Alaska Ultimate Safaris
Alaska Ultimate Safaris
5
Helicopter ToursEco ToursSightseeing ToursNature & Wildlife ToursAir Tours
7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Thursday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
7:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday
7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
Bears Tours and Alaska Adventures are our specialties. Daily tours using float planes and a helicopter for transportation to remote, brown bear rich area's on the Alaska Peninsula. Departing Homer, Alaska. Our Ultimate Safari takes your dreams of seeing bears from ordinary to extraordinary!
Homer, United States
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Alaska Ultimate Safaris
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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
375 reviews
Excellent
371
Very good
0
Average
2
Poor
2
Terrible
0
Basketball-Mom-of-3
Chicago, IL44 contributions
Jul 2019
Our family of 5 (including 3 high school aged daughters) took the helicopter tour to Katmai for bear viewing. What an adventure! Here we are 6 months after the trip and we all still get excited talking about it. Kirsten greeted us bright and early in the morning and sized us up for hip waders (absolutely necessary for this trip and included in the price). Since it was unusually warm no other equipment was needed. We then met our pilot, Erik who went over safety for both the helicopter ride and for viewing the bears. The flight was smooth and the adventure we had in Katmai was spectacular. There is a lot of walking over uneven ground and through small streams but it didn't seem strenuous especially since we were so preoccupied with watching the bears and enjoying the scenery. Erik was great at putting us at ease with the close proximity of the bears. A snack and bug spray were also provided. Highly recommend this tour!
Written January 3, 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.
Shannon W
Denver, CO4 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
I can’t believe the day we just had! Never would I have imagined I’d fly across such amazing terrain, see whales in the ocean, fly by a volcano, and over bears in the river. I felt like I was watching a movie. That was just the first hour! We landed on a lake and immediately saw a bear sauntering along the pumice stone shoreline. Our group, ages 11-74, made our way to brooks falls to see bears catching salmon. Something I’ve only seen in National Geographic photos. I could have watched the bears for hours, mamas with their cubs, others sparring as they stood on their hind legs in the water. Next we flew to a different lake to experience salmon fishing ourselves. My husband, father and son all caught one of these amazing species. A momma and her two 5mo old cubs walked along the shoreline before veering out onto a sandbar after catching sight of our group. We ate a delicious picnic on the shore and flew back to Homer. Kirsten and Eric were amazing. They were attentive to the entire group, ensuring we all felt safe and happy. They are they kindest people. My children are now asking how they can become pilots and have cool jobs like them😉. I know this is a 5 star review but they deserve a 10!!
Written July 30, 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.
Teri S
Littleton, CO10 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
Truly a once in a lifetime experience! Our pilot Bill was awesome! The crew on land geared us up, gave us a brief tutorial and we were off over the beautiful Cook Inlet! Bill prepared us for what we would do should we come upon a bear and sure enough we encountered a mama and cub. When Mama stood up on her hind legs and stared us down we lined up shoulder to shoulder and held eye contact. My heart about pounded out of my chest! Even though we were far enough away, I was too afraid to go for my phone so no photos of that one but a moment I will never forget! She proceeded to lumber away with her baby and all was well. Our next stop we encountered many Bears clamming with their cubs. Even saw a mom with triplets. One of the triplets still had the ring around its neck indicating that it had not shed its first coat. Truly an indescribable experience! We couldn't have asked for a better adventure! As we wound down in preparation to return to base, we celebrated with champagne and chocolate, climbed on board and enjoyed delicious snacks all the way back talking about our amazing experiences. We simply could not have asked for a better adventure. Chalk that one off the bucket list! Thank you so much Bill and crew!
Written July 20, 2023
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.
Thank you for the wonderful review!!! We are so very glad that you had so many BEARS encountered during your adventures with us!
See you next time!
Written July 22, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Dan H
20 contributions
Jun 2022 • Family
My wife, daughter, and I booked the ultimate safari. We had an amazing time with our pilot Jerry. He was laid back, personable and did an outstanding overall job.
In addition to the scenic flight over the stunning landscape, we flew through gorgeous valleys, over rivers and glaciers which in itself was unforgettable. We also saw several black bears and mountain goats. We landed on one of the glaciers and went for a hike over the ice. The views were amazing. The ice formed beautiful prismatic blue pools in spots. At the base were several waterfalls.
Next, we headed across the inlet to Augustin volcano. Again, the landscape was uniquely dramatic. We explored the landscape, hiked through tidepools to both a seal colony and an otter colony.
Finally, we made our way to more stunning scenery, only with brown bears all over the place. We landed and enjoyed watching them foraging and roaming the beautiful iris covered prairie.
