗Spasski River Valley Wildlife & Bear Search
A short bus ride and level boardwalks to viewing platforms over a salmon stream. Late August is peak salmon, so bear odds are good.
Why for Diane: short walks on boardwalks and a real chance at brown bears.
Details & booking ↗Sky Peak Gondola: Campfire & S'mores
Ride the gondola up Hoonah Mountain for big views, then gather around a campfire with s'mores as the light fades.
Why for Diane: easy, cozy and a sweet way to end a big day.
Details & booking ↗Every option
All Icy Strait Point excursions, by type
Holland America's 2026 prices per adult (2027 prices aren't out yet). Easy means mostly seated or level walking; Moderate means some uneven ground or climbing in and out; Strenuous means real exertion. The Diane tag is our read for a 70-year-old with average mobility.
On the water
Whales at Point Adolphus · 2 optionsBoat to Point Adolphus for humpbacks, sea lions and possibly orcas.
Whales guaranteed.
Details & booking on Holland America ↗A fast, open raft looking for whales and bears along the shore.
Bumpy. Skip with back or neck issues.
Details & booking on Holland America ↗Wildlife on land
Bears and salmon streams · 1 optionBus through Hoonah, then boardwalks to platforms over a salmon stream.
Good bear odds in late August.
Details & booking on Holland America ↗Sky Peak Gondola
Easy rides with big views · 4 optionsGondola up Hoonah Mountain for views over Icy Strait.
Details & booking on Holland America ↗The gondola plus a campfire and s'mores at the top.
A great fit for an evening call.
Details & booking on Holland America ↗The gondola plus a tram ride through the rainforest.
Duration estimated.
Details & booking on Holland America ↗Tlingit culture
Hoonah village and heritage · 1 optionTour the Tlingit village of Hoonah with a cultural visit.
A wheelchair-accessible version (~1 hr) is available.
Details & booking on Holland America ↗Adventure
Zip lines, hiking and kayaks · 3 optionsOne of the world's longest ZipRider zip lines: 5,330 ft with a 1,300-ft drop to the beach.
Weight limits apply.
Details & booking on Holland America ↗Sea kayaking along the shoreline.
Details & booking on Holland America ↗At a glance
The price ladder
Every excursion from least to most expensive, per person. Gold bars are our picks.
Three ways to spend the evening
Sample Icy Strait Point plans
Each fits the 5:30 pm arrival and gets us back aboard by 9:30. Prices are for all four of us.
Whales at sunset
≈ $876 for four
- 5:45Whale Watch & Marine Mammal Safari (2½ hrs)
- 8:30Stroll the 1912 cannery boardwalk and shops
- 9:15Back aboard; nightcap in the Crow's Nest
Bears & views
≈ $752 for four
- 5:45Spasski River Bear Search (2½ hrs)
- 8:30Sky Peak Gondola (1 hr) for sunset views
- 9:30All aboard
Easy & cultural
≈ $612 for four
- 5:45Hoonah Tribal Connections (1½ hrs)
- 7:30Gondola Campfire & S'mores (1½ hrs)
- 9:15Back aboard
On our own, for free (or close to it)
Icy Strait Point is a Native-owned destination, and its profits support Hoonah. The restored cannery and the trails are free to wander.
Icy Strait Point · Bernard Spragg, CC0The restored salmon cannery, with exhibits and local crafts.
Easy trails along the shore and into the rainforest.
About 1.5 miles to Alaska's largest Tlingit village.
Humpbacks are sometimes visible right from the shoreline.
Good to know
Before we book
Evening call. Not every tour runs on a 5:30–10 pm call, so confirm on the booking page.
Docking. Ships usually dock at Icy Strait Point's own pier rather than using tender boats. Check closer to sailing.
Glacier Bay route. Which glaciers we see depends on ice and wildlife on the day; Margerie and Grand Pacific are the usual turnaround.
Dress warmly. On deck in Glacier Bay it's often 45–50°F with wind. Bring a hat, gloves and binoculars.
Prices. Holland America refunds in full if it cancels a tour, and its Best Price Guarantee gives 110% of the difference as onboard credit if you find the identical tour cheaper.