Alaska Bear Adventures
Alaska Bear Adventures
5
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Full view
About
Bears Are Our Passion! At Alaska Bear Adventures with K-BAY AIR we focus all our considerable knowledge and experience EXCLUSIVELY on Your Alaska Bear Adventure. As a family operated business, we "live" Bear Viewing 24 hours a day from mid-May to early September. We fly bush planes to the best places in the world for Guided Wilderness Bear Viewing.Fly safely, View Safely.Please read our reviews.
Homer, United States
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
1,177 reviews
Excellent
1,102
Very good
33
Average
13
Poor
16
Terrible
13
Andrew J
1 contribution
Jul 2021
This was amazing! It was the most expensive thing we did in Alaska, but it was definitely worth it. We saw so many bears that I think everybody on the trip lost count. There were two sows who each had three yearlings, another sow who had two cubs who were full grown but hadn’t gone out on their own yet, and then maybe another half dozen or so bears that we saw by themselves. In both sets of yearling triplets, there were times when two of the little baby bears were playfully wrestling with each other, while the third was rolling on its back and waving its paws in the air, which was adorable.
We also saw a fair amount of drama among the bears, with an adult male trying to separate a sow from her cubs, with the goal that the cubs would die on their own and the mom would go back into estrus. The mom lumbered by amazingly close to us, with her yearlings in tow, and then a couple minutes later the male came through snuffling at the sedge and following their trail. I got both of those close encounters on video with my phone, and people I’ve shown it to have asked sort of skeptically if I took the video, because it sort of looks like nature documentary footage.
The flights out and back were also amazing experiences, seeing endless breathtaking vistas. On the way back we went over mountains, with snow-capped peaks on both sides. The experience is tough to describe if you’ve never been in a small plane before. It made me realize that in a commercial jetliner I usually forget I’m way up in the sky, but in this little Cessna that seats six people you see your surroundings in any direction you look, so you can never forget that you’re in a tiny bubble of civilization, soaring through a vast and sublime landscape. One of the mountains, which I was later told was Mt. Douglas, was smoking and had liquid water in the caldera, meaning we got to fly right by an active volcano.
Now your mileage may vary, because we were unusually lucky that day. We lucked into having too many bears to count, perfect weather, and an extra hour or so on the ground with the bears, beyond what we’d paid for, because for a while there was a sow with three tremendously cute cubs blocking our path back to the plane, so we just had to settle in enjoy some bonus bear viewing. But even if you had normal day, then I think it would still have been worth it to see a quarter as many bears as we did.
Finally, I would be remiss not to thank our excellent pilot and guide, Adam. With him flying, we had remarkably smooth flights there and back (much smoother than our flight from Phoenix to Anchorage honestly), and then on the ground he did a great job of naming, explaining, and contextualizing the behaviors we were seeing. The guy seemed to absolutely love his job too, retaining some of the wide-eyed wonder of a kid on their first trip to the zoo, which is always fun to see. Anyway, this was the highlight of our trip to Alaska, and probably the best organized activity I’ve ever done on a vacation.
We also saw a fair amount of drama among the bears, with an adult male trying to separate a sow from her cubs, with the goal that the cubs would die on their own and the mom would go back into estrus. The mom lumbered by amazingly close to us, with her yearlings in tow, and then a couple minutes later the male came through snuffling at the sedge and following their trail. I got both of those close encounters on video with my phone, and people I’ve shown it to have asked sort of skeptically if I took the video, because it sort of looks like nature documentary footage.
The flights out and back were also amazing experiences, seeing endless breathtaking vistas. On the way back we went over mountains, with snow-capped peaks on both sides. The experience is tough to describe if you’ve never been in a small plane before. It made me realize that in a commercial jetliner I usually forget I’m way up in the sky, but in this little Cessna that seats six people you see your surroundings in any direction you look, so you can never forget that you’re in a tiny bubble of civilization, soaring through a vast and sublime landscape. One of the mountains, which I was later told was Mt. Douglas, was smoking and had liquid water in the caldera, meaning we got to fly right by an active volcano.
Now your mileage may vary, because we were unusually lucky that day. We lucked into having too many bears to count, perfect weather, and an extra hour or so on the ground with the bears, beyond what we’d paid for, because for a while there was a sow with three tremendously cute cubs blocking our path back to the plane, so we just had to settle in enjoy some bonus bear viewing. But even if you had normal day, then I think it would still have been worth it to see a quarter as many bears as we did.