Any part of this trip was fantastic in itself and worth every penny. We highly recommend the ultimate safari (or for that matter any portion of it).
In addition to the scenic flight over the stunning landscape, we flew through gorgeous valleys, over rivers and glaciers which in itself was unforgettable. We also saw several black bears and mountain goats. We landed on one of the glaciers and went for a hike over the ice. The views were amazing. The ice formed beautiful prismatic blue pools in spots. At the base were several waterfalls.
Next, we headed across the inlet to Augustin volcano. Again, the landscape was uniquely dramatic. We explored the landscape, hiked through tidepools to both a seal colony and an otter colony.
Finally, we made our way to more stunning scenery, only with brown bears all over the place. We landed and enjoyed watching them foraging and roaming the beautiful iris covered prairie.
Any part of this trip was fantastic in itself and worth every penny. We highly recommend the ultimate safari (or for that matter any portion of it).
Written June 21, 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.
Kristin W
Soldotna, AK12 contributions
Jun 2021
I had an amazing experience on my combination tour with Alaska Ultimate Safaris. I went on a combo glacier and bear tour. I can not put into words what an amazing experience I had. We saw caribou, goats, seals, otters and of course a TON of bears. Kirsten was our pilot/guide and she went above and beyond to make sure my friend and I had a wonderful time. Kirsten is such an amazing person and is a complete joy to be around. She is an amazing pilot and very knowledgeable, and she made me completely comfortable in both the air and on the ground in close proximity to the bears. I would highly recommend this company to anyone, don't hesitate to book!
Written July 6, 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.
Arizona_GTraveller
Bainbridge Island, WA35 contributions
Jun 2024 • Family
We had the most Amazing trip with Eric at Alaska Ultimate Safaris. We gathered (us and another couple) at 7AM, got hip boots and off we went in the DeHaval and float plane. The plane journey to Katmai park was itself excellent with peaks visible and the St Augustine volcano guiding us part of the way. Eric surveyed several sites, but we finally stoppe near a river where at least 4 bears were visible before landing.
We landed in a river, with a huge (not exagerating) male bear on one side. After some maneuvering of the plane in which we assisted, the plane was tied up, and off we went! After walking perhaps 3 minutes we were within sight of the Huge male we had seen while landing. For the next 3.5 hours, Eric lead us deftly along the plain towards the various groups of bears. We were able to get as close as to within 50 yards or so of one of the females. We saw about ?8-10? bears over the time we were in the meadow. They withdraw (very slowly) as you approach so the 50 yards was as close as we could get and probably the closest we wanted to get.
We had seen a mother and cub sleeping and our last sighting was those two waking and beginning to graze - a wonderful send-off.
The hip boots kept our feet dry. The terrain is uneven and you have to watch your step. Eric was able to select the best routes, and a couple of times we followed bear trails which are the smoothest dryest paths in the meadow (bears are smart). We didn't move particularly quickly, and there were no slips, falls, etc.
Flying back Eric suggested that we look for whales. We saw a Fin whale from the air, and that huge animal was truly amazing.
We got back at about 1 PM with wonderful memories and pictures.
We landed in a river, with a huge (not exagerating) male bear on one side. After some maneuvering of the plane in which we assisted, the plane was tied up, and off we went! After walking perhaps 3 minutes we were within sight of the Huge male we had seen while landing. For the next 3.5 hours, Eric lead us deftly along the plain towards the various groups of bears. We were able to get as close as to within 50 yards or so of one of the females. We saw about ?8-10? bears over the time we were in the meadow. They withdraw (very slowly) as you approach so the 50 yards was as close as we could get and probably the closest we wanted to get.
We had seen a mother and cub sleeping and our last sighting was those two waking and beginning to graze - a wonderful send-off.
The hip boots kept our feet dry. The terrain is uneven and you have to watch your step. Eric was able to select the best routes, and a couple of times we followed bear trails which are the smoothest dryest paths in the meadow (bears are smart). We didn't move particularly quickly, and there were no slips, falls, etc.
Flying back Eric suggested that we look for whales. We saw a Fin whale from the air, and that huge animal was truly amazing.
We got back at about 1 PM with wonderful memories and pictures.
Written June 7, 2024
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.
Dalton B
1 contribution
Jul 2024 • Family
First off, you will not regret this experience. My wife and Uncle and I went on this tour and we were well taken care of. The guide, Kirsten, was friendly, educated, safe, and very well informed about the area and wildlife. The helicopter was immaculate and well prepared. Snacks and drinks were provided as well as safety and the appropriate outdoor gear to view the bear when we arrived. This outfitter will take care of you in an affordable, efficient, and incredibly friendly manner. I 100% recommend this outfitter for a once in a lifetime chance to see the best parts of Alaska from the air.
