Haines Travel Guides (Updated October 2026)

Katt was wonderful! Her passion for the bears was contagious! Although a rainy day, it didn't dampen our spirits and the wildlife didn't seem to mind either 😀 Getting to see Lulu and her 4 cubs was priceless! Would highly recommend!!

We were disappointed that our ship couldn’t dock due to the weather. But Cool Destinations was quick to respond with a reimbursement. I have used Cool Destinations before and have always had a great experience.

After our airplane trip over the glaciers was cancelled at the last minute, I looked for alternatives tours to do while our ship was in Haines. I came along Tom's offering, read the reviews, and was happy that he wasn't booked the next day.Tom met us at the dock in his Subaru, which was a little cramped for 5 people (including Tom), but we managed. Tom took us to a number of excellent spots that we would not have gotten to if we had done a boat tour. Tom is very knowledgeable about the history of Haines and has an indepth knowledge of the best places to go near Haines to see wildlife and beautiful scenery.During our trip we saw bears,salmon, bald eagles, and some unusual migrating birds called Surf Scoters. Tom took us to some beautiful places and provided us with some excellents pointers on how to take beautiful scenery pictures. The places he took us to were fabulous.Overall, a fantastic tour and education. Well worth the money. I would highly recommend spending a morning or afternoon with Tom if you visit Haines.

We had a wonderful sunny river rafting trip on the Chilkat River and saw many eagles. Captain Rich was skillful getting us safely down the river and was very knowledgeable about all the wildlife and plant species we were seeing. Thank you to Andy for driving and setting up a welcoming riverside snack.

Excellent experience. Tom has so much knowledge of the local area, photography, people and wildlife. Great tour.

Our tour guides were Kate and Joe. They did a fantastic job with our group and were very knowledgeable about the area and wildlife. This experience was worth every penny.

Beth and Joe were fantastic. Very knowledgeable and informative. They made the tour fun and would definitely recommend booking with them.

This experience was phenomenal. Our driver and rower did such a wonderful job. We love supporting a local family company and they did not disappoint! Highly recommended!

Our guides Sam and Rich were very knowledgeable about the area. We had full confidence in their experience with our float trip. The river was lovely. We saw some eagles, arctic terns and goshawks. We did luck out with the 70 degree sunny day too. Just to let you know it can happen!

We did this kayak trip as an independent excursion while cruising on the Royal Princess and I would recommend this to anyone who likes to be outside and away from the crowds and be on the water. Getting onto the ferry to Haines from the cruise dock was easy and the ferry ride to and from Haines to Skagway was gorgeous. The fast ferry felt like its own excursion. The naturalist on the ferry was educational and helped us spot wildlife and water falls. It was a short van ride to Chilkoot Lake from the ferry dock in Haines and then we were quickly on the water. Our group was just our family and Joe and although there were two other groups on the lake it felt like we had the lake entirely to ourselves. Joe coached my teenage son on using more advanced kayak strokes and this was his favorite excursion of the entire trip. The lake is surrounded by mountains, waterfalls, bird song--it was very peaceful and tranquil. On the way back to the ferry dock in we spotted an Alaskan Brown Bear and were able to watch the salmon count on the fishing weir. Thanks Joe for a great morning!

We had a private kayaking experience with our guide, Joe. He was friendly and professional and knowledgeable about the wildlife and plants in the area. He reviewed some safety issues with kayaking and we set off in a tandem kayak. My daughter and I had kayaked before which was helpful. At the end of our kayaking experience Joe provided a snack in the picnic area at the lake. He also gave us a tour of the town of Haines before taking us to the fast ferry. I highly recommend this excursion!

Aimee is very sweet and greet me with big warm smile,we did very peaceful and relaxing hiking, meditation in the forest, looking down the shining ocean, walking slowly on soft moss, smelling wild rose and pine trees,hugging trees,rose tea in the park,and many other fun n relaxing activities.I am very glad to chose the forest therapy trip,it really makes me feel better,less stressful,more joyful ,I personally went through some still points and unwinding movement, I felt really relaxed and rejuvenating.

This was a lovely tour, offering a unique experience to unplug and slow down while experiencing the wonders and beauty of Alaska's forest. Aimee is a warm and kind guide who expertly creates a safe and sacred space for all. I loved walking quietly around the woods engaging all my senses. The homemade rosehip tea at the end was delicious. Highly recommend.

We were lucky to have had a beautiful day of sunshine, light breeze and nice temp. Our guide was very knowledgeable and ride over to the lake was pleasant. Unfortunately there weren't any bears fishing for salmon. I think there were too many fisherman fishing. The area was beautiful for sightseeing. For a small town it was something interesting to do. We did see an eagle while walking back from town to our ship.

The Chilkoot lake was stunningly beautiful. To top off the tour we saw a mum Alaskan Brown Bear together with her four cubs at Chilkoot weir feeding on salmon from the river. A very memorable experience!