Finally, I would be remiss not to thank our excellent pilot and guide, Adam. With him flying, we had remarkably smooth flights there and back (much smoother than our flight from Phoenix to Anchorage honestly), and then on the ground he did a great job of naming, explaining, and contextualizing the behaviors we were seeing. The guy seemed to absolutely love his job too, retaining some of the wide-eyed wonder of a kid on their first trip to the zoo, which is always fun to see. Anyway, this was the highlight of our trip to Alaska, and probably the best organized activity I’ve ever done on a vacation.
Written July 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Erin B
New York City, NY130 contributions
Jul 2021
I am so grateful and feel so fortunate to have had this experience. I am glad I overcame my sticker shock, because though the most expensive thing we have ever done, it was worth every penny. Weeks later and I still watch the videos and review the pictures we took with the biggest smile on my face. Truly a dream come true and the best experience of my travels. I am a big bear lover and have been watching the bears of Brooks Falls for several years on the explore.org cams. Choosing between this experience and going to the Brooks Falls viewing platforms was a hard dilemma, but this was absolutely the right decision. I wanted a more authentic experience and being on the beach with ALL THE BEARS and watching them just being bears was so much more incredible than I could imagine. Although we do not approach the bears by more than 50 yards, several got much much closer to us. That our guide was only armed with a flare is not just respectful to the environment we entered, but a testament to how safe you are on this experience. Watching a fully grown bear slowly meander directly towards you and not feeling fear knowing these bears are just going about their daily business without regard for you ... just amazing. We saw the bears dig for clams, demonstrate mating behavior, a mother tending to her cubs, bears playing, and a bear fight (no bears or cubs were harmed). I am so grateful to this company for all they did. Our tour was initially cancelled due to weather. I was greeted in the office by Derick who broke the news in such a calm, gracious way that it took a lot of the sting out. Within the hour they put our minds at ease and had us rebooked for our next/last day in Homer. The following day we were delayed because of weather. I very much appreciate the hard work the women of the office do in dealing with stressed customers and keeping us calm and entertained. Sphinx rebooked and checked us in, Kat greeted us with smiles and interesting tidbits about Alaska, and Audrey kept us busy for an hour with bear trivia until we were off! Our guide/pilot Ben was wonderful. Relaxing, smooth ride over mountains, glaciers and volcanoes and then your heart stops when you come in for the landing and already spot so many bears out on the beach! Ben had so much bear info and positioned us well for wonderful bear encounters. I love it when the guides seem just as excited as the customers and Ben was that. I could write paragraphs more and not be able to do justice to this tour. Each experience will be so unique from another and I hope I am fortunate enough to come back and do this special experience again one day.
Written July 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chase
Monterey, CA2 contributions
Jul 2021
While we did not use K-Bay Air for a bear tour, we did use them for some private flights and Dee and her team of pilots (Joe especially) were incredibly friendly, helpful, and just awesome to work with. Compared to other charter flight and tour companies in the area, these guys are the best and came through when we really needed them to. I visit Alaska quite a lot for work and will absolutely pay them another visit for my future flight and wildlife photography needs.
I can't recommend this team enough and if you are planning on visiting Homer to go bear/wildlife watching or for another adventure into the Alaskan wild, this is the company and place to book it with!
I can't recommend this team enough and if you are planning on visiting Homer to go bear/wildlife watching or for another adventure into the Alaskan wild, this is the company and place to book it with!
Written July 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark P
4 contributions
Jun 2022 • Couples
My wife (68) and I (67) went on this trip which involved a small (6 person) Cessna flight over to Hallo Bay in Katmai National Park. We started out mustering at 7:00 am to get our waders fit and on and listen to the pre-flight briefing and safety instructions. We took off for Katmai around 8:00 am and arrived on the shore/beach strip around 9:15 am.
The flights over (and back) were fantastic. We landed on the beach and then proceeded to hike/mosey around a large meadow filled with over 20 grizzlies.