Written July 23, 2024
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.
Jennifer G
5 contributions
Jul 2024 • Couples
Plan a full day, prepare to be mind blown, and bring an extra camera battery. If you are in Alaska to see native wildlife in their natural environment, to get views of Alaskan landscapes from above, to do some mild trekking through unspoiled terrain and to meet locals who will feel like your new best friends, then this is your tour.
You will learn about bear behavior, and will find yourself speaking and listening through body language. This is likely going to be an up close experience, and with the basic instruction from your highly experienced guides, you should never feel fear - just awe at getting to witness these larger than life teddy bears engaging in their daily activities and interaction.
Every element of this experience is top notch. From the meticulously maintained plane to the chilled champagne, Kirsten and Eric don’t miss a thing. There are a number of outfits offering similar outings, but for our money, this is the best. Both Kirsten and Eric are pilots, know their plane, and are out in the wilderness daily so they are able to take you directly to the best viewing areas. They are calm, funny, careful, confident and courteous. They used our cameras to take photos of us, shared captures from their cameras, and ensured we had momentous and keepsakes from our day with them.
We were on a one month trip through Alaska and couldn’t afford to do excursions like this everywhere, but if you’re trying to decide what the one or two things are that will change your life, shape your experience and leave an indelible impact on your memory bank, this is the big splash you want to make. We will publish a video on our YouTube channel Well Travelled Life with our footage and the full adventure.
You will learn about bear behavior, and will find yourself speaking and listening through body language. This is likely going to be an up close experience, and with the basic instruction from your highly experienced guides, you should never feel fear - just awe at getting to witness these larger than life teddy bears engaging in their daily activities and interaction.
Every element of this experience is top notch. From the meticulously maintained plane to the chilled champagne, Kirsten and Eric don’t miss a thing. There are a number of outfits offering similar outings, but for our money, this is the best. Both Kirsten and Eric are pilots, know their plane, and are out in the wilderness daily so they are able to take you directly to the best viewing areas. They are calm, funny, careful, confident and courteous. They used our cameras to take photos of us, shared captures from their cameras, and ensured we had momentous and keepsakes from our day with them.
We were on a one month trip through Alaska and couldn’t afford to do excursions like this everywhere, but if you’re trying to decide what the one or two things are that will change your life, shape your experience and leave an indelible impact on your memory bank, this is the big splash you want to make. We will publish a video on our YouTube channel Well Travelled Life with our footage and the full adventure.
Written July 1, 2024
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.
LSJ1971
Wausa, NE1 contribution
Jul 2022
We went with Eric and Kirsten as a group of family and close friends, they put together the greatest day of seeing the area from the coolest floatplanes keeping in mind what worked for everyone from the jr. hi aged to the 70 something yr olds!
We saw whales, volcanoes and they pointed out the tide lines in the water as we flew over.
Then we landed at the greatest bear encounter area imaginable. We saw the big males down to months old cubs with their mamas and everything in between, all of them had come to the Brooks Falls area for the Salmon run. Both Eric and Kirsten are very knowledgeable about the "pecking order" that goes on for good locations to catch fish at the falls and river as well as the potential danger for young cubs to be close to the older bears...not to mention our own safety!
After leaving the falls area we started our return trip and on the way, Eric spotted a good place to land and go fishing ourselves. The spot was great and we caught several big Salmon.
Bottom line here, if you're looking to find the best flyout experience out of Homer AK, they do that!!
We saw whales, volcanoes and they pointed out the tide lines in the water as we flew over.
Then we landed at the greatest bear encounter area imaginable. We saw the big males down to months old cubs with their mamas and everything in between, all of them had come to the Brooks Falls area for the Salmon run. Both Eric and Kirsten are very knowledgeable about the "pecking order" that goes on for good locations to catch fish at the falls and river as well as the potential danger for young cubs to be close to the older bears...not to mention our own safety!
After leaving the falls area we started our return trip and on the way, Eric spotted a good place to land and go fishing ourselves. The spot was great and we caught several big Salmon.
Bottom line here, if you're looking to find the best flyout experience out of Homer AK, they do that!!
Written August 2, 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.
Aaron W
4 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
This experience was better than we could ever imagine! We had never seen a grizzly bear in their own environment and right away when we stepped off the float plane the action started! We saw bears fishing for salmon, mother bears teaching their cubs how to fish, and learned a lot from our naturalist guides. If you want an authentic Alaskan experience for wildlife and especially bear viewing, this has the whole package. The owners are so kind and were very attentive and patient helping our older family members on and off the planes, and we always felt safe and in expert hands. Our kids who are young teens said this was the best thing they have ever experienced. We have so many bear pictures to sort through now! We definitely want to go again! Highly highly recommend.