Our guide, Tall Joe, was enthusiastic and experienced. He continually made great choices that put us in a position to observe the big browns “up close and personal.” At one point a large sow walked past us within 10 feel ! Joe softly spoke to her saying, “Good bear… you’re a good bear.” His sweet nothings were requited by the bear who strolled past us. It was an exceptionally magical moment.
I must say this trip exceeded our expectations by a large order of magnitude.
We probably hiked 3/4 miles in total around the meadow. My Fitbit recorded 12,000 steps for the day. We were happy tired on the flight home to Homer. It was necessary to ford a couple streams/rivers on our walk, but the waders/boots provided by the Alaska Bear Adventures folks were custom fit for the activity. Bringing a walking stick is appropriate, if you have one. I didn’t, but a courteous fellow traveler lent me one of his. It really helped on the stream crossings!
We saw a number of bear behaviors, including feeding, courting, playing, running, digging for clams, and—yes, even mating. The guides knowledge and experience made it possible for us to see these awesome creatures at close range and not be in danger. As our guide pointed out, the Katmai brown bears are unique in that they have not been hunted or harassed by humans, they have plentiful sources of food, and they don’t associate humans with food. (They we’re a little bit like the creatures we had observed on a trip to the Galápagos Islands in that respect.) By following our guide’s instructions to the letter, our group enjoyed a truly mind-blowing experience.
Again, I will say this trip was worth every penny. It exceeded our expectations big time. The level of exertion hiking about the meadow was not at all that difficult. All in all, it was a trip my wife and I will never forget.
Mark & Robin Prak
The flights over (and back) were fantastic. We landed on the beach and then proceeded to hike/mosey around a large meadow filled with over 20 grizzlies.
Our guide, Tall Joe, was enthusiastic and experienced. He continually made great choices that put us in a position to observe the big browns “up close and personal.” At one point a large sow walked past us within 10 feel ! Joe softly spoke to her saying, “Good bear… you’re a good bear.” His sweet nothings were requited by the bear who strolled past us. It was an exceptionally magical moment.
I must say this trip exceeded our expectations by a large order of magnitude.
We probably hiked 3/4 miles in total around the meadow. My Fitbit recorded 12,000 steps for the day. We were happy tired on the flight home to Homer. It was necessary to ford a couple streams/rivers on our walk, but the waders/boots provided by the Alaska Bear Adventures folks were custom fit for the activity. Bringing a walking stick is appropriate, if you have one. I didn’t, but a courteous fellow traveler lent me one of his. It really helped on the stream crossings!
We saw a number of bear behaviors, including feeding, courting, playing, running, digging for clams, and—yes, even mating. The guides knowledge and experience made it possible for us to see these awesome creatures at close range and not be in danger. As our guide pointed out, the Katmai brown bears are unique in that they have not been hunted or harassed by humans, they have plentiful sources of food, and they don’t associate humans with food. (They we’re a little bit like the creatures we had observed on a trip to the Galápagos Islands in that respect.) By following our guide’s instructions to the letter, our group enjoyed a truly mind-blowing experience.
Again, I will say this trip was worth every penny. It exceeded our expectations big time. The level of exertion hiking about the meadow was not at all that difficult. All in all, it was a trip my wife and I will never forget.
Mark & Robin Prak
Written June 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Arwen
Millbrae, CA5 contributions
Jul 2021 • Family
Your journey begins at their hanger not too far from the Homer Spit, where their office is located. Here you get fitted for hip waders for easier hiking through the muddy wilderness and go over general bear safety. Be sure to book way in advance or else you probably won’t get a seat. Next, you meet your pilot, guide and guard. Derek was absolutely incredible and knew all the answers to our bear related questions. Plane ride was extremely smooth given that the weather was beautiful for an Alaskan summer day. Never been on a aircraft smaller than a jet and was skeptical at first, but once we took off all worries we’re gone. View was spectacular and only at 45 flight to Lake Clark. Sometimes they go to Katmai, just depends on weather and tide conditions for your scheduled time frame. Plane fits 6 including the pilot, you may get to sit in the co-pilot seat like me :) seat assignments depend on weight, but don’t worry everyone get a window seat. Upon arrival, we landed on the beach and got to walk around for 3 hours seeing bears all around (probably 20 give or take). One of the only ways to guarantee seeing a bear that close. The guides do their best to give you the time of your life and get your moneys worth while keeping at a safe distance. They keep a flare on them at all times for safety precautions. Whatever you do, do NOT forget your camera and/or phone. It’s a MUST. These bears are protected and not threatened nor disturbed by humans so they will do their own thing and rarely even acknowledge you. Only bring what you need as you can not leave anything on the aircraft. If you are thinking about doing it, go for it! While it may be pricy, it was worth every penny. Would 100% recommend (have already done so to people we’ve come across).
Written July 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dirtsadc
6 contributions
Jun 2020 • Couples
This was absolutely one of the highlights of our trip. The company was easy to communicate with, reliable and the pilot and co-pilot were very pleasant. Not only did we see 20+ bears on the short (1h) trip, we also saw two cups and two 2 year olds.
The flight was exciting as well and gives you some breathtaking views.
The flight was exciting as well and gives you some breathtaking views.
Written June 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Derek L
Las Vegas, NV20 contributions
Aug 2021
Alaska bear adventures is where you need to go. If you're shopping around for an adventure like this, stop looking and sign up now! Their prices were better than anyone around and they got us booked and on the trip we wanted, the day we wanted, and the time we wanted.
Once we got to the facility the staff was super helpful and made us feel welcomed. We went to Lake Clark with pilot/guide Derick (horrible way to spell that name though). He was super fun, made even our 11 year old really involved and made the whole trip a memorable experience.
On our way out of the park we flew around Mt. Iliamna and that might have just been as cool as the being 10 feet from the bears!
We've already started planning our next adventure with them.
-Lee Fam
Once we got to the facility the staff was super helpful and made us feel welcomed. We went to Lake Clark with pilot/guide Derick (horrible way to spell that name though). He was super fun, made even our 11 year old really involved and made the whole trip a memorable experience.
On our way out of the park we flew around Mt. Iliamna and that might have just been as cool as the being 10 feet from the bears!
We've already started planning our next adventure with them.
-Lee Fam
Written August 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Photoladiland
21 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
Splitter day in the Katmai National Park. Unbelievable experience with Kay Bay Air, Alaska Bear Adventures, and with our guide Joe. Extensive safety measures concerning the wildlife as well as the pandemic happening now, we always felt safe and sound. Our guide, Joe, had vast knowledge on the habitat of the area, which enabled us to watch coastal brown bears in their natural habitat- from a close and safe distance...something we could never do on our own. This is a top notch establishment, and we will always use and recommend them regarding to Homer, Alaska. Cheers from your fellow outdoor professionals, Craiger and Dana.
Written August 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gary C
3 contributions
Aug 2022
After meeting at K Bay Air for our orientation to bear watching and being fitted with very comfortable and lightweight hip waders, we met our pilot, Alex, who took us to our plane, a Cessna 206 that carried 6 people. He went over all safety info for our flight to Katmai N.P., and we took off with 3 other 206's from K Bay Air, all loaded to capacity with anxious bear watchers. It was very cloudy, and Alex took us up to 9700 fl. altitude for our approximate 120 mile flight, which was very smooth. After a very smooth landing on the ocean side beach, Alex gave us more orientation on safe bear watching, and we were off on a short hike to see our first bear fishing in a creek, within a hundred yards of us. For the next 31/2 hours, we were constantly within close proximity to brown bears. Sows with cubs, huge boars, multiple bears fishing, and one very close encounter with a large boar harassing a smaller sow, pushing her, cutting off her escape, over and over, until they were withing 30 yards of us. Alex telling us to kneel in a small group, he in the front, getting his flare ready. The boar pushed the sow closer and closer, Alex taking defensive moves, and finally the sow was within 8-10 feet of us. Alex made a defensive move and the boar immediately moved away from us, along with the sow. WOW! At no time were any of us in our group scared after seeing and being in close proximity to 12 huge brown bears that paid no attention to us whatsoever. Alex, well trained in close proximity bear watching, was amazing and we had full confidence in his amazing abilities, watching bears, and his amazing abilities in flying us to on a trip of a life time. The flight back from Katmai NP was very scenic, climbing out over a huge crater lake, flying over many massive glaciers and a huge ice field, and massive mountains. Thank you K Bay Air and especially Alex, for an unbelievably safe and exciting adventure watching huge bears!