Written July 30, 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.
Can someone please tell me how in the world you get ahold of this company!??!! SOOO frustrated. Have tried calling and leaving messages, booking online ("no online availability" for any dates in 2020?!) and have sent several emails... these attempts were spread out over the entire month of January 2020. I am trying to ask 2 minor questions (to help decide between two of their trips) and then book the tour.. same call. I am not a tire kicker with a million questions... I WANT to go on their tour. All these great reviews and what must be a wonderful tour seem completely contrary to their business practices. Any suggestions??
Written January 31, 2020
Kelly, good evening. We haven’t started booking for our 2020 season yet.
Please feel free to call or text my cell and hopefully you’ll be able to connect.
Have a great day!
Kirsten
(801)726-9553
Written February 1, 2020
We have been trying to book with you for 3rd July but your website booking is unavailable and I have left several emails and messages but have had no reply. Would really like to make the booking for the helicopter bear viewing, can you help me please.
Written January 8, 2020
Good evening, we haven’t opened up booking for our 2020 season. We will open up booking closer to summer of 2020.
Written February 1, 2020
We can't find a telephone number or any way to book this trip with you! Please advise - we must be missing something somewhere!
Written June 13, 2018
I see a nearby poster (Auburn, CA) got you the information you needed. Special hi to you that live in Wisconsin---we actually live in Appleton in the fall.
Written June 14, 2018
We are coming in 6/20 and will have 6/21 to do a one adventure. Is it likely that we will see best?
Written June 7, 2018
We guarantee you’ll see bears!!
Depending on your group size, we do still have availability on June 21st!!
Written June 8, 2018
We will be in Homer Wed Aug 1-Wed Aug 8. Would you suggest a certain day?
Thanks,
Vicki Underhill
Written April 20, 2018
I’m so excited for our trip to Homer!!! I would love to see glaciers and bears! Is there a combo trip?
Written April 19, 2018
We do have our Ultimate Safari that will take you via helicopter across Cook Inlet to Lake Clark National Oark to experience the Coastal Brown Bears in their Natural habitat.
We then fly over and explore Mt Augustine an active volcano, hiking up and getting to see the different levels of volcanic activity. We will have lunch on the Island.
We finish up the day trekking on the Harding Ice Field, it’s an amazing end to the day looking down all the crevasses and bring on top of all that magnificent ice!!
We do see glaciers on the flight over to see the bears, but only land on the Ultimate Safari!
Written April 20, 2018
HI
CAN I HAVE THE NAME OF THIS COMPANY?
when is the best time to go
is it safe?
I'm traveling with a very talented experienced photographer.Can anyone please let me know some great wildlife excursions for photographers
Written April 12, 2018
Alaska Ultimate Safaris is the name of the company.
It is very safe, our main goals are safety with an amazing experience combined.
We take many photographers out to capture this amazing beauty. I’m sure you would have a great time!!
Written May 24, 2018
what is the cost for the ultimate safari, per person or party of 4
Written October 23, 2017
The Ultimate is worth every penny---a trip of a lifetime
Written June 14, 2018
We will be driving from Anchorage to Homer on Sept 29 and plan on staying 2 nights. Then drive to Seward for a night and then back to Anchorage for a night then catch a flight back to Sacramento on Oct 3. We can add a day if neccessary. Are we allowing enough time to take your tour? Do you still run 2 tours a day at that time of year? I have been told that the bears are in hibernation by then. (?) Will we still see them? We will be celebrating my husbands 71st birthday and I think this safari would be the perfect gift. Thank you
Written June 30, 2017
September is a great time to visit Alaska. Alaska Ultimate Safaris is down to one trip a day to see the Bears toward the end of September. It is toward the end of the season, but the bears aren't hibernating quite yet.
That sounds like an awesome way to celebrate a birthday!!
Written July 1, 2017
Hi,
My son and I are arriving to Homer on Aug 30th around noon. We are considering your tour though we understand that our only chance is the afternoon tour (as the day after we need to leave Homer early)
My questions:
1. When is the afternoon tour back in Homer?
2. If the tour is cancelled because of the wheat her, will we get a refund? How likely is cancellation? (I.e. How many do u have each season?)
Thanks!
Alon
Written June 18, 2017
Alon,
August is a great time to visit Alaska.
Our afternoon tour gets back to Homer around 8:30pm.
We offer a full refund if we cancel due to weather. It is unlikely, but has happened. We haven't canceled any bear tours this year for weather yet.
Kirsten
Written June 21, 2017
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.