Written September 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
amylee2008
Milwaukee, Wisconsin71 contributions
May 2022
The pilots and guides on this trip were fantastic. We worked with Derek, Dane, Alex Cuervo, and Ben. They were very thorough on the safety instructions and then very informative and helpful when we were on the trip. We got REALLY close to some bears but felt safe throughout because of their good work.
The office/check in process could be better. The day before check in seemed like significant overkill, particularly having to drive onto the very busy "spit." We were told the 6 a.m. departure time was necessary for the "tides" but when we got there we were told it was bumped back to 9 because of fog. VERY much would have appreciated an update before we got there and while of course we appreciated the caution on safety with the fog, it did suggest the 6 a.m. time might have been more preference than necessity. They weigh both you and your gear, so recommend giving them your "dressed" weight when you register as they say they'll charge you if you're 10 lbs over or under what you report.
The office/check in process could be better. The day before check in seemed like significant overkill, particularly having to drive onto the very busy "spit." We were told the 6 a.m. departure time was necessary for the "tides" but when we got there we were told it was bumped back to 9 because of fog. VERY much would have appreciated an update before we got there and while of course we appreciated the caution on safety with the fog, it did suggest the 6 a.m. time might have been more preference than necessity. They weigh both you and your gear, so recommend giving them your "dressed" weight when you register as they say they'll charge you if you're 10 lbs over or under what you report.
Written June 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hall Suzy,
we would like to know whether you did the bear watching tour in August - and when in August. Thanks Jutta
Written July 22, 2019
We do bear viewing tours from Beginning of May thru September.
Written July 22, 2019
Hallo
Muss man sehr früh reservieren? wir werden in Juni 2019 dort sein.. Danke für die Antwort
Written September 26, 2018
It is best to book as soon as you have your itinerary for Alaska. This will ensure you have the date of your choice.
Written September 27, 2018
I read the other answers, and I agree with all of them. I suppose you could see bears while driving. But I doubt very much whether you will see the number of bears that you will see on this trip.
Written September 6, 2018
Do you have any suggestions to help people who are claustrophobic about getting into the small plane?
Written August 11, 2018
I think it would depend on your level of claustrophobia. If you can ride in a compact car I think you might be OK in the plane. Visibility is good and we had plenty of space in a 6 seat plane. Just remember that once you take off the pilot can’t just “pull over” to let you out. If you have significant claustrophobia you may want to take the boat.
Written August 11, 2018
Planning a trip next July with this company could you tell me what type of lens you had to take your awesome pictures with? I have a NikonD500 which is awful with low light so Im alittle worried because it looks darker than sunny. I also have a 200-500 nikon telephoto lens . Any suggestions I would appreciate.
Amy
Written August 8, 2018
What do you do when nature calls while you are in the beach with bears?
Written July 19, 2018
Our guide was very considerate and asked us as soon as we landed and started walking. Said this area was a good sheltered place against a bolder...guys on one side, ladies on the other. Squat and go!
Written July 20, 2018
Hi, gueyduck. What would you like to know about this attraction?
Hi I have a question regarding the guides for Alaskan Bear Adventures.
Do they carry a weapon incase the bears were to get aggressive?
Thanks
Written May 27, 2018
We do not carry weapons, we do carry offshore marine flares. These flares are extremely bright, they are very effective at keeping an aggressive bear at a safe distance. All wildlife has a fear of fire, bears included. The flares do not hurt the bear, they do not damage the bears environment and they are easy to use effectively. Flares have kept bear viewers safe for the last 20 years on the westside coast of Cook Inlet and Shelikof Strait.
Written May 29, 2018
Marilu M
Chicago, Illinois
Why do some bear watching tours have hip waders? What is the difference between those that do and those that don't? Do they go to different areas?
Written May 13, 2018
Hello, They may go to different areas. We provide hip waders so if the bears happen to be across the creek or in an area that you might get your feet wet to cross we can do without event.
Written May 14, 2018
Do you have availability for a group of 5. 4 Adults and 1 child, 6 yrs old. We are on the Holland America Cruise that gets in at 8AM and departs at 6PM. If so, please let me know your prices and the best way to book the tour.
Written April 24, 2018
Do you have availability for June 19 or 20th for a bear tour
do you have it available with sea planes? cost?
Written June 12, 2018
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